new theology

The Lovely Son of God

by

We are very fortunate as a people to have a special gift for the hours of these last days. As “holy men of God … were holy moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21 NKJV), our last day gift is to be Holy Spirit filled to help us be taught spiritual things (John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:10).

The mystery of the incarnation of divinity to become flesh for the salvation of man is a miracle (1 Timothy 3:16). The name Jesus is defined by the scripture as “Savior from your sins” (Matthew 1:21). Hebrews 2:14 tells us that “… as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.”

The Spirit of God has told us, “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, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Savior. (See Colossians 2:9; Romans 1:20.)” Evangelism, 614, 615.

John 1:1–4 tells us that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

Paul said it this way: “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:3, 4). This deteriorated nature spoken of was after 4000 years of degeneration and of sin.

The prophet of God states in The Desire of Ages, 49, that “It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man’s nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every child of Adam He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity. … He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life.”

So now we know that we have the Son of God whose name is Jesus, who is in the fullness of the Godhead bodily, dwelling in the flesh. John 1:14 tells us, “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

As a review, when was Jesus begotten of the Father? Luke 1:35: “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that Holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

Certainly, this was a supernatural birth that we don’t know any more about than what is given to us to know. It is called the incarnation. But we do know more about Jesus’ humanity. Paul, speaking of Jesus in the synagogue at Antioch said, “We declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that He hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten Thee” (Acts 13:32, 33).

The Holy Spirit tells us in Selected Messages, Book 1, 244, that “The humanity of the Son of God is everything to us. … This is to be our study. … We should come to this study with the humility of a learner, with a contrite heart. And the study of the incarnation of Christ is a fruitful field, which will repay the searcher who digs deep for hidden truth.”

This divine person, living in deteriorated human nature and having a weakened mind after 4000 years of degeneration, conquered sin in the flesh. However, Jesus said that He could do nothing of Himself. He said, “I live by the Father” (John 6:57), and “I can of mine own self do nothing” (John 5:30).

In The Signs of the Times, June 17, 1897, Ellen White wrote, “… while bearing human nature, He [Jesus] was dependent upon the Omnipotent for His life. In His humanity, he laid hold of the divinity of God; and this every member of the human family has the privilege of doing. Christ did nothing that human nature may not do if it partakes of the divine nature.”

Are we getting the beautiful picture yet? Jesus is more than just our substitute for sin, He is also our example of how to live for God and be fitted for our heavenly home. It is true that Jesus was not like us in His humanity because he did not need to be reborn or converted. He never chose to sin even though He lived in the likeness of sinful flesh after 4000 years of weakness. So, how could He be called a Holy thing after being begotten in the flesh?

“He began life, passed through its experiences, and ended its record, with a sanctified human will.” The Signs of the Times, October 29, 1894. This whole article is well worth reading. The Holy Spirit controlled His mind and this is why Jesus can be our example. We also can have a sanctified will while living in sinful flesh through the process of being reborn of the Holy Spirit. (See John 3:3–5.)

The “new theology” in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, as found in the Pentecostal churches, claims that Jesus did everything for you. He couldn’t sin, and He came in the same nature as Adam before the fall. So, in that condition, Jesus can only be a substitute and not an example. Since you cannot be like Jesus, there is nothing for you to do regarding your salvation. However, the Bible says, “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth” (John 17:17).

Words in the Bible are the instructors of what we are to do. (See 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.) With a new sanctified reborn will in your mind, you will be able to discern the difference between sin and righteousness and know what is not of God. You will want to do God’s will as given in the word of God, as Jesus did. Commands of God will no longer be a problem. You will say as Jesus said, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10). You will fulfill Jesus’ words in John 14:10–15 and do greater works than He had done. This is the last generation’s calling in life.

“Christ is our pattern, our example in all things. He was filled with the Spirit, and the Spirit’s power was manifested through Him.” Reflecting Christ, 130.

Jesus’ sacrifice to come to this world, to live divested of His holy position, weakened, and to die willingly by His own choice is beyond our comprehension. This is true love. All of heaven was poured out in this gift to save man. Nothing more could be given by God.

Will you rededicate your life and ask God in the name of Jesus for the miracle of a sanctified will? By God’s grace we can be restored to where Adam and Eve were before their fall. Praise God. He wants to save us. Just remember, “The Christian life is a battle and a march. But the victory to be gained is not won by human power. The field of conflict is the domain of the heart. The battle that we have to fight—the greatest battle that was ever fought by man—is the surrender of self to the will of God, the yielding of the heart to the sovereignty of love. The old nature, born of blood and the will of the flesh, cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The hereditary tendencies, the former habits, must be given up.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 141.

Gregg Richards can be contacted at: Three Angels Message Ministry, P.O. Box 1621, Bishop, CA 93514, or by email at: richthumper@gmail.com. 

I would like to give credit for an excellent source material book called The Truth and The Trident by Barry Mellor available from Steps to Life bookstore or from us in Bishop, California.

No Time to Celebrate

No time to celebrateby Marshall J. Grosboll

The Seventh-day Adventist church is God’s true and remnant movement of Bible prophecy. As such, it is the special target of the enemy of truth and righteousness. God thus calls for His watchman to maintain a constant vigil over His purchased property. When danger is perceived within the church it is the duty of every true and faithful Seventh-day Adventist to put personal interests and ecclesiastical positions behind him, and give the warning message necessary to protect the church, however unpopular that warning may be.

“As they [God’s people] assimilate their character to the divine Pattern, men will not guard their own personal dignity. With jealous, sleepless, loving, devoted interest, they will guard the sacred interest of the church from the evil which threatens to dim and cloud the glory that God intends shall shine forth through her.” — Testimonies to Ministers, page 406.

As members of His church, God holds us each responsible for its health and well- being. “If God abhors one sin above another, of which His people are guilty, it is doing nothing in case of an emergency. Indifference and neutrality in a religious crisis is regarded of God as a grievous crime and equal to the very worst type of hostility against God.” —Testimonies, vol. 3, page 281.

Many consider that our church is today facing the worst danger and crisis it has ever faced with the arrival of the celebration movement. The celebration movement is a new attempt, within the church, to receive the Holy Spirit. The meteoric rise of this new passion within the church is too phenomenal to be taken lightly. It is indeed either the manifestation of the true Holy Spirit or the false, counterfeit manifestation of the Spirit. If it is the true outpouring of the Holy Spirit, it would be disastrous to reject it. But if it is the counterfeit working of satanic agencies, it would be equally disastrous to receive it, or even to remain neutral about it. In this situation, as between Christ and Barabas, there is no neutral ground. The celebration movement is not pail good and part bad, it is one or the other. There is no accord between Christ and Belial, or between Christ’s spirit and Satan’s. To remain neutral is as bad, or even worse, than to decide the wrong way!

“Christ’s followers have no right to stand on the ground of neutrality. There is more hope of an open enemy than of one who is neutral.” — Review and Herald, Feb. 25, 1902.

The Timing of the Movement

In considering this movement, let us analyze two aspects: The timing of the movement and the philosophy behind it.

The Bible says, “There is a . . . time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh” (Eccl. 3: 14, texts from the NKJV).

To do a good thing at a wrong time can be the worst of evils. To prune a tree at the wrong time can kill it. To prune it at the right time can save it. To be happy when someone dies, or to be sad when someone is healed, is the wrong timing. To worship God is a duty, but to worship Him on Sunday instead of Sabbath is rebellion. “It is the very essence of all right faith to do the right thing at the right time.” —Testimonies, vol. 6, page 24. In fact, doing a good thing at the wrong time is often worse than open evil — it is more deceptive. Worshipping on Sunday instead of Sabbath deceives many people who would not be deceived by Atheism.

One of the greatest concerns about the celebration movement is the timing. As we shall see, the Lord says that for us to celebrate at the wrong time, when we should be mourning for our own sins and for the sins of Israel, becomes an unpardonable sin!

In the Old Testament Day of Atonement, that prefigured our day just before the second coming of Jesus, those who celebrated instead of afflicting their souls were “cut off’ from Israel (Leviticus 23: 29). To us, living during the antitypical Day of Atonement, the Lord says: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double- minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4: 8- 10).

It is no time to celebrate when a church is in apostasy. Those who make celebration the focal point of worship during this time of crisis will not receive the seal of God. In speaking of the time just before the close of probation, the Bible says: “Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub [which were on the ark], where it had been [since 1844], to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man with the linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; and the Lord said to him, ‘Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it. ‘ To the others He said in my hearing, ‘Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity’ “ (Ezekiel 9: 3- 5).

“The time will soon come when the prophecy of Ezekiel 9 will be fulfilled; that prophecy should be carefully studied, for it will be fulfilled to the very letter.”— Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, p. 1303.

After quoting the above verses from Ezekiel 9, Ellen White comments:

“These sighing, crying ones had been holding forth the words of life; they had reproved, counseled, and entreated. Some who had been dishonoring God repented and humbled their hearts before Him. But the glory of the Lord had departed from Israel; although many still continued the forms of religion, His power and presence were lacking.

“In the time when His wrath shall go forth in judgments, these humble, devoted followers of Christ will be distinguished from the rest of the world by their soul anguish, which is expressed in lamentation and weeping, reproofs and warnings. While others try to throw a cloak over the existing evil, and excuse the great wickedness everywhere prevalent, those who have a zeal for God’s honor and a love for souls will not hold their peace to obtain favor of any. Their righteous souls are vexed day by day with the unholy works and conversation of the unrighteous. They are powerless to stop the rushing torrent of iniquity, and hence they are filled with grief and alarm. They mourn before God to see religion despised in the very homes of those who have had great light. They lament and afflict their souls because pride, avarice, selfishness, and deception of almost every kind are in the church. The Spirit of God, which prompts to reproof, is trampled underfoot, while the servants of Satan triumph. God is dishonored, the truth made of none effect.

“The class who do not feel grieved over their own spiritual declension, nor mourn over the sins of others, will be left without the seal of God.” Testimonies, vol. 5, pages 210, 211. What God is calling for today is the Straight Testimony, such as John the Baptist gave. “In this fearful time, just before Christ is to come the second time, God’s faithful preachers will have to bear a still more pointed testimony than was borne by John the Baptist. A responsible, important work is before them; and those who speak smooth things, God will not acknowledge as His shepherds. A fearful woe is upon them.” — Testimonies, vol. 1, page 322.

This calls for serious contemplation and heartfelt repentance, rather than jubilation and gaiety.

Isaiah Saw the Celebration Movement

In a striking prophecy of our day, when God is calling for heartfelt and tearful repentance because of the prevailing apostasy within the church, Isaiah predicted that some would be celebrating instead of repenting, and that this rebellion would constitute an unpardonable sin. Isaiah 21 and 22 are Old Testament parallels of Revelation. In repeating the second angel’s message, it says: “Babylon is fallen, is fallen” (Isaiah 21: 9). This must be referring to spiritual Babylon, in a primary sense, for it refers to the second fall of Babylon. The Babylon of Nebuchadnezzar’s time fell but once, whereas the second fall refers to the fall of spiritual Babylon in Revelation.

While Isaiah 21 deals with spiritual Babylon, chapter 22 deals with spiritual Israel. It is “The burden against the Valley of Vision” (verse 1). A “valley” in prophecy often refers to people, whereas a mountain refers to worship, religion, God or gods. The Hebrew uses a word meaning a “wide valley” when referring to the wicked, but a word meaning a “narrow valley” when referring to the righteous. (See, for example Isaiah 2: 2; Joel 3: 14; Psalm 121: 1; Isaiah 22: 1.) Possibly this symbolism comes from Sinai, where God spoke from the “mountain” to the people who were in the “valley” below. Here God has a message to the Valley of Vision, or the people of prophecy. In Revelation the people of prophecy, who keep the commandments, refers to God’s remnant church (Revelation 12: 17; 19: 10). This identification of the object of chapter 22 is further confirmed in verse 4, where the church is called the “daughter” of “my people.” In Isaiah’s day, God called Israel “My people” (Isaiah 51: 16), whereas spiritual Israel is here identified as the “daughter” of My people.

Isaiah 22 describes the condition of God’s people in the last days. It describes them as a “tumultuous city, a joyous city.” Yet their members are slain, though they “are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle” (verse 2).

