Doctrine

Outside the City

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It was once commonly thought that witchcraft and other forms of sorcery were not a problem in western countries that claimed to be Christian nations, but in recent times it has become evident that even leaders of governments and churches have been involved in various practices of sorcery.

When Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, he made reference to the experience he had in the city of Ephesus where he had stayed for a time. He said, “For a great and effective door has been opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” I Corinthians 16:9.

What was this great and effective door that was opened to him? Ephesus was one of the leading cities at that time from which the gospel could spread all over the world. It was one of the most magnificent cities, but it was also one of the most corrupt. A tremendous amount of superstition and sensual pleasure that held sway over the multitudes was practiced within Ephesus. Under the shadow of the idol temples in the city, criminals of every grade found shelter, and the most degrading vices flourished.

It is interesting how often in the last several thousand years that criminals have used some form of religion to escape the ravages of the law that would otherwise come upon them. Ephesus was famous for the worship of the goddess Diana and the practice of magic flourished. The great temple there was dedicated to the goddess Diana, or Artemus in the Greek and was regarded by the ancients as one of the wonders of the world.

Kings and princes had bestowed large donations upon the building and the Ephesians vied with one another in adding to its splendor. It contained a large amount of the wealth of the surrounding country. Inside the temple was enshrined a goddess, an idol which, according to tradition, was supposed to have fallen from the sky. Upon the idol were inscribed various mystical symbols that were believed to possess great power and it was believed that by entreating the idol, miracles would be wrought.

Some people believed that they had been protected from robbers and even from death by the idol. Numerous and costly books had been written by the Ephesians explaining the meaning and use of these symbols and about how to practice their worship rituals. The people thought that magic, magical rites, and the use of these religious systems, could solve all of their problems.

God chose the apostle Paul to show these worshipers of idols and the magicians something in great contrast to what they were practicing. “Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.” Acts 19:11, 12.

As a result of being involved with sorcery and magic, evil spirits had possessed many of the people, but through the influence of the apostle Paul, the Holy Spirit worked miracles to deliver them. The manifestation of supernatural power that accompanied the apostle’s work made a deep impression upon the minds of these people who had been under the sway of sorcery.

The people had prided themselves upon their association and intercourse with invisible beings. The miracles of Paul were more potent than anything that had ever happened by the use of magic. It was seen that miracles performed in the name of the Lord could not be imitated by any of the magicians in town or by their enchantments. In this way the Lord exalted his servant even in the estimation of the idolaters themselves, immeasurably above the most favored and powerful of the magicians. The spirits of evil are subject to the God of heaven and He gave His servant authority over them. In fact, the God of heaven was about to bring even greater shame and defeat upon the magicians and those who despised and profaned His Holy name.

Sorcery was prohibited by the Mosaic law on pain of death. Notice what it says in the law of Moses about this: “Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:31. “And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.” Leviticus 20:6. “A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them.” Leviticus 20:27. To be involved with sorcery of any kind was to be condemned to death.

In Deuteronomy 18:9–12 the warning is repeated: “When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.”

One of the main reasons the nations in Canaan had to be destroyed was because of their practice of sorcery. God said, “You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.” Verse 13.

Sorcery was prohibited by the Mosaic law on pain of death, yet it had been practiced from time to time by apostate Jews. At the same time that Paul was in Ephesus, there were in the city certain Jewish people who claimed to be able to cast out evil spirits. Seeing the wonders that were wrought by Paul, they claimed to have equal power. They believed that the name of Jesus would act as a charm and they determined that they would also cast out evil spirits in just the same way as he had done. In Acts 19:13–17, this event is recorded. “Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ‘We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.’ Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?’ Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.”

The discomfiture and humiliation of those who had profaned the name of Jesus was soon broadcast throughout all of Ephesus, in all of Asia, and in the territory that we call Turkey today. Unmistakable proof had been given of the sacredness of that name and of the peril that a person who should invoke it brought upon themselves while they had no faith in Christ’s divine mission. Terror seized the minds of many people and the work of the gospel made tremendous progress. Facts came out that had previously been concealed and unknown. However, there were some people who, in accepting Christianity, had not fully renounced all of their heathen superstitions. They were still trying quietly to practice some of their magical rites. When they were convinced of their error they came and made a full confession to the apostle Paul and publically acknowledged their secret arts as deceptive and Satanic. Many sorcerers abjured the practice of magic and received Jesus Christ as their Saviour.

“And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and multiplied.” Acts 19:18–20.

This public renunciation of sorcery turned out to be a grand victory for Christianity in the very stronghold of superstition. From Ephesus the news was widely circulated concerning the converts who had burned their books on magic. They showed that the things they had once delighted in they now abhorred. It was through magic that they had especially offended God and imperiled their souls, and it was against magic that they showed such indignation. This was given as evidence of their conversion. These treatises that they burned were treatises on divination that contained rules and forms of communication with evil spirits. They were the regulations for the worship of Satan, the directions for soliciting his help and obtaining information from him. By retaining these books the disciples would have exposed themselves to temptation. By selling them they would have placed temptation in the way of others. So, because they had renounced the kingdom of darkness, they did not hesitate at any sacrifice to destroy its power. The truth triumphed over man’s prejudice, over their favorite pursuits, and over their love of money.

It is supposed by some people that because of our modern civilization, these heathen superstitions have disappeared. But have they really? Both Bible prophecy and also the testimony of the facts show that sorcery is practiced today in this Christian age among Christian nations just as much as by old time magicians but in a different form. The ancient system of magic is in reality just the same as that which is now known as modern spiritualism. Satan is finding access to thousands of minds all over the world by presenting himself under the guise of departed friends. Through mediums people think they can communicate with the spirit of a departed friend or relative or the spirit of a famous person who has died. But the Scripture says, “For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6. And in verse 10 it says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.”

The book of Genesis and the book of Job were the first two books of the Bible written. In both of these books the state of a person in death is explicitly and plainly stated. God Himself told Adam and Eve, “Dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19, last part. Concerning death the book of Job says, “As the cloud disappears and vanishes away, so he who goes down to the grave does not come up. He shall never return to his house, nor shall his place know him anymore.” Job 7:9, 10. When people think they are talking to the spirit of the dead relative, they are actually talking to somebody else. They are indeed talking to a spirit, but it is not the spirit of their dead relative.

Job 14:10–12 explains when the dead person will wake up—when they will have consciousness again. He says, “Man dies and is laid away; indeed he breathes his last and where is he? As water disappears from the sea, and a river becomes parched and dries up, so man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor be roused from their sleep.” While life exists, as we know it, until the end of time, they will not be aroused from their sleep until the Lord returns.

Jesus talked about this subject several times. He said that death was a sleep. “These things He said, and after that He said to them, ‘Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.’ Then His disciples said, ‘Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.’ However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead.’ ” John 11:11–14.

Jesus also predicted when those that were dead would wake up. “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” John 5:28, 29.

Jesus said explicitly in John 6:40 when He will wake up the dead: “This is the will of Him Who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Today, true to his early cunning, when the devil appeared to Eve in the form of a serpent and in that form deceived the mother of our race, Satan employs deceptive devices to gain control of the minds of men, appearing to them as the spirit of a dead relative.

It is to protect men from the deception of Satan that the Bible explicitly forbids any such practice. Yet the Bible makes it very clear that in the last days people will be practicing sorcery again. In fact, the Bible says that it will be through sorcery that the whole world will be deceived in the last days. They will not know that it is the devil that is deceiving them for to be deceived means that there is no awareness of the deception. However, through sorcery, by communication with what people think are the spirits of the dead, or the apostles, or saints, or holy people from past ages, people believe that they are talking to the spirits of those who have died. They are not. Like King Saul, who believed he was communicating with the spirit of Samuel, they are talking to the spirits of evil angels.

Notice what the book of Revelation says about this: “And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.” Revelation 9:21. And then, talking about the end of time: “The light of a lamp shall not shine in you (referring to Babylon) anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.” Revelation 18:23.

The heathen oracles of ancient times have their counterpart today in spiritualistic mediums, clairvoyants and fortunetellers. The mystic voices that spoke to ancient peoples from Endor and from Ephesus are still, by their lying words, misleading the children of men. Things like secret associations, séances, and the obscurities and wonderers of the sorcerers of our time have replaced the mysteries of ancient heathen worship. These disclosures are eagerly received by thousands of people who refuse to accept light from God’s word or from His Spirit. They will not believe the Bible, but they will believe in magic and miracles. While they speak with scorn about ancient magicians, the great deceiver laughs in triumph as they yield to his arts in a different form. Satan’s agents still claim to cure disease today. They profess to employ electricity, magnetism, and so-called sympathetic remedies, but the truth of the matter is, this magnetic power of which they boast is directly attributable to the sorcery of Satan. It is by this means that he casts his spells over the bodies and souls of men.

The sick, the bereaved, the curious, are today communicating with evil spirits and they know it not. All who venture there are on dangerous ground for the Word of truth declares how God regards them. In ancient times the Lord said through Elijah to one of the kings that because he sought evil spirits instead of seeking the Lord, he was going to die. Today, the visible and the invisible world are in close contact. If we could lift the veil on the invisible world and behold what is happening we would see evil angels all over the world employing their arts to deceive and to destroy. Wherever there is an influence that is being exerted to cause men to forget God, it is there that Satan is exercising his bewitching power.

If we are seeking scenes of dissipation or irreligious pleasure, if we are seeking the society of the sensualist or the skeptic or the blasphemer, we are tampering with sorcery. Before you are aware, your mind will be bewildered and your soul polluted. It is not necessary to even have physical contact with sorcery to become involved. You can be influenced by it through the press, through video, the Internet, television and other mediums whereby communication is distributed to the masses.

The apostle Paul made an exhortation to the people in Ephesus that we need to pay attention to today. He wrote, “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” Ephesians 5:11. Spiritualism in every form is very dangerous.

The Lord has given strict warning in His word that His children are not to have anything to do with sorcery or communication with the spirits of the dead or anything of the like. In fact, this is so serious that in the very last book of the Bible, we are told repeatedly that the person who does this will not be in the kingdom of heaven. It says, “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8. In the final reckoning, “the sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolators, and whoever loves and practices a lie” (Revelation 22:15) will be outside the city; they will perish.

God means exactly what He says. We need to learn to fear God and give glory to Him, and realize that the hour of His judgment is come (Revelation 14:7). He is going to judge those who disregard His warnings and who worship and listen to the advice of evil spirits. Whom will you believe?

(Bible texts are from NKJV unless otherwise noted.)

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Free Seventh-day Adventist Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Water As A Flood!

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“And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.” Revelation 12:15 The devil could not scare us. He tried.

There was an attempt to remove from church and Sabbath School offices all church members who were defending the truth. There was a barrage of maledictions and false allegations from church officialdom. These allegations have ranged from comparing us the butchers of Auschwitz and Dachau, who murdered millions of Jews, to describing us as a cancer on the body of the church which must be cut out. There has been disfellowshipping of both independent ministry leaders and church members.

How have the Historic Adventists reacted?

Quite calmly. There has been no panic, no indication of fear. Some have been moved to take an even more active role in defense of our faith than they had previously taken. Others have greatly increased their financial support of ministries that they believe to be teaching the truth. Most have made a thoughtful and firm decision that if they are forced to make a choice between surrendering their church membership or surrendering the truth, they will cling to the truth. They are fully confident that the God of truth will preserve their names in the records of heaven.

The devil could not scare us. It just did not work. So what weapon does he have left? Confusion.

If he cannot scare us, his best hope is to confuse us. He is casting out of his mouth water as a flood for the purpose of confusing us.

Since waters sometimes represent people, as in Revelation 17:15, the prophecy in Revelation 12 has at times been understood to represent people with weapons of persecution in their hands. May we suggest that it might also mean people with weapons of deceit in their hands? As we are presently learning, deceit and persecution often go together.

The Historic Seventh-day Adventists have taken alarm at the flood of false Calvinistic teachings that have invaded the church. (We do not refer to the teachings of John Calvin himself, but rather to the corrupted Calvinism of our day, which teaches, among other things, the Satanic doctrine that it is impossible, even through the power of God, for anyone to stop sinning.)

In order to escape from this false teaching, Historic Adventists have sought security and safety by gathering together in camp meetings, seminars, and independent worship services. This has been effective and successful, and the Historic Adventist movement is growing very rapidly.

But now a new danger is threatening us, a new flood from the mouth of the serpent. It is a flood of new interpretations of prophecy and doctrinal challenges. Ellen White was right. She wrote of this period as a time when “every wind of doctrine will be blowing.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 80

Within the last few months, I have been called upon to answer questions about:

  • A revived Brinsmead theology.
  • A revived doctrine of Arianism that Christ is not God fully.
  • Arguments that we must keep Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles.
  • Two different pronunciations of the name of God, each alleged to be vital to our salvation.
  • The judgment of the living and the “five angels’ messages.”
  • A revived doctrine of perfectionism (not to be confused with the true doctrine of sanctification).
  • Reinterpretations of prophecies that seem to go on forever.

 

There are times when I grow weary of the tedious labor of pointing out the problems in the various arguments, but I have gained comfort and encouragement from this counsel: “Faith grows by conflict with doubt and difficulty and trial.” Our High Calling, 361

So—let us not complain about all of these challenges to our faith, but think of them as learning opportunities. When we see how our beliefs can successfully meet attacks from every side, our confidence will be more firmly established and our faith strengthened.

In this article we will examine one of the oldest challenges—Arianism. The name cones to us from a certain Arius who lived from A.D. 256 to A.D. 336 and was a presbyter (elder) in Alexandria. He taught that Christ was not co-existent with the Father but was a lesser, created (or begotten) God.

The doctrine has reappeared at various times in the history of Christianity. It was advocated for a time by certain of our pioneers who brought it into Adventism from their previous religious backgrounds. These included J.N. Andrews, Uriah Smith, and apparently James White; but the Arian doctrine was firmly rejected by Ellen White.

The Biblical evidence in favor of our position shows that early references attributed to God are found in the plural form:

  • Genesis 1:26: “Let us make man in our image.”
  • Genesis 3:22; “Behold, the man has become like one of Us.”
  • Genesis 11:7: “Come let Us go down.”

In Isaiah 48, the One who identifies Himself as the Redeemer and the First and the Last (compare revelation 1:11) says in verse 16: “The Lord God, and His Spirit, have sent Me [the Redeemer].”

Here we find, unmistakably, three. The three appear again in Matthew 3:16-17 where we read that Jesus was in the water, the Holy Spirit was descending upon Him, and the voice of God spoke from heaven.

In Ephesians 3:14, Paul mentions the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, and in verse 16 he adds a reference to the Spirit.

Some may respond at his point that they are not challenging the idea of three persons but are only denying that Christ always co-existed with the Father in full equality with Him. We may find help with this question by looking at such Scriptures as these: “For in Him [Christ] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Colossians 2:9 “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” Philippians 2:6 KJV In John 8:58, we find Jesus testifying to the Jews: “Before Abraham was, I am.”

The Jews understood Him. We cannot doubt that. They recognized the words with which God had announced Himself to Moses: “And God said to Moses, I am that I am.” Exodus 3:14 KJV

And so they took up stones to stone Him. They knew what he meant. We may use this a convenient point of transition from the biblical evidence to the Spirit of Prophecy evidence by considering Ellen White’s comment on John 8:58: “Silence fell upon the vast assembly. The name of God, given to Moses to express the idea of the eternal presence, had been claimed as His own by the Galilean rabbi. He had announced Himself to be the self-existent One, he who had been promised to Israel, ‘whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.’ [Micah 5:2, margin.]” The Desire of Ages 469,470

Before leaving the Desire of Ages, let us turn to page 530: “In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived.”

Returning to the language of John 8:58, we add further comments form Ellen White found in Evangelism, 615: “Christ is the pre-existent, self-existent Son of God….In speaking of His pre-existence, Christ carries the mind back through dateless ages. He assures us that there never was a time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God. He to whose voice the Jews were then listening had been with God as one brought up with Him.

“He was equal with God, infinite and omnipotent….He is the eternal, self-existent Son.”

“He is the eternal, self-existent Son, upon whom no yoke had come.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 12, 395

“It was the Source of all mercy and pardon, peace and grace, the self-existent, eternal, unchangeable One, who visited His exiled servant on the isle that is called Patmos.” Manuscript 81, 1900

“From all eternity Christ was united with the Father.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1115

“Christ was God essentially, and in the highest sense. He was with God from all eternity, God over all, blessed forevermore.” Review and Herald, April 5, 1906

“The world’s Redeemer was equal with God. His authority was as the authority of God. He declared that he had no existence separated from the Father….He assures us that He and the Father are one. Review and Herald, January 7, 1890

In a profound description of the three members of the Godhead, Ellen White writes: “The Father is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and is invisible to mortal sight.

“The Son is all the fullness of the Godhead manifested.

“The Comforter that Christ promised to send after he ascended to heaven is the Spirit in all the fullness of the Godhead. There are three living persons of the heavenly trio. These powers will co-operate with the obedient subjects of Heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ.” Special Testimonies, Series B, no. 7, 62, 63 [All emphasis supplied.]

So the fullness of the Godhead is in each of the three, although each relates to us in a different manner. In Evangelism, page 616, we read: “The eternal heavenly dignitaries—God, and Christ, and the Holy spirit—arming them (the disciples) with more than mortal energy,…would advance with them to the work and convince the world of sin.”

And in Evangelism, 617, we read: “We are to cooperate with the three highest powers in heaven,—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,—and these powers will work through us, making us workers together with God.”

