The Spirit of Prophecy Needs to Be Treated Like the Bible in Terms of Interpretation
By this, we mean that the same power which worked through men in Bible times is the exactly same power that has worked through Ellen G. White. Therefore, the Spirit of Prophecy interprets itself and is of no private interpretation.
Misunderstood SOP Quote 1
“We need to realize that THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHO IS AS MUCH A PERSON AS GOD IS A PERSON, IS WALKING THROUGH THESE GROUNDS, UNSEEN BY HUMAN EYES; that the Lord God is our Keeper and Helper. He hears every word we utter and knows every thought of the mind.”
—Sermons and Talks, Volume 2, pp. 136-137, 1899
So Who Exactly Is This “Unseen Person Walking” With Us?
“How few realize that Jesus, unseen, is walking by their side! How ashamed many would be to hear His voice speaking to them, and to know that He heard all their foolish, common talk!”
—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 88.1
“Remember that Jesus is beside you wherever you go, noting your actions and listening to your words.”
—The Youth’s Instructor, February 4, 1897
“The Lord Jesus standing by the side of the canvasser, walking with them, is the chief worker. If we recognize Christ as the One who is with us to prepare the way, the Holy Spirit by our side will make impressions in just the lines needed.”
—Colporteur Ministry, p. 107
So it is Christ who is the “Unseen” person, who is, by His divine nature, walking “through these grounds” in the above misunderstood SOP quote!
Misunderstood SOP Quote 2
“Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the THIRD PERSON OF THE GODHEAD, who would come with no modified energy, but in the fullness of divine power.”
—Desire of Ages, p. 671.2
Who Is This “Third Person” Who Can Help Us Overcome Sin?
“The only defense against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in His righteousness. Unless we become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin.”
—Desire of Ages, p. 324.1
“Christ has given His Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil and to impress His own character upon His church.”
—Desire of Ages, p. 671.2
“There is no power in you apart from Christ, but it is your privilege to have Christ abiding in your heart by faith, and He can overcome sin in you when you cooperate with His efforts.”
—The Youth’s Instructor, June 29, 1893
“There is nothing else that can save us. Christ comes in His divine nature, and here is every soul will be enlightened according to what you study, according to what you give the mind to feed upon.”
—Letters and Manuscripts, Vol. 21 (1906)
So, it is Christ that helps us to overcome sin—not another being!
Misunderstood SOP Quote 3
“There are three living persons of the heavenly trio; in the name of these three great powers—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—those who receive Christ by living faith are baptized, and these powers will co-operate with the obedient subjects of heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ.”
—Evangelism, pp. 614-615
Who Are the “Three Living Persons” in Heaven?
“Our sanctification is the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is the fulfilment of the covenant that God has made with those who bind themselves up with Him, to stand with [1] Him, with [2] His Son, and with [3] His Spirit in holy fellowship. Have you been born again? Have you become a new being in Christ Jesus? Then co-operate with the three great powers of heaven who are working in your behalf.”
—Signs of the Times, June 19, 1901
“Christ gave His followers a positive promise that after His ascension He would send them His Spirit. ‘Go ye therefore,’ He said, ‘and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father [a personal God], and of the Son [a personal Prince and Saviour], and of the Holy Ghost [sent from heaven to represent Christ]: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.’”*
—Review & Herald, October 26, 1897, par. 9
Notice how Ellen White did not use the word “personal” for the Holy Ghost!
“Those who believe the truth should remember that they are God’s little children, that they are under His training. Let them be thankful to God for His manifold mercies and be kind to one another. They have one God and one Saviour; and one Spirit—the Spirit of Christ—is to bring unity into their ranks.”
—Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 9
“When trials overshadow the soul, remember the words of Christ, remember that He is an unseen presence in the person of the Holy Spirit.”
—Letter 124, 1897
“Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His Father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent.”
—Manuscript Releases 14, p. 23.3
So the “three living persons” of the “heavenly trio” according to the SOP, are: the Father, the Son, and their Holy Spirit! (Especially Christ’s divine nature.)
Misunderstood SOP Quote 4
“The Holy Spirit has a personality, else He could not bear witness to our spirits and with our spirits that we are the children of God. He must also be a divine person, else He could not search out the secrets which lie hidden in the mind of God. ‘For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man, which is in him; even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.’ [1 Corinthians 2:11].”
—Evangelism, p. 617.1
If the “Holy Spirit” Is Also a “Divine Person”—Then Who Is He?
“Lift up Christ in His power in the person of the Holy Spirit. He is waiting for them to open the door and admit Him. His presence will thrill every nerve and muscle. Every organ will begin to perform its functions, and the whole man will be restored to spiritual soundness as he sees Christ by faith.”
