The Main Truths of the 1888

The Main Truths of the 1888 Message 

It is necessary that we give the facts of what was presented by both Waggoner and Jones, as they were the presenters of the great message. They emphasized three main theological points.

(1) That Justification by faith is an inward, heart experience from sin to be made righteous.

(2) That Jesus Christ came in a human body of sinful flesh (not in sin).

(3) And that sinfree perfection is possible while on earth, in this time before Christ's second coming. Here are some statements from both men relative to these points of theology

On the concept of justification, Waggoner showed that it is a work of God in making the 

repentant sinner righteous. 

“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law,” “we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified,” said the apostle. The meaning of the word “justified” is “made righteous”. This is the exact term that appears in other languages, which are not composed of foreign terms. The Latin word for righteousness is justitia. To be just is to be righteous. Then we add the terminating fy, from the Latin word, meaning “to make”, and we have the exact equivalent of the simpler term, “make righteous”. E. J. Waggoner - The Glad Tidings p 40

Waggoner proved also that in justification the person is made obedient and keep the law. 

“The just shall live by faith, it is necessary to have a clear idea of what the word “just” means…

To be justified by faith is to be made righteous by faith. “All unrighteousness is sin” (1John 5:17), and “sin is the transgression of the law” (1John 3:4). Therefore all unrighteousness is transgression of the law, and of course all righteousness is obedience to the law. So we see that the just, or righteous, man is the man who obeys the law, and to be justified is to be made a keeper of the law. Ibid. p 59

“Justification carries the law on the face of it...It establishes the law in the heart. Justification is the law incarnate in Christ, put into the man, so it is incarnate in the man…” General Conference Bulletin 1894 p 75 

In showing that to put on righteousness is not a cloak for sin but a real change in the heart as 

expressed in Zech 3:1-5:

“And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee; is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments.”

Waggoner says. 

“Let no one cavil over the expression, ‘putting on righteousness,’ as though such a thing were 

hypocrisy…It makes a vast deal of difference who puts the righteousness on. If we attempt to put it on ourselves, then we really get on nothing but a filthy garment,… The righteousness with which Christ covers us is righteousness that meets the approval of God; and if God is satisfied with it, surely men ought not to try to find anything better.” 

“Notice in the above account that the taking away of the filthy garments is the same as causing the iniquity to pass from the person. And so we find that when Christ covers us with the robe of His own righteousness, He does not furnish a cloak for sin, but takes the sin away. And this shows that that forgiveness of sins is something more than a mere form, something more than a mere entry in the books of record in heaven, to the effect that the sin has been canceled. The forgiveness of sins is a reality; it is something tangible, something that vitally affects the individual. It actually clears him from guilt; and if he is cleared from guilt, is justified, made righteous, he has certainly undergone a radical change. He is, indeed, another person…. And so 

the full and free forgiveness of sins carries with it that wonderful and miraculous change known as the new birth; for a man cannot become a new creature except by a new birth. This is the same as having a new, or a clean, heart.”. 

“The new heart is a heart that loves righteousness and hates sin. It is a heart of willingness to be led into the paths of righteousness…In short, it is a heart free from the love of sin as well as from the guilt of sin.” E.J Waggoner - Christ and His Righteousness p 72, 73,74,75 

Once more Waggoner shows that in forgiveness (which is still justification as God’s mercy) is not a book transaction of pardon, but it is an actual fact of change. 

“…forgiveness of sins is not a mere book transaction, - the simple entry of the word ‘pardoned’ on the books of record, - but that it is an actual fact; something that personally affects the individual. It is righteousness put into and upon the man; it is blessedness that comes to him. It is a change. It does not consist simply in the Lord’s saying to the sinner, ‘I will not hold the past

against you,’ but it consists in taking his sin away from him; - removing it as far as the east is from the west, - so that he now stands in the sight of God as though he had never sinned. This is blessedness indeed. Surely, this is more than a change in theory. It is taking a man who is morally bankrupt, and setting him on his feet,… and that the righteousness which is imputed for the remission of sin does effect a change in the man is evident from Rom. 3:22. It is 

righteousness put into and upon the sinner. That is, he is made righteous both inside and 

outside. Ibid. p 114 

Waggoner propounded the fact that when God justifies a man it is not a counting righteous and there is no change from his wicked state; there is a instant change. No credit to an account is done but Christ is present, actively in the person.