The opponents of our doctrine of the Trinity advance arguments such as these:

1. The word trinity does not appear in the Bible. We are not aware that anyone has made such a claim. Neither do the words advent, Adventist, moral law, ceremonial law, millenium, incarnation, etc., appear in the Bible. Trinity simply means three, and there are certainly three members of the godhead mentioned in Scripture. The word is not important.

Why does the Bible often refer to the one true God?

God does not always tell us His reasons for what He says or what he does. We have the fact before us that the same Bible which clearly refers to the three persons in the Godhead also insists on their unity in references to the one true God. That is the “given” with which we have to do, whether or not we can explain it.

There are explanations that do occur to us. The Israelites lived among people who believed in a vast number of gods who not only disagreed with one another but often committed crimes and even waged war against one another. This could well be the reason for the biblical statements about the unity, the oneness, of God. There may be other reasons as well.

In any case, we had best accept the Scripture testimony as it is given to us and recognize that there are three persons in the Godhead who function in total agreement as one.

3. But Jesus often spoke of His subordination to and dependence on the Father. True, but these are references to His earthly condition, when He walked on earth as a man, having laid aside all of His godly powers.

“Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” Philippians 2:6, 7

The words “made himself of no reputation” in verse 7 are, in literal Greek, “He emptied Himself.” Thus, He did not work miracles while on earth by means of His own divine powers but with power supplied to Him from the father. We must not take words that describe his earthly pilgrimage and project them either into His past or His future.

4. Why does Paul, in Colossians 1:15, call Him “the firstborn of every creature”? Does this not mean that He was born first?

Not necessarily. This is how Strong’s Concordance defines the Greek word protos that Paul used in this verse: “Foremost in time, place, order, or importance….best, chief.”

We may understand this to mean first in importance, without doing any violence to Scripture.

5. Why do the Scriptures refer to Christ as the “only begotten” Son of God?

Because He was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary and began His life in earth by the normal birth process. No other individual was “begotten ” as He was. Thus the word only is relevant and appropriate.

6. Is not a trinity concept found in paganism?

Of course. Let us remember that Satan had been exiled from heaven and knew about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He knew that his counterfeit needed to be complete. And does not the existence of the counterfeit strongly imply the existence of the genuine? Men counterfeit $5.00 bills and $10.00 bills but not three or seven dollar bills because there is no genuine. Would Satan counterfeit a trinity if no trinity existed?

We complete this study with a heightened awareness of the principle set forth by Ellen White:

“Faith grows by conflict and doubt and difficulty and trial.” Our High Calling, 361

Every comparison of truth with error adds to the luster of the truth. Our message—the historic Seventh-day Adventist message—is a body of truth revealed to us by the Creator-God; and it can successfully meet every test and every challenge that is brought to bear upon it. But will we, personally and individually, stand as firmly as the truth stands?

In order to do so, we must not only be familiar with the truth but also have an awareness of the methods most commonly used by those who, either through ignorance or guile, are seeking to introduce error among us.

Mingling truth with error.

We are much more likely to swallow poison if it is not clearly labeled as poison but rather mixed with wholesome food. (See The Great Controversy, 587.)

The papers on my desk which are challenging our faith seem to have a common factor. They typically begin with Scriptures and Spirit of Prophecy quotations that are wholesome and good but have little or no relevance to the idea being promoted. Thus we are disarmed, and our minds are prepared to accept error.

Confusing statements and interpretations.

A statement tells us the thought of the writer. An interpretation tells us the thought of the interpreter. Some seem to feel that a multiplicity of interpretations can become equal to a statement. This is not correct. Ten, one hundred, or one thousand times zero is still zero.

The Greeks had a word for it, eisegesis. To study a phrase, having due regard for both its immediate and its general context, until we can hear everything that the passage is saying to us is exegesis. The opposite is eisegiesis, which is putting our own thoughts into the Scriptural passage. In the material before me, I frequently find statements made and either Bible or Spirit of Prophecy references given to support them. But when I examine the quotations, they do not say what is claimed for them. We must carefully and systematically check every reference and take nothing for granted.

Exegetical blindness.

This is the opposite of the “reading into” problem of eisegesis described above. This is a stubborn refusal to accept the obvious meaning of a statement. We see this problem in the attempts that are made to explain that Ellen White’s words, such as original, unborrowed, underived, self-existent, etc. actually mean the opposite of what they say. Using similar methods, we could prove that Sunday is the true Sabbath, that tithe is 50% of profits, that pork is a wholesome food, etc. We cannot place confidence in such methods.

Describing contradictions as new light.

We read in Selected Messages, book 1, 161: “When the power of God testifies as to what is truth, that truth is to stand forever as the truth. No after suppositions contrary to the light God has given are to be entertained.”

And in Testimonies, vol. 5, 295: “Men and women will arise professing to have some new light or some new revelation whose tendency is to unsettle faith in the old landmarks. Their doctrines will not bear the test of God’s Word, yet souls will be deceived.”

The Messiah Complex.

This is a term used by psychologists to describe persons who yearn to be spiritual leaders but are not necessarily qualified for that work. In evangelism, we become well acquainted with them. They attend the meetings, see the audience, and are consumed with desire to give that audience some message of their own. Some of the messages are too bizarre to be believable. Others are more sophisticated and deceptive. We have to explain to all with this particular complex that (1) they did not hire the auditorium nor put out the advertising, and (2) the people did not come to hear them. The people came to hear the advertised speaker.

We sometimes have the same problem in our seminars and camp meetings. Persons come with agendas of their own. When time is given for the audience to ask questions, these persons seize the opportunity to make long speeches, or by a succession of questions try to lead the people into a subject other than what has been presented from the desk. This is, at best, discourteous and at worst, unchristian. Some are so aggressive that we have no choice but to deal with them firmly, reminding them that the meeting was not appointed for purposes of debate, nor yet for the purpose of providing them with an opportunity to make speeches.

We have here studied only one of the strange theories that are presently being urged upon us. We have previously examined others and will no doubt have to examine more. The apostle Paul warns us not to be ignorant of the devil’s devices. Satan’s purpose in promoting these concepts should be clear to anyone. He did not succeed in frightening us, so he is trying to confuse us and make us appear ridiculous in the eyes of others.

Let us not let him get away with it. We can escape the “waters as a flood” if we give heed to Paul’s counsel in 2 Timothy 2:15, 16: “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.”

The End

The Message of the Angels to the Entire World

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It is an absolute thrill to be a part of the proclamation of the three angels’ message. It is a growing, dynamic movement raised up by God. The very essence of Adventism, of what it means to be a true Seventh-day Adventist and to truly give the three angels’ messages, is being revived around the world. The fellowship is truly a foretaste of heaven.

Ellen White wrote that “The world is preparing for the closing work of the third angel’s message. The truth is now to go forth with a power that it has not known for years. The message of present truth is to be proclaimed everywhere.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 10, 218. The world is preparing for it. People know that something enormous is about to happen in the world. Pope John Paul II believes that there is going to be a cataclysmic event that, as a result, the papacy will emerge as the ruler of this world. But even the man on the street has a sense that something is impending in our world.

Right now, we are at a crisis point in the history of humanity. Every person on this earth is to have the opportunity of understanding what the issue is regarding the mark of the beast. To meet the challenge, if God’s people will rise up and improve the opportunity that has come to them so providentially and miraculously, they will be given by God the most powerful tool for the proclamation of the loud cry.

We are part of a movement that is going through to glory. It is the unfolding of the power and the principles of the kingdom of God in these latter days. We have always known that this message of the three angels is going to triumph gloriously, but the vision of how it is going to take place is now beginning to unfold before our eyes. The message of present truth is to be proclaimed everywhere, and how can we proclaim it so cost effectively as through this shortwave radio station? With this station, the most powerful available, the billions of people on earth can hear the message at the speed of light. The developments that take place step by step as we approach the second coming of Jesus can be analyzed and proclaimed in the setting of the three angels’ messages.

In order for the rays of light to penetrate everywhere, those who are giving the message must have a way to carry the message everywhere. This is not going to be very effectively done by our opposition. We must have a voice, and God is giving to us that voice—the most powerful tool of communication available at this time. There is going to be a great harvest, and the radio station is a key factor.

“The last great conflict is before us; but help is to come to all who love God and obey His law, and the earth, the whole earth, is to be lighted with the glory of God.” Review and Herald, April 19, 1903. How many cities have you been through in China recently, proclaiming the message of truth? Do you know that through your gifts and this radio station we have the potential of being able to proclaim that message to every town in China, in inner and outer Mongolia, and in Tibet? Do you see the significance of it? We can blanket the entire globe at the speed of light. The whole earth is to be lighted with the glory of God. That is the commission that God has given to us. That is the glory of the hour, the time upon which we stand—the proclamation of the loud cry of the third angel, which will be attended by the fourth angel, which reinforces the second angel, all bound up with the first angel and the everlasting gospel.

The knowledge of the truth places us in a position of great responsibility because the blood that was shed at Calvary’s cross is of infinite value. The proclamation of the truth that makes known the knowledge of this infinite gift is an integral part of the plan of redemption. While all around, the principles of Satan are being acted out, the heavenly light is to shine upon this generation; and it will shine through the tongues, the pens, the generosity in giving, and the activity of God’s people, and through the improvement of opportunities that He has given them at this time. There is nothing that can compare with the thrill of being a part of it. If you are bored with life, all you have to do is begin following the truth, and you will have more adventure than you can endure.

Let us not be found with those who say, “It is not time to give out The Great Controversy now,” or “Be careful that you do not mention the mark of the beast.” As a result of the loud cry, every person in this world will know what the mark of the beast is; and if we cannot tell what it is now, how will we do it when the laws forbid it? The world must be prepared. Every person must know exactly what Rome did in changing the day of worship. Every person must know what the mark of the beast is and what the seal of God is so they can make an enlightened decision before the seven last plagues fall. Someone is going to do it. As Pastor John has said, “If not us, who? If not now, when?”

Do you realize now what it means that we have the satellite uplink? We are able to hold telethons that we could not have held two years ago. As this movement grows, you see, it feeds on itself; it is cyclical. Once this station is purchased, who knows what opportunity the Lord will open up next, and on and on and on. As we act on the opportunities that God gives us, he gives us more opportunities. What started out as a tiny mustard seed, as in the parable of Jesus, is sprouting and growing until it becomes a great tree, and the birds can nest in its branches. But those people who are holding the truth in unrighteousness are never going to give this message until they repent and come into line with the operation of the Holy Spirit right now.

There have been times when my heart has said, “How will God’s people be able to stand the forces coming against them?” In the Old Testament, over and over again a few men of Israel stood up and resisted the enemy and overwhelmed them in the Spirit of the Lord; and it will be the same way again at the end of time. I love that story of Gideon’s army and especially the test that God gave them when they came down to the water. Three hundred scooped it up and kept on running. Of the ones who stopped and took their time, God said, “Sorry. We can’t use them.” They turned the armies of the aliens to flight, and this is the spirit that is going to seize control of God’s people today.

During crisis times in the Reformation, Martin Luther spent three hours a day in prayer. One man, with a heart anchored by faith to Christ, is greater than the whole world. I pray to God, “Make my heart so broad, so strong, that it can bear up when these forces are applied against us. Give God’s people a heart and a spirit that is so broad, so strong, so powerful in You, that it will not be overcome and it will emerge triumphant over all obstacles.”

It is the work of the third angel’s message to reach every person and convict them regarding the claims of the law of God, the Sabbath of God, and expose the man of sin and what he has done in altering the law of God in insinuating his own authority where the authority of God is supposed to be. Every person has to have these things clearly delineated; that is the work of the third angel. God will allow that work to go on until it is complete, and that is the one safe place to be.

You see, the issue of sacrifice is complete surrender. If it will glorify God’s name to allow us to be martyred to show the character of Satan in contrast to the character of God, then it will advance God’s work. When the fires of Smithfield were lit in England and Ridley and Latimer were led to the stake, they said to each other, “We are going to light this day in England a fire that will not be extinguished.” As they were about to be burned, they encouraged each other with these words. So it will be, but your eternal life is secure in Christ. He will look out for your eternal best interest. There is nothing in the world that can even begin to compare with standing on that sea of glass and realizing that you have been fully redeemed, that you are there for eternity along with those who have listened to the message because you gave a gift to purchase the most advanced communications tool known to man.

There are many Adventists who are afraid to proclaim the third angel’s message. They do not want it proclaimed; they want to hush it up. They are writing articles in the periodicals to quiet it down; but I tell you, it is going to be given. And as it swells into a loud cry, great power and glory will attend its proclamation! I want to be a part of that power and glory! That power and glory is wrapped up in the third angel’s message. Ellen White says that if you separate the mark of the beast from the proclamation of the Sabbath, it loses its power. That is why the mark of the beast issue is so significant.

If we cannot proclaim the third angel’s message now, what about after the national Sunday law is passed? What will you do once a national police force is firmly established, which we are in the process of witnessing right now? I listened to an intelligence advisor, who used to serve in the United States military as an intelligence analyst and a counter-intelligence coordinator for years, give a seminar. He described what it will be like when the new world order takes effect. He spoke of various police agencies, such as the MJTF police, a multijurisdictional task force that most Americans have never even heard of. He told how they will do house to house searches and seizures and sweeps through the cities of our land, rounding up those who are dissenters from the new world order. He said that twelve years ago he would not have even considered talking about these things, but recently he has been discovering one piece of evidence after another.

“Some, I saw, have a prejudice against our rulers and laws; but if it were not for law, this world would be in an awful condition. God restrains our rulers; for the hearts of all in are in His hands. Bounds are set, beyond which they cannot go. Many of the rulers are those whom Satan controls; but I saw that God has His agents, even among the rulers. And some of them will yet be converted to the truth. They are now acting the part that God would have them. When Satan works through his agents, propositions are made, that, if carried out, would impede the work of God and produce great evil. The good angels move upon these agents of God to oppose such propositions with strong reasons, which Satan’s agents cannot resist. A few of God’s agents will have power to bear down a great mass of evil.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 203, 204

There is a struggle going on between the rulers of the earth—some under the control of the evil angels and some under the control of good angels. I have been amazed as I have been doing research, to see that there are people who are opposing gigantic evils that I did not even know existed. You heard on the news about the Iran Contra hearings and all that is involved. As I listened to the reports, little did I know that there were programs involved in that affair to suspend our Constitution and that there were good agents who resisted this, at great cost.

God will use His agents who are rulers in this earth to hold back a mass of evil so that this message can be proclaimed. That gives me great encouragement as I think about the proclamation of the message through this radio station. God is going to see to it that His message is proclaimed; and the safest place that you can be is right in the center of the proclamation of this message, because God will work through His angels on the hearts of rulers to allow the proclamation of this message.

“During the loud cry, the church, aided by the providential interpositions [This means that God is going to say, “We are going to adjust this and that, move out in this direction, correct this, block this evil, give this message.] of her exalted Lord, will diffuse the knowledge of salvation so abundantly that light will be communicated to every city and town. [You can do that with this shortwave station.] The earth will be filled with the knowledge of salvation.” Evangelism, 694

“As the third angel’s message swells into a loud cry, great power and glory will attend its proclamation. The faces of God’s people will shine with the light of heaven.” Maranatha, 202. I tell you, God’s people are going to be the most powerful force on this earth. They are united with the most powerful Being in the universe—God—God providentially interposing and blocking evil and opening up opportunities, crowning with success their intense efforts. Great power and glory will attend the giving of the message of the third angel.

The time has come for the nominal Adventist to awake out of his Laodicean state, seize the message, and join this movement! There is no time to delay. Every hour, you are approaching more closely the crisis of the ages. At any moment the sudden terror that Ellen White described that would come with blinding force and as an overwhelming surprise may spring upon you. And the Seventh-day Adventist sitting in the pew week by week is no exemption. I tell you, the one safe place will be under that covering that God extends over every person who is decided upon the three angel’s messages.

“When Jesus leaves the most holy, His restraining Spirit is withdrawn from rulers and people. They are left to the control of evil angels.” Ibid., 268. Then there will be none of these rulers who are God’s agents still there to resist them. Every one of the rulers then will be evil. That is what happened in the destruction of Jerusalem, which is a type of what it will be like in the great time of trouble. What a picture. They are left to the control of evil angels. Do you see, fellow Adventists, if you do not join this movement of the three angels’ messages and give it all that you have, where you will be left? You well be outside of the ark of safety where only evil angels are controlling humanity.

Do you think that people will know who is proclaiming the message? They will be known. Someone came up to me last night with a quote from the Mackelvane Intelligence Advisor, about a Univac computer in which are one million names already targeted for arrest when the new world order goes into effect in this country. Other figures about which we are hearing is that under the new world order, seventy-five percent of the population of North America and half the population of the world will have to be eliminated. Does it sound outlandish? Listen, before World War II, who took Hitler seriously when he wrote Mein Kampf, where he laid out his plan? It sounded too fantastic. It was not until after the war that the truth began coming out! We need to learn a lesson because, according to the occult agencies of the world, that was a trial run for a new world order.

God is going to allow a real demonstration at the end of time. He is going to let the universe see what it would have been like if Satan would have been given a free hand in heaven. He will show the entire universe what it would have been like if Satan had had his way. On this earth it will be demonstrated, and we are called upon to live during that time.