—Letters and Manuscripts, Vol. 14, Lt 59, 1899, par. 11
“When trials overshadow the soul, remember the words of Christ, remember that He is an unseen presence in the person of the Holy Spirit.”
—Letter 124, 1897
“The work of the Holy Spirit is immeasurably great. It is from this source that power and efficiency come to the worker for God; and the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, as the personal presence of Christ to the soul.”
—Review and Herald, November 29, 1892
Ellen G. White makes it absolutely clear that the “Divine Person” of the Holy Spirit is none other than Christ—not another Person/Being.
Misunderstood SOP Quote 5
“Jesus declared, ‘I am the resurrection, and the life.’ In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived. ‘He that hath the Son hath life.’ The divinity of Christ is the believer’s assurance of eternal life.”
—Evangelism, p. 616.2
What Does It Mean That Christ’s Life Is “Original,” “Unborrowed,” & “Underived”?
“‘In Him was life; and the life was the light of men’ (John 1:4). It is not physical life that is here specified, but immortality, the life which is exclusively the property of God. The Word, who was with God, and who was God, had this life. Physical life is something which each individual receives. It is not eternal or immortal; for God, the Life-giver, takes it again. Man has no control over his life. But the life of Christ was unborrowed. No one can take this life from Him. ‘I lay it down of myself’ (John 10:18), He said. In Him was life, original, unborrowed, underived. This life is not inherent in man. He can possess it only through Christ. He cannot earn it; it is given him as a free gift if he will believe in Christ as His personal Saviour.”
—Selected Messages, Book 1, p. 296.2
“Christ was invested with the right to give immortality. The life which He had laid down in humanity, He again took up and gave to humanity.”
—Selected Messages, Book 1, p. 302.2
“God has sent His Son to communicate His own life to humanity. Christ declares, ‘I live by the Father,’ My life and His being one.”
—Letters & Manuscripts, Vol. 12, 1897
“All things come of God. From the smallest benefits up to the largest blessing, all flow through the one channel—a superhuman mediation sprinkled with the blood that is of value beyond estimate because it was the life of God in His Son.”
—Letters and Manuscripts, Vol. 6, 1890
When we allow the SOP to interpret itself, we see that Ellen G. White’s writings were never portraying a Trinitarian concept. She was always a true believer in the One True God, Jehovah, who has a Son, Christ.
Have We Been Told That Ellen G. White Changed Her Faith and Became Trinitarian? Is This True?
“I should be an unfaithful watchman, were I to hold my peace, when I see the very foundations of our faith being torn away by those who have departed from the faith, and who are now adrift, without an anchor. In this time, when false doctrines are being taught, we are to teach the same truth that we have taught for the past half century. I have not changed my faith one jot or one tittle.”
—E. White, Lt 150, May 15, 1906
“The truths given us after the passing of the time in 1844 are just as certain and unchangeable as when the Lord gave them to us in answer to our urgent prayers. The visions that the Lord has given me are so remarkable that we know that what we have accepted is the truth. This was demonstrated by the Holy Spirit. Light, precious light from God, established the main points of our faith as we hold them today.”
—E. White, Letter 50, 1906
“The word that comes to me is that we must revive the testimony of the dead among the living. There will be species of error brought in, but where are they when they are established? There is no more truth to that then. We must not be moved by any sophistry that man can bring in. We need the truth once delivered to the saints—the testimony of the dead to be revived. We know the Holy Ghost spoke these things. I know wherein I believe and what is the foundation of my hope. I stand where I have for the past 50 years. I have not changed.”
—Letters and Manuscripts, Vol. 20, 1905
“I appreciate the truth, every jot of it, just as it has been given to me by the Holy Spirit for the last fifty years. I desire everyone to know that I stand on the same platform of truth that we have maintained for more than half a century. That is the testimony I desire to bear on the day that I am seventy-eight years of age.”
—Manuscript Releases, Vol. 4, p. 44.5
“I do not wish to ignore or drop one link in the chain of evidence that was formed as, after the passing of the time in 1844, little companies of seekers after truth met together to study the Bible and to ask God for light and guidance… The truth, point by point, was fastened in our minds so firmly that we could not doubt… The evidence given in our early experience has the same force that it had then. The truth is the same as it ever has been, and not a pin or a pillar can be moved from the structure of truth. That which was sought for out of the word in 1844, 1845, and 1846 remains the truth in every particular.”
—E. White, Letter 38, 1906
“That which I have written is what the Lord has bidden me write. I have not been instructed to change that which I have sent out… The straight line of truth presented to me when I was but a girl is just as clearly presented to me now.”
—E.G. White, Review and Herald, January 26, 1905
Look at the dates! (1905–1907). Yet Sister White confirms:
“We are to teach the same truth that we have taught for the past half century. I have not changed my faith one jot or one tittle!”