Today, as this prophecy predicted, our members are slain. Our young people are leaving the church in mass. Attendance figures in North America are generally on the decline. Most churches have less than half their membership even occasionally attending services. Even counting babies and visitors, most churches do well to have half as many in church as are on the books. Our people are slain, though not in martyrdom or from warfare with the enemy, but from apostasy. God’s power has seemingly been removed from the church and we are trying to replace that power with good public relations, exciting music, celebration worship, and colorful programs. Thus, while God’s people are “slain,” though not “in battle,” they are “a tumultuous city, a joyous city.” In order to secure themselves in the midst of these conditions, the leaders bind themselves together in a confederacy to support one another (verse 3). God and His people lament this condition within the church. He says: “I will weep bitterly; do not labor to comfort me because of the plundering of the daughter of my people. For it is a day of trouble and treading down and perplexity by the Lord God of hosts in the Valley of Vision” (verses 4, 5). God can no longer protect His people because of their spiritual condition. “He removed the protection of Judah. You looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest; you also saw the damage to the city of David, that it was great” (verses 8, 9).

God’s people do everything to cover up their losses and to turn them around — except for one thing. They look to the institutions of man’s accomplishments, they number the homes of Jerusalem, they sacrifice some institutions to preserve others, they consolidate, they expertly plan for the future — but they do not seek the wisdom of the One who established the church in the beginning through the Spirit of Prophecy. (See verses 8- 11.)

“In that day the Lord God of hosts called for weeping and for mourning, for baldness and for girding with sackcloth” (verse 12). “But instead,” what does He find in the church? He finds “joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine” (verse 13).

And what is the result of this apostasy of celebrating when the Lord calls for deep repentance? “Then it was revealed in my hearing by the Lord of hosts, ‘Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, even to your death, ‘ says the Lord God of hosts” (verse 14)! As in Ezekiel 9 and Leviticus 23, this rebellion constitutes a sin that cannot be pardoned. Probation is soon to close, and those who are celebrating when the Lord is calling for sorrow for sin will find themselves without a mediator. “Satan invents unnumbered schemes to occupy our minds” — his goal is to keep us joyfully celebrating within the church, until probation’s door is forever closed and we are unprepared (Great Controversy, page 488). That day is fast approaching.

New Theology for a New Movement

The celebration movement has its roots in the New Theology teachings that Desmond Ford and others brought into the church starting in the 1950s. The New Theology taught that, since Jesus had a different human nature than we do, we cannot be like He was. We can never hope to overcome sin and live a life like Jesus lived. “He is our substitute,” it was said, “not our example.”

The gospel, according to the New Theology, was the good news of justification. Sanctification was not a part of the gospel. Jesus forgives our sins without anything being done on our part except to accept Him as our Saviour. We will continue to sin until Jesus comes, but we will still be saved because of Jesus’ righteousness. He accepts us just as we are. This was called “good news.”

I remember a prominent Sabbath morning speaker at a conference campmeeting I was helping with a few years ago. He spoke about the joy of Sabbath- keeping. Sabbath is supposed to be a day of joy, but this joy is supposed to come from having victory over sin, not because God permits us to continue in sin. But this speaker proclaimed that the Sabbath is to be a day of joy because God accepts us in sin, just the way we are. He affirmed that we are to rejoice and be happy whether we have character defects or not — not because God can help us to overcome these defects, but because God happily accepts us while we continue to sin.

The speaker gave examples from the Bible to prove his point. He said that Moses threw down the Ten Commandments from the mountain in a fit of anger, yet the Lord accepted Him, without a word of reproof, and brought him back up into the mountain to talk with him face to face, even though Moses was continuing to manifest anger. The speaker went on to say that if the Lord accepted Moses — even with his uncontrolled temper, He will accept you if you have a temper problem too. That is why the Sabbath is to be a joyful day! Thus, he taught, we are to make Sabbath a day of rejoicing without worrying about our sins.

Either the speaker had not read the Spirit of Prophecy account of this story or he did not believe what it says, for there we are assured that when “he threw down the tables of stone and broke them. . . Moses did not sin . . . . He was wroth for God, jealous for His glory.” — Early Writings, page 163. But the speaker used this story to falsely assure his hearers that sin is inconsequential — God doesn’t care!

The speaker used other illustrations. He said that Paul boastfully claimed to have kept the law. Since those who believe in the New Theology do not believe that anyone can keep the law, this statement of Paul’s is not believed. He claimed that Paul was just manifesting boastful self-righteousness, but God accepted him too. Thus, God even accepts the self- righteous and boastful, according to this speaker. Again the thought was conveyed — forget about your shortcomings, simply rejoice in the goodness of the Lord.

I was shocked and distressed over this perverted theology that taught people to rejoice in their sins, but was even more surprised to hear the comments of delight in the message by those attending.

This is superficial Christianity. “If they were really one with Christ, if His Spirit were dwelling in them, they would see the sinfulness of sin. Not only would they confess; but they would forsake that which God abhors.” — Youth Instructor, March 5, 1903. “He who is truly penitent does not forget his past sins, and grow careless about them as soon as he has obtained forgiveness. On the contrary, the clearer the evidence he has of divine favor, the more he sees to regret in his past life of sin. He loathes, abhors, and condemns himself, and is more and more astonished that he should have continued in rebellion so long. He renews his repentance toward God, while he grasps more decidedly the hand of Jesus Christ, and finds that repentance is a daily, continued exercise, lasting until mortality is swallowed up of life. He who thus repents, appreciates the righteousness of Christ as above silver and gold, above every earthly tie and affection.” — Signs of the Times, Nov. 26, 1894

“He who is truly repentant, he who is regenerated, hates sin. All manner of selfishness is distressing to him. Indifference to God on the part of those around him grieves him. He is not led to exalt self in the performance of his duty, but abhors self. ‘I abhor myself is the language of the godly of all ages, who have had a clear view of the purity and holiness of Christ.” — Signs of the Times, Aug. 13, 1894.

“When the church are united, they will have strength and power; but when part of them are united to the world, and many are given to covetousness, which God abhors, He can do but little for them. Unbelief and sin shut them away from God.” —Testimonies, vol. 2, page 149.

It is the spirit of Satan that leads to indifference to sin. And it is this indifference and blindness to sin, which has been steadily growing in the church since the New Theology was introduced, that has laid the foundation for the celebration movement. No one who truly understands the significance of sin and the Laodicean apostasy within the church today is going to join a celebration movement — rather they are going to become a part of the movement calling for contrition and repentance for sin.

The Movement Finds a Home

The New Theology laid the foundation for the acceptance of the celebration movement within the church, but what was the catalyst that caused it to materialize?

For years there has been a growing interest in statistical growth, or “numbers,” within the organization. There was the “1000 days of Reaping” program followed by “Harvest 90.” These programs encouraged the baptizing of large numbers of people throughout the world. Literally millions joined the church, often without adequate preparation.

In Inter and South America and the third world countries, dramatic growth was witnessed. In contrast to the explosive Adventist growth in these countries, the church in North America has grown at a snail’s pace. Once the mainstay of the Adventist denomination, North America is becoming more and more insignificant compared to the other divisions. It no longer dominates the world field during the General Conference session.

In my state of Kansas, there were 100 churches around the turn of the century. Today Kansas has nearly a million more inhabitants, but the Adventist church has grown downward from 100 churches to 56! In church after church of thriving communities, I have asked how their church today compares to what it was thirty years ago — in nearly every instance there are fewer in attendance today. Somehow the power of the gospel has, for the most part, left the Adventist movement in the Western Countries. Though there are local exceptions, church schools, academies, pathfinders, evangelism, prayer meetings and in-gathering are all floundering compared to the advances made in prior years. Seemingly every program that has promised revival has failed.

In short, the condition of the church in North America, as well as in Europe and Australia, has become an embarrassment.

For years, in an attempt to turn things around, we have been inviting speakers from evangelical, non- Adventist churches and seminaries to speak to our ministers and share with them how we can grow like other churches. We have copied their programs, such as their New Testament Witnessing concepts, thinking that what works for them will work for us too, but it hasn’t. The “Caring Church” concept was one such program that was primarily a disappointment. The “Lab 1” and “Lab 2” programs for conflict management have not produced the results hoped for either. Nor has Management By Objectives brought about the miracles hoped for in administration. As was predicted in Isaiah 22, we have looked in every direction for every solution to our problems, but we have not looked to the Maker of the church — to the One who fashioned it long ago (Isaiah 22: 11). Isaiah says, in verse 13, that the next solution sought would be one of celebration!

With each failure, the desire for a program that works has grown more intense. We have developed a great desire for the Holy Spirit to come and give us “numbers” in the developed countries as we have heard about in the other countries. And since we have already reached outside of our church for the expertise of the Sunday- keeping churches, we have now looked to those Sunday- keeping churches that supposedly have the manifestations of the Holy Spirit — that is, the Pentecostal churches — to make up for what we have not found in the evangelical churches.

Several of our ministers have gone to the Pentecostal churches to learn the secret of their power. In years past there was no confusion as to the source of their power — we always believed that it was a counterfeit manifestation of the Holy Spirit. We tested all manifestations of the Holy Spirit with such verses as Isaiah 8: 20. We believed that the Pentecostal power was spiritualistic, and that it would help to unite apostate Protestantism and Catholicism together, and that under this three- fold power America would “follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience.” — Great Controversy, page 588.

Generally, in our past history, we would not consider renting a Pentecostal church for our own services, or renting out our facilities for a Pentecostal service. We loved the Pentecostal people dearly, but believed that the movement was a form of spiritualism. We could not worship in the same room where spiritualism reigned.

The result of this new endeavor to revitalize our church through the introduction of Pentecostalism is the celebration movement. It is of no small significance that the two most heralded celebration churches, the flag- ship churches of Portland, Oregon and Colton, California, are both conducted in Pentecostal churches.

How surprised I was to hear a sermon from a minister in one of our largest conferences, in a revival meeting that had been promoted with a full back- page color advertisement in the Union paper, say that his best friend was a Pentecostal minister. He shared how the Holy Spirit is being manifested in churches today, and is now even coming into some Adventist churches as well. But he said that most Adventists are so afraid of the Holy Spirit that if it should come, they would flee from the room. The conference president and other conference leaders heartily endorsed his speech. His purpose was to start a new celebration church in their conference.

Many of the Adventist celebration books and materials are simply re- writes from straight Pentecostal books and materials. And the whole order of service in these churches is Pentecostal in style. In preparation for this article, I visited one church. I had heard the reports from others, and am not the one to visit questionable places just to see for myself. But I thought maybe the reports had been exaggerated. I was pleasantly surprised in the foyer at the conservative attire of the greeters — no jewelry or frivolous dress (though I soon found that other leaders in the church were not similarly attired). But inside I was in for a shock. A musical drama was in process, with the lights off and spot lights on the “actors.” Following was music by the band and lead singers from up front. The music had the definite beat of rock music. When the pastor called people to come up for prayer, hundreds went forward. There was the laying on of hands by elders while the pastor and his wife prayed, and many others waving there hands back and forth in a Pentecostal manner. Throughout the service there was clapping, joking, laughter, and a happy feeling. At the conclusion the band and lead singers let loose with the loudest music of the day, with a beat that was becoming harder all the time. The lead singers clapped their hands and swayed back and forth.

Those attending appeared to be an interesting amalgamation — everything was acceptable. Many think that this is wonderful. I, too, enjoy seeing people who represent a melange of philosophy and dress in a church if the people are non- Adventists looking for truth, but that was not the case in this church. While God accepts each one where they are initially when they first find the Lord, He expects practical, spiritual growth to ensue from that point on. The road to heaven is not the broad road that includes every brand of Christian practice and life- style, it is the narrow road that Jesus walked.

I wondered what Jesus would have said if He had attended. I am sure He would have called the service sacrilegious. I will not go back, for I do not believe the Lord could protect me from the evil influences that there prevailed. Is that too old- fashioned; too far fetched? Haven’t we always told our members not to attend spiritualistic meetings and pentecostal services because the Lord could not protect us in such places?

Celebration Spreads

Ellen White says that “the final movements will be rapid ones” — Testimonies, vol. 9, page 11. We have seen the rapidity with which Eastern Europe has turned from Communism to the Pope. But nowhere have final events moved faster than they have in the celebration movement. Who even heard of a celebration church two years ago? But today it is world- wide. Pastors from all over America have been trained in the celebration concepts. Pastors from Australia and New Zealand, on the way to the General Conference, have stopped off and been trained in the celebration concepts. Celebration churches are springing up everywhere, as though empowered by some special force.

Twice before Satan has tried to bring this kind of spiritualistic experience into the church — after the disappointment of 1844 and again after the turn of the century. In both cases it was supposedly the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and was associated with music, drums, and the swaying of the people. Ellen White predicted that this phenomena would again come into the church.

“The things you have described as taking place in Indiana, the Lord has shown me would take place just before the close of probation. Every uncouth thing will be demonstrated. There will be shouting, with drums, music, and dancing. The senses of rational beings will become so confused that they cannot be trusted to make right decisions. And this is called the moving of the Holy Spirit.” — Selected Messages, vol. 2, page 36.

