God, to separate
themselves from His love, and to break His law. Now he points to the
record of their lives, to the defects of character, the unlikeness to
Christ, which has dishonored their Redeemer, to all the sins that he has
tempted them to commit, and because of these he claims them as his
subjects.

Jesus does not excuse their sins, but shows their penitence and faith,
and, claiming for them forgiveness, He lifts His wounded hands before the
Father and the holy angels, saying, "I know them by name. I have graven
them on the palms of My hands. 'The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:
a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.' "(860) And
to the accuser of His people He declares, "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?"(861) Christ will clothe His faithful ones with
His own righteousness, that He may present them to His Father "a glorious
church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing."(862) Their names
stand enrolled in the book of life, and concerning them it is written,
"They shall walk with Me in white: for they are worthy."(863)

Thus will be realized the complete fulfilment of the new-covenant promise,
"I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
"In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel
shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and
they shall not be found."(864) "In that day shall the branch of the Lord
be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent
and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. And it shall come to pass,
that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be
called holy, even every one that is written among the living in
Jerusalem."(865)

The work of the investigative judgment and the blotting out of sins is to
be accomplished before the second advent of the Lord. Since the dead are
to be judged out of the things written in the books, it is impossible that
the sins of men should be blotted out until after the judgment at which
their cases are to be investigated. But the apostle Peter distinctly
states that the sins of believers will be blotted out "when the times of
refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send
Jesus Christ."(866) When the investigative judgment closes, Christ will
come, and His reward will be with H