If you study the history of early Adventists, you will see very clearly that she and the Pioneers did not believe in the Trinity Doctrine.
WHO DID ELLEN G. WHITE IDENTIFY AS THE “ONE TRUE GOD”?
“A knowledge of God is the foundation of all true education and of all true service. It is THE ONLY REAL SAFEGUARD against temptation. It is THIS ALONE that can make us like God in character. This is THE KNOWLEDGE NEEDED BY ALL who are working for the uplifting of their fellow men. Transformation of character, purity of life, efficiency in service, adherence to correct principles, ALL DEPEND UPON A RIGHT KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. This knowledge is THE ESSENTIAL PREPARATION BOTH FOR this life and for the life to come. The KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY is understanding. Proverbs 9:10. Through a KNOWLEDGE OF HIM are given unto us ‘all things that pertain unto life and godliness.’ 2 Peter 1:3. ‘This is life eternal,’ SAID JESUS, ‘that they might KNOW THEE THE ONLY TRUE GOD, AND JESUS CHRIST, whom THOU hast sent.’ John 17:3.”
—E. White, Ministry of Healing, 1905, pp. 409–410
“Our heavenly Father is the God of the universe, and Christ is the divine Son, the One equal with the Father.”
—Ms49, April 14, 1906, p. 26
“Make the word of the living God your lessonbook. If this had always been done, students lost to the cause of God would now be missionaries. Jehovah is the only true God, and HE is to be reverenced and worshiped.”
—E. White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p. 166
“There is no place for gods in the heaven above. God is the only true God. He fills all heaven. Those who now submit to his will shall see his face; and his name will be in the foreheads of all who are pure and holy.”
—E. White, 1888 Materials, p. 1634
“The Ancient of Days is God the Father. Says the psalmist: ‘Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.’ Psalm 90:2. It is He, the source of all being, and the fountain of all law, that is to preside in the judgment… And, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him… The coming of Christ here described is not His second coming to the earth. He comes to the Ancient of Days in heaven… Attended by heavenly angels, our great High Priest enters the holy of holies and there appears in the presence of God.”
—E. White, Great Controversy
“But Christ raised His hand, saying, Detain Me not; ‘for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God.’ And Mary went her way to the disciples with the joyful message. Jesus refused to receive the homage of His people until He had the assurance that His sacrifice was accepted by the Father. He ascended to the heavenly courts, and from God Himself heard the assurance that His atonement for the sins of men had been ample, that through His blood all might gain eternal life.”
—E. White, Desire of Ages, p. 790
“God is the Father of Christ; Christ is the Son of God. To Christ has been given an exalted position. He has been made equal with the Father. All the counsels of God are opened to His Son.”
—E. White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 8, p. 268
“‘This is life eternal,’ Christ prayed, ‘that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.’ There is in this prayer a greatness that no human language can express. Thousands upon thousands long for a knowledge of God. Some have a partial knowledge of Him, but not the fulness of knowledge.”
—E. White, The Watchman, June 18, 1907
“God is our Father, who loves and cares for us as His children; He is also the great King of the universe… The Father IS all the fullness of the Godhead bodily… No mortal mind can penetrate the secrecy in which the Mighty One dwells and works… Jehovah is the fountain of all wisdom, of all truth, of all knowledge… God is a Spirit; yet He is a personal being; for so He has revealed Himself. As a personal being, God has revealed Himself in His Son. The outshining of the Father’s glory… Those who realize the greatness and majesty of God, will take His name on their lips with holy awe. He dwelleth in light unapproachable; no man can see Him and live.”
—E. White, The Faith I Live By, pp. 38–42
“Christ declares in His prayer to His Father, ‘This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent (John 17:3).”
—E. White, The Upward Look, p. 81
“Under the influence of truth the Christian character will develop, through the knowledge of the only true God, AND Jesus Christ whom he hath sent.”
—E. White, The Youth’s Instructor, Jan. 18, 1894
“Watchmen upon the walls of Zion, the people are asking you, What of the night? Can you tell them with assurance and authority, The morning cometh, and also the night? God is our Father, Christ is our Saviour. (See 2 Pet. 1:16–21.)”
—E. White, General Conference Daily Bulletin, Feb. 17, 1897
“If you call God your Father, you acknowledge yourselves His children, to be guided by His wisdom, and to be obedient in all things, knowing that His love is changeless. You will accept His plan for your life. As children of God, you will hold His honor, His character, His family, His work, as the objects of your highest interest. It will be your joy to recognize and honor your relation to your Father, and to every member of His family. God is our Father, a tender parent, solicitous for His spiritual children. He is pledged to be the protector, counsellor, guide, and friend, of all who are obedient to Him.”
