Message of the Latter Rain - Kelvin M. Duncan

"As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our
transgressions from us" Psalm 103:12.[4]
Mere forgiveness of sin is not the sole result of the death of Jesus. He
made the infinite sacrifice not only that sin might be removed, but that
human nature might be restored, rebeautified, reconstructed from its ruins,
and made fit for the presence of God.[5]
In these two quotations we see that the Spirit of Prophecy teaches two
distinct aspects of forgiveness. These aspects are also referred to as two
phases of justification--"corporate universal justification" and "justification
by faith." Ellen White does not use all of these expressions. Yet we see her
struggling to convey the same thought. We keenly sense her difficulty, when
she uses the term forgiveness to define "forgiveness." She wrote, "God's
forgiveness is not merely a judicial act by which He sets us free from
condemnation. It is not only forgiveness ... ." In short, she said, "forgiveness
... is not only forgiveness ... " Although with this observation, we sense her
struggle to express the concept without the convenient theological terms
(corporate justification and justification by faith), the concept nevertheless
comes through!
The first Spirit of Prophecy statement regarding forgiveness cited above
says, "God's forgiveness is not merely a judicial act." The second statement
says, "Mere forgiveness of sin is not the sole result of the death of Jesus."[6]
In these two statements she does not deny that forgiveness is a "judicial act"
which took place at "the death of Jesus." It is a "judicial act," but the point
she wants to make is that it is not only (merely) that. More is included in the
concept. A second aspect to God's forgiveness exists. For it is a judicial
pardon, but it is also "reclaiming from sin"--cleansing from the defilement
caused by sin. It includes the removal of sin from the heart. The expression
judicial act corresponds to corporate universal justification. That portion of
the process called "forgiveness" has been accomplished for the whole world.
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