Yes, the proclamation of the third angel, which identifies the mark of the beast, will involve persecution; but the glory of the experience is impossible to describe. You cannot imagine what it will be like when you get to heaven to be able to tell stories about this ruler and that ruler who accepted the message of the third angel. You will be able to tell worlds afar what it was like to be under God’s protection during that time of Satan’s power here on this earth, when the earth was desolated and wasted by famine, pestilence, and plague, and every element of strife and evil was cut loose on humanity.

“Those who have held the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end will be wide-awake during the time that the third angel’s message is proclaimed with great power.” Maranatha, 218

Now is the time. May God help us to make the best use of it.

The End

A Real Déjà Vu

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Perhaps at some time we have all experienced a feeling of being in a familiar place, or going through the exact scenario that we have gone through before, or beholding for the first time a situation that we have already seen. Psychologists term this phenomenon, the experience of perceiving a new situation as if it had already occurred, déjà vu. Déjà vu is a French term that literally means already seen.

While déjà vu may be an illusion or a strong sense of familiarity, there is a real déjà vu that the church of God is now experiencing and is not a figment of one’s imagination. In Ecclesiastes 1:9 we are told: “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” The thing that has been in the past is that which shall be in the future. The technical word for this is a parallel. The prophet of God tells us, “The trials of the children of Israel, and their attitude just before the first coming of Christ, have been presented before me again and again to illustrate the position of the people of God in their experience before the second coming of Christ—how the enemy sought every occasion to take control of the minds of the Jews, and today he is seeking to blind the minds of God’s servants, that they may not be able to discern the precious truth.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 406.

When God repeats something to you it is significant. The trials and the attitudes of the people of God before the first coming of Christ will be experienced before the second coming of Christ. Those things that have been shall be again.

What was the attitude of the church structure toward Jesus and His ministry? At the first Passover Jesus cleansed the temple of all the profanation that was conducted there. Then at the second Passover, He tried to appeal to the Jewish leaders but received a certain attitude and response. John chapter 5 verse 16 says, “And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus and sought to slay Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath day.”

I have heard it said that even today if Christ were on earth to conduct His labors, many people would consider Him to be unchristlike. Yet He was the very Son of God, the Messiah Himself; but He was so hated by the Jews that they actually wanted to kill Him. He was considered an outcast, an outlaw, breaking their man-made traditions by healing the paralytic at the pool of Bethsaida on the Sabbath. Jesus deliberately chose that place and time to draw out the intentions of the Jewish leaders.

“In order to maintain their own power, these leaders determined to break down the influence of Jesus. His arraignment before the Sanhedrin, and an open condemnation of His teachings, would aid in effecting this; for the people still had great reverence for their religious leaders.” The Desire of Ages, 205. They wanted to maintain their own power and not lose their positions and authority.

The Bible is clear about where their inspiration came from. Jesus Himself said, “You are of your father, the devil.” John 8:44 NASB. Inspiration magnifies this in The Desire of Ages, 205: “But the plans which these rabbis were working so zealously to fulfill originated in another council than that of the Sanhedrin.”

We don’t take these things to heart like we should. As Seventh-day Adventists we think we are ready for heaven because we know the truth. But the prophet of God says that not all who profess to keep the Sabbath will be sealed. There are many, even among those who teach the truth to others, who will not receive the seal of God on their foreheads. They had the light of truth, they understood their Master’s will, understood every point of our faith, but they did not have corresponding works. So it’s not a matter of what we know; it is a matter of what we are doing with the knowledge we have.

The prophet goes on to say, “After Satan had failed to overcome Christ in the wilderness, he combined his forces to oppose Him in His ministry, and if possible to thwart His work. What he could not accomplish by direct, personal effort, he determined to effect by strategy. No sooner had he withdrawn from the conflict in the wilderness than in council with his confederate angels he matured his plans for still further blinding the minds of the Jewish people, that they might not recognize their Redeemer. He planned to work through his human agencies in the religious world, by imbuing them with his own enmity against the champion of truth. He would lead them to reject Christ and to make His life as bitter as possible, hoping to discourage Him in His mission. And the leaders in Israel became instruments of Satan in warring against the Saviour.” Ibid., 205, 206.

The things that have been, the things that were in the past with the leaders in the first advent, are being repeated today. “It is Satan’s plan to weaken the faith of God’s people in the Testimonies.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 672.

Satan is still aiming to fulfill that plan. “Next follows skepticism in regard to the vital points of our faith, the pillars of our position, then doubt as to the Holy Scriptures, and then the downward march to perdition. When the Testimonies, which were once believed, are doubted and given up, Satan knows the deceived ones will not stop at this; and he redoubles his efforts till he launches them into open rebellion, which becomes incurable and ends in destruction.” Ibid.

That statement was written in 1875, approximately 12 years after the church officially organized. Early in the experience of the remnant church, the devil was weaving himself in to cause division and souls to lose their faith. In 1879, the prophet said, “For years the Lord has been presenting the situation of the church before you. Again and again reproofs and warnings have been given. October 23, 1879, the Lord gave me a most impressive testimony in regard to the church in Battle Creek. … I had no confidence in the course which many were pursuing, for they were doing the very things which the Lord had warned them not to do.” Ibid., 63.

This laid the foundation for what occurred in 1888. In Testimonies, vol. 2, 441, we read, “Like ancient Israel (déjà vu!) the church has dishonored her God by departing from the light, neglecting her duties, and abusing her high and exalted privilege of being peculiar and holy in character. … and Christ has departed.”

“Many who have a form of godliness, whose names are on church books, have a spotted record in heaven. The recording angel has faithfully written their deeds.” The Review and Herald, May 5, 1885. In Testimonies, vol. 8, page 67, after that great disappointment in 1888, Ellen White said, “Jerusalem is a representation of what the church will be if it refuses to receive and walk in the light that God has given. Jerusalem was favored of God as the depositary of sacred trusts. But her people perverted the truth, and despised all entreaties and warnings.” That is what took place then and what is taking place now. People are not really studying the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy as they should.

The truth is being perverted before our eyes and we don’t even recognize it. We are told: “Christ turned from them, saying, ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,’ how can I give thee up? ‘How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not’ (Matthew 23:37)!” Ibid. If He was sorrowing and weeping in 1898, how much more He must sorrow and weep today?

Year after year God appealed to His people warning them to get them on the right track but year after year they only got worse and after rejecting the many warnings their hearts became hardened. That was in 1898. “That these men should stand in a sacred place, to be as the voice of God to the people, as we once believed the General Conference to be—that is past. What we want now is reorganization. We want to begin at the foundation, and to build upon a different principle.” The General Conference Bulletin, April 3, 1901. It was attempted at that time to have that reorganization with A.G. Daniells being made the president, but two years later it was decided to discontinue the reform that was attempted in 1901.

“The enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day Adventists, and that this reformation would consist in giving up the doctrines which stand as the pillars of our faith, and engaging in a process of reorganization. Were this reformation to take place, what would result? The principles of truth that God in His wisdom has given to the remnant church, would be discarded. Our religion would be changed. The fundamental principles that have sustained the work for the last fifty years would be accounted as error. A new organization would be established. Books of a new order would be written. A system of intellectual philosophy would be introduced. The founders of this system would go into the cities, and do a wonderful work. The Sabbath of course, would be lightly regarded, as also the God who created it.” Selected Messages, vol. 1, 204, 205.

What has happened in the past is happening today. In 1914, the year in which World War I commenced, Germany selected men to fight in the army, forcing these men to bear arms and to kill, even upon God’s holy day. G. F. Schubert, who was the president of the Eastern German Union of Seventh-day Adventists wrote to a minister of the war in Germany. He said, “At this time, even though we stand on the platform of the Holy Scriptures, and do our best to bring the principles of Christianity into our lives and thus observe the day of rest given by God, Saturday, and avoid any work on this day, we, nonetheless, consider ourselves obligated at the present serious military time, and under these circumstances to defend our fatherland with weapons in hand even on the Sabbath.” Letter from G. F. Schubert, President of the Eastern German Union of Seventh-day Adventists, to the Minister of Military Affairs at the Prussian Military Ministry of War in Berlin, Charlottenburg, August 4, 1914.

One of the things the prophet of God said would begin to take place is that our brethren would begin to lightly regard the Sabbath.

When the Jewish leaders in the days of Christ rejected Jesus, John wrote, “After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberius. And a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His miracles which He did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.” John 6:1–3. This was after He was rejected in chapter 5 by the Jewish leadership. Here we find Him going over to Galilee, and it is here that Jesus has a following. More detail is provided in The Desire of Ages, 232: “The jealousy and distrust of the Jewish leaders had ripened into open hatred, and hearts of the people were turned away from Jesus.

“The Sanhedrin had rejected Christ’s message and was bent upon His death; therefore Jesus departed from Jerusalem [the church headquarters], from the priests, the temple, the religious leaders, the people who had been instructed in the law, and turned to another class to proclaim His message, and to gather out those who should carry the gospel to all nations.”

Because of the rejection of truth by the leaders, Jesus departed from the organized church and gathered a following that was independent of the organization. In other words, He had a little independent following. Now what happened to the independent movement in the days of Jesus? John 6:66 tells what happened: “From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him.”

So we find that in the days of Jesus, even those whom you could call independent, who were called out, even they did not go all the way through. Even they turned back and walked no more with Christ. This is when Christ presented to them Who He was, the Bread that came down from heaven. Many of His disciples went back, unable to follow through with their conviction. He told them that if they eat of His flesh and drink of His blood, they would have eternal life (John 6:53). But these were truths that the people did not understand and they could not accept. As a result they turned away. This rejection took place among the people of God.

“When Jesus presented the testing truth [truth that weeded out the false] that caused so many of His disciples to turn back, He knew what would be the result of His words; but He had a purpose of mercy to fulfill.” The Desire of Ages, 394.

Notice in John 6:67: “Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?” You see how small that movement became? And Jesus says, “Are you also going to turn back?” And then the answer comes from Peter in verse 68: “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.”

The prophet of God explains the reason for the testing truth. She says, “He foresaw … His agony in Gethsemane, His betrayal and crucifixion, would be to them a most trying ordeal. … But Jesus brought about this crisis while by His personal presence He could still strengthen the faith of His true followers.

“Compassionate Redeemer, Who in the full knowledge of the doom that awaited Him, tenderly smoothed the way for the disciples, prepared them for their crowning trial, and strengthened them for the final test!” The Desire of Ages, 394.

This testing truth concerning the identity of Jesus was designed by God, not only to separate false followers from the true, but to prepare the true followers for the final test. There is a parallel of this in the Second Advent movement.

On February 2, 1902, the Battle Creek Sanitarium was burned to the ground. The repeated rejections of the entreaties and warnings of God led to judgment upon the work at the heart of the church. Later that same year in December, the Review and Herald publishing house was also destroyed by fire. So again another judgment was sent to God’s people to arouse and awaken them. I am afraid that we still have not been awakened.

In 1904, God decided to use brothers Magan and Sutherland to start an independent ministry that was not dependent upon the dictates of the conference. Concerning that ministry, the following council was given: “When my advice was asked in reference to the Madison school, I said, Remain as you are. There is danger in binding every working agency under the dictation of the conference. The Lord did not design that this should be.” She counseled: “Remain as you are.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 8, 202, 203.

Since 1904, there have arisen various ministries independent of the Seventh-day Adventist Church organization, some of which are supportive of it. Not only have there arisen various ministries independent of the conference, but various independent movements, including the Seventh-day Adventist Reform Movement in 1916, the True and Free Seventh-day Adventists, Davidian Seventh-day Adventists and their Branch Davidians, Seventh-day Adventist Kinship International, Sabbath Rest Advent Church, General Assembly of Free Seventh-day Adventists, International Association of Free Seventh-day Adventists, Creation Seventh-day Adventist Church, to mention just a few.

It is interesting that all these movements and ministries claim to believe in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. They profess to believe present truth and teach present truth, but for some reason, when examining these various ministries and independent movements, we begin to realize the sad fact that what we see is that which is properly termed confusion. There is division, confusion and no unity and we wonder how could this be when all profess to believe in the same Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. In many of these groups is seen a facade of godliness. All adhere to strict health-reform and uphold the Sabbath yet there is division, even among independents. The result of the independents in Jerusalem in the past will be repeated today. Being part of an independent ministry or movement is no guarantee that you will endure to the end and be saved.

Salvation is an individual thing; no one will be saved in a group. Just as the majority of Christ’s followers turned away from Him in Galilee, so will the majority of those who profess Adventism turn away from the truth concerning Christ, His mission and His priesthood. . (See The Kress Collection, 65, or Manuscript Releases, vol. 7, 174.)

We find the doctrine of the investigative judgment is often considered to be false, and the teaching that Christ is in the most holy place conducting the final work of the atonement is not being taught. Many preach that the atonement was done at the cross and all you have to do is come to Jesus and believe. There is no affliction of soul or of denying self. You can live as you want, continue in sin, and still have assurance of heaven because God loves you. This is not the movement that God originated but what it has degenerated into by whittling away at the foundation of truth.

Why is there a turning away from the truth that God once gave to His people? The prophet of God tells us why. “As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel’s message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position and join the ranks of the opposition.” The Great Controversy, 608. Notice it says “a large class.” Just as it was with the Jewish leaders, a large class rejected Jesus and even in Galilee among that independent group, a large class turned away. Why? They “have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth” … and “are going to abandon their position.”

Remember, Jesus, in Galilee, presented to the people a testing truth, many of whom, after they received that testing truth, turned back, and walked no more with Him. So it is with us. That testing truth was first to weed out the false followers, to separate the false from the true, and prepare the true followers for the final test. We know that every day we go through tests, but the prophet of God says, “The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The mark of the beast will be urged upon us. Those who have step by step yielded to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will not find it a hard matter to yield to the powers that be, rather than to subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 81.

The problem? Little by little they yielded to worldly demands. Step by step they conformed to worldly customs and as a result, they will find it easy to yield to the powers that be. They will not pass the testing truth prior to the great final test. And here we are, friends, thinking that the great, final test will be an easy matter. We must not yield to worldly demands. Many Christians are still watching things on television and listening to things that disturb and pollute the mind and are not getting ready for heaven. Many want to dress like the world and talk like the world, yielding step by step, compromising until they will find themselves leaving and turning back from Christ.

Belonging to a group will not save you. Salvation is an individual thing and each must have a personal and deep walk with Christ. Each must conduct a thorough heart search daily and surrender to the voice of the Spirit, rather than following personal inclination. “Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, ‘Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee.’ … Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence should indicate.” Steps to Christ, 70.

Jesus said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13.

The prophet of God has magnified this for us. “Soon God’s people will be tested by fiery trials, and the great proportion of those who now appear to be genuine and true will prove to be base metal.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 136. “Today a large part of those who compose our congregations are dead in trespasses and sins. They come and go like the door upon its hinges. For years they have complacently listened to the most solemn, soul-stirring truths, but they have not put them in practice. Therefore they are less and less sensible of the preciousness of truth.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 426.

“God now calls upon you to repent, to be zealous in the work. Your eternal happiness will be determined by the course you now pursue. Can you reject the invitations of mercy now offered? Can you choose your own way? Will you cherish pride and vanity, and lose your soul at last? The word of God plainly tells us that few will be saved, and that the greater number of those, even, who are called will prove themselves unworthy of everlasting life. They will have no part in heaven, but will have their portion with Satan, and experience the second death.” Ibid., vol. 2, 293, 294.

“This work of preparation is an individual work. We are not saved in groups. The purity and devotion of one will not offset the want of these qualities in another. Each case must bear individual inspection. Each of us must be tested, and found without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.” The Signs of the Times, May 29, 1884.

Déjà vu! This has taken place in the past and will take place again in the future. It is not an illusion, a figment of our imagination; this is something that is real, an experience that is happening now. Understanding that separation from Christ is the cause of division and strife in families and churches, we must look to the only solution—union with Christ.

Let us be determined to be among that number who are saved, regardless of the temporal cost. Let us hold firm to Jesus Christ.

This article came from a sermon delivered by Demario Carter, a speaker at Steps to Life camp meeting in 2014.

The Dead and The Almost Dead

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Since the days of Adam to our own time, our great enemy, Satan, has been exercising his power to oppress and destroy. Now he is preparing for his final campaign against the church in an effort to deceive the world.

We have been told, “The enemy is preparing for his last campaign against the church. He has so concealed himself from view that many can hardly believe that he exists, much less can they be convinced of his amazing activity and power. They have to a great extent forgotten his past record; and when he makes another advance move, they will not recognize him as their enemy, that old serpent, but they will consider him a friend, one who is doing a good work. Boasting of their independence they will, under his specious, bewitching influence, obey the worst impulses of the human heart and yet believe that God is leading them.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 294.

Never forget that Satan is the father of lies. He deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden and has become bolder with his success in fooling the nations ever since then. “Satan is preparing his deceptions, that in his last campaign against the people of God they may not understand that it is he.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 341.

How did we get into such a situation that many people believe the devil is really a friend to help them?

The devil has been around for a long time and he has mastered the art of controlling the majority of the human race. “Satan is a diligent student of the Bible, and much better acquainted with the prophecies than many religious teachers. He has ever kept well-informed concerning the revealed purposes of God, that he might defeat the plans of the Infinite.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, 87.

