SINNERS MAY YET OBTAIN MERCY.
By W. H. Blaisdell
It is often remarked by those who seem disposed to oppose almost every position taken by Seventh-day Adventists, that if it is a fact, that Christ changed his place of ministration in 1844, from the holy to the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, sinners cannot obtain mercy since that time. That such a conclusion should be drawn by them from such premises, seems very inconsistent; for they contend that Christ, as High Priest, entered eighteen hundred years ago into that part of the New-Testament sanctuary, which they themselves regard as the most holy place, and that salvation has been free to all since the time of his entrance there. How then can they contend, that if Christ entered the most holy place in 1844, salvation is not free to anybody since the time of his entrance there. The particular point of difference about which they contend so much, is not the place of his present ministration, but the point of time at which he commenced upon that work. Now, if it was a fact that he entered the most holy place at the time of his ascension to Heaven, and therefore sinners can be saved in 1869, we fail to see why sinners cannot be saved in 1869 if he entered there in 1844. They believe Christ is now in the most holy place. We believe he is now in the most holy place. And how they can think that our position shuts the door of mercy to every one, and that their position leaves the door of mercy open to every one, is indeed strange. When we succeed in showing them the inconsistency of their conclusion, and that our position gives the same chance for salvation since 1844, that their's would if it was true, their next conclusion is, that if Christ changed his place of ministration in 1844 from the holy to the most holy place, and if sinners can be saved since he entered the most holy place, they could not have been saved during his ministration in the holy place, before his entrance into the most holy. In reply to this, we would ask them if their position63be true that Jesus entered the most holy place at the time of his ascension to Heaven, which was more than four thousand years after the creation of man, how can any body be saved who lived during that long period of time before Christ entered upon the office of priest in any respect, and before he was raised from the dead for our justification, and before he had even shed his blood for the remission of sins? Their argument on this point would prove that not one person who died before Christ's ascension can be saved. If they would only admit the true position, that our salvation depends not so much on the particular point of time at which Christ entered upon the office of high priest, as upon our faith in the work which he performs, while occupying that position, their absurdities would be many less, and their understanding of the truth much better than at the present time.