The Lord here said that this would take place “just before the close of probation”! Isaiah 22 says there would be no atonement made for those who join in, for probation will close. Surely, we are seeing the final events of history being enacted! This is no time to be a sleeping Christian, but as Paul said, “knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep” (Romans 13: 11).

“But,” someone may say, “Our church is becoming a celebration church and we don’t see all the extremes mentioned above manifested in our church. Our church is just incorporating the good parts of the celebration movement.” But let us consider the source. Eve found it impossible to separate the good from the bad when she partook of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Let us consider one other thing: The two flagship celebration churches were started as celebration churches. It is impossible to change an existing, traditional church into a full- fledged celebration church immediately. There must be a conditioning process. Many times I have heard conference presidents counsel us ministers not to go too fast with the people. As in every other area of life, change comes one step at a time.

A person doesn’t become an alcoholic overnight. At first it appears that alcohol is quite a pleasant entertainment. The one who drinks doesn’t consider that he will ever go to the “excesses” of the alcoholic. But one must look at the alcoholic to see where alcohol consumption ultimately leads. And so, if one wants to see the end result of the celebration movement, he must see the character of the churches that have been started as celebration churches, without the baggage of traditional Adventists in the congregation to slow the process up. The pastor of the Colton, California celebration church found that he could not introduce all of his ideas in the Azure Hills Seventh- day Adventist church, because too many of the member objected to his ideas, as they should have done. Therefore, pastors who introduce the celebration concept into established churches must progress slowly, step by step — but the end result, though it will take a little longer to achieve will be the same as the full- fledged celebration churches. Thus, even the first vestiges of celebration must be vigorously opposed in every congregation. Once a church becomes a celebration church, it is the duty of every true and faithful Seventh- day Adventist to leave that apostate congregation.

Time to Speak Up

Today it is time for every true and faithful Seventh- day Adventist to raise his voice against this apostate movement within the church. This will bring persecution.

“It needs something besides theory to reach hearts now. It needs the stirring testimony to alarm and arouse; that will stir the enemy’s subjects, and then honest souls will be led to decide for truth. There has been and still is with some a disposition to have everything move on very smoothly. They see no necessity of [a] straight testimony.

“Sins exist in the church that God hates, but they are scarcely touched for fear of making enemies. Opposition has risen in the church to the plain testimony. Some will not bear it. They wish smooth things spoken unto them. If the wrongs of individuals are touched, they complain of severity, and sympathize with those in the wrong. As Ahab inquired of Elijah, ‘Art thou he that troubleth Israel? ‘ they are ready to look with suspicion and doubt upon those who bear the plain testimony, and like Ahab overlook the wrong which made it necessary for reproof and rebuke. . . . Just as long as God has a church, he will have those who will cry aloud and spare not. . . whether men will hear or forbear. I saw that individuals would rise up against the plain testimonies.” — Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, pages 283, 284.

Already persecution has arisen against those who speak out against the celebration movement. At least one has been disfellowshipped for this, and undoubtedly other disfellowshippings will follow.

When persecution arose in Battle Creek against the straight testimony, Ellen White wrote to the leaders of the church and recalled how she and others had been persecuted in their previous denominational churches and for this reason had to leave, and to call others out of these churches too. Then, in referring to our own church, she said: “We hoped that there would not be the necessity for another coming out.” — Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, page 357. But Ellen White found that she did have to call people out of the Battle Creek church, and to tell students not to attend school there. We, too, must recognize that we must not attend a place where God’s Spirit has left. The Seventh- day Adventist movement is going through, but, as in Ellen White’s day, there is proving to be a need for a calling out from certain congregations and institutions within the church.

In commenting on Adventists who had not accepted all the truth, the messenger to the remnant said: “I was shown the necessity of those who believe that we are having the last message of mercy, being separate from those who are daily imbibing new errors. I saw that neither young nor old should attend their meetings; for it is wrong to thus encourage them while they teach error that is a deadly poison to the soul and teach for doctrines the commandments of men. The influence of such gatherings is not good. If God has delivered us from such darkness and error, we should stand fast in the liberty wherewith He has set us free and rejoice in the truth. God is displeased with us when we go to listen to error, without being obliged to go; for unless He sends us to those meetings where error is forced home to the people by the power of the will, He will not keep us. The angels cease their watchful care over us, and we are left to the buffetings of the enemy, to be darkened and weakened by him and the power of his evil angels; and the light around us becomes contaminated with the darkness.

“I saw that we have no time to throw away in listening to fables. Our minds should not be thus diverted, but should be occupied with the present truth, and seeking wisdom that we may obtain a more thorough knowledge of our position, that with meekness we may be able to give a reason of our hope from the Scriptures. While false doctrines and dangerous errors are pressed upon the mind, it cannot be dwelling upon the truth which is to fit and prepare the house of Israel to stand in the day of the Lord.” — Early Writings, pages 124, 125.

Conclusion

Ellen White was shown the final struggle of God’s remnant people: “I saw some, with strong faith and agonizing cries, pleading with God. Their countenances were pale and marked with deep anxiety, expressive of their internal struggle. Firmness and great earnestness was expressed in their countenances; large drops of perspiration fell from their foreheads.

“Evil angels crowded around, pressing darkness upon them to shut out Jesus from their view. As the praying ones continued their earnest cries, at times a ray of light from Jesus came to them, to encourage their hearts and light up their countenances. Some, I saw, did not participate in this work of agonizing and pleading. They seemed indifferent and careless. They were not resisting the darkness around them, and it shut them in like a thick cloud. The angels of God left these and went to the aid of the earnest, praying ones. I saw angels of God hasten to the assistance of all who were struggling with all their power to resist the evil angels and trying to help themselves by calling upon God with perseverance.” — Early Writings, pages 269, 270.

Some day soon, before Jesus comes, each Christian must go through a Gethsemane experience. Those who have developed a shallow experience based upon emotionalism will not go through this time. But those who have learned to stand for truth and principle now, will be helped to stand true then.

There is coming a true outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But it will not be accompanied by worldly music, clapping of hands, lightness and triviality, and fanaticism — it will rather lead to deep contrition of soul. But before the genuine outpouring of the Holy Spirit will come a counterfeit movement, just as before the second coming of Christ will come a counterfeit second coming. I would rather choose to wait for the genuine Holy Spirit, and the genuine second coming.

Someday there will be a genuine celebration church. There will be the most beautiful, holy music in this church. There will be rejoicing and jubilee. There will be no sin within this church, and no tempter to destroy, for it will be the celebration of the redeemed of all the ages celebrating around the throne. Just as I can wait for the true Holy Spirit, and the true second coming, so I can wait for the true celebration church.

“And it will be said in that day: ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation” (Isaiah 25: 9).

Order copies of this booklet in our bookstore.

The Word From Heaven

by

In this article I would like to share with you some memories. Memories that go back twenty years, to when, as far as I was concerned, the whole historic Adventist movement began.

At that time I received an assignment from the brethren that I found very difficult to understand. It just did not make any kind of sense to me. Throughout all of my forty years of ministry for the Lord in the Adventist Church, my main interest has always been the soul winning work. I sympathize with Elder W. A. Spicer, one of the early pioneer Presidents of our General Conference, who used to say, “In this work there is only one thing that is worthwhile, and that is bringing a soul to Jesus Christ. All of the rest is just muss and fuss and bother.”

That is how I have always felt. So, when I was pastoring a church, I kept evangelism going as much as I could. When I was teaching in college, I did the same thing. And when I was teaching in the Theological Seminary, I did the same thing. I also spent fifteen years in full time evangelism, which was the cream of my years of life.

In 1977, in the fall of the year, I was conducting an evangelistic experiment in another Conference that I fully believed was going to revolutionize the whole picture of evangelistic work among Seventh-day Adventists. During this time I began to get calls from leaders in the conference and they told me, “We want you to go to the Campus Hill Church, in Loma Linda, and be the senior pastor there.” I said, “Why? That church is an institutional church with no new territory for evangelism whatsoever. It is surrounded by other churches.” I just could not make sense of it. I turned down the offer three times. But finally, when the Union Conference President pressed me, I decided I had better be a good soldier and start obeying orders. But I still kept wondering why?

Watching Prophecy Be Fulfilled

When I began pastoring the Campus Hill Church, I ran into something that I had never seen before in my whole life as a Seventh-day Adventist, even though, as an evangelist and as a Ministerial Secretary, I had come in close contact with many churches. The congregation was divided over theological issues and the tensions were severe. One could walk around on Sabbath morning and go into the different Sabbath School classes and hear two different theologies being presented on any Sabbath morning. I was absolutely dumbfounded. I had never seen anything like it, and never dreamed that anything like it existed in Adventism. I had to dig in and figure out what it was all about.

At that time, I did not realize that I was watching a fulfillment of prophecy. Later, however, I discovered that Ellen White had written about exactly what I saw happening in Loma Linda. She said in Selected Messages, vol. 2, 114: “Divisions will come in the church. Two parties will be developed.”

I saw the two parties being developed in the Loma Linda Campus Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church, and since then I have seen the division spread throughout our churches all over the country. It is no longer in isolated places; it is throughout Adventism. Who are these two parties? The first group was made up of people who were very thoroughly convinced that the message they had been taught when they joined the church, the message they had been taught when they went to Seventh-day Adventist academies, colleges and seminaries, was true. There was nothing wrong with the message they had learned to love and they had no intention of changing it for another gospel.

The other group was insisting that we change traditional, Biblical Adventist theology into something called New Theology. Actually their “new theology” is very old. Just like many of the doctrines that are promoted as “new light,” New Theology dates back a long, long time to errors the Reformers made and even earlier.

For example, a few years back we started hearing a great deal about a new morality in the world. When you took the curtains off and looked at it, you could see that this was something that began in Sodom and Gomorrah a long, long time ago.

And progressive theology is not much different. It is really regressive. I read with a strange mixture of feelings, recently, a prediction made by the president of a Seventh-day Adventist College in our country, in which he said something like this: “We have theological minds among us who are going to bring us into vistas of truth that the apostles could not even dream of.” I thought for a moment, “Man you have me on the edge of my seat. Show it to me!” Then I thought, “Oh, come on, relax, Larson. When the curtains are parted, it will have originated in Sodom and Gomorrah or back in some ancient time.” That is the way it always works.

When I came to Loma Linda and I found the New Theology apostasy, that is now a tide flowing through all Adventism, it was in its beginning there. The question I faced was, “What shall I do?” I did not feel as though I had any choice. As an evangelist, I had been defending the Seventh-day Adventist faith for years and years and I was not about to change—unless God showed me some good reason why I should—and He did not!

Consequently, I took a public stand against this apostasy and for a little while I felt all alone. However, I soon began to find out that there were people all over the country who shared my feelings. They, too, were astonished at what was happening around them. One by one, people scattered across this nation began to sound the cry, “This is terrible! I am going to do something about this if I can.”

After a while I became acquainted with Ron Spear in Washington and then with Doctors Russell and Colon Standish. We soon learned that the apostasy was really creeping through the whole ranks of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. And people all around the country were beginning to rise up and say, “I do not know what I can do, but I am going to try to do something.”

In a short time there was a Hope International Ministry, which is now putting out a hundred million pages of truth filled literature every year as a part of their worldwide work. There was a Steps to Life Ministry which sends out thousands of videos, magazines, tapes and books. There was a Remnant Publications, which has published hundreds of thousands of Spirit of Prophecy books for use worldwide. And there was a little tiny Cherrystone Press out in Cherry Valley, CA, which was my own ministry, publishing scholarly books.

In these ministries, and many others, there have been an innumerable number of cities of refuge started. Cities of refuge that are needed because of the warnings we have against listening to and receiving error.

The Danger of Error

I want to share with you in these pages several inspired statements about error, and the danger that exists for all who go to listen to it. Consider carefully these inspired messages for God’s people: “Error is falsehood and deception. Those who partake of it must suffer in consequence.” The Upward Look, 125.

“Error is never harmless. It never sanctifies but always leaves confusion and dissention. It is always dangerous.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, 47.

“There is in error and unbelief that which bewilders and bewitches the mind.” Selected Messages, vol. 1, 46.

“I was shown the necessity of those who believe that we are having the last message of mercy, being separate from those who are daily imbibing new errors. I saw that neither young nor old should attend their meetings . . . God is displeased with us when we go to listen to error, without being obliged to go; for unless He sends us to those meetings where error is forced home by the power of the will, He will not keep us. The angels cease their watchful care over us, and we are left to the buffetings of the enemy, to be darkened and weakened by him.” Early Writings, 124, 125.

If anyone challenges you about using this statement from Early Writings, which was written quite a while ago, just remind them that Bible writers, including Jesus Himself, when a question was placed before them, gave principles of truth to answer issues which were much bigger than the individual question they were being asked.

