The life of Jesus, His death on the cross, His ministry in applying the
merits of His death in the heavenly sanctuary, and the acceptance of Christ's
work by the believer through faith, stands as a great thematic cluster at the
center of Ellen White's understanding of Christianity. For Ellen White, Jesus
was not merely a good friend in time of need; He was a Saviour who died on the
cross for each individual. Faith in Christ's salvation (or righteousness by
faith) is a teaching that permeates Ellen White's writings. She uplifted a "faith
in the ability of Christ to save us amply and fully and entirely" (The
Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, p. 217). "The sacrifice of Christ as an
atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In
order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the Word of God,
from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light that streams from the
cross of Calvary. I present before you the great, grand monument of mercy and
regeneration, salvation and redemption--the Son of God uplifted on the cross"
(Gospel Workers, p. 315.)