Character Perfection and the Close of Probation: Becoming Like Christ to Receive the Seal

“Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon them.” What is that character? The character of Christ. Right? If we have the character of Christ What does it mean? What is that stain or spot? When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in his people then Christ will come to claim them as His own. COL 70. What does christ's character mean? When will this happen? What exactly does it mean? When will that happen -- just before his coming? How is that related to the close of probation? To the close of investigative judgment? 

You are right that the character needed to receive the seal of God is related to the character of Christ. The sources emphasize that to receive the seal of God, one's character must be without spot or stain .

What is the character of Christ and what does it mean to have it?

• The ideal of Christian character is Christlikeness . It includes everything good, pure, noble, and elevated.
• The character of Christ is described as pure and spotless.
• When those who claim to be children of God become Christlike in character, they will be obedient to God's commandments.
• Having the character of Christ means having His nature implanted in humanity through the sanctification of the soul by the Holy Spirit.
• It is the grace of Christ revealed in character and wrought out in good works .
• It involves self-denial, patience, love, and forgiveness .
• The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance—reflects Christ's character.
• It means living a self-sacrificing life , being meek and lowly , and showing by a well-ordered life and godly conversation that one has been with Jesus.
• It requires constant resistance of evil and co-operation with Divinity.
• It involves perfect obedience, perfect peace, and harmony, as in heaven.
• It is characterized by faithfulness, loyalty to God, and loving service.

What is that stain or spot?

• A spot or stain refers to sin, impurity, and defilement in one's character .
• It includes disobedience to God's law, cherished sin, and defects and deformities.
• Worldly desires, ambition, love of the world, false tongues, and deceitful hearts are also considered spots or stains that would prevent receiving the seal.
• Being unjust, unsanctified, and filthy describes a character with spots or stains.

When will the character of Christ be perfectly reproduced in His people? What exactly does it mean?

• The sources indicate that Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church, and when the character of the Saviour shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim His own .
• This perfect reproduction means that believers will have reached God's standard of perfection .
• It signifies that the moral image of God is to be perfected in the character through the power of the Holy Spirit, and believers are to be wholly transformed into the likeness of Christ .
• It implies being clothed in the glorious apparel of Christ's righteousness and having a pure, spotless character.

When will that happen -- just before His coming? How is that related to the close of probation? To the close of investigative judgment?

• The work of perfecting Christian character is to be done during man's probation.
• The time for this is now, in this life. There will be no future probation in which to prepare for eternity.
• The investigative judgment takes place in the courts of heaven while people are still dwelling on the earth. During this time, the lives of all professed followers pass in review, and their destiny is forever fixed according to their deeds.
• The investigative judgment and the blotting out of sins is to be accomplished before the second advent of the Lord.
• When the work of investigation ends and the cases of all have been decided, then probation will close, and the door of mercy will be shut.
• The sealing of God's people occurs before the close of probation, and it is only those who have overcome sin and have a pure and spotless character who will receive this seal .
• After the close of probation, Christ ceases His intercession in the sanctuary. At this point, the destiny of everyone is decided, and those who are righteous and holy will remain so, while the unjust and filthy will also remain in their state.
• Therefore, the perfecting of Christ's character in His people, leading to their being sealed, must occur before the close of probation and the end of the investigative judgment, preparing them for Christ's coming. When Christ comes, He will not cleanse them of their sins or remove defects in their character; this work must be accomplished beforehand.

References

1. COL 70
2. COL 77
3. COL 337, GW 121, 7T 265
4. GW 121
5. 7T 265
6. GW 294
7. HS 123
8. HS 121
9. TM 220