When the Pharisees brought Jesus a coin in the temple and said, “Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or no?” Jesus said, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” Matthew 22:17, 21. No theologian of any faith has ever argued that those words apply only to taxes. All theologians hold that those words apply to all relationships between a Christian and the state. Similarly, when Ellen White says, “Where error is being preached we have no business going,” it applies to all times and all circumstances.

Inspired messages such as these have been the mandate that has required many faithful Adventists, in order to be faithful to God’s Word, to leave the conference churches and begin attending homechurches.

Do You Know the Issues at Stake?

How many historic Adventists are there now? After twenty years, there are thousands and thousands of those who have seen the issues at stake. But there are tens of thousands of those who do not yet comprehend what is going on.

In the Adventist Church today there are three kinds of people. On the one side, at the extreme end of the scale, there is a small group of Seventh-day Adventists who know exactly what they are doing. They are trying to change our faith from Adventism to Calvinism. At the other end there is another small group that knows exactly what they are doing. They are trying to defend the faith so it will not be changed from Adventism into Calvinism. In between there is a larger group who do not know what the score is. They have not figured out the enormous issues at stake yet. That is why we are trying to help them understand what is happening.

There is a line in The Great Controversy, 640, that makes me tremble when I read it, because it is so applicable to our time and our situation. It says, “Religious teachers have led souls to perdition while professing to guide them to the gates of Paradise.” [All emphasis supplied.] Throughout the Biblical story and throughout the history of the modern church from Christ to this day, apostasy in churches has usually begun with the leadership and come down to the common people, especially through schools and institutions of higher education.

Those who today are standing for the truth against the wave of error that is sweeping through Adventism are being treated just as God’s people of all ages have been treated when they stand firm for the truth. Sister White wrote: “Now as in former ages, the presentation of a truth that reproves the sins and errors of the times will excite opposition. ‘Everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.’ John 3:20. As men see that they cannot maintain their position by the Scriptures, many determine to maintain it at all hazards, and with a malicious spirit they assail the character and motives of those who stand in defense of unpopular truth. It is the same policy which has been pursued in all ages. Elijah was declared to be a troubler in Israel, Jeremiah a traitor, Paul a polluter of the temple. From that day to this, those who would be loyal to truth have been denounced as seditious, heretical, or schismatic . . . This spirit will increase more and more.” The Great Controversy, 458, 459.

On the same page she poses this question, “In view of this, what is the duty of the messenger of truth? Shall we conclude that the truth ought not to be presented, since often its only effect is to arouse men to evade or resist its claims?” Her answer is a most emphatic NO! We must keep pressing on, giving the straight truth no matter the odds. And this is what we have done. They have not been able to frighten us—although they have tried very hard. Despite all of the things that were intended to frighten us away from our defense of the historic faith, we are still hanging on.

The Unity Problem

However, there is another problem, which many historic Adventists have been increasingly concerned about as the years have passed by, and that is the lack of unity among the historic Adventists. It is easy to understand why we have this problem when you realize that this movement did not start with all of us gathering for a big council meeting before going out to do our job. This was a grass roots movement. People came forward to do the work in different places, without the knowledge that there were others involved in the same work and who shared the same burden to defend our faith. So, the way things began did not contribute to unity.

Then, of course, the devil wants to keep us apart. He tries to work hard on his policy of divide and conquer—which he practices with skill. Consider thoughtfully these inspired statements: “Unity is the strength of the church. Satan knows this, and he employs his whole force to bring in dissension. He desires to see a lack of harmony among the members of the church of God.”Selected Messages, vol. 2, 159. “The unity of the church is the convincing evidence that God has sent Jesus into the world as its Redeemer. This is an argument which worldlings cannot controvert. Therefore Satan is constantly working to prevent this union and harmony, that unbelievers, by witnessing backsliding, dissension, and strife among professed Christians, may become disgusted with religion and be confirmed in their impenitence. God is dishonored by those who profess the truth while they are at variance and enmity with one another.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 619.

And there is something that has contributed to our lack of unity. We were very sensitive about the accusation that we were trying to start a second church to compete with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. That was not a true accusation. It never has been and it never will be. It is not our purpose or intention to try to start a second church. However, because we were all so sensitive on this subject, many of us hesitated to join ourselves in united, organized ways.

Nevertheless, these reasons for our disunity in no way diminish the fact that God has called us to unity. “Press together, press together,” is what the angel said. (See Selected Messages, vol. 2, 374.)

This has been a concern to many of us. We have been praying, thinking and studying about it for years. There have been many conversations and very many prayers sent heavenward asking the Lord what we should do. Finally, all of this bore its fruit. In a meeting in February, 1998, in Florida, a group of more than twenty ministry leaders spent three days together. It was a heavenly sitting together. We wept together. We prayed together. We studied together. We confessed our sins together and we vowed we were going to find some way to mold this movement into unity like it ought to be—still without violating the principles we stand for.

One of the first things we had to settle was, Are those who charge us with divisiveness correct when they say that we are destroying the unity of the church and that we should just come back and unite with them? Is their argument correct?

When we studied this together, these are the types of inspired instructions that we found: “I am instructed to say to our people, unify, unify. But we are not to unify with those who are departing from the faith.” Selected Messages, vol. 3, 412.

“Christ calls for unity but He does not call for us to unify on wrong practices. The God of heaven draws a sharp contrast between pure, elevating and ennobling truth and false misleading doctrines. He calls sin and impenitence by the right name. He does not gloss over wrong doing with a coat of untempered mortar. I urge our brethren to unify upon a true scriptural basis.” Notebook Leaflets, vol. 2, 164.

“The Lord calls upon us to unify in harmony with Bible truth.” The Upward Look, 149.

“Harmony and cooperation must be maintained without compromising one principle of truth.”Counsels to Writers and Editors, 79.

“We are to unify but not on a platform of error.” Battle Creek Letters, 111.

So that question was very quickly and easily settled in our discussion. Are those in the conference correct when they say, “It does not make any difference which way we go, what we teach or what we do not teach. You must stay together with us.”? No, that is pure falsehood. We are to have unity, but not with those who are teaching error.

However, that does not lessen our obligation to seek for unity with those who are standing on the platform of eternal truth. We have been given many divine commands on this point:

“Unity of thought, unity of prayer, unity of action is essential.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 15, 165.

“He [Christ] calls for unity and unity we must have.” The Upward Look, 141. This is not just good advice. This is a command from the Lord Himself. We must unify!

“In unity there is a life, a power, that can be obtained in no other way. There will be a vast power in the church when the energies of the members are united under the control of the Spirit. Then will God be able to work mightily through His people for the conversion of sinners.”Testimonies, vol. 7, 236.

“The Lord is greatly dishonored when disunion exists among His people.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 174.

“Union brings strength, disunion weakness. Those who refuse to work in harmony greatly dishonor God.” The Southern Watchman, February 2, 1904.

“The world is looking on with gratification at the disunion among Christians. Infidelity is well pleased. God calls for a change among His people.” Review and Herald, December 30, 1902.

“Let us not think that our churches can enjoy God’s blessing while in a state of disunion.” Upward Look, 172.

“The Spirit of God will not abide where there is disunion and contention among believers in the truth.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 221.

After studying these solemn warnings, we had no choice. We must do something about the disunion that exists among us. We resolved that things must be changed drastically, dramatically, fully and completely because God has commanded it and we must do it.

After much study and prayer, we chose to endeavor to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3.) While recognizing our differences of opinions on various points we also recognized that the Lord wanted to lead us to a higher level that would finally result in perfect unity of faith as expressed in the following paragraph: “It is the same to-day as it was in the days of Christ. As the disciples were brought together, each with different faults, some inherited or cultivated tendency to evil, so in our church relations we find men and women whose characters are defective; not one of us is perfect. But in Christ, and through Christ, we are to dwell in the family of God, learning to become one in faith, in doctrine, in spirit, that at last we may be received into our eternal habitation. We shall have our tests, our grievances, our differences of opinion; but if Christ is abiding in the heart of each, there can be no dissension. The love of Christ will lead to love of one another, and the lessons of the Master will harmonize all differences, bringing us into unity, till we shall be of one mind and one judgment. Strife for supremacy will cease, and no one will be disposed to glory over another, but we shall esteem others better than ourselves, and so be built up into a spiritual temple for the Lord.” Signs of the Times, April 20, 1891.

This spiritual temple, which can only be completed with love and unity (while at the same time refusing to unite with error of any kind), must be finished before Jesus comes. We recognize that much more work needs to be done before God’s spiritual temple is completed and ready for Jesus to come, but we are completely dedicated to cooperating with the Holy Spirit for the finishing of this task.

This experience of perfect unity must take place in every institution and in every church. If it does not, then some of the people in these institutions or churches will be purged out by the fan of God, as the chaff is sifted from the wheat. We are in “the days of purification of the church.”

Testimonies, vol. 5, 80. Is it not time that every Adventist in the world should fast and pray that we may be purified and brought into the experience described in Ephesians 4—the experience of unity, not only in spirit, but in faith, so that we are not purged out by the trials that are thickening around God’s people?

May you be one of the people described in the next sentence: “God will have a people pure and true. In the mighty sifting soon to take place we shall be better able to measure the strength of Israel. The signs reveal that the time is near when the Lord will manifest that His fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor.” Ibid.

The New Theology, part 2

by

Editor’s Note: Last month we looked at the history of New Theology and compared statements by Desmond Ford, Jack Sequiera and Robert Folkenberg. We noted that the same line of false theology ran through the writings of all three.

Many find it difficult to believe that the very top leadership within God’s Remnant Church is teaching false doctrines, such as those referred to in the first article of this series. But the public statements by these leaders leave undeniable evidence. Statements such as this one by the General Conference President: “Our assurance of salvation is based on God’s grace by faith, not on our behavior or character development.” Called in Christ, 22. Sadly, this is not an isolated statement. This is the message of the New Theology that he consistently writes and preaches.

Some fifty-five years ago, when I was ordained to the ministry, I was admonished that I was to be a watchman on the walls of Zion. I have diligently tried to do this over the years. Along my course, I have noticed that there are always some who, when error is condemned, will say “That is criticism.” But I wish to make it clear that I am still a watchman on the walls of Zion pointing out error to alert our people that some of the books and articles written today, by Adventist authors, will lead you to apostasy.

Keeping this in mind, you will see why I am so alarmed as I read the outrageous falsification of the gospel, which Elder Folkenberg expressed in his closing prayer at the Hope, British Columbia, Camp Meeting in 1991. He prayed, “Lord, thank You for the assurance. Thank you for the promise that if I claim Your name and look up to the cross of Jesus, my name is written in the Book of Life. It has nothing to do with how good I am or how I live or anything else.”

This prayer gives a clear example of how this apostate New Theology embraces a Christ who died to keep us from the penalty of sin, but who will, at the same time, allow us to continue to live in sin with the assurance of eternal life. Such teachings are contrary to the Scriptures and the Spirit of Prophecy. Our General Conference President is in need of our prayers that he may awaken from the Omega of apostasy in which he is leading the flock of God.

The basis for this study is in Jude 3, 4, which says, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God unto lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

As we contend for the faith as delivered to the saints by the Holy Spirit, we need to heed the inspired counsels. Sister White wrote: “Few appreciate the importance of striving constantly to overcome. They relax their diligence and, as a result, become selfish and self-indulgent. Spiritual vigilance is not thought to be essential. Earnestness in human effort is not brought into the Christian life.

“There will be some terrible falls by those who think they stand firm because they have the truth, but they have it not as it is in Jesus. A moment’s carelessness may plunge a soul into irretrievable ruin. One sin leads to the second, and the second prepares the way for the third, and so on. We must, as faithful messengers of God, plead with Him constantly to be kept by His power. If we swerve a single inch from duty, we are in danger of following on in a course of sin that will end in perdition. There is hope for everyone of us, but only in one way, and that is by binding ourselves to Christ, and exerting every energy to attain to the perfection of His character.

“That religion which makes of sin a light matter, dwelling upon the love of God to the sinner regardless of his actions, only encourages the sinner to believe that God will receive him while he continues in that which he knows to be sin. This is what some are doing who profess to believe present truth. The truth is kept apart from the life, and that is the reason it has no power to convict and convert the soul.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 540.

There is no question in my mind that we are entering the Omega of apostasy. Compare how inspiration describes it to what we see today. “Be not deceived, many will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. We have now before us the Alpha of this danger. The Omega will be of a most startling nature.” Selected Messages, vol. 1, 197.

Part of the Omega of apostasy will be the making of none effect the Spirit of Prophecy. “Satan is . . .constantly pressing in the spurious—to lead away from the truth. The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. ‘Where there is no vision the people of God perish.’ Proverbs 29:18. Satan will work ingeniously, in different ways and through different agencies, to unsettle the confidence of God’s remnant people in the true testimony.

