“Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:16
“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
2 Corinthians 7:1
“I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.”
Genesis 17:1
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
Matthew 5:48
“Our Saviour does not require impossibilities of any soul. He expects nothing of His disciples that He is not willing to give them grace and strength to perform. He would not call upon them to be perfect if He had not at His command every perfection of grace to bestow on the ones upon whom He would confer so high and holy a privilege.”
God's Amazing Grace (AG 230.4)
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
1 Corinthians 10:13
“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy”
Jude 24:1
“The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished...”
2 Peter 2:9
“And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith. But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.”
2 Thessalonians 3:2-3
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
James 4:7
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity… for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall”
2 Peter 1:5-8, 10
“These things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
1 John 2:1
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”
1 John 1:9
“Even if we are overcome by the enemy, we are not cast off, not forsaken and rejected of God. No; Christ is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us… And do not forget the words of Christ, ‘The Father Himself loveth you.’ John 16:27. He desires to restore you to Himself, to see His own purity and holiness reflected in you. And if you will but yield yourself to Him, He that hath begun a good work in you will carry it forward to the day of Jesus Christ. Pray more fervently; believe more fully. As we come to distrust our own power, let us trust the power of our Redeemer, and we shall praise Him who is the health of our countenance.”
Steps to Christ (SC 64.1)
“And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
2 Corinthians 12:9
“For we are labourers together with God.”
1 Corinthians 3:9
“The Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles.”
Isaiah 42:6
“Christ is in the heavenly sanctuary, and he is there to make an atonement for the people. He is there to present his wounded side and pierced hands to his Father. He is there to plead for his Church that is upon the earth. He is cleansing the sanctuary from the sins of the people. What is our work? It is our work to be in harmony with the work of Christ. By faith we are to work with Him, to be in union with Him.”
E.G. White, Review & Herald, January 28, 1890 (par. 7)
“Christ has made every provision for the sanctification of His Church. He has made abundant provision for every soul to have such grace and strength that he will be more than a conqueror in the warfare against sin. The Saviour is wounded afresh and put to open shame when His people pay no heed to His word. He came to this world and lived a sinless life, that in His power His people might also live lives of sinlessness. He desires them by practicing the principles of truth to show to the world that God's grace has power to sanctify the heart.”
EG White, Review & Herald, April 1, 1902, par. 8
“Those who believe on Christ and obey His commandments are not under bondage to God's law; for to those who believe and obey, His law is not a law of bondage, but of liberty. Everyone who believes on Christ, everyone who relies on the keeping power of a risen Saviour that has suffered the penalty pronounced upon the transgressor, everyone who resists temptation and in the midst of evil copies the pattern given in the Christ life, will through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ become a partaker of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Everyone who by faith obeys God's commandments will reach the condition of sinlessness in which Adam lived before his transgression.”
EG White, Review & Herald, July 23, 1902
“Christ overcame the temptations of satan as a man. Every man may overcome as Christ overcame. He humbled Himself for us. He was tempted in all points like as we are. He redeemed Adam's disgraceful failure and fall, and was conqueror, thus testifying to all the unfallen worlds and to fallen humanity that man could keep the commandments of God through the divine power granted to him of heaven. Jesus the Son of God humbled Himself for us, endured temptation for us, overcame in our behalf to show us how we may overcome. He has thus bound up His interests with humanity by the closest ties, and has given the positive assurance that we shall not be tempted above that we are able, for with the temptation He will make a way of escape.”
Selected Messages (3 SM 136.3)
“Not even by a thought did Jesus yield to temptation. So it may be with us.”
Desire of Ages (DA 123.3)
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness.”
Isaiah 61:10
“Everyone who believes on Christ, everyone who relies on the keeping power of a risen Saviour that has suffered the penalty pronounced upon the transgressor, everyone who resists temptation and in the midst of evil copies the pattern given in the Christ life, will through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ become a partaker of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Everyone who by faith obeys God's commandments will reach the condition of sinlessness in which Adam lived before his transgression.”
EG White, Review & Herald, July 23, 1902
We can start to live righteously today if we only trade our filthy rags for his pure robes.
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 3:18
“The Christian's life is not a modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature. There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. This change can be brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit.”
Desire of Ages (DA 172.1)
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”
Psalms 51:10-12
We will be changed by spending time with our Creator. The more time we spend with Him the more we will love Him. The more we love Him the less we will want to sin.
“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.”
Galatians 5:6
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
John 14:15
“When the sinner realizes the aggravated character of sin, the transgression of the law, he will cease to sin.”
Manuscript Releases, vol. 10 (10MR 290.2)
When we realize how much sin hurts Jesus, we would rather die than sin against our Savior.
“I see matchless charms in Jesus. I never talk of any trials I cannot bear, or any self-sacrifice that I cannot make. I see One who died in my behalf, and He shall not die for me in vain. I will place myself in right relation to God, and I will have a right hold from above. I am not studying what the world will say of me, but my study is, Lord, how shall I please Thee? How shall I perform my mission in this world? How shall I save the precious souls around me?”
EG White, Sermons and Talks (2SAT 34.3)
“When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us.”
The Desire of Ages (DA 668.3)
Father in Heaven, help me to know You more. Help me to understand and love You more. Give me the love for You where i would rather die than dishonor Your Name. i wish to hate sin the same way that Christ my Savior hated sin. i thank You for Your mercy, for bearing with me so long, change me by Your power, by Your Spirit. i trust that You will finish the work You started in me, take me home and vindicate Your name. Transform my thinking Lord, change my mind, change my attitude. Awaken me to the times we are living in and give me the desire to be apart of the generation who You use to demonstrate Your character on earth. Please strengthen my faith and give me the perfect faith that Jesus Christ demonstrated, in whose name i ask these things, Amen.