—E. White, Sons and Daughters of God, p. 14
“Christ represented the Father to the world, and He represents before God the chosen ones in whom He has restored the moral image of God.”
—E. White, The Bible Echo, May 1, 1899
“I feel my spirit stirred within me. I feel to the depth of my being that the truth must be borne to other countries and nations, and to all classes. Let the missionaries of the cross proclaim that there is one God, AND one Mediator between God and man, who is Jesus Christ the Son of the Infinite God. This needs to be proclaimed throughout every church in our land. Christians need to know this, and not put man where God should be, that they may no longer be worshipers of idols, but of the living God.”
—E. White, 1888 Materials, p. 886
“‘When ye pray, say Our Father.’ Luke 11:2… Jesus teaches us to call His Father our Father. He is not ashamed to call us brethren. Hebrews 2:11. So ready, so eager, is the Saviour’s heart to welcome us as members of the family of God, that in the very first words we are to use in approaching God He places the assurance of our divine relationship, ‘Our Father.’ Here is the announcement of that wonderful truth, so full of encouragement and comfort, that God loves us as He loves His Son.”
—E. White, Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, pp. 103–104
“I saw that while Jesus was with that bright heavenly host, in the presence of God, and surrounded by His glory, He did not forget His disciples upon the earth, but received power from His Father, that He might return and impart power to them.”
—E. White, Early Writings, p. 187
“God accepted the death of His Son to save a rebellious race. But in this was there no sacrifice made by the Father? The Creator Himself, the omnipotent God, suffered with His Son. Abraham was permitted to know something of the meaning of this great sacrifice. He is called the father of the faithful, because he carried out in heart purpose the fearful test, as fully as if he had by his own hand taken the life of his son.”
—E. White, Signs of the Times, Feb. 22, 1899, par. 6
“The Lord God omnipotent is the God of His people. He is also a tender, loving Father, ready to hear their prayers, for God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. God sent forth His Son to be the propitiation for them through faith in His atoning blood.”
—E. White, Ms36–1897.5
“There is a personal God, the Father; there is a personal Christ, the Son. And ‘God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
—E. White, Review and Herald, Nov. 8, 1898, par. 9
DID ELLEN G. WHITE CONFIRM THAT “CHRIST” IS THE ‘LITERAL’ SON OF GOD?
“The dedication of the first-born had its origin in the earliest times. God had promised to give the first-born of heaven to save the sinner.”
—Ellen G. White, Desire of Ages, p. 51
“Christ was the majesty of heaven, the only begotten Son of God. Yet, ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.'”
—E. G. White, A Call to the Watchmen, Calif., Aug. 8, 1910, p. 4
“Who is Christ?—He is the only begotten Son of the living God.”
—E. White, Sons and Daughters of God, p. 21
“Through Solomon Christ declared: ‘The Lord possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth… When He gave to the sea His decree, that the waters should not pass His commandment; when He appointed the foundations of the earth; then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him.”
—E. White, Signs of the Times, Aug. 29, 1900
“Although endowed with the attributes of God, He receives His instruction from the Father. To those who in faith receive Him as a personal Saviour, He gives power to become the sons of God, members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King. He is their teacher, their guide. Christ is declared in the Scriptures to be the Son of God. From all eternity He has sustained this relation to Jehovah. Before the foundations of the world were laid, He, the only begotten Son of God, pledged Himself to become the Redeemer of the human race should men sin.”
—E. White, Ms 22, 1905, par. 3–4
“In Christ ‘we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.’ He is ‘the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature.”
—E. White, Review and Herald, July 4, 1912
“The God of heaven sent his Son into our world to give lessons which contain the true science. But were Christ in our world today, he would say to many teachers, as he said to the Pharisees, ‘Ye neither know me, nor my Father.”
—E. White, Review and Herald, Oct. 25, 1898
“God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son,—not a son by creation, as were the angels, nor a son by adoption, as is the forgiven sinner, but a son begotten in the express image of the Father’s person.”
—Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, May 30, 1895
“The King of the universe summoned the heavenly hosts before Him, that in their presence He might set forth the true position of His Son and show the relation He sustained to all created beings. The Son of God shared the Father’s throne, and the glory of the eternal, self-existent One encircled both. About the throne gathered the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng—’ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands’ (Revelation 5:11.), the most exalted angels, as ministers and subjects, rejoicing in the light that fell upon them from the presence of the Deity. Before the assembled inhabitants of heaven the King declared that none but Christ, the Only Begotten of God, could fully enter into His purposes, and to Him it was committed to execute the mighty counsels of His will. The Son of God had wrought the Father’s will in the creation of all the hosts of heaven; and to Him, as well as to God, their homage and allegiance were due.”