“There will be a hatred kindled against the testimonies which is satanic. The workings of Satan will be to unsettle the faith of the churches in them, for this reason: Satan cannot have so clear a track to bring in his deceptions and bind up souls in his delusions if the warnings and reproofs and counsels of the Spirit of God are heeded.” Selected Messages, vol. 1, 48.

This, so called, New Theology is really nothing more than the old theology of Satan, for the devil has always tried to make void the law of God. In the days of the apostles, there was a group called the Nicolaitans who were teaching that the law of God could not be kept. Speaking about this false doctrine Sister White wrote: “The doctrine is now largely taught that the gospel of Christ has made the law of God of no effect; that by ‘believing’ we are released from the necessity of being doers of the word. But this is the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which Christ so unsparingly condemned. To the church of Ephesus He says: ‘But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.’

“Those who are teaching this doctrine today have much to say in regard to faith and the righteousness of Christ; but they pervert the truth, and make it serve the cause of error. They declare that we have only to believe on Jesus Christ, and that faith is all sufficient; that the righteousness of Christ is to be the sinner’s credentials; that this imputed righteousness fulfills the law for us, and that we are under no obligation to obey the law of God. This class claims that Christ came to save sinners, and that He has saved them. ‘I am saved,’ they repeat over and over again. But are they saved while transgressing the law of Jehovah?—No; for the garments of Christ’s righteousness are not a cloak for iniquity.” Signs of the Times, vol. 3, 363.

Does the Holy Word make void the law of God through faith, as many claim? Paul answers unequivocally, “God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” Romans 3:31. “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” Romans 6:12, 14, 18.

New Theology is so clearly denounced by the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, why then is it so common in Seventh-day Adventist churches? It is because there is a sinister plan, devised by the mastermind of evil, seeking the destruction of all who follow Christ. Inspiration has forewarned us of what the devil’s device will be. “Many will stand in our pulpits with the torch of false prophecy in their hands kindled from the hellish torch of Satan.” Testimonies to Ministers, 409, 410.

This New Theology, which I believe is called the Omega, is taking a dreadful toll in many of our churches. I will show you four areas where this is most apparent:

  1. In most churches only about half of the members are present in the Sabbath School. When you examine the church membership list, it is alarming to see that thousands upon thousands of those whose names are still listed as members never attend anymore.
  2. Another saddening statistic is the divorce rate among Seventh-day Adventists. You will find that it is nearly fifty percent—just like that of Babylon.
  3. The disaster signal that I find most alarming is the fact that over seventy percent of our youth are leaving the church. And why should they stay, when they have been taught at our colleges and universities to question many of the fundamental doctrines of Adventism, such as the Creation week.
  4. God’s standards are being pushed aside until it is difficult to discern by dress and jewelry the difference between the remnant church and Babylon.

These results of the New Theology are apparent to anyone who has his eyes open. Recently, I received an unsolicited letter of courage from one of our many faithful pastors. I have never met this pastor, but I praise God that he is awake to the results of the New Theology. He wrote:

“Dear Brother Nelson: “From time to time I have had someone give me one of your tapes or have read one of your articles in one of the independent magazines. I want to encourage you to keep up the good work of warning our people of what is coming and what is happening to our beloved church. I, too, have been a minister for many years and am appalled at what is transpiring today, and it seems it is nearly impossible to stop the tide. If one speaks out, he is labeled as a troublemaker and finds himself ostracized. The liberals have well nigh taken over our denomination. Standards have fallen by the wayside and Sabbath keeping is almost non-existent.

Your brother in the true faith, Pastor___” That is not the only letter that I have received from some of our pastors. This letter, from an active pastor, reveals that he knows what is taking place. Could this be the reason for the delay of Christ’s return?

“It was not the will of God that the coming of Christ should be thus delayed. God did not design that His people, Israel, should wander forty years in the wilderness. He promised to lead them directly to the land of Canaan, and establish them there a holy, healthy, happy people. But those to whom it was first preached went not in ‘because of unbelief.’ Their hearts were filled with murmuring, rebellion, and hatred, and He could not fulfill His covenant with them.

“For forty years did unbelief, murmuring, and rebellion shut out ancient Israel from the land of Canaan. The same sins have delayed the entrance of modern Israel into the heavenly Canaan. In neither case were the promises of God at fault. It is the unbelief, the worldliness, unconsecration, and strife among the Lord’s professed people that have kept us in this world of sin and sorrow so many years. We may have to remain here in this world because of insubordination many more years as did the children of Israel; but for Christ’s sake, His people should not add sin to sin by charging God with the consequences of their own wrong course of action.” Evangelism, 696.

I believe that this Omega apostasy began in the mid-fifties when some of our leaders reached across the gulf to clasp hands with the evangelicals. This was followed by a compromise on the nature of Christ and the atonement, as agreed upon with Donald Barnhouse and Walter Martin. The pillars of our faith, which had been held sacred since our beginning and were the very heart of the precious message given by Ellen White, have been torn down. The results being that we no longer fearlessly preach the Three Angels’ Messages, as we should, with the power of the Holy Spirit, that could have finished the work long ago.

In 1977, Elder Robert Pierson, the General Conference President, explored the ramifications of Omega in ten points, which he took from Selected Messages, vol. 1, 193. Look at what he found would be coming into our church:

  1. The principles of truth that God in His wisdom had given to the Remnant Church would be discarded.
  2. It would make of none effect the truth of heavenly origin.
  3. Our religion would be changed.
  4. The Sabbath, of course, would be lightly regarded, as also the God who created it.
  5. There would be a supposition that a great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day Adventists and this reformation would consist in giving up the doctrines which stand as the pillars of our faith.
  6. A system of intellectual philosophy would be introduced.
  7. It would seek to weaken the preaching of the second advent by teaching that scenes just before us are not of sufficient importance to be given special attention.
  8. Books of a new order would be written.
  9. A new organization would be established.
  10. Nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of this new movement.

God has promised that where the shepherds are not true, He will take charge of the flock Himself.

“Every wind of doctrine will be blowing. Those who have rendered supreme homage to ‘science falsely so called’ will not be leaders then . . . Those who have proven themselves unfaithful will not then be entrusted with the flock . . . They are self-sufficient, independent of God, and He cannot use them. The Lord has faithful servants, who in the shaking testing time will be disclosed to view.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 80.

We should take courage! God’s truth will triumph. Elder Ron Spear in his appeal to the General Conference President has correctly shown the parallel between the day of Christ and the time just before His return. “Helenism and Humanism had captured the church in Christ’s day. Helenism was operative in all the church’s activities. It infiltrated the Jewish educational system and was taught by Jewish schools. The Sadducees became the Helenistic party within the church and to a great degree the Helenistic philosophy was responsible for the crucifixion of Christ, the second power of the Godhead. The humanistic worldly system of education has crept into the educational system of the Adventist Church and today it must be held guilty for what has happened in the Omega apostasy. Humanism and Helenism are the same philosophy. This philosophy leads to a bootstrap religion. You can do anything your mind decides to do, which minimizes the power of God in the life to keep us from sinning and asserts that we cannot keep God’s law. In the great test to come, it will be Humanism to a great degree that will be responsible for the rejection of the third power of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, when the door is shut for unprepared Seventh-day Adventists.” Appeal to the General Conference President, 34, by Ron Spear.

Our present situation is well summed up in the following quotation from Testimonies, vol. 5, 210,211. “While others try to throw a cloak over the existing evil, and excuse the great wickedness everywhere prevalent, those who have a zeal for God’s honor and a love for souls will not hold their peace to obtain favor of any. Here we see that the church—the Lord’s sanctuary—was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient men, those to whom God had given great light and who had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people, had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we need not look for miracles and the marked manifestation of God’s power as in former days. Times have changed. These words strengthen their belief, and they say: The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil. He is too merciful to visit his people in judgment. Thus ‘peace and safety’ is the cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a trumpet to show God’s people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs that would not bark are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended God. Men, maidens, and little children all perish together.”

According to Ezekiel 9, the only ones on whom the sealing angel can place the mark of God’s approval are those who are sighing and crying for the corruption that is taking place within the church. They are also the ones who are personally striving for perfection of character, as we are commanded, over and over, that we must do.

The following are just a few of these clear Bible commands:

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48.

“Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16.

“Therefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if we do these things we shall never fall.” 2 Peter 1:10.

“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne.” Revelation 3:21.

“He has made it possible for every human being to obey God’s commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart; the will is merged in His will; the mind becomes one with His mind; the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him. We live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garments of His righteousness.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 312.

Praise God! We can overcome, fully and entirely. Jesus died to make a way of escape for us that we might overcome every sin and sit down with Him in His throne. Will you follow in His footsteps today?

 

New Theology

by

What is happening in our beloved Seventh-day Adventist Church? Many of our members do not know what to believe. Some are attending home churches because they hear an unscriptural gospel preached from their Adventist pulpit. Our church is facing a very critical emergency. It is being divided into two camps, each teaching a different gospel, affecting the conscience of pastors, teachers and laymen.

The dividing question revolves around faith and works in the Christian life. James explained the subject this way: “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which said, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” James 2:20–26.

Inspiration clarifies this Scripture so clearly that there can be no possible misunderstanding. ” ‘. . .Without faith it is impossible to please Him, . . . He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ Hebrews 11:6. There are many in the Christian world that claim that all that is necessary to salvation is to have faith; works are nothing. But God’s word tells us that faith without works is dead, being alone. Many refuse to obey God’s commandments, yet they make a great deal of faith. But faith must have a foundation. God’s promises are all made upon conditions. If we do His will, if we walk in truth, then we may ask what we will, and it shall be done unto us. While we earnestly endeavor to be obedient, God will hear our petitions; but He will not bless us in disobedience. If we choose to disobey His commandments, we may cry, ‘Faith, faith, only have faith,’ And the response will come back from the sure word of God, ‘Faith without works is dead.’ (James 2:20.) Such faith will only be as sounding brass and as a tinkling cymbal. In order to have the benefits of God’s grace we must do our part; we must faithfully work and bring forth fruits meet for repentance . . .

“Faith and works will keep us evenly balanced and make us successful in the work of perfecting Christian character. Jesus says, ‘Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.’ (Matthew 7:21.) Speaking of temporal food, the apostle said, ‘For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.’ 2 Thessalonians 3:10. The same rule applies to our spiritual nourishment; if any would have the bread of eternal life, let him make efforts to obtain it. We are living in an important and interesting period of this earth’s history. We need more faith than we have yet had; we need a firmer hold from above. Satan is working with all power to obtain the victory over us, for he knows that he has but a short time in which to work. Paul had fear and trembling in working out his salvation and should not we fear lest the promise being left us, we should any of us seem to come short of it, and prove ourselves unworthy of eternal life? We should watch unto prayer. Strive with agonizing effort to enter in at the straight gate.” Faith and Works, 47, 49.

For years, modern Babylon has been teaching that Jesus kept the law for us, therefore it is not necessary for us to keep the law. It is commonly said that all that we need to do is believe that Christ obeyed the law for us, and we may continue to sin till Jesus comes and still be saved. Such teachings come straight from the doctrines of devils!

 

How the Pioneers Established Truth

 

It is amazing to discern how the Holy Spirit, through the servant of the Lord, guided our pioneers so clearly that they were able to distinguish truth from error and separate from Babylon’s false teachings. In Manuscript Releases, vol. 3, 412, Ellen White described this process: “My husband, Elder Joseph Bates, Father Pierce, Elder Edson, a man who was keen, noble, and true, and many others whose names I cannot now recall, were among those who, after the passing of the time in 1844, searched for truth. At our important meetings, these men would meet together and search for the truth as for hidden treasure. I met with them, and we studied and prayed earnestly; for we felt that we must learn God’s truth. Often we remained together until late at night, and sometimes through the entire night, praying for light, and studying the Word. As we fasted and prayed, great power came upon us. But I could not understand the reasoning of the brethren. My mind was locked, as it were, and I could not comprehend what we were studying. Then the Spirit of God would come upon me, I would be taken off in vision, and a clear explanation of the passages we had been studying would be given to me, with instruction as to the position we were to take regarding truth and duty. A line of truth extending from that time to the time when we shall enter the city of God, was plainly marked out before me, and I gave my brethren and sisters the instruction that the Lord had given me. They knew that when not in vision I could not understand these matters, and they accepted as light direct from heaven the revelations given me. The leading points of our faith as we hold them today were firmly established. Point after point were clearly defined, and all the brethren came into harmony.”

