I have found that people online are interested or want to know what religion can do for them as they have had a taste of it at one time or another and came away perplexed, confused, or disgusted. Very few come away with a good experience as they are ignored at churches, given no real interaction except to follow what has been the norm such as be greeted at the door, and are usually sent home with a sermon unrelated to the everyday issues they face. How do we change that so the world hears Gods truth and experiences his love instead of the silent stares, cold handshakes or unitelligible theological debates.

We are to tell them that Heaven is a constant approaching unto God through the merits of His Son. That those who seek to gain Heaven through the merits of Christ make progress, from grace to grace and from light to a greater light. For "the merits of His sacrifice are sufficient to present to the Father in our behalf." Steps to Christ, p.36.
For the Lord God of Heaven has taught us "to hold in abomination all other merits save those of Jesus." See G.C.221.

We must tell them that unless they make it their lifebusiness to behold the uplifted Saviour and to accept His merits which it is their privilege to claim, they cannot receive the blessings of the covenant of grace and therefore they cannot form a Christian character. They cannot be saved!

This is the only way the sinner can be saved. The merits of Christ are their only plea for time and eternity and therefore their only hope for "God will accept everyone that comes to Him trusting wholly in the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour." 1 S.M.354.

"We see in the midst of the throne One bearing in hands and feet and side the marks of the sufferings endured to reconcile man to God. We see a Father, infinite, dwelling in light unapproachable, and yet, who receives us to Himself through the merits of His Son." Acts of the Apostles, p.333.

"The only way to attain to righteousness (obedience to the law) is through faith. By faith the sinner can bring to God the merits of Christ. Then God receives, forgives, and justifies the believing sinner and loves him as He loves His only begotten Son. This is how faith is counted for righteousness and the pardoned soul goes on from grace to grace and from light to a greater light." Faith and Works, p.101.

"When we seek to gain Heaven through the merits of Christ, the soul makes progress, from grace to grace and from light to a greater light." Faith and Works, p.96.

"The matter of salvation is just as simple as ABC. But we don't understand it." Faith and Works, p.64.

A. Every day, we are to come to God as we are, sinful, helpless, dependent...

B. Trusting wholly in the all-sufficient merits of a crucified and risen Savior to receive light and joy and peace in the Holy Spirit. See 5 T 744.

C. Thank Him for the gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift that cannot be excelled, the gift that brings all other blessings in its train.

Amen.

ab

Come to think of it, I think that before we go to the world, the church needs to receive, believe, and act upon the very message that she rejected many years ago and then she can go to the world with that message.

We are to receive, believe, and act upon the message that Heaven is a constant approaching unto God through the merits of Jesus Christ. That those who seek to gain Heaven through the merits of Jesus Christ will make progress, from grace to grace and from light to a greater light. For "The merits of His sacrifice are sufficient to present to the Father in our behalf." Steps to Christ, p.36.

For the Lord God of Heaven has taught us "to hold in abomination all other merits save those of Jesus." See G.C.221.

We must tell the members of the church that unless they make it their lifebusiness to behold the uplifted Saviour and to accept His merits which it is their privilege to claim, they cannot receive the blessings of the covenant of grace to help their infirmities and to form a Christian character. Therefore, they cannot be saved!

This is the only way the sinner can be saved. The merits of Christ are their only plea for time and eternity and therefore their only hope for "God will accept everyone that comes to Him trusting wholly in the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour." 1 S.M.354.

"We see in the midst of the throne One bearing in hands and feet and side the marks of the sufferings endured to reconcile man to God. We see a Father, infinite, dwelling in light unapproachable, and yet, who receives us to Himself through the merits of His Son." Acts of the Apostles, p.333.

We must tell them the church members all over the world that "The only way to attain to righteousness (obedience to the law) is through faith. By faith the sinner can bring to God the merits of Christ. Then God receives, forgives, and justifies the believing sinner and loves him as He loves Jesus. This is how faith is counted for righteousness and the pardoned soul goes on from grace to grace and from light to a greater light." Faith and Works, p.101.

"When we seek to gain Heaven through the merits of Christ, the soul makes progress, from grace to grace and from light to a greater light." Faith and Works, p.96.

Why? Because, by virtue of the merits of Christ, we become partakers of the "divine nature" and with divinity and humanity combined we are enabled to live the life of holiness, enabled to be "more than conquerors" over all our inherited and cultivated tendencies to evil and to form a Christian character, that is, to be a revelation of God to men! "The church of Christ, every individual disciple of the Master, is Heaven's appointed channel for the revelation of God to men." Mount of Blessing, p.40.

"The matter of salvation is just as simple as ABC. But we don't understand it." Faith and Works, p.64.

A. Every day, we are to come to God as we are, sinful, helpless, dependent...

B. Every day we are to trust wholly in the all-sufficient merits of a crucified and risen Savior to receive light and joy and peace in the Holy Spirit. See 5 T 744.

C. And every day and every moment thank Him and praise Him for the gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift by which we become partakers of the divine nature. This gift cannot be excelled and it brings all other blessings in its train. And we are to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God for they are Spirit and they are life!

Amen.

All of this can be taught from the Scriptures because this is what the Gospel teaches. The people who lived before Christ were to trust wholly in the merits of a Saviour to come and we are to trust wholly in the merits of a Saviour who has come and who is now pleading His divine merits before the Father in our behalf, claiming the gift of the Spirit that He may pour it upon us!

laval