“God justifies the ungodly. Is that not right? - Certainly it is. It does not mean that He glosses 

over a man’s faults, so that he is counted righteous, although he is really wicked; but it means that He makes that man a doer of the law. The moment God declares an ungodly man righteous, that instant, that man is a doer of the law. Surely that is a good work, and a just 

work, as well as a merciful one.” 

“The redemption that is in Christ Jesus is the worthiness or the purchasing power of Christ. He gives Himself to the sinner; His righteousness is given to the one who has sinned, and who believes. That does not mean that Christ’s righteousness which He did eighteen hundred years 

ago is laid up for the sinner, to be simply credited to his account, but it means that His present, active righteousness is given to that man. Christ comes to live in that man who believes, for He dwells in the heart by faith. So the man who was a sinner is transformed into a new man, having the very righteousness of God.” Ibid p 166,167

T Jones says concerning justification: 

“The word of God received by faith...produces righteousness in the man and in the life where 

there never was any before; precisely as, in the original creation…” 

“Therefore being justified (made righteous) by faith (by expecting, and depending upon, the 

word of God only), we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Review and Herald, 

January 17, 1899 

“Men must not only become just by faith - by dependence upon the word of God - but being just, we must live by faith. The just man lives in precisely the same way, and by precisely the same thing, that he becomes just.” Ibid, March 7, 1899

“Here is the word of God, the word of righteousness, the word of life, to you “now,” “at this time.” Will you be made righteousness by it now? This is justification by faith. This is 

righteousness by faith, It is the simplest thing in the world.” Ibid, November 10, 1896

The other point of theology that was emphasized in the 1888 message was that Jesus Christ came in the sinful flesh of fallen man. On this, it must be understood that sinful flesh is not being in sin nor having sin in the flesh. Lets see what A. T Jones has to say: 

“Therefore Christ took flesh and blood in a way like we take it. But how did we take flesh and 

blood? By birth and clear from Adam too. He took flesh and blood by birth also and clear from Adam too. For it is written, He is ‘the seed of David according to the flesh” (Rom 1:3) 

“Again what kind of flesh is our flesh, as it is in itself? Let us turn to the eight chapter of 

Romans, and read whether Christ’s human nature meets ours and is as ours in that respect wherein ours is sinful flesh Rom 8:3.” 

“So it is written: “God sending His own son in the likeness of sinful flesh, in order that the 

righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.”

Now, do not get a wrong idea of that word, ‘likeness’ it is not the shape, it is not the photograph, it is not the likeness in the sense of an image, but it is likeness in the sense of being like indeed,’ But here in the book of Hebrews, it is likeness in nature, likeness to the flesh as it is in itself. 

God sending His own Son in that, which is just, like sin in the flesh. And in order to be just like 

sinful flesh it would have to be sinful flesh, in order to be made flesh as it is in this world. He 

would have to be just such flesh is it is in the world just such as we have, and that is sinful flesh. This is what is said in the words ‘likeness of sinful flesh.” General Conference Bulletin 1895 p 230,235

“Therefore Christ came in our flesh, and the father dwelt with Him… Christ came in that sinful 

flesh, but did not do anything of Himself against the temptation and power of sin in the flesh. He 

emptied Himself, and the father worked in human flesh against the power of sin and kept Him 

from sinning.” G.C.B 1895 p 365 Vol 1 

“Thus in the flesh of Jesus Christ, not in Himself, but in His flesh, our flesh which He took in the 

human nature there were just the same tendencies to sin that are in you and me… And thus being 

in the likeness of sinful flesh, He condemned sin in the flesh…. That is simply saying that all the 

tendencies to sin that are in human flesh were in His human flesh, and not one of them was ever 

allowed to appear; He conquered them all. And in Him we all have victory over them all…” 