We need to consider that if we are tempted to embrace new doctrinal teachings, which differ from the faith delivered to our pioneers, that we are in danger of rejecting the light given by the Holy Spirit. God has always promised to increase our light by fuller development, but He never changes His truth. “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls . . .” Jeremiah 6:16.

 

Warnings for Adventists

 

In view of this divine counsel, let us consider how we have been warned of what will happen in this end time and what God is expecting of His servants, the shepherds.

“God calls for men of decided fidelity. He has no use in an emergency for two-sided men. He wants men who will lay their hand upon a wrong work and say, This is not according to the will of God.” Selected Messages, vol. 2, 153.

“All who believe that the Lord has spoken through Sister White, and has given her a message, will be safe from the many delusions that will come in these last days.” Selected Messages, vol. 3, 83, 84.

“In these last days, false teachers will arise and become actively zealous . . . False theories will be mingled with every phase of experience . . . In the very midst of us will arise false teachers, giving heed to seducing spirits whose doctrines are of satanic origin. These teachers will draw away disciples after themselves . . . Confessions may be made, but no real reformation takes place, and erroneous theories bring ruin upon unsuspecting souls because these souls believe and rely upon the men advocating these theories.” Review and Herald, January 7, 1904.

“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. Men will arise with interpretations of Scripture which are to them truth, but which are not truth . . . One will arise, and still another, with new light, which contradicts the light that God has given under the demonstration of the Holy Spirit . . . We are not to receive the words of those who come with a message that contradicts the special points of our faith. They gather together a mass of Scripture, and pile it up as proof around their asserted theories . . . And while the Scriptures are God’s Word, and are to be respected, the application of them, if such application moves one pillar from the foundation that God has sustained these fifty years, is a great mistake. He who makes such an application knows not the wonderful demonstration of the Holy Spirit that gave power and force to the past messages that have come to the people of God.” Selected Messages, vol. 1, 161.

“He (Satan) works today as he worked in heaven, to divide the people of God in the very last state of this earth’s history. He seeks to create dissention, and to arouse contention and discussion, and to remove if possible the old landmarks of truth committed to God’s people. He tries to make it appear as if the Lord contradicts Himself.

“It is when Satan appears as an angel of light that he takes souls in his snare, deceiving them. Men who pretend to have been taught of God will adopt fallacious theories and in their teaching will so adorn these fallacies as to bring in satanic delusions. Thus Satan will be introduced as an angel of light, and will have opportunity to present his pleasing fables.” Manuscript Releases, No. 222.

In October of 1903, Ellen White urged immediate action to forestall the invasion of the New Theology teachings that God had revealed would soon enter the church in the end time. “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 that stand as the pillars of our faith, and engaging in a process of re-organization. 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 . . . 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 . . . The leaders would teach that virtue is better than vice, but God being removed, they would place their dependence on human power, which, without God, is worthless. Their foundation would be built on the sand, and storm and tempest would sweep away the structure.

“Who has authority to begin such a movement? We have our Bibles. We have our experience, attested to by the miraculous working of the Holy Spirit. We have a truth that admits of no compromise. Shall we not repudiate everything that is not in harmony with this truth?” Special Testimonies, Series B, No. 7, 39, 40.

It is no wonder that there is an apostate theology of assurance and salvation being promoted today from the very top of the structure. I believe this apostasy to be exactly what the servant of the Lord called “The Omega,” as found in Selected Messages, vol. 1, 177, 205.

We are told that there would be few champions of truth within the church at the end time, and that the majority would reject the pure gospel. We see the fulfillment of Paul’s prophecy in 1 Timothy 4:1. “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” “Every wind of doctrine will be blowing.” Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, 80.

It is not uncommon to hear the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which God says in Revelation 2:6 that He hates, preached from Adventist pulpits. This “gospel” teaches that we may sin and still be saved.

The liberals among us are teaching Calvinistic concepts so that we are losing our distinctive pillars of faith. We are taught to blindly accept anything from the leadership. The results are inevitable. God’s professed people are becoming ecumenical and losing sight of the true identity of the antichrist. It is plain to see that there are those in leadership today who are attempting to remove the landmarks of truth, just as inspiration predicted. “There will be a removing of the landmarks and an attempt to tear down the pillars of our faith. A more decided effort will be made to exalt the false sabbath, and to cast contempt upon God Himself by supplanting the day He has blessed and sanctified.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 985.

 

The History of the New Theology*

 

Dr. Leroy Froom began the New Theology by misquoting Ellen White in order to substantiate a coexistence with the Evangelicals. The original statement by Mrs. White reads as follows: “In taking upon Himself man’s nature in its fallen condition, Christ did not in the least participate in its sin.” The Faith I Live By, 49. Froom changed it to read, ” . . .took the sinless nature of Adam before his fall.” He thus implanted words which Ellen White never said.

This New Theology was further upheld by Dr. Edward Heppenstall, the Chairman of the Systematic Theology Department at Andrews University. He wrote a book on perfection in which he made twenty-one statements that say it is impossible for Christians to stop sinning, even by the power of God. In one such statement he said: “The Bible rejects every possibility of our reaching sinless perfection in this life.” The Impossible Possibility, 73.

Next came Dr. Desmond Ford, a teacher at Avondale College in Australia and later at Pacific Union College. He made an all out attack on the Sanctuary doctrine, in 1979.

Many other books of a similar nature have now been printed by Pacific Press. One of the most blatant is Beyond Belief, by Jack Sequiera, in which the author denies many of our basic beliefs. But the worst apostasy is that which is being promoted by our General Conference President in which he totally ignores the instructions of the Spirit of Prophecy, claiming to have made a new discovery.

In his book, We Still Believe, he asserts that assurance of salvation is based on grace alone and that our response of sanctified obedience has nothing to do with our salvation.

In the following quotations, I shall compare Ford, Sequiera and Folkenberg in their new beliefs concerning the basis of our salvation. “The justification imputed to us is a righteousness which is one hundred percent, but it is not eternal. It is an alien righteousness that is outside of us. The righteousness of sanctification, however, is internal. It is the fruit of our cooperation with the Holy Spirit, but it is not one hundred percent. Thus we are ever dependent upon the merits of Christ; ever dependent upon justification for our standing with God.” The Only Two Religions in the World, 15, by Desmond Ford.

Someone says, “That sounds pretty good.” We will find out what is wrong with this as we compare this statement with Sequiera’s teaching. “The righteousness God obtained for all humanity in Christ, justification, is full of merit. It is this alone that qualifies us for heaven, now and in the judgment. See Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5. The righteousness God provides in us, on the other hand, has no saving value. It is never complete in this life.” Beyond Belief, 170.

The General Conference President believes the same as Ford and Sequiera. “Whatever changes God brings about in us, our salvation must always be based upon what He has done for us.” “Will the Evangelical Adventist Please Stand Up?” by Robert Folkenberg, The Review, April, 1997.

In the Scriptures, the righteousness of God includes both justification and sanctification. As we compare the writings of these men further, we note that Ford declares that the righteousness of God is not one hundred percent. Sequiera agrees that the righteousness of God has no saving value. And the General Conference President writes that the only thing that counts is what Christ did for us. Yet anyone who accepts the writings of Paul in the Holy Scriptures must agree that the righteousness of God includes both justification and sanctification.

God’s righteousness is never to be questioned, for the pardoning righteousness of Christ becomes a living power within us to enable us to overcome all sin. A righteous life cannot be separated from the divine living power that breaks the bondage of sin. For as we become united with Christ, the righteousness of God becomes our personal property so that in the final judgment, no trace of unrighteousness remains. This is the true meaning of the words, The Lord our Righteousness, Who changes the believers heart the moment he is united by faith in Christ and eventually purifies the heart from every sin.

 

Ford, Sequiera and Folkenberg on Christ’s Nature

 

Now, in comparison, let us see what Ford states. “We were ruined by our first representative, Adam, and we had nothing to do with that. The good news of the gospel is that we have been redeemed by our second representative, Jesus. And we had nothing to do with that either.” Good News for Adventists, 14. Now we see where this New Theology is leading. Ford states that we have nothing to do with Christ’s redemption for us.

Sequiera teaches the same. “If the down side of the idea of corporate oneness is that we all fell in the one man, Adam, the glorious up side of the idea is that God likewise has redeemed all of us in the One Man, Jesus Christ, Who is the second Adam.” Beyond Belief, 34.

The General Conference President agrees. “According to the Bible, two individuals, Adam and Christ, sum up and comprehend all those who have ever lived on the earth. We are all in Adam by reason of our birth, in him, in sin and death. But the glorious truth of the gospel is that Jesus died for us all, and we were in Him on the cross.” In Christ, 5, by Robert Folkenberg.

“We are all in Adam by reason of our birth”? If this is true, this applies to Christ. “Like every child of Adam, He (Christ) accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity.” The Desire of Ages, 49. But these men do not accept that Christ was born of the same flesh as you and I, yet without sin. They insist that Christ was born with the sinless nature of Adam before his fall!

As we compare further, we hear the New Theology continually emphasizing the unconditional good news. Ford would have us believe this by stating, “Justify never means to make righteous. Deuteronomy 25:1; Exodus 23:7. Down through the centuries false religion has made justify mean make righteous, in the sense of becoming more righteous.” Good News for Adventists, 15.

If justify never means to make righteous, there can be no conditions to salvation. Sequiera bluntly states this. “The gospel is the unconditional good news of salvation for all mankind.” Beyond Belief, 36.

The General Conference President reveals where this New Theology is leading the church. “This is why the gospel is unconditional good news. Our assurance of salvation is based, not on our behavior, but on Christ’s. Our assurance of salvation is based not on reaching some level of character development, but on our relationship with Jesus.” We Still Believe, 41. And on page 42 we read. “Such people, legalists, carrying an “anti-cheap grace” banner, back themselves in the other extreme, falling into the ditch of “conditional justification” and sacrificing the peace of mind that is born of assurance in Christ.”

Here is another gospel, which is contrary to the writings of both the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. For the assurance taught by Ford, Sequiera and Folkenberg, teaches that we need do nothing but believe. That our behavior has nothing to do with our character development. “We can sin and yet live.”

This is what Ford teaches. “As soon as the sinner exercises faith in the atonement of the cross, he or she is declared righteous, perfect and without condemnation. These blessings are retained as long as he or she believes, despite personal mistakes and failures. Note it well, justification does not cover only our past but all our days.” Good News for Adventists. That is the teaching of once saved, always saved.

Sequiera teaches the same. “Stumbling under grace, falling into sin, does not deprive us of justification, neither does it bring condemnation.” Beyond Belief, 166. Such a statement is unbelievable in view of David’s sin and his response to the prophet’s words, “Thou art the man!” Who would ever think that the time would come in our beloved church when books would be printed with another gospel telling us that we can sin without condemnation?

And Folkenberg agrees with this New Theology. “We obtain salvation through agreeing to enter a relationship of trust in Jesus and occasional good deeds and misdeeds neither make nor break that relationship.” Called in Grace, 22. “Finally I discovered that our assurance of salvation is based on God’s grace by faith, not on our behavior or character development. Each sin we may commit does not turn off salvation in our lives.” We Still Believe, 40.

 

New Theology and the Sunday Law

 

New Theology teaches that deportment, behavior and character development mean absolutely nothing. You may sin until Jesus returns and you will still be saved. This is exactly what Satan would have us believe. When the Sunday law becomes a final issue, since our behavior means nothing, we will be urged by the leadership to go along with the law. The New Theology will have successfully evaded the issue of the Mark of the Beast, preparing the people to keep Sunday.

Our only ground of hope is in the righteousness of Christ, imputed to us and, in that wrought by His Spirit working in and through us. “The work of gaining salvation is one of co-partnership, a joint operation . . . Human effort of itself is not sufficient. Without the aid of divine power it avails nothing. God works and man works.” Acts of the Apostles, 482.

There is no such thing as the “sin and be saved” doctrine that is taught in the New Theology. Jesus clearly contradicted it with His teachings. In Matthew 19 He told us how we can be saved: “And, behold, one came and said unto Him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And He said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” Matthew 19:16, 17.

“And, behold a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted Him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And He said unto him, What is written in the law? How readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all they soul, and with all they strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And He said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.” Luke 10:25–28.

“To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath. (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified).” Romans 2:7, 8, 13.

“And being made perfect, He (Christ) became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him.” Hebrews 5:9. “The gospel that is to be preached to all nations, kindreds, tongues and peoples represents the truth in clear lines, showing that obedience is the condition of gaining eternal life.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 972.

“When the lawyer came to Christ saying, ‘Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ The Saviour did not say, Believe, only believe, and you will be saved. ‘What is written in the law?’ He said, ‘How readest thou?’ Here the false doctrine that man has nothing to do but believe is swept away. Eternal life is given to us on the condition that we obey the commandments of

*Material for this part of the article was taken from an appeal to the General Conference President by Elder Ron Spear.