The devil does not come to the Christian parading some atheistic philosophy. He has great success in quoting the Bible, but with the slightest twist. He came to Jesus quoting the Bible and claiming to be an angel sent from heaven to help Him out. “Satan knows better than many professed Christians what is written, for he is a diligent student of the Bible, and he works to pervert the truth, and lead men into the paths of disobedience.” The Signs of the Times, August 28, 1893. He is an expert in misinterpretation and presents things in such a way that you will think you still believe the Bible while not practicing its principles.

In the message of Jesus to the church at Sardis (“I know your works …” Revelation 3:1) was imbedded the first angel’s message, “the hour of God’s judgment is come” (Revelation 14:7 literal translation). It is in the heavenly sanctuary where God’s judgment takes place. The first angel’s message is the announcement of a present day event. The fact that God is going to judge His people constitutes Bible truth all the way back from the time of Moses. The devil has known at least since that time that the day would come when that event would take place.

Moses wrote about it in Deuteronomy 32:36: “For the Lord will judge His people.” David wrote about it in Psalm 135:14: “For the Lord will judge His people …” In both the Old and New Testaments, the future tense is always used in referring to this subject. Luke wrote in Acts 17:31, “… because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

Because Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, we can know that there is an impending judgment. On another occasion when Paul had only one opportunity to speak to the heathen ruler, Felix, he talked about three things, one of which was a coming judgment. (See Acts 24:25.)

Notice what Paul wrote to the church at Corinth in II Corinthians 5:10: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

Ellen White wrote about the judgment, which is brought to light in the three angel’s messages. She said, “The interests of the cause of present truth demand that those who profess to stand on the Lord’s side shall bring into exercise all their powers to vindicate the advent message, the most important message that will ever come to the world.” Sermons and Talks, Book 1, 385. The advent message, of course, is the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14:6–12. It is a message about God’s judgment and it is here right now. If you study the first angel’s message carefully in Revelation 14:6, 7, you will see that the hour of God’s judgment begins while the gospel is still being preached. The exact time the judgment began can be determined by studying the prophecies in the book of Daniel.

The devil’s plan has always been to deceive the world, to overthrow the church of God, and to cause all to be lost. He has followed closely the history of the world since the beginning of time, knowing full well that time was limited. He knew what Moses wrote; he knew what was in the Psalms; he knew what Daniel and Paul wrote. He understood perfectly the meaning of the three angels’ messages delivered to John on the Isle of Patmos. So he has invented his own alternate interpretation of them to deceive the people. The only defense against his deception is to be careful and diligent Bible students and be settled into the truth of the Word.

The crafty enemy of souls started setting traps thousands of years ago so that the message of the judgment and the warning to get ready would be rejected or ignored and that the church would be in a comatose state. The message to the church at Sardis reveals the startling announcement that the devil would be amazingly successful in this plot. In fact, he would be so successful that only a few people in the church at Sardis would be saved. Of all the letters to the seven churches, the letter to the church of Sardis is one of the saddest. Revelation 3:1–6: “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things say He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ”

Never forget that the devil put his lies into operation to set his traps thousands of years ago. When a mouse gets caught in a trap, it kills the mouse. When the church gets caught in a trap, it does not receive the message that we are living in the judgment hour and it dies. Ellen White wrote many times on the importance of this message:

“The warning to the Sardis church is applicable at this time.” The Review and Herald, November 2, 1886.

“To the church of the present day this message is sent. I call upon our church members to read the whole of the third chapter of Revelation, and to make an application of it.” The Review and Herald, August 20, 1903.

“The message that God gave to the churches in Ephesus and Sardis are applicable to those who in this age have had great light but have not opened the door of the heart to the knock of Christ. The Lord has shown plainly that He has a controversy with His people. The fires that have lately raged in New York and other cities were no accident. It was the hand of omnipotent power. The Spirit of God is withdrawing from the world because the warnings of heaven have not been heeded. We need to beware, for a similar condition of things is coming in amongst us as a people.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, 321. (Written in 1902.)

“Among those to whom this message [to the church in Sardis] was sent, there were those who had heard and been convicted by the preaching of John the Baptist, but who had forsaken the faith in which they once rejoiced. There were others who had received the truth from Christ’s teaching, and who were once ardent believers, rejoicing in the faith, but who had lost their first love, and were without spiritual strength. Because they did not hold the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end, they were believing as men without faith. They quibbled about matters of no special importance which were not given by the Lord as tests, and dwelt upon their differences of opinion till these differences became as mountains, separating them from Christ and from one another, destroying unity and love.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 6, 242, 243.

We are admonished to avoid getting caught in the trap of becoming so occupied arguing about unimportant things while salvation issues are lost to sight. This trap devised by the devil kills the church, blinding it from the most important message ever given to man—to prepare to meet God when He returns to redeem the faithful or face Him when it is too late and give an account and be lost.

Satan’s traps have caught the majority of the inhabitants of this world. Most of the Christian world today, hundreds of millions of people who claim to be Christians, do not know that we are living in the hour of God’s judgment, yet that is the most important message to be given to the world.

One very successful trap the devil has used in the past involved a promise of higher, more spiritual Christianity. Claiming to be more spiritual, Gnostic Christianity contained the deadly poison of the serpent, resulting in sensuality, but it lacked the development of Christian perfection. Gnostic Christianity had its roots in Greek philosophy, which had its roots in the ancient philosophies of Egypt and Babylonia, and therefore is rightly called in the book of Revelation, Babylon.

The Greek philosophy of Gnostic Christianity was very dangerous because it was mixed with a lot of Bible truth. People believing in this philosophy claimed that they believed the Bible, called themselves Christians and prayed to God in the name of Jesus. They claimed that the highest goal of their life was to receive the Holy Spirit but unfortunately for them the spirit they received was another spirit.

People believe today that Gnostic Christianity has disappeared. Actually it did disappear as a sect by the sixth century, but the doctrines of Gnostic Christianity did not disappear. These doctrines are present today and are presently being taught all over North America and the Christian world by both the Roman Catholic and the Protestant churches. Some of these doctrines have resulted in many Christians not being susceptible to present truth, rejecting the messages in Revelation 14.

God has sent a crucial message of warning to the world and many people scoff at it. Books have been published saying there is no need to fear the mark of the beast because Christians will be raptured away before any trouble starts. Others are not concerned, believing that when they die, they either go straight to heaven or to hell, thus avoiding judgment.

When the Protestants came out of the blackness of Babylon, they did not come to the light of all Bible truth in one generation. The two most prominent reformers, Martin Luther and John Calvin, broke away from the teachings of Babylon, making some advance steps. However, both John Calvin and Martin Luther were highly educated and versed in the teachings of a man by the name of Augustine. Today, both Protestants and Roman Catholics can trace their theology back to him. For at least nine years before Augustine became a member of the Roman Church, he was a Gnostic Christian. During his own lifetime he was correctly accused of bringing the doctrines of Gnosticism into the Christian church. Augustine was probably the leading theologian responsible for Greek philosophy being brought into the Christian church.

Because Martin Luther and John Calvin were highly trained and educated in the writings and teachings of Augustine, it should not be surprising that they brought some of this Greek philosophy and some of the poisonous Gnostic doctrines with them into the Protestant church. Remember, Greek philosophy has its roots in ancient Babylonia. There were many Gnostic sects, but there is one Gnostic sect that is mentioned by name in the book of Revelation, the Nicolaitans. Both times when mentioned by Jesus in Revelation 2, He says He hates their deeds (verses 6, 15).

During the fourth century, Martin Luther and John Calvin espoused two doctrines already in the church, derived from Greek philosophy, using them to try to fight Catholicism. One of these was the doctrine of eternal security, commonly called “once saved always saved.” That belief does not come from the Bible but directly from Greek philosophy. Both Martin Luther and John Calvin believed these doctrines. However John Calvin became the greater champion of the second—the doctrine of predestination.

The doctrine of eternal security is the idea that salvation at some point becomes locked in and makes you eternally secure. The person that believes he is saved and eternally secure and that nobody can take away his or her salvation will have no need to heed the warning that “the hour of God’s judgment is come” (Revelation 14:7). The Bible states that we all are sinful and need a continual daily dependence on Jesus. If a person is convinced that his salvation is eternally secure he may lean back and relax and eventually die spiritually. That is exactly what happened to the church in Sardis.

The second doctrine that was promoted predominantly by John Calvin is predestination. A person believing he or she was predestined to be saved will never heed the judgment hour message. It is a trap. Jesus did say, “Nobody can pluck you out of My hand” and you are safe as long as you do not choose another Master, but do not ever think that your salvation is eternally secure and can never be taken away. That promise is conditional on obedience to God and resisting anything else that would be a master over you.

The Bible itself was used in an attempt to prove the philosophy of once saved always saved. It is still happening today. The common texts used are Ephesians 1:13; John 10:28; Romans 8:1; Hebrews 10:14; I Corinthians 3:13–15. But this doctrine does not come from the Bible. It was brought into the church by Augustine, resurrected and taught a thousand years later by Martin Luther and John Calvin and has become mainline Protestantism.

However, there are also many texts that refute this doctrine: Hebrews 6:4, 5; Hebrews 10:26–31; Romans 8:12, 13; Matthew 10:22; and Galatians 5:21.

One of the key points of the doctrine of predestination emphasizes God’s sovereign will and teaches total depravity so that a person cannot make a choice until God regenerates him. Common texts used to try to prove that belief are Ephesians 2:1–5, Romans 8:7, and the most popular of all, the book of Romans chapter 9.

An important concept to understand is that no group of people has ever earned an exclusive right to the kingdom promises, either Jew or Gentile—no group and no church. The fact that Christ stated plainly that the covenant promises could be taken from the Jewish church and transferred to “a nation bearing the fruits of it” is powerful proof that predestination is not a Biblical teaching. In Matthew 21, the Jews were not predestined that they had to be God’s people forever. In Matthew 21:43, it says, “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.”

Ellen White wrote, “The Lord Jesus will always have a chosen people to serve Him. When the Jewish people rejected Christ, the Prince of life, He took from them the kingdom of God and gave it unto the Gentiles. God will continue to work on this principle with every branch of His work. When a church proves unfaithful to the word of the Lord, whatever their position may be, however high and sacred their calling, the Lord can no longer work with them. Others are then chosen to bear important responsibilities. But, if these in turn do not purify their lives from every wrong action, if they do not establish pure and holy principles in all their borders, then the Lord will grievously afflict and humble them and, unless they repent, will remove them from their place and make them a reproach.” The Upward Look, 131.

The Bible does not teach either the doctrine of eternal security (once saved always saved) or the doctrine of predestination. The Jews were not predestined that they would always have to be the people of God. People are so confused about this that they still believe the nation of Israel are God’s chosen people. To be caught in Satan’s trap and believing in these doctrines will blind you to the truth of the final warning given to the world before the return of Jesus in the clouds of heaven. We need to face reality. No one is saved yet. Jesus is going to save us if we stay loyal to Him and never choose another Master but we are still living in a world where Satan believes he reigns supreme. He lays temptations and for us in every direction.

The texts used to promote the doctrine of predestination are as follows: John 6:37, 44; Matthew 11:27; John 5:21; Romans 8:29, 30; Ephesians 1:5; Revelation 17:8. But the honest seeker for truth must also consider the texts that refute this doctrine: Acts 14:1; John 7:16, 17; Matthew 23:37; II Peter 3:9; I John 2:2; Luke 13:24.

In Revelation 2 Jesus said he hated these Gnostic doctrines of the Nicolaitans that originated from Babylon. The question for you and me today is, “Do you hate what Jesus hates?” If you love what He loves, then you will hate what He hates.

Salvation is not complicated. John 20:31 says, “… these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” If you have belief, you will have life. Life comes when you hear the gospel and have faith in the promises it contains. Paul wrote, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’ ” Romans 1:16, 17.

The devil is skillful. He has many traps. As time runs out Satan becomes more desperate for a bigger catch. In this article, we have touched very briefly on one major trap that the devil devised so that the church living in the time when the judgment hour was preached would feel no need of the final warning and reject it. The judgment hour message is the most important message there is because your response to it will determine your eternal destiny. The three angels’ messages are true; they are infallible; and they need to be studied, memorized, and meditated upon. Pray that the Lord will help you have the experience therein mentioned so that you will be ready for the final judgment.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church of Free Seventh-day Adventists in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Guilty Once; Guilty Ten Times Over

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“He who willfully breaks one commandment, does not, in spirit and truth, keep any of them. ‘Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all’ (James 2:10).” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 51

The law of God can be summed up in one word—love. That word is a principle, not an emotion or a feeling. It is the basis for the government of God and of His law, which is the foundation of His government.

Through a study of Adam and Eve and how in one sin they broke every commandment, it is the purpose and goal of this article 1) to illustrate the truth that the ten commandments are in reality one connected whole; and 2) to show the breadth and depth of the commandments when we study them as they should be studied, from a spiritual standpoint.

I think many people read the surface of the commandments and think, “I am pretty good; I have never killed anyone.” Or, “I am OK; I have never committed adultery.” This kind of reasoning could go on indefinitely. Another way we read and understand the Ten Commandments is “the letter of the law”—I don’t swear, I don’t tell blatant lies. But this is not how God sees His law. There is a depth and a connectedness, broad principles connected with the commandments, this holy law of God, that I fear we may have never fully recognized.

So, let’s begin at the very beginning and study through each one of the commandments to see how in that one act of eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve broke the whole law, all Ten Commandments. We cannot cover these things in depth here, but will examine brief illustrations of these two points that the Ten Commandments are one harmonious whole, and the depth of the principles that they express. It is for you to study more deeply into these truths.

Exodus 20:3: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” What does it mean to have a “god” before the God of heaven? “Whatever we cherish that tends to lessen our love for God or to interfere with the service due Him, of that do we make a god.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 305. In that choice, that decision to eat of the forbidden fruit or not to eat, was the choice, the decision of allegiance—worship—of God, or of Lucifer. They chose Lucifer. They broke the first commandment by placing their love, their service, their allegiance elsewhere than with God.

Exodus 20:4–6: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

Just what does it mean to “make for yourself an idol”? Does that mean worshiping something tangible, such as the heathen nations have done with idols of wood and stone? By all means. But it goes deeper than that. “Are we worshipers of Jehovah, or of Baal? of the living God, or of idols? No outward shrines may be visible, there may be no image for the eye to rest upon; yet we may be practicing idolatry. It is as easy to make an idol of cherished ideas or objects as to fashion gods of wood or stone. Thousands have a false conception of God and His attributes. They are as verily serving a false god as were the servants of Baal. God is a God of truth. Justice and mercy are the attributes of His throne.” The Review and Herald, December 3, 1908.

Eve cherished the idea of entering a higher sphere than was assigned her. Adam made the creature, Eve, an idol, above God, his Creator. One of the dictionary definitions of idol is “somebody or something greatly admired or loved, often to excess.” Did Adam admire and love Eve to excess? Absolutely. Where should his greatest love and loyalty have been? With God.

Exodus 20:7: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” This goes far deeper than swearing or using God’s name in a light or trifling manner. Do you claim the name of Christian? What does it mean to be a Christian? “When you took the name of Christian you promised in this life to prepare for the higher life in the kingdom of God. To be a Christian means to be Christlike.” In Heavenly Places, 286. The Psalmist says, “Holy and reverend is His name.” Psalm 111:9 KJV. Were they taking the name of God in vain? By all means. When we take the name Christian it means that we are Christlike.

Exodus 20:8–11: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”

“Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” What must we be in order to keep the Sabbath day holy? “In order to keep the Sabbath holy, men must themselves be holy.” The Desire of Ages, 283. When Adam and Eve sinned, were they any longer holy? No. Therefore, could they obey the fourth commandment? No, they could not. Therefore, they broke the fourth commandment when they ate the forbidden fruit.

Exodus 20:12: “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”

Now we have moved from those laws which outline our duty to God to those which express our duty to one another. Do you think they broke these as well? Understand that each law is not just for the physical world, but even more has a spiritual application. The Psalmist said, “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul” (Psalm 19:7). Conversion of the soul is a spiritual situation, and the law of the Lord is the basis for conversion.

Adam and Eve, as we stated earlier, were children of God. If that is true then their father was God Himself. In distrusting Him, in disobeying Him, they dishonored Him. It is interesting in Patriarchs and Prophets, 308, what Inspiration declares this commandment enjoins: “The fifth commandment requires children not only to yield respect, submission, and obedience to their parents, but also to … guard their reputation.” In their act of disobedience, Adam and Eve disregarded the reputation of God and upheld the claims of the great rebel, that God’s law needed improvement and that it could not be obeyed. In this one act, they supported and upheld Satan’s accusations against God!

Exodus 20:13: “You shall not murder.” In eating of the fruit Adam and Eve brought death on themselves. The sentence of death, physical, mental, spiritual; eternal death. Patriarchs and Prophets, 308, sheds this light on the sixth commandment: “All acts of injustice that tend to shorten life … are violations of the sixth commandment.” Though they lived to be over nine hundred years old, they shortened their lives in eating of the tree.

Another consideration with this commandment is the reality of the foundation of life. From where do we get life? We receive life, every breath, every moment of every day, from God. Sin cannot exist in His presence; so every time we sin, we are choosing to separate ourselves from the Life-giver; we are choosing … murder. Inspiration also tells us that when we sin, always, without qualification, always someone else suffers. Remember what we read earlier? “All acts of injustice that tend to shorten life … are violations of the sixth commandment.” And above all, when we sin, we are responsible, in a very concrete way, for the death of Jesus. We lift the knife against Him as surely as did Adam when offering the first sacrifice of a lamb. These are very sobering thoughts.

