“Christ designs that heaven’s order, heaven’s plan of government, heaven’s divine harmony, shall be represented in His church on earth. Thus in His people He is glorified. Through them the Sun of Righteousness will shine in undimmed luster to the world. Christ has given to His church ample facilities, that He may receive a large revenue of glory from His redeemed, purchased possession. He has bestowed upon His people capabilities and blessings that they may represent His own sufficiency. The church, endowed with the righteousness of Christ, is His depositary, in which the riches of His mercy, His grace, and His love, are to appear in full and final display. Christ looks upon His people in their purity and perfection, as the reward of His humiliation, and the supplement of His glory—Christ, the great Center, from Whom radiates all glory.” The Desire of Ages, 680.
If we could only realize how Satan taunts Christ and the angels of glory with our character imperfections (Early Writings, 268) we would in earnest ask the Lord for grace and power to perfect a Christian character. This is the work that must be accomplished for all of God’s children who are elected to live through the time of trouble to the end of the world: “Says the prophet: ‘Who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness’ (Malachi 3:2, 3).” Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless; their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort they must be conquerors in the battle with evil. While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God’s people upon earth. This work is more clearly presented in the messages of Revelation 14.” The Great Controversy, 425. Read these Bible texts that speak about this subject: Genesis 17:1; Job 1:1; Psalm 37:37; Proverbs 2:21; Matthew 5:48; John 17:23; I Corinthians 1:8; II Corinthians 13:11; Ephesians 1:4; Ephesians 4:13; Colossians 1:28; Colossians 4:12; II Timothy 3:17; Hebrews 12:23; Hebrews 13:21; James 1:4; James 3:2; I Peter 5:10; I John 2:5; Revelation 3:2.