—E. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 36
“After the earth was created, and the beasts upon it, the Father and Son carried out their purpose, which was designed before the fall of Satan, to make man in their own image. They had wrought together in the creation of the earth and every living thing upon it. And now God says to his Son, ‘Let us make man in our image’.”
—E. White, The Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 1, p. 24
“Christ is the star that should arise out of Jacob, and the one in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed, as the first born of heaven, and the only begotten of the Father, filled with all the treasures of eternity. He assumed humanity, and impressed upon it the glorious image of the everlasting God.”
—Ellen G. White, Lt101, February 17, 1896
“Christ was the only begotten Son of God, and Lucifer, that glorious angel, got up a warfare over the matter, until he had to be thrust down to the earth.”
—Ellen G. White, Ms86, August 21, 1910
“Satan was well acquainted with the position of honor Christ had held in Heaven as the Son of God, the beloved of the Father. And that he should leave Heaven and come to this world as a man filled him with apprehension for his own safety.”
—Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, March 3, 1874
“I am instructed to say to you, All this holding to sentiments of infallibility is a specious device of the angel that was so exalted in the heavenly court. His beauty was so highly exalted that he thought he should be as God, and Christ must be second to him; but the Lord informed Satan this could not be possible. Christ was His only begotten Son.”
—E. G. White, Lt157–1910
“Modern spiritualism, resting upon the same foundation, is but a revival in a new form of the witchcraft and demon worship that God condemned and prohibited of old…. Peter, describing the dangers to which the church was to be exposed in the last days, says that as there were false prophets who led Israel into sin, so there will be false teachers, ‘who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them… And many shall follow their pernicious ways.’ [2 Peter 2:1–2]. Here the apostle has pointed out one of the marked characteristics of spiritualist teachers. They refuse to acknowledge Christ as the Son of God. Concerning such teachers the beloved John declares: ‘Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father.’ [1 John 2:22–23]. Spiritualism, by denying Christ, denies both the Father and the Son, and the Bible pronounces it the manifestation of antichrist.”
—Ellen White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 686
“Then praise and adoration was poured forth for the self-denial and sacrifice of Jesus, in consenting to leave the bosom of His Father, and choosing a life of suffering and anguish, and an ignominious death, that He might give life to others. {EW 126.2} Said the angel, ‘Think ye that the Father yielded up His dearly beloved Son without a struggle? No, no.’ It was even a struggle with the God of heaven, whether to let guilty man perish, or to give His darling Son to die for them.”
—E. White, Early Writings, p. 127
“The Eternal Father, the unchangeable one, gave his only begotten Son, tore from his bosom Him who was made [begotten] in the express image of his person, and sent him down to earth to reveal how greatly he loved mankind. He is willing to do more, ‘more than we can ask or think.’ An inspired writer asks a question which should sink deep into every heart: ‘He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?’ Shall not every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ say, ‘Since God has done so much for us, how shall we not, for Christ’s sake, show our love to him by obedience to his commandments, by being doers of his word, by unreservedly consecrating ourselves to his service?”
—Ellen White, Review and Herald, July 9, 1895, par. 13
“Giving Christ, God has given everything. Nothing greater, nothing more costly, could He bestow. In giving His Son, He gave all heaven, not because of any goodness or righteousness that we possess, but because He loved us.”
—E. White, Manuscript Releases, Vol. 18, p. 337
“Jesus stood by their side in the fiery furnace, and the glory of his presence convinced the proud king of Babylon that it could be no other than the Son of God.”
—Ellen G. White, The Youth’s Instructor, 1904
“The Son of God pities fallen man. He knows that the law of his Father is as unchanging as himself. He can only see one way of escape for the transgressor. He offers himself to his Father as a sacrifice for man, to take their guilt and punishment upon himself, and redeem them from death by dying in their place, and thus pay the ransom. The Father consents to give his dearly beloved Son to save the fallen race; and through his merits and intercession promises to receive man again into his favor, and to restore holiness to as many as should be willing to accept the atonement thus mercifully offered, and obey his law. For the sake of his dear Son the Father forbears a while the execution of death, and to Christ he commits the fallen race.”
—E. White, Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 3, p. 46
“Christ was the majesty of heaven, the only begotten Son of God. Yet ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
—E. White, A Call to the Watchmen, p. 4
“The only begotten son of God condescended to live a life of humiliation, self-denial, and self-sacrifice, divesting Himself of His own majesty and glory as Commander of the heavenly courts, that He might bring life and immortality to the human race.”
—E. White, The Bible Echo, July 20, 1896
“The thought that God’s eye is watching over us, that he loves us, and cared so much for us as to give his dearly beloved Son to redeem us, that we might not miserably perish, is a great one.”