Exodus 20:14: “You shall not commit adultery.” This may be a little more difficult to understand. In the second commandment we read: “for, I the Lord your God, am a jealous God.” Why is God pictured as a jealous God? Note these words from Patriarchs and Prophets, 306: “The close and sacred relation of God to His people is represented under the figure of marriage. Idolatry being spiritual adultery, the displeasure of God against it is fitly called jealousy.” If our relationship to God is symbolized through the figure of marriage, whenever we depart from that relationship we are committing adultery. Any time we reject confession, repentance, turning from sin, living a victorious Christian life; in short, any time we live outside the provisions of the new covenant we are committing spiritual adultery. The only way we can overcome is through the plan of redemption. Then any time we are outside of that, we are playing the harlot. We are choosing another husband than Christ.

Exodus 20:15: “You shall not steal.” To whom did that tree belong, and the fruit of that tree? It belonged to God, and God had given very explicit direction not to eat of that tree. But even deeper than that, and this principle is applicable to every single one of us, to whom do we belong? Are we our own? “Humans are His property, and they are God’s by creation and by redemption.” Christ Triumphant, 15. We are not our own. We belong to God. When Adam and Eve sinned, they took what was God’s by right—their hearts, their souls, their very bodies—and gave them to the devil. Every time we sin, we are making the same choice. Listen to the words of John the Beloved: “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning.” I John 3:8.

“We cannot be Christians while we live to please ourselves. We must enter in through the strait gate of self-denial, if we follow the Master. This strait, self-denying path is too narrow for many to walk in who profess godliness. They want an easier path and are climbing up some other way. They refuse to follow in the footsteps of our Redeemer. Christ calls all such thieves and robbers (John 10:8). They take the name of Christian, which does not belong to them, because they do not represent in their life the life of Christ. They claim the privileges which belong to the sons of God while they are none of His. They live selfish lives upon the earth and have done nothing for the truth and the salvation of souls as they ought to have done. Sad indeed for these self-deceived ones. They will never see heaven, because they are not willing to share the shame, the reproach, that Jesus suffered for them.” This Day With God, 155.

Exodus 20:16: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” This commandment correlates a little bit with what we studied about the third commandment. In fact, are you seeing the truth of our opening statement, “He who willfully breaks one commandment, does not, in spirit and truth, keep any of them”? When we take the name “Christian” we are claiming to honor this name, to be living in obedience to His law. We are to be witness to God. “Let not those who take the name of Christian forget that they are to honor this name.” A Place Called Oakwood, 104. “Those who take the name of Christian pledge themselves to be true to God. They are bound up with Him and the heavenly angels in family relation. … Their actions in every respect are to be such as become saints. All that is unbecoming is to be discarded. They are to live a new and holy life.” In Heavenly Places, 286. In bearing the relationship of “child of God,” when they ate of the forbidden fruit, were they bearing witness to the holy name of their Father? When they sinned, were they exonerating God, or were they bearing false witness against Him? You see, God said His law could be obeyed. His law is fair and just and reasonable. Satan accused God before the universe, stating that His law could not be obeyed; that it was unfair, unreasonable, unjust. For whom were Adam and Eve bearing witness when they partook of the forbidden fruit?

Exodus 20:17: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” We easily see that Eve wanted that which was not hers, and that led to her partaking of the fruit. But there is much more behind what she did than merely coveting the fruit. “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.” Genesis 3:6. Eve made the same mistake that Lucifer made in the courts of heaven. She wanted a position which was not hers. She “saw that the tree was … desirable to make one wise.” And she reaped the same consequences as those Lucifer reaped. “In attempting to rise above her original position, she fell far below it.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 59. This was the result for Lucifer. This was the result for Eve, and it is the result for all who aspire for that which does not belong to them.

The purpose of this study is not to be theoretical, or simply an interesting series of events or teachings. The purpose of this study is to connect, from the depths of our souls, the fact that God’s law reaches to every fiber of our lives, every moment of every day. What are the driving principles behind our decisions, our choices? You see, in every choice of life, from the smallest, whether to take another bite of food, to those we consider important, every one of these choices needs to be made in light of the broad and deep principles of God’s law.

The bottom line is this: Is God first, or is He not? It seems that it is no accident that the first commandment, at its root, deals with what we worship. What has priority in our lives? Is it God, or is it something, anything, else? If God is truly our first love, our first priority, the object of our loyalty, then we will keep all the other commandments.

God’s law is truly a law of principle, the principle of love. When God proclaimed His law to Israel, it was done in an awesome manner. Inspiration tells it like this: “Such were the sacred precepts of the Decalogue, spoken amid thunder and flame, and with a wonderful display of the power and majesty of the great Lawgiver. God accompanied the proclamation of His law with exhibitions of His power and glory, that His people might never forget the scene, and that they might be impressed with profound veneration for the Author of the law, the Creator of heaven and earth. He would also show to all men the sacredness, the importance, and the permanence of His law.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 309.

“He who willfully breaks one commandment, does not, in spirit and truth, keep any of them. ‘Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all’ (James 2:10).” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 51.

Just as the keeping of God’s law would have been the greatest blessing and good to Adam and Eve, so it will be for us. Just as breaking one of the commandments, thereby breaking all, was a tremendous curse to them, so it will be for us. It is my prayer that we learn the lesson God has so mercifully preserved for us that we may avoid the terrible consequences of sin. Let us heed the words of the Psalmist, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1, 2.

All Bible quotes NKJV unless otherwise noted.

Brenda Douay is a staff member at Steps to Life. She may be contacted by email at: brendadouay@stepstolife.org.

The White Truth

by

The “ shut door ” has been one of the most contentious subjects in Adventism for some time. Of all Adventist doctrines, probably none has been more attacked by those opposing Adventism than this doctrine. D. M. Canwright and Desmond Ford both challenged the concept.

Walter Ray, a Seventh-day Adventist minister who not only lost confidence and faith in the Spirit of Prophecy wrote the book, The White Lie (copyright 1982), in which he attacks Ellen White, not just of plagiarism, but accuses her of more serious wrongs.

This is not a book that I would advise anybody to read. I am not afraid of facts, but Ellen White warned about reading books written by infidel authors. She wrote,

“Suffer not yourselves to open the lids of a book that is questionable. There is a hellish fascination in the literature of Satan. It is the powerful battery by which he tears down a simple religious faith. Never feel that you are strong enough to read infidel books; for they contain a poison like that of asps.” The Faith I Live By, 241.

This book is full of sarcasm, sneering remarks, and criticism. It is the interpretation of the facts that are of great concern. Ellen White did not plagiarize. It was one of the subjects on which she was attacked in The White Lie. After it was published, John J. Robertson, an Adventist minister, wrote the book, The White Truth to refute Walter Ray’s arguments.

The doctrine of the shut door is not something that was invented by Seventh-day Adventists. It is taught throughout the Bible. Jesus also taught it. Genesis 7:16 reads: “So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him, and the LORD shut him in.” In Noah’s day clearly there was a shut door. Noah and his family, which comprised all who obeyed and entered the ark, were shut in and saved from the flood. The rest of the world were shut out and drowned in the flood waters—they were lost. When you start to understand it, the shut door is a very emotional doctrine because it refers to a time when some will be shut in and some will be shut out. Those who are shut in will be saved and those who are shut out will be lost.

Matthew 25:10–13 records the parable of ten virgins. Jesus said, “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with Him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” Again, some are shut in while others are shut out.

In Luke 13:23–30, it says, “Then one said to Him, ‘Lord, are there few who are saved?’ And He said to them. ‘Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, “Lord, Lord, open for us,” and He will answer and say to you, “I do not know you, where you are from.” Then you will begin to say, “We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.” But He will say, “I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.” There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. They will come from the east and the west, and the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.’ ”

Seventh-day Adventists believe that after the great disappointment on October 22, 1844, the door was shut. The Bible records a number of times when the door has been shut: in Noah’s day, in Abraham’s day, in Christ’s day and again in 1844. Revelation 3:7, 8 reads: “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens. I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word and have not denied My name.” ’ ”

The angel goes on to say in verse 9, “Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.” When does this happen?

God’s people are going to be delivered from the death decree at midnight (see Revelation 13:15). This is elaborated on in the last chapters of The Great Controversy as well as many other places in Ellen White’s writings. “While the cloud was passing from the Holiest to the East, which took a number of days, the synagogue of Satan worshipped at the saints’ feet.” Maranatha, 287. This will happen for a number of days between the death decree and the time of Jesus’ coming.

Satan also has a church. It is called the synagogue of Satan. They say they are Jews but do not the works of Abraham. It is a very large church, much larger than God’s church in this world. We are told who those people are in A Word to the Little Flock, 12. It says, “You think, that those who worship before the saint’s feet (Revelation 3:9), will at last be saved. Here I must differ with you; for God shew me that this class were professed Adventists, who had fallen away, and ‘crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame’ (Hebrews 6:6). And in the ‘hour of temptation’ (Revelation 3:10), which is yet to come, to show out every one’s true character, they will know that they are forever lost; and overwhelmed with anguish of spirit, they will bow at the saint’s feet.”

It is those who claim that they are Jews (spiritual Israel) who will come and worship at the saint’s feet. They are Adventists who give up the Sabbath in the time of the Sunday law crisis. Tragically, they may be people whom you now know and who do not “endure to the end” (Matthew 10:22).

Revelation 3:7, 8 tells about a door that was open and a door that was shut. Some who try to discredit Ellen White’s prophetic gift like to say that she believed that the door was shut in 1844 and that she was mistaken. She comments on this in Selected Messages, vol. 1, 63: “For a time after the disappointment in 1844, I did hold, in common with the advent body, that the door of mercy was then forever closed to the world. This position was taken before my first vision was given me. It was the light given me of God that corrected our error, and enabled us to see the true position.

“I am still a believer in the shut-door theory, but not in the sense in which we at first employed the term or in which it is employed by my opponents.

“There was a shut door in Noah’s day. There was at that time a withdrawal of the Spirit of God from the sinful race that perished in the waters of the Flood. God Himself gave the shut-door message to Noah:

“My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years (Genesis 6:3).” [Emphasis added.]

It is the Holy Spirit that leads us to true repentance. Many people feel sorrow for the consequences of their sins, however, they do not repent. When the Holy Spirit is grieved away by numerous rejections to His promptings, that person will never be converted. The door of opportunity for them is shut. Shutting the door is removing the Holy Spirit.

“There was a shut door in the days of Abraham. Mercy ceased to plead with the inhabitants of Sodom, and all but Lot, with his wife and two daughters, were consumed by the fire sent down from heaven.

“There was a shut door in Christ’s day. The Son of God declared to the unbelieving Jews of that generation, ‘Your house is left unto you desolate’ (Matthew 23:38).” Ibid.

In 1844 the door was shut for multitudes of people, not only in America, but also in Europe and other countries. The Holy Spirit was behind the development of what we call, “The Second Advent Movement.” The Holy Spirit inspired many people in different churches around the world, including the Roman Catholic Church, that Jesus was coming soon. The Day of Judgment had arrived. The first angel’s message of Revelation 14:6 was preached by William Miller with ministers Himes, Litch and Fitch as well as others. Shortly after in the summer of 1844, the second angel’s message was preached.

The second angel’s message announced the fall of Babylon in 1844. Babylon consisted of the people and the churches that rejected, the first message. It is very serious at any time to reject the pleading of the Holy Spirit. When people rejected the message of the judgment hour and that Jesus was coming soon, they committed the unpardonable sin. There are some people today calling themselves Adventists who do not accept the doctrine of the investigative judgment. If those who refused to accept the present truth in 1844 became Babylon, would the same result happen again? Is God still the same?

Ellen White wrote, “I was shown in vision, and I still believe, that there was a shut door in 1844. All who saw the light of the first and second angels’ messages and rejected that light, were left in darkness. And those who accepted it and received the Holy Spirit which attended the proclamation of the message from heaven, and who afterward renounced their faith and pronounced their experience a delusion, thereby rejected the Spirit of God, and it no longer pleaded with them.” Ibid.

That same dangerous situation is still present today. Many people have renounced doctrines that they once held as truth and have been left in darkness because the Spirit of God no longer pleads with them. We need to pray that we’ll never get in that kind of situation. It happened to Lucifer in the courts of heaven. In the first chapter of Patriarchs and Prophets, 39, Ellen White wrote that he was convinced that what he thought about doing was wrong but continued believing that he had such a high position that it would be too humbling to admit that he had made a mistake.

Pride is very dangerous, causing people to defend an incorrect position instead of humbly admitting they have made a mistake. We need to willingly say, Lord, I made a mistake. What I understood and have been teaching is wrong and I want to get that corrected.

We cannot, without guilt, reject the warnings that God sends to us. When Noah preached to get into the ark, salvation depended on whether or not they accepted and acted on that message. Those who hear and understand the three angels’ messages and reject them turn away from the Lord and will eventually seal their doom. It is these messages that will determine the eternal destiny of all who live in this world in the last generation.

“Because they rejected the warning, the Spirit of God was withdrawn from the sinful race, and they perished in the waters of the flood. In the time of Abraham, mercy ceased to plead with the guilty inhabitants of Sodom, and all but Lot with his wife and two daughters were consumed by the fire sent down from heaven. So in the days of Christ. The Son of God declared to the unbelieving Jews of that generation, ‘Your house is left unto you desolate’ (Matthew 23:39). Looking down to the last days, the same infinite power declares, concerning those who ‘received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved,’ ‘For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness’ (II Thessalonians 2:10, 11). As they reject the teachings of His Word, God withdraws His Spirit, and leaves them to the deceptions which they love.” Early Writings, 45.

It is evident today that God’s Spirit is being withdrawn. We are experiencing more natural disasters. Society is sinking to a moral low. We are told that the entire world will be devastated more than Jerusalem at the time of its destruction in A.D. 70. You can read a description of that in the first chapter of The Great Controversy.

When God sends a warning and it is rejected, His Spirit is withdrawn. This can happen, not just to nations or churches, but also in a family or to an individual. The Lord pleads, but so many refuse to listen and act on the information. However, He does not give up easily on people. The most common way that the unpardonable sin is committed is by persistently rejecting or neglecting the pleading of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit leaves you, you are shut out from salvation. Our only safety is to heed the promptings of the Spirit. Inquire of the Lord an understanding of His plans for you on a daily basis. He has many ways to make it evident what to do and what not to do.

Be aware that continual resistance to the message that the Lord sends to a person results in the door of mercy being shut, just as it happened in Noah’s day and to the Jews in Christ’s day. It happened in 1844 and it will happen again. The pen of Inspiration says,

“The Jews were left in total darkness, to continue their useless sacrifices and offerings. The ministration of types and shadows had ceased. That door by which men had formerly found access to God, was no longer open.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 269, 270.

Men had formerly found access to God through that door. When they came to worship in the sanctuary, the Lord accepted their animal sacrifice. It showed that they had faith in the coming Redeemer and their sins were forgiven. “That door by which men had formerly found access to God, was no longer open. The Jews had refused to seek Him in the only way whereby He could then be found, through the ministration in the sanctuary in Heaven. Therefore they found no communion with God. To them the door was shut.” Ibid., 270.

When God shuts the door to salvation it cannot be reopened however, there are still people trying to open the door today. The early Christians were also confused on this point; so Paul addressed it in the book of Hebrews and other places in the New Testament.

“The condition of the unbelieving Jews illustrates the condition of the careless and unbelieving among professed Christians, who are willingly ignorant of the work of our merciful High Priest. In the typical service, when the high priest entered the most holy place, all Israel were required to gather about the sanctuary, and in the most solemn manner humble their souls before God, that they might receive the pardon of their sins, and not be cut off from the congregation. How much more essential in this anti-typical day of atonement that we understand the work of our High Priest, and know what duties are required of us.” Ibid.

In 1844 the door into the Holy Place, the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary, by which Christ had been approached since Pentecost, was shut. It was the way to salvation for a time until it was shut and another door was opened, the door into the most holy place. We read in Revelation 3 that when God shuts something, no man can open it.

“Because so many good Christians have fallen asleep in the triumphs of faith and have not kept the true Sabbath, they were doubting about its being a test for us now.

“The enemies of the present truth have been trying to open the door of the holy place, that Jesus has shut, and to close the door of the most holy place, which He opened in 1844, where the ark is, containing the two tables of stone on which are written the ten commandments by the finger of Jehovah.” Early Writings, 43.

While people continually try to pry open the door that God has shut, they keep closed the door He opened that clearly reveals the blessing of the Sabbath commandment.

In 1844, the Adventist people did not understand the truth about the heavenly sanctuary, but when they started to study they realized that everything in the earthly sanctuary was just a type of the sanctuary in heaven. They discovered that the contents in the heavenly sanctuary would be the same in the most holy place as were in the earthly sanctuary. Reading Revelation 11:19, they saw that the Ark of the Covenant was there and inside it were the Ten Commandments written on two tables of stone. Within the heavenly sanctuary is the great original. The one on earth was only a copy. These searchers after truth, being Sunday worshipers at that time, were shocked when reading the fourth commandment. They realized that this commandment, part of the Law of God, was in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary in heaven where Jesus was, and they were not keeping the true Sabbath. They realized then that they had some repenting to do, some confession to make, and some changing to do.

Ellen White was not the first one that understood this. Joseph Bates and some others understood it before she did and when they first told her about it, she couldn’t comprehend that it would be that important, much like many people today. Then the Lord gave her a vision in which she was taken inside the most holy place where Jesus opened the ark and showed her the Ten Commandments.

