Sources & further reading
This topic is built on a real sermon series and primary documents. Read them for yourself — good Bereans "search the Scriptures daily" (Acts 17:11).
The sermon series
- Primary · Sermon series
Christ Our Righteousness by Pastor J.W. "Bill" Lehman — a series of 32 sermons on justification by faith, preached in the mid-1970s at the Campus Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church, Loma Linda, California, and later transcribed into a book (378 pages). The chapters quoted throughout this topic (The Message, Grace or Merit?, Righteous—By Trying or Buying?, Blessed Assurance, Perfection, and others) come from this series. Pastor Lehman pastored across five North American unions and was known as a "pastor's pastor"; he passed to his rest in 2001. Don't miss his testimony talk, "From Legalism to Grace."
PastorBillLehman.org (home) · Free audio sermons · About Bill Lehman
The 1888 message
- Primary · a well-known Christian author
The "most precious message" — the endorsement, by a well-known Christian author, of the justification-by-faith message brought by E.J. Waggoner and A.T. Jones at the 1888 Minneapolis General Conference.
Testimonies to Ministers, pp. 91–92 (free, searchable online) - Overview
The 1888 Message / Minneapolis General Conference — background on Waggoner, Jones, and the righteousness-by-faith revival.
Wikipedia: 1888 Minneapolis General Conference
Key Scripture passages
- Scripture · Righteousness as gift Philippians 3:8–9 · Romans 4:1–8 · Romans 6:23 · Ephesians 2:8–9
- Scripture · Buying / receiving Matthew 13:44–46 (pearl) · Revelation 3:18 · Isaiah 55:1
- Scripture · Surety & assurance Hebrews 7:22–26 · 1 John 5:11–13 · Hebrews 4:14–16
- Scripture · Perfection & abiding Matthew 5:43–48 · Luke 6:35–36 · John 15:1–5
a well-known Christian author references used here
All quotations can be verified in the original published works (free, searchable online): Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing p. 18, p. 77 ("in the same manner"; "in His borrowed goodness good"); Selected Messages Book 2, p. 32 ("holy flesh" is an error; "Christian perfection of the soul"); Christ's Object Lessons p. 115 (the pearl); Medical Ministry pp. 112–113 ("perfect in his sphere"); Testimonies to Ministers pp. 91–92; Sons and Daughters of God p. 259. The abbreviation "COR" in Lehman's text refers to Christ Our Righteousness by A.G. Daniells.
Sam says
A note on sources, friend: this topic quotes Scripture and a well-known Christian author in context and links you to the full documents so you can check everything yourself. Pastor Lehman was a real preacher with a real series — we're standing on his shoulders, and on the 1888 message before him. Happy studying!