G.C.B 1895 p 267 col 1

“The mystery of God is not God manifest in sinless flesh. There is no mystery about God being 

manifest in sinless flesh; that is natural enough. Is not God Himself sinless? Is there then, any 

room for wonder that God could manifest Himself through or in sinless flesh?…But the wonder 

is that God can do that through and in sinful flesh. That is the mystery of God in God manifest in 

sinful flesh. In Jesus Christ as He was in sinful flesh, God has demonstrated before the universe 

that He can so take possession of sinful flesh as to manifest His own presence, His powers, and 

His glory, instead of sin manifesting itself…” GCB 1895 p 302,303

“If He were not of the same flesh as are those whom He came to redeem, then there is no sort of 

use of His being made flesh at all. More that this, since the only flesh that there is in this wide 

world which He came to redeem, is just the poor, sinful, lost, human flesh, that all mankind here, 

if this is not the flesh that He was made, then He never really came to the world which needs to 

be redeemed. For if He came in a human nature different from that which human nature 

actually is, then, even though He were in the world, yet for any practical purpose, in reaching 

man and helping him, He was as far from Him as if He had never come. Far, in that case, in His 

human nature He was just as far from man and just as much of another world as if He had never 

come into this world at all.” A. T. Jones - The Consecrated Way p 35 

In regards to the passions of sin that influences the mind, Christ having sinful flesh was not in 

the passion of sin. Jones explains: 

“Now as to Christ’s not having ‘like passions’ with us: In the scriptures all the way through, He 

is like us and with us according to the flesh. He is the seed of David according to the flesh. He 

was made in the likeness of sinful flesh. Don’t go to far. He was made in the likeness of sinful 

flesh, not in the likeness of sinful mind. Do not drag His mind into it. His flesh was our flesh; 

but the mind was ‘the mind of Christ Jesus’. Therefore it is written: ‘Let this mind be in you, 

which was also in Christ Jesus.” GCB 1895 p 327 col 2

“Now the flesh of Jesus Christ was our flesh and in it was all that is in our flesh, - all the 

tendencies to sin that are in our flesh were in His flesh, drawing upon Him to get Him to consent 

to sin. Suppose He has consented to sin with His mind; what then? Then His mind would have 

been corrupted and then He would have become of like passions with us…” GCB 1995 p 328 

col 2

Dr. Waggoner puts forth his view also that Christ did come in sinful human flesh: 

“(Jesus) was made in all things like unto those whom He came to save.” “But what the law 

could not do, Christ came in the likeness of sinful flesh to do.” “God sent His own Son in the 

likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, that He might condemn sin in the flesh.” General 

Conference Bulletin 1891 p 156,187,245

“(The Lord) sends Christ in the likeness of sinful flesh…He has condemned sin in the flesh, 

showing that even in sinful flesh He can live a sinless life.” 

“Is there anyone who doubts the reality of Christ’s coming to live in sinful flesh, and showing 

Himself master? We all believe that Christ has power overall flesh, and He demonstrated this 

when He came in the likeness of sinful flesh and condemned sin in the flesh.” General 

Conference Bulletin 1901 p 146,200,223

“A little thought will be sufficient to show anybody that if Christ took upon Himself the likeness 

of man in order that He might redeem man, it must have been sinful man that He was made like, 

for it is sinful man that He came to redeem. Death could have no power over a sinless man, as 

Adam was in Eden, and it could not have had any power over Christ, if the Lord had not laid on 

Him the iniquity of us all.” 

“Moreover, the fact that Christ took upon Himself the flesh, not of a sinless being, but of a sinful, 

that is, that the flesh which He assumed had all the weaknesses and sinful tendencies to which 

fallen human nature is subject, is shown by the statement that He ‘was made of the seed of David 

according to the flesh.” Christ and His Righteousness p 31 

The third point presented was the issue of perfection. That sinless perfection is possible now 

before Christ comes. Dr. Waggoner shows that indeed truly we can live a sinless and prefect 

life in Christ. 

“He has condemned sin in the flesh, showing that even in sinful flesh he can live a sinless life. 