She said she saw a halo of light around the fourth commandment, the most important of all the ten. It gives authority to the rest of the law because it is the one that identifies the Lawgiver and His authority.

These faithful students of the Word studied the Sabbath in connection with the Sanctuary. Although they had preached the first angel’s message and the second in 1844, they realized when they read Revelation 14 that they had not been preaching the whole message. With the first and second messages there was the third message that did not end in Revelation 14:11, but included verse 12, which reads:

“Here is the patience of the holy people (or the steadfast endurance of the saints); here are those that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (literal translation).

Ellen White said after that, “We know that we have the truth.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 6, 252.

During this time the devil was fighting to try to keep people from becoming convinced of these things, the three angels’ messages that today we call “present truth.” That term was not coined by Seventh-day Adventists; it was used by the apostle Peter in his writing when he said, “… being confirmed in the present truth.” II Peter 1:12 literal translation.

There has been a present truth in every age. In the apostle Paul’s day it was that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah. The central focus of every message the apostles preached was that Jesus was the Messiah. People believed at the risk of being killed.

Present truth in Noah’s day was that a flood was coming. An ark was prepared to save the people who believed. To accept or reject the offer of mercy determined the destiny of the people.

When the Adventists began to preach the present truth of the three angels of Revelation, the first and second messages determined the destiny of those who rejected it in 1844 when the door shut. The eternal destiny of every single person in the world will be determined on his or her response to the third message. Ellen White wrote, “God has begun to draw this covering over His people, and it will soon be drawn over all who are to have a shelter in the day of slaughter.” Early Writings, 44.

This covering is protection from the seven last plagues to come. “Satan is now using every device in this sealing time to keep the minds of God’s people from the present truth and to cause them to waver. I saw a covering that God was drawing over His people to protect them in the time of trouble; and every soul that was decided on the truth and was pure in heart was to be covered with the covering of the Almighty. …

“I saw that Satan was working through agents in a number of ways. He was at work through ministers who have rejected the truth and are given over to strong delusions to believe a lie that they might be damned. While they were preaching or praying, some would fall prostrate and helpless, not by the power of the Holy Ghost, but by the power of Satan breathed upon these agents, and through them to the people. While preaching, praying, or conversing, some professed Adventists who had rejected present truth used mesmerism to gain adherents, and the people would rejoice in this influence, for they thought it was the Holy Ghost. Some even that used it were so far in the darkness and deception of the devil that they thought it was the power of God.” Early Writings, 43, 44.

The very same thing is happening again today. There are Adventist preachers in some of our largest churches that instead of preaching the present truth are using spiritualistic exercises on the people. “I saw some who were not standing stiffly for present truth. Their knees were trembling, and their feet sliding, because they were not firmly planted on the truth, and the covering of Almighty God could not be drawn over them while they were thus trembling.” Ibid., 44.

Many Adventists today are wavering and God cannot draw over them His covering of protection while they are undecided on what is right and what is wrong. If you have not been attacked yet, you will be by these forms of spiritualism designed to affect God’s people instead of preaching the present truth for today, the three angels’ messages.

The all-important thing at this time of earth’s history is to prepare for the second coming of Christ. Therefore worship with like believers, for the door of mercy is soon to be shut. Some will be shut inside like the wise virgins (Matthew 25) and safe in the ark like Noah’s family. All the others will be shut out.

When probation closes, all decisions will have been made and the door will be permanently shut. Those on the inside will be those who were established on present truth, not just intellectually but in their heart and in their life. All others will be shut out. We are living in “a most solemn period of earth’s history.” The Signs of the Times, February 23, 1882.

Concerning the three angels’ messages, Ellen White said that they are infallible. “We have received the light of the three angels’ messages; and we now need to come decidedly to the front and take our position on the side of truth.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 2, 21.

All who take their position on these messages and understand their significance and stand on that position will triumph with them.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church of Free Seventh-day Adventists in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

The Poverty of a Cause

by

Can the cause of Calvinistic theology, on the issue of Christ’s human nature, and the introduction of these Calvinistic doctrines into our Seventh-day Adventist faith be defended with valid biblical and/or Spirit of Prophecy evidence?

That the answer is “No” seems to be apparent even to the supporters of the Calvinistic cause. That is why they have repeatedly refused to enter into any theological discussion with those of us who are standing in defense of our spiritual heritage, our historic faith.

Our hundreds of personal appeals have been ignored. The mass of evidence that we have set forth has brought no response. The attitude of “Let’s close ranks and stonewall it” has prevailed among the Calvinists.

The defense of the Calvinistic doctrines, rather than depending on biblical or Spirit of Prophecy evidence, has generally consisted of two basic strategies: (1) personal attacks against the defenders of our historic faith, which range from the superficial to the wildly inaccurate and irresponsible, and (2) an incredibly perverse distortion of the doctrine of church authority, whereby it is maintained that it is a violation of church order for a church member to protest against the introduction of false doctrines into our faith. Thus it had been until the recent Review broke ranks.

THE REVIEW BREAKS RANKS

In a series of editorials that appeared on July 8 and 22 and on August 12, 19, and 26, 1993, the senior editor of the Review stepped out from behind the “Let’s stonewall it” position and ventured to make a defense of Calvinism. He chose to defend the Calvinistic doctrine that our Lord came to this earth in the human nature of the unfallen Adam as opposed to the historic Seventh-day Adventist doctrine that Christ came to earth in the human nature of fallen man, as attested to by 400 statements by Ellen White and 800 statements by other church leaders, all published before 1957.

We greet this venture with mingled sadness and satisfaction. While it can only bring sadness to our hearts when we see the Review openly advocating error, we nevertheless rejoice that an opportunity is now given to concerned church members to evaluate the evidence that is being offered to support the cause of Calvinism. We believe that such an evaluation, when compared with the evidence being presented in defense of our historic position, can only bring positive results and will clearly reveal the abject poverty of the Calvinistic cause.

THE USE OF BIBLICAL EVIDENCE

The Review editor introduces his treatment of the scriptural evidence with this question and answer: “But what does the Bible indicate concerning His nature—was it pre-fall or post-fall? The Scriptures don’t give a specific answer….”

We ask, “Are these scriptures not specific?”

  • Romans 1:3: “Made of the seed of David according to the flesh.”
  • Hebrews 2:11: “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren.”
  • Hebrews 2:14: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same….”
  • Hebrews 2:16: “For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham.”
  • Hebrews 2:17: “Wherefore in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren….”

In order to weaken the force of Hebrews 2:16, the Review editor states, without documentation, that the words, “He took on Him the seed of Abraham,” should be translated, “He concerns Himself with, or helps, Abraham’s descendants.”

  • Not in my Greek New Testament, which presents both of the words took in this verse in the form of the Greek word lambano (using English letters).
  • Not in my first Greek Grammar (Davis) which gives the meaning of lambano as “take, receive.”
  • Not in my second Greek Grammar (Dana and Mantey) which also gives the meaning of lambano as “take, receive.” Not in my Strong’s Concordance which gives the meaning of lambano as “take, get hold of, seize, obtain, etc.”
  • Not in my Young’s Concordance, which gives the meaning of lambano as “accept, attain, have, hold, obtain, receive, take, take upon oneself, etc.”
  • Not in my Kittel’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, which says of lambano: “The original etymological meaning is ‘to grasp’ or ‘to seize.’”
  • Not according to Ellen White, in whose writings we find passages like this:

“The Redeemer of the world might have come attended by ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of angels; but instead of this He clothed His divinity with humanity, made Himself of no reputation, took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, For verily he took not on HIm the nature of angels but He took on Him the seed of Abraham.” Bible Echo and Signs of the Times, December 15, 1957. [All emphasis supplied]

Please examine this statement carefully and notice the three scriptural passages that Ellen White links together. Philippians 2:7: “Made Himself of no reputation, took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made [Romans 8:3] in the likeness of sinful flesh. [Hebrews 2:16] For verily He took on Him the seed of Abraham.”

We direct your attention to this because the Review editor labors strenuously (forty-four lines in article three) to convince us that these three scriptural passages cannot be properly associated together. His disagreement with the Spirit of Prophecy here is total and complete. The disagreement is lent added emphasis by Ellen White’s other usages of Romans 8:3. “God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.”

In her twenty-eight usages of Paul’s expression, “in the likeness of sinful flesh,” we find fifteen equivalencies in which she equates “likeness of sinful flesh” with expressions of her own. These expressions include “our nature” four times; “human nature” three times; “nature of man” twice; “in all things (points) like His brethren” three times. Her emphasis in all of these passages using the words “in the likeness of sinful flesh” is on similarity, not dissimilarity.

Next, we observe six non-equivalencies in which the emphasis is on contrast rather than similarity. In these statements we read that the “likeness of sinful flesh” made Him different from the angels (three times) and different from the unfallen Adam (twice). Then there is an interesting passage in which she contrasts “flesh” with “sinful flesh”:

“He took our infirmities. He was not only made flesh, but He was made in the likeness of sinful flesh.” Letter 106, 1896

Finally, among these twenty-eight usages of Paul’s words “in the likeness of sinful flesh,” we find two extremely powerful inclusive equivalencies in which Paul’s words are equated with more than one of her own expressions. In the Signs of the Times, February 20, 1893, Ellen White wrote:

“He was to take upon Himself our nature …He had taken upon Himself the nature of man…made in the likeness of sinful flesh…one with the fallen race.”

Notice carefully the inclusive equivalencies: Our nature equals human nature equals likeness of sinful flesh equals one with the fallen race. Surely these statements should remove all doubt and satisfy all questions as to what Ellen White intended us to understand from her usage of Paul’s words, “in the likeness of sinful flesh.”

At this point, someone is likely to say, “But I was taught that Ellen White’s role was strictly pastoral, that she was not a theologian and that she has no authority in doctrinal matters. I was taught that she only approved of the various points of our faith after they had been studied out by others.”

Many of us were taught that. It took me a while to discover that there was not a word of truth in that teaching. Space does not permit us to deal fully with the problem in this article. We will address it later. Meanwhile, we may gain an impression of the monstrous misrepresentation which characterizes that teaching by comparing Selected Messages, bk. 1, 206, 207, with L.E. Froom’s Movement of Destiny, 110.

THE USE OF SPIRIT OF PROPHECY EVIDENCE

In an unpraiseworthy attempt to make it appear that Ellen White’s writings are “apparently contradictory” and that “In Ellen White’s writing we seem to find two opposing lines of thought,” the Review editor sets forth this quotation in his fourth article:

“He vanquished Satan in the same nature over which in Eden Satan obtained the victory.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 924

Taken by itself, this sentence could mean either that Christ overcame in human nature as contrasted with divine nature, which He never used to deliver Himself from temptation, or in unfallen human nature as contrasted with fallen human nature. But notice what happens when we read the sentence in its context as it appeared in the original source, The Youth’s Instructor, April 25, 1901:

“When Christ bowed His head and died, He bore the pillars of Satan’s kingdom with Him to the earth. He vanquished Satan in the same nature over which in Eden Satan obtained the victory. The enemy was overcome by Christ in His human nature. The power of the Saviour’s Godhead was hidden. He overcame in human nature, relying upon God for power. This is the privilege of all. In proportion to our faith will be our victory.” The Youth’s Instructor, April 25, 1901

Surely it is apparent that Ellen White is here contrasting human nature with divine nature, rather than contrasting two different aspects of human nature. It would be useless to argue that to overcome in the nature of the unfallen Adam is the privilege of all.

It is certainly not my privilege to meet the enemy of my soul in the unfallen nature of Adam. Is it yours? Or do we not all have to face Satan in our fallen human natures and learn that “in proportion to our faith will be our victory”?

Confronted with such a glaring abuse of evidence as this, some readers will no doubt feel that the discussion need proceed no further. But in order to be systematic, we will consider the Review editor’s other uses of Ellen White’s writings in which, unfortunately there is no noticeable improvement.

THE BAKER LETTER

The two longest Spirit of Prophecy quotations used by the Review editor in articles one and four are credited to the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1128.

The original source is a lengthy personal letter that Ellen White, who was in Australia, wrote to an apparently discouraged young minister in Tasmania, Elder W.L.H. Baker. The Review editor introduces his excerpts from this letter with the words, “Ellen White cautions us.”

Actually, this was not a general message addressed to us. It was a personal and private letter directed to an individual minister who had a particular problem which we do not have. What was his problem? We may learn about it by observing that in her letter Ellen White told Baker ten times that Christ never sinned.

She also warned him against spending too much time reading the writings of the church fathers and against presenting Christ to the people as one “altogether human, such an one as ourselves.”

There were some church fathers who advocated a doctrine of the Incarnation called Adoptionism. This was a concept that Christ, though perhaps born of a virgin, was not born as the Son of God but was altogether human, such an one as ourselves. At the climax of His spiritual progress, He was adopted to be the Son of God. Before His adoption He could have sinned, and most probably did, according to this teaching. We discuss the Baker letter in detail in our book The Word Was Made Flesh.

Here we will simply point out the problems:

The letter was written in 1895-96, a two year period in which more than 250 public statements that Christ had come to earth in the human nature of fallen man had been made by our church leaders. Nineteen of these statements had been published by Ellen White herself, and she had written strong approval of some statements made by others. Why would she then rebuke Baker for believing the same things? She rather rebuked him for carrying the idea too far and losing sight of the fact that Jesus never sinned.

Ellen White appealed in Testimonies, vol. 5, 696, that if we wanted to know what she believed, we should read her published works. Although she lived and published profusely for twenty years after writing the Baker letter, she never published it. It remained in her files sixty-two years until in 1957 the writers of Questions on Doctrine used it to offset Ellen White’s 400 statements that Christ came to earth in the human nature of fallen man!

The Baker letter contains no statement that Christ came to earth in the human nature of the unfallen Adam, but it contains statements that are interpreted to mean that. Then these interpretations are set forth as evidence that Ellen White contradicted herself.

“Altogether human” and “Divine-Human” are opposite poles in meaning. There could be no divine nature in a Christ who is “altogether human, such an one as ourselves.”

THE SECOND ADAM

Ellen White referred to Christ as “the second Adam” quite frequently. Need we be uncertain as to what she meant by this?

No, indeed. In 1874 she wrote four articles in the Review and Herald in which she presented a detailed comparison of the temptations of Christ with the temptations of Adam and referred to Christ as “the second Adam.” (See Review and Herald, 1874, issues of February 24, March3, July 28 and August 4.) From these articles we glean the following lines:

“Through His humiliation and poverty Christ would identify Himself with the weaknesses of the fallen race….The great work of redemption could be carried out only by the Redeemer taking the place of fallen Adam….The King of Glory proposed to humble Himself to fallen humanity! He would place His feet in Adam’s steps. He would take man’s fallen nature.”

“The Son of God humbled Himself and took man’s nature after the race had wandered four thousand years from Eden….In behalf of the race, with the weaknesses of fallen man upon Him….”

“The humanity of Christ reached to the very depths of human wretchedness, and identified itself with the weaknesses and necessities of fallen man.”

We remind the reader that it is within this immediate context that Ellen White refers to Christ as the second Adam. And of course, all of this is within the larger context of her 400 statements that witness to the same truth. Against this background we must evaluate the Review editor’s argument that by referring to Christ as the second Adam, she was indicating that He came in the human nature of the unfallen Adam, something she absolutely never says.

This is another example of how Calvinism places an alien interpretation of Ellen White’s words. Then this interpretation is set forth as an evidence that she makes apparently contradictory statements and that her writings contain two opposing lines of thought. The disagreements are not between Ellen White and herself. They are between Ellen White and her Calvinistic interpreters.

Against this background, we must evaluate the Review editor’s use of Ellen White references to the unfathomable mystery of the Incarnation as an indication that we cannot be sure what human nature Christ came in. Her 400 statements that He came to earth in the human nature of fallen man would permit no such conclusion.

The Review editor, having set forth alien interpretations of certain Ellen White statements as evidence that she spoke on both sides of the issue, then adds, “We could list many more statements in support of each side” (article four).

Here he greatly overreaches himself. We have no choice but to firmly challenge this statement and advise our readers that the Review editor can do no such thing. May I here present a quotation from page 273-274 of our research volume, The Word Was Made Flesh:

“Untold numbers of Seventh-day Adventists just cannot believe that a mistake was made by the authors of Questions on Doctrine, et. al., and they feel confident that somewhere there must be a statement by Ellen White that Christ came to earth in the human nature of the unfallen Adam.

“Very well. I hereby offer a reward of $1,000.00 to the first person who will find that quotation and deliver it to me.”

This offer was kept open for a period of one year after the book was published. Though thousands of gift copies were sent at considerable expense to our church leaders and theologians, there was not a single response from any of them to my offer. If the Review editor knew of many such statements, why did he not accept the challenge and claim this reward? The question could have been settled seven years ago! Is it now becoming clear why the Calvinists have tried to avoid theological discussions? Perhaps the reasons will appear even more clearly as we consider the Review editor’s methodology.

PROBLEMS OF METHODOLOGY

The Review editor ascribes to himself a somewhat neutral position, affirming that it is not his purpose “to try to prove that one side is ‘right and the other ‘wrong.’” But by the end of the series, he has clearly aligned himself with the Calvinistic doctrines and has employed a methodology which we cannot accept.