—E. White, Christian Education, p. 188
“In giving His Son, God gave Himself that man might have another trial. If God could have changed this law to meet man in his fallen condition, would He not have done this, and retained His only begotten Son in heaven?—He certainly would. But because His law was as changeless as His character, He gave His beloved Son, who was above law, and one with Himself, to meet the penalty which His justice demanded.”
—E. White, The Bible Echo, Feb. 8, 1897
“The Lord Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, existed from eternity, a distinct person, yet one with the Father. He was the surpassing glory of heaven. He was the commander of the heavenly intelligences, and the adoring homage of the angels was received by him as his right. This was no robbery of God. ‘The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way,’ he declares, ‘before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth; while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth.”
—E. White, Review and Herald, April 5, 1906
“When I read in the Bible of how many refused to believe that Christ was the Son of God, sadness fills my heart. We read that even His own brethren refused to believe in Him.”
—E. G. White, Letter 398, To Dr. & Mrs. D. H. Kress, December 26, 1906
“The Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father, is truly God in infinity, BUT NOT IN PERSONALITY.”
—E. White, Ms49, 1906, par. 26
DID ELLEN G. WHITE CONFIRM THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE “SPIRIT OF CHRIST”? [RECEIVED FROM THE FATHER]
“We want the Holy Spirit, which is Jesus Christ.”
—E. White, Letter 66, April 10, 1894, par. 17–18
“The Father gave his Spirit without measure to his Son, and we also may partake of its fulness.”
—Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, November 5, 1908
“Never before had angels listened to such a prayer as Christ offered at his baptism, and they were solicitous to be the bearers of the message from the Father to his Son. But, no! direct from the Father issues the light of his glory. The heavens were opened, and beams of glory rested upon the Son of God and assumed the form of a dove, in appearance like burnished gold. The dove-like form was emblematical of the meekness and gentleness of Christ. While the people stood spell-bound with amazement, their eyes fastened upon Christ, from the opening heavens came these words: ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ The words of confirmation that Christ is the Son of God were given to inspire faith in those who witnessed the scene, and to sustain the Son of God in his arduous work.”
—Ellen White, Review and Herald, Jan. 21, 1873
“When God’s people take the position that they are the temple of THE HOLY GHOST, CHRIST HIMSELF abiding within, they will so clearly reveal Him in spirit, words and actions, that there will be an unmistakable distinction between them and Satan’s followers.”
—E. White, Ms100, July 14, 1902, par. 24
“This is our work for this time, to open the door to Jesus, and HE will so fill the soul that there will be no room for self and selfishness… We want that complete and perfect understanding which the Lord alone can give. It is not safe to catch the spirit from another. We want the Holy Spirit, which is Jesus Christ.”
—E. White, Letter 66, April 10, 1894, par. 17–18
“Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent.”
—Ellen G. White, 14MR 23.3, 1895
“Jesus comes to you as the Spirit of truth; study the mind of the Spirit, consult your Lord, follow His way.”
—Ellen G. White, 2MR 337.1
“The Spirit of truth is the only effectual teacher of divine truth; those who are taught of Him have entered the school of Christ. How must God esteem the race, that He gave His Son to die for them, and appoints HIS SPIRIT to be man’s teacher and continual guide.”
—Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, October 24, 1906
“There is no comforter like Christ, so tender and so true. He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. His Spirit speaks to the heart.”
—E. White, Review and Herald, Oct. 26, 1897
“The Saviour is our Comforter. This I have proved Him to be.”
—E. White, Manuscript Releases, Vol. 8, p. 49
“Let them study the seventeenth of John, and learn how to pray and how to live the prayer of Christ. He is the Comforter. He will abide in their hearts, making their joy full.”
—Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, January 27, 1903
“They have ONE God and ONE Saviour; and ONE Spirit—the Spirit of Christ.”
—Ellen G. White, 9T 189.3, 1909
“The act of Christ in breathing upon his disciples the Holy Ghost, and in imparting his peace to them, was as a few drops before the plentiful shower to be given on the day of Pentecost.”
—E. White, The Spirit of Prophecy, Volume 3, p. 243
“The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, which is sent to all men to give them sufficiency, that through His grace we might be complete in Him.”
—Ellen G. White, 14 Manuscript Releases, p. 84
“Christ declared that after his ascension, he would send to his church, as his crowning gift, the Comforter, who was to take his place. This Comforter is the Holy Spirit,—the soul of his life, the efficacy of his church, the light and life of the world. With his Spirit Christ sends a reconciling influence and a power that takes away sin.”