His perfect life will be manifested in mortal flesh, so that all will see it in the seven last 

plagues…

But before probation ends, there will be a people so complete in him that in spite of their sinful 

flesh, they will live sinless lives. They will live sinless lives in mortal flesh, because he who has 

demonstrated that he has power over all flesh lives in them - lives a sinless life in sinful flesh, 

and a healthful life in mortal flesh, and that will be a testimony that can not be gainsaid - a 

witness that which no greater can be given. Then the end will come.” General Conference 

Bulletin 1901 p 146,147 

“No one is to blame for this but the person himself. Let no professed Christian take counsel of 

his own imperfections, and say that it is impossible for a Christian to live a sinless life. It is 

impossible for a true Christian, one who has full faith, to live any other kind of life. ‘How shall 

we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?’ Romans 6:2. “Whosoever is born of God doth 

not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 

1John 3:9. Therefore ‘abide in Him’. 

“That which is destroyed is the body of sin, and it is destroyed in order that we may be freed 

from its power and may no longer need to serve it. It is destroyed for everybody…” The Glad 

Tidings p 42,43 

A.T Jones give powerful proofs of perfection in sinless living that we can truly be separated 

from sin in this life, through Christ. 

“In His coming in the flesh - having been made in all things like unto us, and having been 

tempted in all points like as we are - He has identified Himself with every human soul just where 

that soul is.” 

“He has made and consecrated a way by which, in Him, every believer can in this world, and for 

a whole lifetime, live a life holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and as a 

consequence be made with Him higher than the heavens.” 

“Perfection, perfection of character, is the Christian goal - perfection attained in human flesh in 

this world. Christ attained it in human flesh in this world, and thus made and consecrated a way 

by which, in Him, every believer can attain it. He, having attained it, has become our great High 

Priest, by His priestly ministry in the true sanctuary to enable us to attain it.” The Consecrated 

Way To Christian Perfection p 83,84 

In these other statements Jones gives evidence of what the true Seventh Day Adventist should 

be, in looking for the second coming of Jesus Christ. 

Then it is perfectly plain, as plain as ABC, that the only true preparation for the coming of the 

Lord is separation from sin. It makes no difference how much we talk about the coming of the 

Lord; nor how much we preach the signs of the times; nor how much we prepare for it 

otherwise, though we sell all we have, and give to the poor, - if we are not separating from sin, 

making it our constant consideration to be absolutely separated from sin, and to be servants of 

righteousness unto holiness, we are not making preparation for the coming of the Lord at all: 

our profession is all a fraud.” 

“The profession of being an Adventist, of being a Seventh day Adventist, looking for the coming 

of the Lord, telling people that the coming of the Lord is near, watching the signs of the times, - 

all this is right, absolutely and forever right. But, though I have all this, and have not that one 

thing, - the sole ambition to be completely separated from sin, and from the service of sin, - my 

profession of the Adventist faith is a fraud; for if I am not separated from sin, I cannot meet the 

Lord at all in peace. Therefore if my sole ambition is not separating from sin, and from the 

service of it, I am not preparing at all to meet the Lord.” Our God is a Consuming Fire p 17,18 

He again proves to us from the bible that we can be separated from sin and be free from sin. 

“Destruction of sin is the only way of salvation. His name shall be called ‘Jesus: for he shall save 

his people from their sins.’ I agree that I am willing to be separated from the sin, and that I will 

separate from sin. Listen: ‘Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him that the body of 

sin might be destroyed.” 

“Not only is there destruction of sin, but freedom from the service of sin. ‘For sin shall not have 

dominion over you.’ Verse 14. Let us follow that thought briefly right through the chapter. 

There is in it a whole world of Christian victory and joy. ‘For he that is dead is freed from sin.’ 

He who is crucified, he who has accepted the death of Jesus Christ, and is crucified with him, he 

it is that is freed from sin.” 

“Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.’ But where does he 

live? Does he live in sin? - He never did. Then as certainly as we live with him, we live with him 

free from sin.” 

“The cross of Christ gives not only freedom from sin, but makes men servants of righteousness.” 

“Then the question with you and with me today, and all the time is, How shall we be so 

separated from sin that we may meet him in flaming fire! How, how, how!”