Perjorative terms. In contrast to those who hold the Calvinistic view of the nature of Christ, those who hold to the historic SDA view are characterized by these words and phrases:

  • Have made it a matter of controversy
  • A more insistent group
  • The most vocal advocates
  • The outspoken proponents
  • They feel so angry with church leaders
  • The most vociferous advocates
  • They force a sinful nature on Christ
  • They are possibly driven by pride and legalism
  • Wanting to contribute to their own salvation

Space limitations preclude a point by point refutation of these personal thrusts, but we will here state that they are all inaccurate, prejudicial and inflammatory. They are yet another demonstration of the time-tested principle of discussion seen so often in Calvinistic writings called the argument ad hominem (against the man), that those who have evidence will present their evidence, while those who do not have evidence will attack the man. Thus, personal thrusts of this kind should be recognized as indications of the poverty of a cause.

INCORRECT ACCUSATIONS

Twice the Review editor indicates that we who are clinging to the historical SDA position regarding the human nature of Christ are accusing those who disagree with us on this point to be guilty of apostasy. I have not yet met or heard of a person who assumes any such attitude. Those historic Adventists with whom I am acquainted are convinced that persons who hold a wrong doctrine of Christ are very likely to continue in a wrong direction, embracing false doctrines of justification, sanctification, original sin, the sanctuary, and the Spirit of Prophecy. They point to present conditions in the church which strongly support this opinion, but they do not apply the term apostasy to the opposing view on the nature of Christ in itself.

Neither do the historic Adventists believe that Christ was just like us or exactly like us, as the Review editor alleges. The editor creates confusion by skipping back and forth between references to Christ and references to the human nature of Christ. Historic Adventists have never proposed that Christ, who has a Divine-Human nature, is like ourselves, who have only human natures. Actually they have not even proposed that the human nature of Christ is just or exactly like ours. They rather follow the Scriptures, the Spirit of Prophecy, and not a few eminent scholars who say that His human nature was like ours in all points except sin.

The historic SDA’s have never proposed or even hinted that the church should return to the Arian view of Christ (that He was a created being) once held by a few of our pioneers. The question of the human nature of Christ has no relation whatever to Arianism. To state or imply that our use of the word historic commits us to Arianism is about as logical as to insist that it commits us to observing the Sunday Sabbath, as all of our pioneers did before they learned about the true Sabbath.

The Calvinists first tried to fasten on us the term traditional Adventists, knowing full well how offensive the idea of following tradition is to most Adventist people. When we defeated their purpose by identifying ourselves as “historic Adventists,” they then shifted to the new “guilty by association” tactic of trying to identify us with Arianism. Guilt by association is a weak argument at best, but when the implied association is without any basis in fact, guilt by association is no argument at all.

QUESIONS AND ANSWERS

In his fourth article, the Review editor poses a question:

Did Ellen White favor the prelapsarian or the postlapsarian view?”

We might expect that a reference to the fact that she wrote 400 statements supporting the postlapsarian view, and not a single statement supporting the prelapsarian view (remember the $1,000.00 offer?) would provide a satisfactory answer to this question. But instead of this, the editor answers an altogether different question, which has not been asked. Here is his answer: “In her thousands of comments about Jesus’ humanity, she nowhere calls this matter one of the pillars of the Adventist faith.”

We observe:

This provides no answer whatever to the question that was posted. It is an adroit sidestep.

While it is true that Ellen White does not describe the humanity of Jesus as a pillar of our faith, it is equally true that she did not so describe His virgin birth, His incarnation, His resurrection or His second coming. Are we to conclude that these truths are therefore so insignificant and unimportant that divisions of thought regarding them should not be a matter of concern? Suppose some of our members openly denied any or all of these truths. Would we yet consider them faithful Seventh-day Adventists?

If Ellen White’s 400 statements that Christ came in the human nature of fallen man do not satisfy us, what is the real problem? Would we be satisfied with 4,000 or 40,000? Hardly. The problem is not with the evidence. It is with our stubborn, unbelieving hearts. Confronted with a similar problem, Jesus said that some persons would not believe though one rose from the dead. What a horrible condition to be in! May God deliver us!

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO US?

To summarize: We have found that the Review editor’s five articles in defense of the Calvinistic doctrine that our Lord came to this earth in the human nature of the unfallen Adam do not bear up well under investigation. The writer has employed rejection of Spirit of Prophecy evidence, accusing Ellen White of contradicting herself, using a Spirit of Prophecy quotation in total violation of its context, withholding Spirit of Prophecy evidence from his readers, and representing a subject about which Ellen White and our pioneers had no doubts at all so if it were so mysterious that we can hardly hope to understand it.

This mystery technique has a long history, from the fall of Lucifer to the present:

“Everything that was simple he [Satan] shrouded in mystery, and by artful perversion cast doubt upon the plainest statements of Jehovah.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 41

“These [Jewish] teachers spoke with uncertainty, interpreting the Scriptures to mean one thing, and then another. This left the people in great confusion.” Review and Herald, March 5, 1901

“The same thing is done today. The Word of God is made to appear mysterious and obscure in order to excuse transgression of His law.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 39

We will find it helpful, when confronted with challenges about mysteries, to distinguish between the what and the how. We can know what Jesus did, in coming from heaven to be born of a virgin and to take the human nature of fallen man. These truths are clearly stated and can easily be understood and embraced. This is not to say that we can explain how He did it, nor is any such explanation necessary. Confusion occurs when we lose sight of the distinction between the what and the how.

When to the above list of grievous problems are added the personal thrusts, the judgment of motives, and the inaccurate accusations, all wrapped in words of praise to Jesus, the picture is depressing indeed. We regret the necessity of placing before our readers such a somber picture of present conditions at the Review.

We regret even more the necessity of pointing out that these Review articles do not differ in any significant degree from the other defenses of this Calvinistic doctrine that have been attempted since its first recommendation to us in the book Questions on Doctrine in 1957.

In our book, The Word Was Made Flesh, a 365 page research report, we have set forth the fully documented evidence which demonstrates conclusively that the statement about the human nature of Christ in QOD is a methodological monstrosity and an historical fraud. And it appeared to establish a pattern that has been followed by most, if not all, of the defenders of Calvinism from 1957, until now.

And in imitation of teachers of error in all ages, leading Calvinistic Adventists have now launched a massive campaign to thrust out of the church those who wish to be true to our historic faith.

We would identify the first major move in that campaign as the publication of the Issues book by the officers of the North American Division. The second move may well be the Review articles that we have just examined. The third appears to be looming up before us in the proposed changes in our church organization, completely contrary to the counsels of the Lord, that will place greater power in the hands of fewer men and will give to conference committees the authority to disfellowship members from local churches! (See Vance Ferrell’s Pilgrims’ Rest, October, 1993.)

Should this alarm us? Not at all. It should cause us to look up and to lift up our heads, for our redemption draweth nigh. But it should alert us to the fact that we are now entering a very dangerous phase of our pilgrimage. We must proceed with our guidebooks—the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy—always close at hand. We cannot afford to place blind confidence in any human being or in any human organization. We must be prepared to stand alone and to suffer for our faith, if necessary.

“We have nothing to fear for the future except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.” Life Sketches, 196

“Come, My people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.” Isaiah 26:20

The End

The Pathway to Holiness

by

Inspiration brings out the fact that the burden of sin is the cause of the maladies from which many people are suffering. “There are today thousands suffering from physical disease who, like the paralytic, are longing for the message, ‘Thy sins are forgiven’ (Luke 5:20). The burden of sin, with its unrest and unsatisfied desires, is the foundation of their maladies. They can find no relief until they come to the Healer of the soul. The peace which He alone can impart would restore vigor to the mind and health to the body.” The Ministry of Healing, 77.

2 Corinthians 5:10 says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” There is a judgment coming, and each and every soul has a case pending at the bar of God and must appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Christ wants His people to appear before Him spotless, without stain, with a humble and contrite heart. Song of Solomon 4:7 says, “Thou art all fair, my love, there is no spot in thee.” This conveys a similar concept as the proclamation that Jesus said He would make, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

We want to order our lives in such a manner as to be found without a single spot in our character before the judgment seat of Christ. We want to understand this pathway to holiness. In Hebrews 12:12, it says, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” It is a matter of life or death that we gain that holiness.

“No man receives holiness as a birthright, or as a gift from any other human being. Holiness is the gift of God through Christ.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1117. Accepting Christ as a personal Saviour and following His example of self-denial is the secret of holiness. The majority of the Christian world profess to accept Him as their personal Saviour, but they stumble at following His example of self-denial, and thereby fail to inherit that holiness.

There are steps to holiness. In Acts 2:37 Peter says, “Now when they heard this (the gospel truth) they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

The first step on the path of holiness is conviction. The Great Controversy, 467, says, “The first step in reconciliation to God is the conviction of sin.” There is also something that must be mingled with the conviction of sin. Psalm 51:1–3 says, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness, according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me.” After the conviction comes acknowledgment of our sin. Why is it important for us to acknowledge our sins? Steps to Christ, 37 and 38 says, “Those who have not humbled their souls before God in acknowledging their guilt, have not yet fulfilled the first condition of acceptance.” God gives grace to the humble.

There is a fatal mistake that we do not want to make on the pathway to holiness when it comes to the conviction of sin. Genesis 3:12,13 says, “And the man said, The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”

Adam and Eve both cast the blame and guilt of their sin on others. Instead of acknowledging their own guilt they argued that the blame be on others. In this way they attempted to justify themselves. Self-justification is a fatal mistake when it comes to being convicted of sin. Do not cast the blame on someone else.

In Steps to Christ, 40 and 41 we are told: “The spirit of self-justification originated in the father of lies and has been exhibited by all the sons and daughters of Adam.” At some time in our lives we have all tried to justify our actions, whether it was by casting the guilt or the blame on others, or by any other method. Remember that self-justification originated with the father of lies. “True repentance will lead a man to bear his guilt himself and acknowledge it without deception or hypocrisy.” Ibid. Only that is true repentance.

There is another fatal mistake that can be made. Hebrews 3:7 says, “Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness.”

Repeated rejection of warnings will harden your heart to conviction and cause you to resist the Spirit until He no longer pleads with you. Patriarchs and Prophets 268, says, “He who has once yielded to temptation will yield more readily the second time. Every repetition of the sin lessens his power of resistance, blinds his eyes, and stifles conviction.” Your heart has been hardened and you are resisting the voice of God and not doing what He is asking you.

“Therefore by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in His sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:20. It is the Law of God that convinces, convicts, reproves, or brings to light sin. “That which makes manifest is light.” Ephesians 5:14. Compare that with Proverbs 6:23, which says that the Law of God is light; it is the Law of God that exposes or makes known to us what sin is. “It is through the law men are convicted of sin; and they must feel themselves sinners.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 219.

Many people do not know what sin is and think they are okay. Before they realize the need of a Saviour, they must feel themselves sinners, and they can’t do that without being convicted by the law. The sinner must see himself or herself as being exposed to the wrath of God before he or she can realize the need of a Saviour.

It is important while on this pathway to holiness to study the word of God in order to reach the condition that God has set before us. “Study God’s word prayerfully. That word presents before you, in the law of God and the life of Christ, the great principles of holiness, without which ‘no man shall see the Lord’ (Hebrews 12:14). It convinces of sin; it plainly reveals the way of salvation. Give heed to it as the voice of God speaking to your soul. As you see the enormity of sin, as you see yourself as you really are, do not give up to despair. It was sinners that Christ came to save.” Steps to Christ, 35.

Conviction of sin is the first step and we want to avoid those fatal mistakes of justifying ourselves or hardening our heart. When we receive the conviction we must acknowledge our sins. After we have been convicted of sin and have acknowledged our guilt, the next thing is to repent. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13. David says, “I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.” Psalm 32:5.

David acknowledged his sin and confessed it. “David was pardoned of his transgression because he humbled his heart before God in repentance and contrition of soul and believed that God’s promise to forgive would be fulfilled. He confessed his sin, repented, and was reconverted.” Our High Calling, 83.

That promise is given to us if we should confess our sins. “He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9.

One fatal mistake is that we fail to confess and then attempt to cover our sins. “How mistaken are those who imagine that confession of sin will detract from their dignity, and lessen their influence among their fellow men. Clinging to this erroneous idea, though seeing their faults, many fail to confess them, but rather pass by the wrongs they have done others, so embittering their own lives, and shadowing the lives of others. It will not hurt your dignity to confess your sins. Away with this false dignity! Fall on the Rock and be broken, and Christ will give you the true and heavenly dignity.

“Let not pride, self-esteem, or self-righteousness keep anyone from confessing his sin that he may claim the promise. ‘He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy’ (Proverbs 28:13). Keep nothing back from God, and neglect not the confession of your faults to your brethren. ‘Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed’ (James 5:16). Many a sin is left unconfessed to confront the sinner in the day of final account; better far to confront your sins now, to confess them and put them away, while the atoning Sacrifice pleads in your behalf.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 326, 327.

Those who make the mistake of attempting to cover up their sins fail to recognize that one day all of those sins will be revealed. Jesus says, “For nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.” Luke 8:17.

With God there is no such thing as secrets. “For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.” Luke 12:2. We make a fatal mistake by refusing to confess sins.

Achan made a fatal mistake by confessing too late. “And Achan answered Joshua, and said, indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them, and behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.” Joshua 7:20.

“Achan acknowledged his guilt, but when it was too late for the confession to benefit himself. … How often are similar confessions made. There is a vast difference between admitting the facts after they have been proved, and confessing sins known only to ourselves and to God.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 497. Achan uttered no confession until the finger of God was placed upon him. Only then, when his sin could no longer be concealed, did he admit to the truth. He made a fatal mistake.

Let’s compare that with the following: “The day is coming when all who have committed sin will make confession, even though it is too late for them to receive pardon. God waits long for the sinner to repent. He manifests a wonderful forbearance. But He must at last call the transgressor of His law to account.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 3, 1147.

In Numbers 32:23, it says, “… be sure that your sin will find you out.” There is no running and hiding from our sins. It is better now to confess them.

To whom should we confess our private sins? Psalm 32:5 says, “I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.” David was the example of confessing his sins to the Lord. We are to confess our private sins to God, and not to man. “Prayer and confession are to be offered only to Him Who has entered once for all into the holy place [the sanctuary].” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 913.

“It is no degradation for man to bow down before his Maker and confess his sins and plead for forgiveness through the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. … But he who kneels before fallen man and opens in confession the secret thoughts and imaginations of his heart is dishonoring himself by debasing his manhood and degrading every noble instinct of his soul.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 638.

There are millions who are doing this and dishonoring themselves, debasing themselves, and degrading themselves by opening up the secrets from the recesses of their soul to a mere man. We are not to confess our sins to man, hoping for forgiveness or a release of guilt. Many do that hoping for some kind of forgiveness, freedom of conscience, or some kind of freedom from their guilt. But no man can forgive sins or free a sinner from guilt.

“God will be better glorified if we confess the secret, inbred corruption of the heart to Jesus alone than if we open its recesses to finite, erring man, who cannot judge righteously unless his heart is constantly imbued with the Spirit of God. God knows the heart, even every secret of the soul; then do not pour into human ears the story which God alone should hear.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 645.

There are confessions that should be made to man. “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16. These are confession of faults to those we have injured or wronged. This is difficult for many humans to do and there are many reasons why we may not take this step. One of these reasons may be pride. Many people find it very uncomfortable to humble themselves and admit that they are wrong, for fear that they would be exposed and their reputation be brought to disrepute.

Nevertheless, we are commanded to confess our wrongs and confess our faults to our brethren. “Confess your sins to God, who only can forgive them, and your faults to one another. If you have given offense to your friend or neighbor you are to acknowledge your wrong, and it is his duty freely to forgive you.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 639. If we have given an offense to a friend or neighbor, to a brother or sister, we must acknowledge our wrong. In refusing to do that we are failing in our pathway to holiness.

“Keep nothing back from God, and neglect not the confession of your faults to the brethren when they have a connection with them.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 239. If we have done something that has somehow offended or wronged a brother or sister, then we are told again to confess our faults to them.

Another reason why this is important is found in Matthew 5:23. Jesus says, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”

Based on this Scripture there is a connection between one’s relation between his brother or his sister and one’s relation with God and worship. Our worship could be hindered if we are at variance with a brother or sister. Jesus says, if you there remember that your brother has ought against you, first go be reconciled to him. Then come and worship Me. When we come to worship God, we must be one with our brother and our sister.

“Then there are confessions that the Lord has bidden us make to one another. If you have wronged your brother by word or deed you are first to be reconciled to him before your worship will be acceptable to heaven. Confess to those whom you have injured, and make restitution, bringing forth fruit meet for repentance. If anyone has feelings of bitterness, wrath, or malice toward a brother, let him go to him personally, confess his sin, and seek forgiveness.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 646. Don’t let this be an hindrance to you on your pathway to holiness. Confession is so essential in this pathway.

Should our confession be general or specific? Notice what the Bible says in Leviticus 5:5: “And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing.”

“True confession is always of a specific character and acknowledges particular sins. They may be of such a nature as to be brought before God only; they may be wrongs that should be confessed to individuals who have suffered injury through them; or they may be of a public character, and should then be as publicly confessed. But all confession should be definite and to the point, acknowledging the very sins of which you are guilty.” Steps to Christ, 38.