—E. White, The Review and Herald, May 19, 1904, par. 1
“While Jesus ministers in the sanctuary above, HE is still by HIS SPIRIT the minister of the church on earth. He is withdrawn from the eye of sense, but His parting promise is fulfilled, ‘Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.’ Matthew 28:20. While He delegates His power to inferior ministers, His energizing presence is still with His church.”
—Ellen G. White, Desire of Ages, p. 166
“The reasons why the churches are weak and sickly and ready to die is that the enemy has brought influences of a discouraging nature to bear upon trembling souls. He has sought to shut Jesus from their view as the Comforter.”
—Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, August 26, 1890
“We cannot be with Christ in person, as were His first disciples, but He has sent HIS Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth, and through this power we too can bear witness for the Saviour. [John 16:13 quoted]”
—E. G. White, Ms30, June 18, 1900
“And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained. The Holy Spirit was not yet fully manifested; for Christ had not yet been glorified. The more abundant impartation of the Spirit did not take place till after Christ’s ascension. Not until this was received could the disciples fulfill the commission to preach the gospel to the world. But the Spirit was now given for a special purpose. Before the disciples could fulfill their official duties in connection with the church, CHRIST breathed HIS Spirit upon them.”
—Ellen G. White, Desire of Ages, p. 805
“When the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the early church, ‘The whole multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul.’ The SPIRIT of CHRIST made them one. This is the fruit of abiding in Christ.”
—Ellen G. White, GCDB, February 6, 1893
“The Lord Jesus, standing by the side of the canvassers, walking with them, is the chief worker. The Holy Guest by their side makes impressions in just the lines needed, if the worker recognizes Christ as the one who is with him to prepare the way. Thus the worker can move forward representing the sacred truth he is handling, in the books he is finding a home for in families. Just as the truth presented in the books becomes woven into his own experience and developed in his character, will be his strength, his courage, his life. The experience gained will be more benefit to him than all the advantages he might otherwise obtain in fitting for the work of the ministry. It is the accompaniment of the Holy Spirit of God that prepares the workers, both men and women, to become pastors unto the flock of God. As they cherish the thought that Christ is their companion, a holy awe, a sacred joy will be felt by them amid all their trying experiences and all their tests.”
—E. White, Bible Echo, September 18, 1899, par. 12–13
“But it is the leaven of the spirit of Jesus Christ, which is sent down from heaven, called the Holy Ghost, and that Spirit affects the heart and the character.”
—Ellen G. White, Ms36–1891
“It is not essential for you to know and be able to define just what the Holy Spirit is. Christ tells us that the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, and the Comforter is the Holy Ghost, ‘the Spirit of truth, which the Father shall send in My name. I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you’ [John 14:16, 17]. This refers to the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ, called the Comforter.”
—E. White, Manuscript Releases, Vol. 14, p. 179
“The Holy Spirit, which proceeds from the only begotten Son of God, binds the human agent, body, soul, and spirit, to the perfect, divine-human nature of Christ. This union is represented by the union of the vine and the branches. Finite man is united to the manhood of Christ. Through faith human nature is assimilated with Christ’s nature. We are made one with God in Christ.”
—E. White, Review and Herald, Apr. 5, 1906
“But it was difficult even for the disciples to understand the words of Christ. That Christ should manifest himself to them, and yet be invisible to the world, was a mystery to them. They could not understand the words of Christ in spiritual sense. They were thinking of the outward, visible manifestation. They could not take in the fact that they could have the presence of Christ with them, and yet he be unseen by the world. They had yet to learn that the inward spiritual life, all fragrant with the obedience of love, would give them the spiritual power they needed. ‘Lord, how is it,’ questioned one of the disciples, ‘that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”
—E. White, The Signs of the Times, Nov. 18, 1897
“Those who rose up with Jesus would send up their faith to Him in the holiest, and pray, ‘My Father, give us Thy Spirit.’ Then Jesus would breathe upon them the Holy Ghost. In that breath was light, power, and much love, joy, and peace.”
—E. White, Early Writings, p. 54–55
“The influence of the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ in the soul. We do not now see Christ and speak to Him, but His Holy Spirit is just as near us in one place as another. It works in and through every one who receives Christ. Those who know the indwelling of the Spirit reveal the fruits of the Spirit,—’love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.”
