What does it mean to sin? What is temptation? What is the law? What does it mean to “be saved”? What does it mean to “be perfect”?
Writing in a highly engaging style, George Knight recalls his own early struggles with legalism in order to examine some of the most basic questions about salvation.
Special features of the new edition include study questions at the end of each chapter, reference notes to sources, and topical and scripture indexes.
Excerpts from the book:
“I don’t know if you’ve ever seen anybody who is perfect. Sometimes I close my eyes and visualize some of the perfect people I have known. Here comes one now across the screen of my imagination. She is very satisfied because she has gotten the victory over cheese."
“Too many, in their striving for perfection, work at the level of sins and laws rather than letting God work in them at the level of SIN and LAW. Unfortunately, all the rules and regulations without the love of Jesus make for mighty dreary religion—or worse yet, destructive religion."
Click here to read a sample from this book.
Contents
A Word to the Reader
1. SIN Is Love
Earth’s first SIN
SIN versus sins
Sinful acts versus sinful nature
Different views of sin lead to different paths to salvation
Will you say “Yes” or “No” to God?
2. Adventists Neglect the LAW
LAW versus laws
Characteristics of the LAW
The LAW in daily life
3. Justification the Work of a Lifetime/ Sanctification the Work of a Moment
What happens when you come to Jesus?
A deeper view of sanctification
What it means to grow in grace
The unity of salvation
The Judge is on your side
4. Temptation Is Not TEMPTATION
Avoiding the cross: the essence of TEMPTATION
The TEMPTATION to come down from the cross
Jesus’ TEMPTATION is your TEMPTATION
TEMPTATION and your will
5. Perfect but Not Yet PERFECT/Sinless but Not Yet SINLESS
Helpful and not-so-helpful perspectives on perfection
Biblical perfection
Biblical sinlessness
6. I Used to Be Perfect
The root of Adventism’s fascination with perfection
My road to perfection
God’s road to PERFECTION
God’s final demonstration to the universe
Index of Biblical References
Index of Names and Topics
George R. Knight is professor of church history at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University. A prolific writer, he is the author of A Brief History of Seventh-day Adventists, Walking with Jesus on the Mount of Blessing, and Philosophy and Education: An Introduction in Christian Perspective, among many other works.
