"No repentance is genuine that does not work reformation. The righteousness of Christ is not a cloak to cover unconfessed and unforsaken sin; it is a principle of life that transforms the character and controls the conduct. Holiness is wholeness for God; it is the entire surrender of heart and life to the indwelling of the principles of heaven." The Desire of Ages p. 555 Allso see p.10 last Par.

"But many of you say, "I have prayed, I have tried, I have struggled, and I do not see that I advance one step." What is the trouble? Have you not thought you were earning something, that you were by your struggles and works paying the price of your redemption? This you never can do. Christ has paid the price of your redemption. There is only one thing that you can do, and that is to take the gift of God. If you feel that you are poverty-stricken in spirit, you can come in all your need, and plead the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. But you cannot come expecting that Christ will cover your wickedness, cover your indulgence in sin, with his robe of righteousness. He has come to save his people from their sins. The people of God are to be as branches grafted into the living Vine, to be partakers of the nature of the Vine. If you are a living branch of the True Vine, Jesus will prove you by affliction, that you may bring forth fruit more abundantly." The Signs of the Times 05-09-92

"It is not the grace of Christ that makes void the law of God. Christ declared, "I have kept my father's commandments, and abide in his love." To those who are making void the commandments of God, the True Witness says, "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear." Christ's white robe of righteousness will never cover any soul that is found in sin unrepented of and unforsaken. "Sin is the transgression of the law." Therefore those who are trampling upon the law of God, and teaching others to disregard its precepts, will not be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Jesus came not to save people in their sins, but from their sins. "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected; hereby know we that we are in him." "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned [transgressed the law], we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." We need an advocate with the Father, because it is the Father's law which we have broken, and we need to repent of our transgression, and return to our allegiance to God. "Whoso committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not; whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you; he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the Devil; for the Devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the Devil," not the royal law that points out what is sin. "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the Devil; whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God." "He that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us." "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world [overcomers do not unite with the world in transgression of the law of God]; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 08-28-94

The above statements make it clear that Christ's robe of Righteousness, (Justification) is not a covering umbrella that covers a person who comes to Christ but is unwilling to give up his sin,. yet profess to be his follower. It only covers the Sinner who has repented of his sins and has turned away from them. He is no more continuing in them. Sin has become hateful to him and he wants nothing more to do with it. We will look at a more accurate diagram later in this study.

“God designs that every one of us shall be perfect in him, so that we may represent to the world the perfection of his character. He wants us to be set free from sin, that we shall not disappoint the heavenly intelligences, that we may not grieve our divine Redeemer. He does not desire us to profess Christianity and yet not avail ourselves of that grace which is able to make us perfect, that we may be found wanting in nothing, but unblamable before him in love and holiness. “ Signs of the Times, 1892-02-08 Par. 3

If we are no different than those in the world around us, how can we show the world what Christ is like? How can we say that we are set free from sin if we are still under it’s control?