 

Spiritism in the Adventist Church, part 1

by

The close links of Spiritism with the New Theology are rarely perceived by most Seventh-day Adventists. Many have failed to recognize that the sin-and-live theology is the most pervasive form of Spiritism in the world and the church. It was the sin-and-live theology that was presented to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden by Satan. Eve was told that if she disobeyed God by eating of the tree, she would not surely die, but would still live. Today, using all the cunning and sophistries accumulated in six thousand years of experimentation, Satan is presenting, in the most winning and persuasive way, the same concept that men and women can continue to sin until Jesus comes, and still be saved in the kingdom of heaven. As he makes his presentations, he is able to express the majority of his sophistries in truly dramatic ways though his servants. The final deception will be “confirmed” through his own impersonation of Christ. He will pretend loving and winning sentiments that only the very elect will resist.

Satan cannot bring himself to acknowledge the law of God. This law represents the very character of God. It is the transcript of that character. This is the character that Satan has maligned and has claimed is arbitrary and unloving. Therefore it is on this point alone that we can tell the difference between Satan’s army and Christ’s ambassadors. While the servants of Christ will point men and women to the sacred law of God and to the power of victory over sin that Christ provides through His death and ministry, the ambassadors of Satan will deny the saving power of Christ.

“The prophet Isaiah brings to view the fearful deception which will come upon the wicked, causing them to count themselves secure from the judgments of God: ‘We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves.’ In the class here described are included those who in their stubborn impenitence comfort themselves with the assurance that there is to be no punishment for the sinner; that all mankind, it matters not how corrupt, are to be exalted to heaven, to become as the angels of God. But still more emphatically are those making a covenant with death and an agreement with hell, who renounce the truths which Heaven has provided as a defense for the righteous in the day of trouble, and accept the refuge of lies offered by Satan in its stead—the delusive pretensions of Spiritualism.” The Great Controversy, 560–561.

One has only to walk through the cemetery of any churchyard in the Christian world to realize the truth of this statement. It is almost impossible to find a tombstone which reads “Gone to hell.” Most seem to have made their way to heaven. There are many such assurances as “At home with the Lord,” “With Jesus,” or “Resting in Peace” engraved on many gravestones. It would seem that death brings instant sanctification, and that somehow, irrespective of how profligate the life may have been, the individual is instantaneously ready for the kingdom of heaven. However, such thinking is truly a covenant with death. The idea of Universalism, that all will be saved no matter what abominations they committed, is a fatal deception. The vast majority of supposed Christians will be shocked when, in the second resurrection, they recognize that that resurrection is not unto life but unto eternal destruction. While most Seventh-day Adventists do not espouse Universalism, nevertheless, a casual attitude to occasional sin will result in eternal loss by many expecting to be saved.

We believe that it is impossible for human beings to recognize the preparation that Satan has put into the deception of mankind. That satanic preparation is at least partially unveiled in the book, The Great Controversy.

“Satan has long been preparing for his final effort to deceive the world. The foundation of his work was laid by the assurance given to Eve in Eden: ‘Ye shall not surely die.’ ‘In the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.’ Little by little he has prepared the way for his masterpiece of deception in the development of Spiritualism. He has not yet reached the full accomplishment of his designs; but it will be reached in the last remnant of time. Says the prophet: ‘I saw three unclean spirits like frogs; . . . they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.’ Except those who are kept by the power of God, through faith in His word, the whole world will be swept into the ranks of this delusion. The people are fast being lulled into a fatal security, to be awakened only by the outpouring of the wrath of God.” The Great Controversy, 561–562.

Satan has made an all-out effort to take control of the minds of people through the use of alcohol, mind-expanding and destroying drugs, music, permissive sexual relations, and pornographic and sadistic literature. While some of these things are not used by most members of the church, many are trapped by television and the misuse of the computer. These are mesmerizing the minds of men and women, and driving them deeper and deeper into carnal security while they are moving headlong into eternal destruction. We must not ignore the efforts of Satan to control every form of education. It is almost impossible today to carry on any course in a secular institution, and often in the institutions of the church, which is not undergirded by paganistic, spiritualistic, humanistic, New Age or evolutionary principles, all designed to deceive, and to derail the lives of unsuspecting human beings.

Spiritism reaches its greatest subtlety when Satan seeks to deceive those who are dedicated to Christ, who are members of the remnant. “As Spiritualism more closely imitates the nominal Christianity of the day, it has greater power to deceive and ensnare. Satan himself is converted, after the modern order of things. He will appear in the character of an angel of light. Through the agency of Spiritualism, miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and many undeniable wonders will be performed. And as the spirits will profess faith in the Bible, and manifest respect for the institutions of the church, their work will be accepted as a manifestation of divine power.” The Great Controversy 588.

The above statement was written especially for the fallen churches of Protestantism. As Seventh-day Adventism is drawn deeper and deeper into the ecumenical web, it faces the same dilemma, and the same consequences. People who have not fortified their minds with the Word of God, who have not taken the Bible, and the Bible only as their basis of practice, and who have listened to the sophistries of men rather than the pure word of truth, are drawn unsuspectingly into the deadly web of Satan.

No matter how subtle the attempt of Satan, no matter how perfectly he has laid his plans, there is no excuse for being deceived, no excuse for failing to stand firm, for the power of God is available to every human being without exception. The power of Christ is able to destroy every attempt of the evil one to undermine the confidence of our faith, and to lead us from the fold of Christ. We have been promised that He will not allow us to be taken out of His hand against our will. (John 10:28.) We know that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and therefore, with those assurances, and providing we never forsake Him, our victory is assured.

There has been no time in the history of the world when vigilance has been more necessary than in these last moments of probationary time. Our appeal is for every reader to daily consecrate himself to God and to the finishing of His work through witnessing to those who otherwise are moving in the pathway of death. The God of heaven patiently and longingly is waiting for His people to reflect His character so that Jesus might come to take us home to live with Him. “When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 69.

 

Spiritism and Celebration

 

Our first intimation of the movement now referred to as the “Celebration” movement within the Adventist Church goes back to the beginning of the 1980s when a pastor Eion Giller began what some people thought was an unusually Pentecostal type of worship form in the Hillview Church near Avondale College. Of course this association with the Pentecostal movement was denied, but nevertheless there were some of the evidences of it: the expressive activities commonly associated with that movement.

The next alarm was sensed by Colin when, on a tour of Europe in 1987, he was told of charismatic Adventists in France and then met about a dozen of them when the Hartland Bible Conference was being held in the Central Church in Rome. It was at that point that we wrote the chapter on Pentecostalism in the book, Keepers of the Faith, and in so doing we were able to get a warning out prior to the movement becoming an established movement within the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

But with the introduction of such churches as the Colton Church in the Southeastern Conference, and the Milwaukee Church, Portland, in the Oregon Conference, and the Buffalo Church in the New York Conference (by the way, initially under the leadership of Dr. Eion Giller), and of the Cherrybrook Church in Sydney, it was clear that not a small effort was going to be made to bring the elements of the charismatic movement and its sister, Pentecostalism, into the church.

We were alarmed when the church leaders at the General Conference level were to repeatedly declare they could not evaluate this form of worship; that they had to wait and see, for they did not have sufficient information to make a decision. It would seem that such was rather a means of allowing the movement to develop to such an extent that there would be no way of turning it back. Those with spiritual discernment saw from the very beginning that this was nothing short of the Pentecostal and spiritualistic movement that we as a church had fought against constantly over the decades. But now it was becoming more and more a part of the church. The usual denials began to flood in when churches began to move in this direction.

The pastors were urging their churches toward Celebration services, while assuring them that it wasn’t Pentecostal or charismatic, but those who looked at what was taking place had not the slightest doubt that this was the Pentecostal movement being subtly and not-so-subtly introduced into the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Eventually, numerous churches began to be pressured in this direction. Some eagerly accepted this form of “worship”; others with some reservations accepted it. Still others were forced into it with many of the members clear on what was taking place, yet apparently impotent to do anything about it. The tragedy is that so many leaders, even perhaps somewhat opposed to it, keep denying the extent of this movement. There are hundreds of Seventh-day Adventist churches that have started on the pathway of the charismatic movement. Some have not reached the maturity that some of the early ones have, but they certainly have begun the pathway and we can be certain that Satan will bring them more and more into the full-fledged charismatic movement as he is able.

The whole presentation has been subtle. Colin overheard a dialogue at the General Conference session where men who were obviously supportive, and maybe leaders in the charismatic movement, were stating that the word “Celebration” had now acquired a negative connotation and that perhaps we should not use the term. This, of course, was meant to derail the efforts of faithful Adventists from identifying the charismatic movement when it came into the church. But no matter whether it is called Celebration or not, it is still the intrusion of Satan’s charismatic movement. Leaders and laity alike should have been forewarned. The counsel is clear.

“The things you have described as taking place in Indiana, the Lord has shown me would take place just before the close of probation. Every uncouth thing will be demonstrated. There will be shouting, with drums, music, and dancing. The senses of rational beings will become so confused that they cannot be trusted to make right decisions. And this is called the moving of the Holy Spirit.

“The Holy Spirit never reveals itself in such methods, in such a bedlam of noise. This is an invention of Satan to cover up his ingenious methods for making of none effect the pure, sincere, elevating, ennobling, sanctifying truth for this time. Better never have the worship of God blended with music than to use musical instruments to do the work which last January was represented to me would be brought into our camp meetings.” Selected Messages, vol.2, 36.

“I will not go into all the painful history; it is too much. But last January the Lord showed me that erroneous theories and methods would be brought into our camp meetings, and that the history of the past would be repeated. I felt greatly distressed. I was instructed to say that at these demonstrations demons in the form of men are present, working with all the ingenuity that Satan can employ to make the truth disgusting to sensible people; that the enemy was trying to arrange matters so that the camp meetings, which have been the means of bringing the truth of the Third Angel’s Message before multitudes, should lose their force and influence. . . .

“The Holy Spirit has nothing to do with such a confusion of noise and multitude of sounds as passed before me last January. Satan works amid the din and confusion of such music, which, properly conducted, would be a praise and glory to God. He makes its effect like the poison sting of the serpent.” Ibid., 37.

It will be noted from these statements that this movement is not under the power of the Holy Spirit, but under the power of another spirit—Satan. Therefore it is only right that faithful Adventists do not attend such churches. Our counsel is that such members look for churches where the pastors preach present truth and where they have the stirring, soul-searching messages that God has designed for this time, with the inspiring hymns of dedication, and they teach the members to lovingly serve their fellow men and train them to witness of the great message of salvation.

It is of the greatest danger for us to go deliberately into Satan’s territory. Neither one of the authors is willing to attend, knowingly, a Celebration church because of the knowledge that these churches are of Satan. We should not even allow curiosity to lead us in that direction. If Celebration is coming to your church, you have a responsibility to speak out, to urge and to counsel. But if there is no response to your counsel, and the majority of the people are determined to go with it, or lock-step follow the recommendations of the pastor in that direction, you have no alternative but to leave that church and to look for another place to worship. If there are no churches in the area, you are forced into a branch Sabbath School if that is possible, or even into home worships. This is not denying your membership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. On the contrary, it is a very important indication that you will not move away from the truth and that you are being a faithful Seventh-day Adventist.

Those who are parents of children must be especially careful. They have a responsibility not to allow their children to go to such services, for they may be led away from salvation under the influence of Satan. Colin had the tragic experience the Sabbath before Christmas, 1990, to attend with his wife and family a church in Perth, Australia. The children were sent to the Primary and Kindergarten Sabbath School respectively. You can imagine Colin’s and his wife, Cheryl’s, consternation when the children of these divisions gave special music and they sang a rock Christmas carol with much jumping about and clapping and celebration-type behavior. Of course, their children had not learned this song, but as might be expected, they were trying to do what the other children were doing. How tragic such an experience is. Parents now must carefully evaluate that the Sabbath School to which they are sending their children is a fit place for them to learn the wonderful messages of God.

In August, 1989, Russell attended a church in Melbourne, Australia. He had known the church in earlier times and was surprised to find it only about one-third full.

The following week there was a transformation. The church was full. The difference was astounding. After Sabbath School a young man, dressed extremely casually, lounged on the lectern and invited the congregation to sing some choruses projected on a screen. After about ten minutes of singing, an elder came up and made an announcement. Thereafter another ten minutes of the singing of projected choruses ensued. At this point the “pastoral prayer” was announced. For the first time it dawned on Russell that we were already twenty minutes into the “divine service” and the song leader was the young pastor. The singing, interrupted once more by a children’s story and the offering, had a duration of fifty minutes. The final ten minutes of the service were devoted to a short homily by the pastor, a special item and benediction. Russell had received his first introductory lesson in Celebration.