—E. White, Bible Echo, June 17, 1901, par. 6
*”Jesus is waiting to breathe upon all his disciples, and give them the inspiration of his sanctifying spirit, and transfuse the vital influence from himself to his people. He would have them understand that henceforth they cannot serve two masters. Their lives cannot be divided. Christ is to live in his human agents, and work through their faculties, and act through their capabilities. Their will must be submitted to his will, they must act with his spirit, that it may be no more they that live, but Christ that liveth in them. Jesus is seeking to impress upon them the thought that in giving his Holy Spirit he is giving to them the glory which the Father has given him, that he and his people may be one in God. “Our way and will must be in submission to God’s will, knowing that it is holy, just, and good.” (E. White, Signs of the Times, October 3, 1892 par. 4)
“True faith and repose in God are always accompanied by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, whose temple we are. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ; it is His representative. Here is the divine agency that carries conviction to hearts.” (Ellen G. White, 13 Manuscript Releases, p. 313)
“O, how we grieve the pure, holy Spirit OF Christ with our defiling sins! We are not prepared for the appreciation of the holy communion with Christ and with one another unless we are cleansed by his efficacy.” (E. White, The Review and Herald, July 5, 1898 par. 7)
“The holy Spirit is the comforter, as the personal presence of Christ to the soul.” (Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, November 29, 1892)
“It is the accompaniment of the Holy Spirit of God that prepares workers, both men and women, to become pastors to the flock of God. As they cherish the thought that Christ is their Companion, a holy awe, a sacred joy, will be felt by them amid all their trying experiences and all their tests … They will practice true Christian courtesy, bearing in mind that Christ, their Companion, cannot approve of harsh, unkind words or feelings.” (E. White, Colporteur Ministry, p. 33)
“The office of the Holy Spirit is to take the truth from the sacred page, where God has placed it for the benefit of every soul whom he has created, and stamp that truth upon the mind. The Spirit OF God has unconfined range of the heavenly universe … So the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit, proceeding from Christ, and imparted to every disciple, pervades the soul … Christ is our advocate, pleading in our behalf. The Spirit pleads within us. Then let us show perfect trust in our Leader, and not inquire of false guides … Christ’s methods, and every fierce passion, every defective trait of character, is worked upon the molding influence of the Spirit OF Christ, until the man has a new motive power, and becomes filled with the Holy Spirit of God, after the likeness of the divine similitude … The Holy Spirit is the source of all power, and works as a living, active agent in the new life created in the soul. The Holy Spirit is to be in us a divine indweller … Christ is to live in his human agents, and work through their faculties, and act through their capabilities. Their will must be submitted to his will, they must act with his Spirit, that it may be no more they that live, but Christ that liveth in them … Wherever we go, we bear the abiding presence of the One so dear to us; for we abide in Christ by a living faith. He is abiding in our hearts by our individual, appropriating faith. We have the companionship of the divine Jesus, and as we realize his presence, our thoughts are brought into captivity to him.” (E. White, Healthful Living – The Office of the Holy Spirit, p. 300-302)
“What we want is the spirit of Jesus. When we have this, we shall love one another. Here are the credentials that we are to bear: ‘By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.’ We need to pray more; and when we have Christ abiding in the soul, HIS SPIRIT in me will harmonize with HIS SPIRIT in you; and he who controls our minds, controls also the heavenly intelligences, and they co-operate with us.” (The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, p. 903)
“We need, my sister, greater benevolence, greater humility first, then the simplicity of Christ will appear; contention will cease, because it is an offensive thing and grieves the Holy Spirit of God. No one who truly enjoys the Spirit of Jesus Christ will be fractious, suspicious, criticizing, accusing. Why? Because Christ is abiding in the soul temple. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the whole multitude of them that believed were of ‘one heart and of one mind.’ The Spirit of Christ animated the whole and became the whole heart of the whole community.” (E. White, Manuscript Releases, Volume 21, p. 155)
“Baptized with the Spirit of Jesus, there will be a love, a harmony, a meekness, a hiding of the self in Jesus that the wisdom of Christ will be given, the understanding enlightened; that which seems dark will be made clear.” (E. White, Counsels to Writers and Editors, p. 81)
“This grace had moved upon the heart of Cornelius. The Spirit of Christ had spoken to his soul; Jesus had drawn him, and he had yielded to the drawing.” (E. White, God’s Amazing Grace, p. 86)
“In order to confess Christ, we must have Him to confess. No one can truly confess Christ unless the mind and spirit of Christ are in him.” (E. White, God’s Amazing Grace, p. 277)
“When one is fully emptied of self, when every false god is cast out of the soul, the vacuum is filled by the inflowing of the Spirit of Christ. Such a one has the faith that purifies the soul from defilement. He is conformed to the Spirit, and he minds the things of the Spirit. He has no confidence in self. Christ is all and in all.” (E. White, God’s Amazing Grace, p. 212)
“Do not stop to try to convert the one who is speaking words of reproach against your work; but let it be seen that you are inspired by the Spirit of Jesus Christ; and angels of God will put into your lips words that will reach the hearts of opposers. If these men persist in pressing their way in, those who are of a sensible mind in the congregation will understand that yours is the higher standard. So speak that it will be known that Jesus Christ is speaking through you.” (E. White, The General Conference Bulletin, p. 57)