I Used to Be Perfect: A Study of Sin and Salvation

Dr. George Knight is a Seventh-day Adventist seminary professor of church history. Knight draws on his early struggle with legalism. His objective is to clarify SDA teachings on sanctification and perfection that are often misunderstood. NOTE: Seventh-day Adventists teach that we are saved (go to heaven) only by the grace of God (sola gracia), a free gift made possible by the atoning death of Jesus (sola Christe), which is accepted only by faith (sola fide). This faith is expressed in obedience to God's Law of Love, though obedience is made possibly only through faith in Christ and the working of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, legalism is a problem that transcends ALL denominations. Drawing on personal experience, George Knight teaches his readers how to avoid falling into the pit of legalism. Knight seeks to clearly define sin, salvation, God's law, justification, sanctification, and perfection to resolve issues that arise from misunderstanding these concepts. He describes the fundamental problem with humanity as putting self first, instead of yielding to God. All the doctrines of salvation have to do with dying to self, and letting God reign in our lives. He writes, "Being saved is choosing to put God and His will back into the center of our lives." (p. 22) Knight notes that Adventists often see themselves as emphasizing God's law. Yet, the author writes that while many Adventists might look at the commandments of God, some tend to overlook the underlying fundamental principle of Love. "We can be quite zealous in keeping God's laws while utterly and totally failing in keeping God's LAW," writes Knight. (p. 36) Thus, there are some Adventists who know how to keep the Sabbath and observe health principles and yet neglect the most important principles of all, to love others and God completely. Christianity is meant to be a "positive" religion, rather than a "negative" or "rules" religion. "No one will ever be saved because of what he or she has not done," (p. 35) but rather because of our love for God and others. George Knight also looks at the reverse side of justification and sanctification that we tend to take for granted. He states that justification is not just the work of a moment, but also the work of a lifetime. And sanctification is not only the work of a lifetime, but also the work of a moment. Initial justification is when we have faith in God's grace and the death of Jesus covering our sins. Justification happened on the cross, but we must accept it in faith. Faith, or a "yes" relationship with God (p. 22), is "grabbing hold of what we don't deserve," writes Knight. (p. 43) When we are initially justified by faith, we are also adopted into the family of God, because we no longer reject or resist Him. But, as Knight puts it, "God does not bounce us in and out of salvation, in and out of His family, because we have momentary or accidental or inadvertant sins." (p. 46) We must remember that we need continuous forgiveness