Sister Tami, the passage you have chosen is indeed amazing in it's revelation. These chapters are full of significance and even after reading them over and over for many years, I still learn more each time.
Your post is, I believe, heaven inspired to answer both Sister Kellee and the post just previous by Sister Joan. At issue in this great controversy between Christ and Satan is the "righteousness of Christ". Satan has been successful in great measure at blinding the eyes of humanity to the loveliness and the power of our God, which can both be summed up in one Word, grace.
Satan has charged God with being unfair in asking humanity to obey His law. He says it cannot be obeyed. Yet, in this beautiful book, over and over again it is stated that we can obey, in Christ. We are told that Jesus is our example in that He received power from above to obey and this same power is available to us.
Why is it we do not obey? What is the significance of our sins? Are we going to heaven if we continue in sin? How can we know the answer to these questions? Can we know? Will we trust in human wisdom or will we seek wisdom from above?
How many sins does it take to show that one is separated from God? Shall I be my own judge? Or shall we go to the Word to find out what are the conditions of eternal life? There are some ideas that have taken root and now must be addressed. We war not against flesh and blood, but rather against a foe that has had 6,000 years to sharpen his skill at deception. Only the power of God through the Word and the Holy Spirit can meet this challenge to truth.
Sister Tami, this passage you have chosen is an answer to his charge against the power of God's grace. Let us look at it. "It was Satan's purpose to bring about an eternal separation between God and man; but in Christ we become more closely united to God than if we had never fallen."
Satan wants us to be eternally separated from God. Has he been successful? Well, we can see the world and say, yes, but what of God's people? We look at Revelation chapter three and have to say, "yes" also. Is there hope in that the situation will change? Yes, the solution to our "lost" condition is given. Before we will seek a solution, we must first see we are lost. Some may say, "The condition applies to the church, not me." Fine, it may well be, but if it is so, then you will understand the message and know when you are in Christ and when you are not. Abiding in Christ we have eternal life and when not in Christ we do not have eternal life. "in Christ we become more closely united to God than if we had never fallen." The key words, "IN CHRIST".
This is not a whole study, The Desire of Ages is. My reply to the question, "What does it mean to be IN CHRIST?" is this. "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." Romans 8:9. This is not my answer, but God's reply. Condemnation remains for all who sin a sin that they know is sin. Guilt brings death. If there is no guilt, then there is no knowledge of sin. If there is guilt, then go to Jesus and He will remove the guilt and more than this He will grant you grace to continue in His Spirit, and thus "in Christ" we have eternal life. We do not believe in "once saved always saved", it is un-Biblical. We must abide in Christ to retain eternal life. The "monstrous teaching" within the church is that when one sins he does not have to be rejustified. This is a pointed teaching and is un-Biblical.
Listen to the conversation between Christ and a lawyer. "And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And He said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live." The heart with Christ in it brings forth good fruit, it cannot bring forth evil fruit (known sin). Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. Let us abide in Christ that we might have love one for another. This is eternal life. It is simple, don't eat one bite from what God has said not to eat and you will live. The soul that sinneth shall surely die. The Lord will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear IF we will abide in Him. It is a promise. We must go to Jesus just as we are and He will not only forgive us, but He cleanse us from all of our unrighteousness. As we behold His love, His goodness, we shall become like Him. This we may do each morning as we read The Desire of Ages.