It is clear that our confession must be specific to the sin committed. There is no covering or trying to give a general statement to cover everything just by saying, “Lord, forgive me for all my sins.” I recognize that as I am specific in communion with God about those sins, I am keener to discern when He works in my life to help me on that particular point. If I had been more general, the chances are that I would not recognize it when something comes my way. If I am more specific and praying about that, I will be more in tune with God working in my life. Be specific, not only in a confession of sin, but be specific in your requests also as long as they are in accordance with God’s will.

After confessing sins and faults the next step is to forsake those sins by putting them away. “Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right, If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he hath robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity, he shall surely live, he shall not die.” Ezekiel 33:14.

An example of that is found in Luke 19:8: “And Zacchaeus stood and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

“Every converted soul will, like Zacchaeus, signalize the entrance of Christ into his heart by an abandonment of the unrighteous practices that have marked his life. Like the chief publican, he will give proof of his sincerity by making restitution” Conflict and Courage, 302. Zacchaeus proved his sincerity by repaying what he had stolen four times to make restitution.

“If we have injured others through any unjust business transaction, if we have overreached in trade, or defrauded any man, even though it be within the pale [or protection] of the law, we should confess our wrong, and make restitution as far as lies in our power. It is right for us to restore not only that which we have taken, but all that it would have accumulated if put to a right and wise use during the time it has been in our possession. If we have in any manner defrauded or injured our brother, we should make restitution.” The Faith I Live By, 132.

Involved in confession is making restitution on the pathway to holiness.

“Confession will not be acceptable to God without sincere repentance and reformation. There must be decided changes in the life; everything offensive to God must be put away. This will be the result of genuine sorrow for sin.” Steps to Christ, 39.

Are you ordering your life to be found without a spot in your character before the judgment seat of Christ? The work of repentance and reformation is a lifetime action. It is not a one-time altar call prayer to salvation. It is a daily experience. Paul says in I Corinthians 15:31, “I die daily.”

“Wrongs cannot be righted, nor can reformations in character be made, by a few feeble, intermittent efforts. Sanctification is the work, not of a day, or of a year, but of a lifetime. The struggle for conquest over self, for holiness and heaven, is a lifelong struggle. Without continual effort and constant activity there can be no advancement in the divine life, no attainment of the victor’s crown.

“The strongest evidence of man’s fall from a higher state is the fact that it costs so much to return. The way of return can be gained only by hard fighting, inch by inch, every hour. By a momentary act of will, one may place himself in the power of evil; but it requires more than a momentary act of will to break these fetters and attain to a higher, holier life. The purpose may be formed, the work begun; but its accomplishment will require toil, time, and perseverance, patience and sacrifice.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 312, 313.

“The next day, John sees Jesus coming unto Him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29. The blood of Jesus is the sinner’s only cure. It is our only hope for freedom, the only pathway to holiness.

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” I Peter 1:18, 19.

Are you willing to confess all of your sins, and not only confess, but turn away from sin and to truly repent, and where necessary, make restitution?

“God calls for faith in Christ as our atoning sacrifice. His blood is the only remedy for sin.” The Faith I Live By, 102.

“It is not God’s will that you should be distrustful, and torture your soul with the fear that God will not accept you because you are sinful and unworthy. … You can say: ‘I know I am a sinner, and that is the reason I need a Saviour. … I have no merit or goodness whereby I may claim salvation, but I present before God the all-atoning blood of the spotless Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is my only plea.’ ” Ibid.

Nobody will want to hear Jesus saying: “Depart from Me, I never knew You.” Follow the pathway to holiness and gain the victory through Jesus today before it is too late.

Demario Carter is a former Steps to Life employee and has been a speaker at previous camp meetings.

Ready for His Appearing

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Even though, in the Millerite movement of 1844, there was a spirit of love that we have never seen since, Ellen White said that they were not yet ready for the Lord to come. They had unreserved consecration. They had received the Holy Spirit and were born-again Christians. They were ready to die and to come up again in the first resurrection. They sought the Saviour’s approval every day and they were serving Jesus with an undivided heart. They were without question the saints of God in their generation. They were perfect in the same sense that Noah and the other Bible characters were described in the Bible as being perfect. Yet, they were not ready for Christ’s return.

To answer the question, “What was it they lacked and needed to be ready?” we need to first study the atonement. Even though the investigative judgment and the atonement take place at the same time in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, they are not the same thing. Ellen White wrote, “Attended by heavenly angels, our great High Priest enters the holy of holies [in 1844] and there appears in the presence of God to engage in the last acts of His ministration in behalf of man—to perform the work of investigative judgment and to make an atonement for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits.” The Great Controversy, 480.

In 1977 an Anglican clergyman by the name of Geoffrey Paxton wrote a book called The Shaking of Adventism. In his book he states that we are in a life and death struggle as to the nature of the gospel. A friend of mine said, “Laodicea has been a long time in a life and death struggle as to the nature of the gospel and she has lost.” The reason he said that is because of what we have in recent years published in our official writings concerning the atonement.

The atonement is an exceedingly important subject. Ellen White wrote in 1906: “The sanctuary question is the foundation of our faith.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, 248. She also said, “We are in the great day of atonement, and the sacred work of Christ for the people of God that is going on at the present time in the heavenly sanctuary should be our constant study.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 520.

The word atonement has more than one meaning in Inspired writings and the failure to distinguish between the different ways this word is used is one of the reasons for the confusion of voices in Adventism today about this subject. The three meanings of the word atonement I have found in the Inspired writings are as follows:

  1. A sacrifice, or an attainment of a penalty, or reparation, or compensation, or payment of a debt, or paying a price, or giving a ransom.

If you are a Christian, then you know that Jesus accomplished all of these things on the cross. When we use the word atonement in that sense we understand that Jesus made a full, complete and perfect atonement on the cross. So the first meaning of atonement is connected with the cross and the death of Jesus.

Several statements about this are as follows:

“Christ made a full and complete sacrifice, a sacrifice sufficient to save every son and daughter of Adam who should show repentance toward God for having transgressed His law, and manifest faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 664.

“On the cross of Christ, the Saviour made an atonement for the fallen race.” The Signs of the Times, December 17, 1902.

“He planted the cross between heaven and earth, and when the Father beheld the sacrifice of His Son, He bowed before it in recognition of its perfection. ‘It is enough,’ He said. ‘The atonement is complete.’ ” The Review and Herald, September 24, 1901.

“Type met antitype in the death of Christ, the Lamb slain for the sins of the world. Our great High Priest has made the only sacrifice that is of any value in our salvation. When He offered Himself on the cross, a perfect atonement was made for the sins of the people.” Lift Him Up, 319.

That is the first meaning of atonement: a sacrifice, a ransom to pay a debt and Jesus fully paid the debt on the cross of Calvary.

However, in Inspired writings, that is not the only meaning or the main meaning of the word atonement.

  1. A second meaning of the word atonement: mainly to receive forgiveness of sins. Very clearly in Bible and Spirit of Prophecy writings, atonement refers to receiving forgiveness of sins or pardon. In Leviticus 4:27–31: “If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally by doing something against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which ought not to be done and is guilty, or if his sin which he has sinned comes to his knowledge, then he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has sinned. And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering. Then the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour all the remaining blood at the base of the altar. He shall remove all its fat, as fat is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offering; and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a sweet aroma to the Lord. So the priest shall make atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.”

Notice that once the sacrifice has been made, a priest is involved who, with the blood or flesh of the sacrifice, makes an atonement for you and then you are forgiven. However, before this forgiveness could be given there was an important step. “And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing.” Leviticus 5:5.

A person had to make specific confession, and then it says, “He shall offer the second as a burnt offering according to the prescribed manner. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him.” Leviticus 5:10.

Over and over again the Bible says that the priest will make atonement, and when the priest makes atonement you will be pardoned or forgiven. Once forgiven there is no more guilt. Many people in our world suffer various damaging sicknesses as a result of their guilt. It was not God’s will for the Israelites to wait until the end of the year. The people could come any day to confess their sins and receive atonement, but they had to have the services of a priest in order to have forgiveness.

  1. A more profound meaning of the word atonement, a third meaning, is found in Leviticus 16:29, 30. “This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you. For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.”

This was not the same atonement that they received during the year. On this Day of Atonement they would be cleansed and their sins would be removed and they would no longer be sinners.

“In the typical system, which was a shadow of the sacrifice and priesthood of Christ, the cleansing of the sanctuary was the last service performed by the high priest in the yearly round of ministration. It was the closing work of the atonement—a removal or putting away of sin from Israel. It prefigured the closing work in the ministration of our High Priest in heaven, in the removal or blotting out of the sins of His people, which are registered in the heavenly records.” The Great Controversy, 352.

Ellen White wrote in 1846: “I believe the Sanctuary to be cleansed at the end of the 2300 days is the New Jerusalem Temple, of which Christ is a minister. The Lord shew me in vision, more than one year ago, that Brother Crosier had the true light, on the cleansing of the Sanctuary.” A Word to the Little Flock, 12.

In 1846 the other churches were saying to Crosier that the atonement was all done at the cross. He says, “But again, they say that the atonement was made and finished on Calvary, when the Lamb of God expired. So men have taught us, and so the churches and world believe; but it is none the more true or sacred on that account, if unsupported by Divine authority. Perhaps few or none who hold that opinion have ever tested the foundation on which it rests.” The Law of Moses, 41.

All of the Adventist pioneers understood the same thing. James White described it in about 1872 or 1874. He said concerning Jesus, “He dwelt among men full of grace and truth, lived our example, died our sacrifice, was raised for our justification, ascended on high to be our only Mediator in the sanctuary in Heaven where, with His own blood, He makes atonement for our sins, which atonement so far from being made on the cross, which was but the offering of the sacrifice, is the very last portion of His work as priest, according to the example of the Levitical priesthood.” Fundamental Principles of Seventh-day Adventists, 4. Crosier, James White and all of the Adventist pioneers believed this.

In 1889 it was written this way: “Christ was raised for our justification and ascended on high to be our only mediator in the sanctuary in heaven where, through the merits of His shed blood He procures pardon and forgiveness.” It sounds just about the same but is not quite the same.” Adventist Year Book of Statistics, 1889, 147.

In 1894 we describe it like this: “Where, through the atoning merits of His shed blood He secures pardon and forgiveness.” Fundamental Principles of Seventh-day Adventists, 147. This does not sound too bad but it is not the same—we had changed it.

In the 1931 Seventh-day Adventist Year Book the definition was really changed. In fact neither the word atonement nor anything like it ever appears. It states: “He died for our sins on the cross, was raised from the dead, and ascended to the Father where He ever lives to make intercession for us.” Intercession does have to do with the investigative judgment but the intercession is not the atonement. Atonement is not even mentioned.

All four of these statements were unofficial, but the General Conference Committee in 1950 passed a resolution that no change be made in the 1931 statement except by the General Conference in session when adequate notice of such intention had been published. So to summarize this was how it was changed:

  1. In 1872 we said, With His own blood He makes atonement.
  2. In 1889 we said, Through the merit of His blood He secures pardon.
  3. In 1894 we said, Through the atoning merits of His blood He secures pardon.
  4. In 1931 we said, He ever lives to make intersession for us.

Things got worse. In 1957 a book was published called Questions on Doctrines, and on page 354 it stated: “When, therefore, one hears an Adventist say, or reads in Adventist literature—even in the writings of Ellen G. White—that Christ is making atonement now, it should be understood that we mean simply that Christ is now making application of the benefits of His sacrificial atonement He made on the cross.”

According to that, Christ is not even making atonement for us up in heaven anymore. It was all done at the cross and He is just applying benefits. This is a 180 degree turn from where our pioneers stood. Adventists were called a cult and one reason was because the other churches said that the atonement was all over at the cross and our pioneers said “No, it was not.” The atonement has not been completed yet. It is being conducted in the sanctuary in heaven right now. Some of our leaders thought we ought to make peace with these people; so they tried to state our beliefs in a way that would be acceptable to them.

The following is what appeared in Ministry Magazine, in February, 1957. You need to know before you read this statement that this is a lie. It said, “The sacrificial act on the cross is a complete and final atonement for man’s sin.” That is a lie!

What does God say about this? “The ministration of the priest throughout the year in the first apartment of the sanctuary, ‘within the veil’ (Hebrews 6:19) which formed the door and separated the holy place from the outer court, represents the work of ministration upon which Christ entered at His ascension. It was the work of the priest in the daily ministration to present before God the blood of the sin offering, also the incense which ascended with the prayers of Israel. So did Christ plead His blood before the Father in behalf of sinners, and present before Him also, with the precious fragrance of His own righteousness, the prayers of penitent believers. Such was the work of ministration in the first apartment of the sanctuary in heaven.” The Great Controversy, 420, 421.

“For eighteen centuries this work of ministration continued in the first apartment of the sanctuary. The blood of Christ, pleaded in behalf of penitent believers, secured their pardon and acceptance with the Father, yet their sins still remained upon the books of record. As in the typical service there was a work of atonement at the close of the year, so before Christ’s work for the redemption of men is completed there is a work of atonement for the removal of sin from the sanctuary. This is the service which began when the 2300 days ended.” Ibid., 421. (Emphasis added.)

Notice, the atonement involves not just applying benefits for something that was done 2000 years ago. It involves a continuing work of atonement, which is going on at this time to remove sin from God’s people.

Another statement on this: “As anciently the sins of the people were by faith placed upon the sin offering and through its blood transferred, in figure, to the earthly sanctuary, so in the new covenant the sins of the repentant are by faith placed upon Christ and transferred, in fact, to the heavenly sanctuary. And as the typical cleansing of the earthly was accomplished by the removal of the sins by which it had been polluted, so the actual cleansing of the heavenly is to be accomplished by the removal, or blotting out, of the sins which are there recorded.” Ibid., 421, 422. [Emphasis added.]

Why is it so important that we understand sanctuary truths? There is a story about an argument in which two young men got into about whether or not they needed to keep the Sabbath. One argued that it didn’t matter, but the other one said, “If you are right and I am wrong, it doesn’t matter because I will be able to go to heaven anyway. But if I am right and you are wrong you won’t be going to heaven.”

Some people say that it does not matter what we are studying here. Well, if we are wrong, it doesn’t matter. We will be able to go to heaven anyway. If the Adventist pioneers were right, the people who have rejected this teaching are not going to make it because this teaching involves understanding how you can be ready for Jesus to come. This is the reason that the people in 1844 were not ready for Jesus to come. They were ready to die and to be raised in the first resurrection but they were not ready to be translated. Why? Because they had not received the atonement. If they were not ready to be translated because they had not received the atonement, will you be ready to be translated if you have not received the atonement?

There are three meanings to the atonement. It is described sometimes in the Spirit of Prophecy for the ransom that is paid—which Jesus paid on the cross. It is used other times to describe forgiveness of sins, the work of the daily or the first apartment of the sanctuary. It is also used to describe the work of the Day of Atonement when you are cleansed from all of your sins. Many times Ellen White and the pioneers used the atonement in the context of the removal of sins.

We are told that the sanctuary was the very center of Christ’s work on behalf of men and it concerns every soul living upon the earth. (The Great Controversy, 488.) It is in the sanctuary in heaven where the cases of all people are going to be decided.

The investigative judgment will determine whether you will be part of the atonement in which your sins are removed or blotted out.

In Revelation 3:17, last part, in the message to the Laodicean church, Jesus revealed to us our real problem: “You do not know that you are wretched.” The Bible tells us what makes a person wretched. In Romans 7:24, it says, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Paul recognizes that he is wretched and wants to be delivered from that state. He has sin within that he has never overcome. He is in bondage to it. Read the whole chapter of Romans 7 that describes the problem with Laodicea—you do not know that you are wretched. You think that everything is okay. However, you can never meet the Lord in peace and go to heaven while in a wretched condition.

Ellen White wrote, “The sanctuary question is the foundation of our faith.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, 248. We are in the great Day of Atonement. This should be our constant study.

The final atonement removes your sins from you. When the final atonement is over, those who receive of that atonement are no longer forgiven sinners anymore—they are no longer sinners. This final atonement removes sin from every person who is saved. The final atonement is made for the dead first and finally for the living.

The problem today is that God’s professed people are not at all ready to receive the final atonement. Let’s suppose that it is time for the final atonement, but I have a sin in my life that I don’t want to overcome. Will it do any good for Jesus to remove all my sins if I sin again the next day? In order to be ready to receive the final atonement, a person has to have quit sinning. This is described in the Old as well as in the New Testament.

You will want the following Scripture fulfilled in your life. “Behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving [inscription] thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.” Zechariah 3:9 KJV. That is the final atonement. Your sins will be taken away and blotted out. You will no longer be a sinner.

The plan of salvation involves a complete restoration from everything that has been ruined and lost by sin. It will not be complete for you until your sins are removed.

Ellen Write wrote about the fact of our self-deception. Many are being preached into heaven. You cannot live for the devil all of your life and then the last two minutes of your life ask the Lord to save you. That is not how the plan of salvation works. It did not even work that way for the thief on the cross. The thief on the cross was sanctified before he died. Ellen White said, “What is it that constitutes the wretchedness, the nakedness, of those who feel rich and increased with goods? It is the want of the righteousness of Christ. In their own righteousness they are represented as clothed with filthy rags, and yet in this condition they flatter themselves that they are clothed upon with Christ’s righteousness. …” Our High Calling, 349. Could any deception be greater than this?

Do not deceive yourself. In order to be ready for the final atonement, you must be clothed in the righteousness of Christ. God is preparing a people today that will be translated. Those people have to be ready and willing to have all of their sins removed.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church of Free Seventh-day Adventists in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.