At the conclusion of the service one senior member remarked to Russell, “It’s wonderful when this young pastor comes, he brings all these young people with him and fills up our church. They come from all over Melbourne and follow him wherever he preaches.” Some may have thought that these young people were being spiritually fed, but Russell concluded that they were on starvation rations.

We are spending large sums of money to train our ministers in the Celebration methodology. In the Ministries Department of the seminary there is a strong training program encouraging Celebration type services. Many of our pastors and leaders from Australia and New Zealand have been taken on tours to the United States where they not only visit the more “advanced” charismatic churches of Adventism, but they attend and dialogue with pastors from non-Adventist charismatic and Pentecostal churches. It is hard to imagine that God’s sacred money could be used to train our ministers away from the great purpose of God and towards the banner of Satan.

The tragedy is that few of the laity are rising up to ask for an absolute halt. In 1991 a four-day worship seminar was held mainly for ministers in the United States. Many pastors attended it, including some from Australia. There is only one answer to this. In spite of leaders frequently saying they are waiting to see the results, they are indeed supporting these changes in worship form. Do such leaders have a right to continue as the guardians of the flock? They have betrayed their trust and they have allowed their ministry to come under the power of another spirit.

Colin could not have helped but notice some of the seminars offered by the Potamac Conference in Convention ‘91, November 1 and 2, that were promoting New Age philosophy. For example, “What you see is what you are, Christians can use meditation and visualization for peak mental health—learn how!”

In the same set of seminars, participants could attend “Batman’s Action-packed perspective of Sabbath School programming. Action—one of Batman’s trademarks. Today young people need to learn by doing, not just hearing. What is active learning and how can you use it to reach your kids? In this seminar you will hear and do activities which you can use with your Juniors, Earliteens and Youth on the following Sabbath!”

Any faithful Seventh-day Adventist will be distressed by the use of a worldly television program such as Batman as a basis for training for Sabbath School class teachers. Is it any wonder then that one of the other seminars was, “How my Sunday School can help your Sabbath School.” Or that we have another seminar by a non-Adventist presenter, “Growing kids spiritually in an unspiritual world. How come young people of the Baptist Church have such strong denominational loyalty, faith and values? Why are they so much stronger than our kids?”

To every perceptive Adventist the reason is simple. We are no longer presenting the challenges of the Three Angels’ Messages to our young people; we are no longer training them in selfless service for God and man; we are presenting to them the egocentric concepts of the world, rather than the power of God. One is also alarmed to see our great university churches, whether it be Loma Linda University Church, Pioneer Memorial Church at Andrews University, or the Sligo Church at Columbia Union College, all moving at least in one service to the Celebration format.

For example, the Pioneer Memorial Church at Andrews University put out its little brochure, “Sabbath Sunburst Celebration Saturday mornings at 8:45 a.m. Come fellowship with the Son, let Him burst across your horizon. A new dimension for your Sabbaths. Praise. Music. Fellowship. The spirit of worship, the song of encounter, the simplicity of celebration. Or choose the 11:20 service and experience the grandeur of traditional worship—the same inspirational preaching at both.”

With tragic clarity our young people are being thrown into the arms of Satan’s counterfeit and few seem to know it. Colin was concerned at the report that he received while in Brisbane at the end of 1991, where the congregation had sung the pagan hymn, “Let us break bread together on our knees.” But as the people were leaving for foot washing the pastor continued to sing, according to some who were witnesses there, “Let us break God together on our knees.” Brother Lin Harmon made this comment, “At that juncture my wife and I segregated and went home as did some others.” What a tragedy that men and women are forced to go home because of the intrusion of erroneous Catholic doctrines within the church.

Nor can one remain unmoved by the service at the La Sierra University Church the end of October, 1991. Here the program contained the ecumenical words on the front of the program, “A liturgy celebration unity in diversity.” There is no such thing as unity in diversity. Unity is in truth, unadulterated and uncontaminated. After reading some good scriptures and singing some good hymns, the program tragically moved into human words. For example, “In Thee, in me,” translated from the Sanskrit by Mohandas Gandhi. The pantheistic spiritualism of Gandhi came through very quickly in the words used in this liturgical service. “In Thee, in me, in all persons, there dwelleth the one God.”

Any Christian knows that God does not invade humanity without their permission. Revelation 3 portrays Christ as standing at the door of our hearts and knocking, and if we open the door He will come in. But pantheism believes that God is in everything and in every human being. It was this pantheism of Kellogg that God declared to be spiritualism, and yet this liturgy could be presented. Other messages were presented from John Donne, the sixteenth century English poet, “No man is an island.” Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Strength to Love by Martin Luther King, Jr., the Peaceable Kingdom by Stanley Hauer was, but strangely no words from God’s end-time prophet. The folk who gave Colin the program left when a woman danced an extended liturgical dance during the divine service hour. How can it be that God’s church has fallen so far and so fully into these idolatrous practices? We are repulsed by the paganism of the Israelites and the Jews and yet we ourselves have walked headlong into the same paganistic practices.

Not only is the Celebration movement seen in the use of rock and hypnotic music, but it is seen in the entertainment that is flooding into our church with comedians holding services on Sabbath such as was held on the Friday evening at the Arco Center in Sacramento the end of October, 1991. Also “clown ministry” and “miming” are in common use today in church worship.

The spiritual becomes the profane; the holy becomes corrupted; the sanctified becomes secular. How tragic are the consequences of these activities. And yet many blindly move forward saying that this is the leading of God to help our youth stay in the church. Is it any wonder that we in the Western world are losing three-quarters of our youth from the Adventist Church? Is it any wonder that we are finding our youth growing up into self-centered, pleasure seeking young people who know not the principles of the truth and who are unready for the mighty work that God has called them to fulfill?

Now is surely a day to call our people back to true worship, the worship of the God of heaven, not the worship of the false god of Satan.

 

No Time for Celebration

by

Celebration” worship began to surface in the Seventh-day Adventist church less than a decade ago. Today it is rampant. “Celebration” worship is the inevitable result of the “new theology.” The following article was written by Marshall Grosboll about 8 years ago. What is the “Seventh-day Adventist Movement” that is written of in this article? We all believe that the Seventh-day Adventist movement is God’s remnant church and is going through to glory. But the question is: are those involved in this type of apostasy, unconditionally a part of God’s church? We believe that the only ones that are a part of God’s final movement are those who teach and practice the Three Angels’ Messages. What is wrong with “Celebration” worship and what will be the result? God has answered these questions in His Word. Study the verses given in this article for yourself.

The Seventh-day Adventist church is God’s true and remnant movement of Bible prophecy. As such, it is the special target of the enemy of truth and righteousness. God thus calls for His watchman to maintain a constant vigil over His purchased property. When danger is perceived within the church, it is the duty of every true and faithful Seventh-day Adventist to put personal interests and ecclesiastical positions behind him, and give the warning message necessary to protect the church, however unpopular that warning may be.

“As they [God’s people] assimilate their character to the divine Pattern, men will not guard their own personal dignity. With jealous, sleepless, loving, devoted interest, they will guard the sacred interest of the church from the evil which threatens to dim and cloud the glory that God intends shall shine forth through her.” Testimonies to Ministers, 406.

As members of His church, God holds us each responsible for its health and well being. “If God abhors one sin above another, of which His people are guilty, it is doing nothing in case of an emergency. Indifference and neutrality in a religious crisis is regarded of God as a grievous crime and equal to the very worst type of hostility against God.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 281.

Many consider that our church is today facing the worst danger and crisis it has ever faced with the arrival of the celebration movement. The celebration movement is a new attempt, within the church, to receive the Holy Spirit. The meteoric rise of this new passion within the church is too phenomenal to be taken lightly. It is indeed either the manifestation of the true Holy Spirit or the false, counterfeit manifestation of the Spirit. If it is the true outpouring of the Holy Spirit, it would be disastrous to reject it. But if it is the counterfeit working of satanic agencies, it would be equally disastrous to receive it, or even to remain neutral about it. In this situation, as between Christ and Barabas, there is no neutral ground. The celebration movement is not part good and part bad; it is one or the other. There is no accord between Christ and Belial, or between Christ’s spirit and Satan’s. To remain neutral is as bad, or even worse than to decide the wrong way! “Christ’s followers have no right to stand on the ground of neutrality. There is more hope of an open enemy than of one who is neutral.” Review and Herald, February 25, 1902.

 

The Timing of the Movement

 

In considering this movement, let us analyze two aspects: The timing of the movement and the philosophy behind it. The Bible says, “There is a . . . time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh.” Ecclesiastes 3:1–4 NKJV.

To do a good thing at a wrong time can be the worst of evils. To prune a tree at the wrong time can kill it. To prune it at the right time can save it. To be happy when someone dies, or to be sad when someone is healed, is the wrong timing. To worship God is a duty, but to worship Him on Sunday instead of Sabbath is rebellion. “It is the very essence of all right faith to do the right thing at the right time.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 24. In fact, doing a good thing at the wrong time is often worse than open evil—it is more deceptive. Worshipping on Sunday instead of Sabbath deceives many people who would not be deceived by atheism.

One of the greatest concerns about the celebration movement is the timing. As we shall see, the Lord says that for us to celebrate at the wrong time, when we should be mourning for our own sins and for the sins of Israel, becomes an unpardonable sin!

In the Old Testament Day of Atonement, that prefigured our day just before the second coming of Jesus, those who celebrated instead of afflicting their souls were “cut off” from Israel. Leviticus 23:29. To us living during the antitypical Day of Atonement, the Lord says; “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you doubleminded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” James 4:8–10.

It is no time to celebrate when a church is in apostasy. Those who make celebration the focal point of worship during this time of crisis will not receive the seal of God. In speaking of the time just before the close of probation, the Bible says: “Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub [which were on the ark], where it had been [since 1844], to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; and the Lord said to him, ‘Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.’ To the others He said in my hearing, ‘ Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity.’ ” Ezekiel 9:3–5. “The time will soon come when the prophecy of Ezekiel 9 will be fulfilled; that prophecy should be carefully studied, for it will be fulfilled to the very letter.” 1888 Materials, 1303.

After quoting the above verses from Ezekiel 9, Ellen White comments: “These sighing, crying ones had been holding forth the words of life; they had reproved, counseled, and entreated. Some who had been dishonoring God repented and humbled their hearts before Him. But the glory of the Lord had departed from Israel; although many still continued the forms of religion, His power and presence were lacking.

“In the time when His wrath shall go forth in judgments, these humble, devoted followers of Christ will be distinguished from the rest of the world by their soul anguish, which is expressed in lamentation and weeping, reproofs and warnings.

While others try to throw a cloak over the existing evil, and excuse the great wickedness everywhere prevalent, those who have a zeal for God’s honor and a love for souls will not hold their peace to obtain favor of any. Their righteous souls are vexed day by day with the unholy works and conversation of the unrighteous. They are powerless to stop the rushing torrent of iniquity, and hence they are filled with grief and alarm. They mourn before God to see religion despised in the very homes of those who have had great light. They lament and afflict their souls because pride, avarice, selfishness, and deception of almost every kind are in the church. The Spirit of God, who prompts to reproof, is trampled underfoot, while the servants of Satan triumph. God is dishonored and the truth is made of none effect.

“The class who do not feel grieved over their own spiritual declension, nor mourn over the sins of others, will be left without the seal of God.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 210, 211.

What God is calling for today is the straight testimony, such as John the Baptist gave. “In this fearful time, just before Christ is to come the second time, God’s faithful preachers will have to bear a still more pointed testimony than was borne by John the Baptist. A responsible, important work is before them; and those who speak smooth things, God will not acknowledge as His shepherds. A fearful woe is upon them.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 321. This calls for serious contemplation and heartfelt repentance, rather than jubilation and gaiety.

 

Isaiah Saw the Celebration Movement

 

In a striking prophecy of our day, when God is calling for heartfelt and tearful repentance because of the prevailing apostasy within the church, Isaiah predicted that some would be celebrating instead of repenting, and that this rebellion would constitute an unpardonable sin.

Isaiah 21 and 22 are Old Testament parallels of Revelation. In repeating the Second Angel’s Message, it says: “Babylon is fallen, is fallen.” Isaiah 21:9. This must be referring to spiritual Babylon, in a primary sense, for it refers to the second fall of Babylon. The Babylon of Nebuchadnzzar’s time fell but once, whereas the second fall refers to the fall of spiritual Babylon in Revelation.

While Isaiah 21 deals with spiritual Babylon, chapter 22 deals with spiritual Israel. It is “The burden against the Valley of Vision.” (Verse 1.) A “Valley” in prophecy often refers to people, whereas a mountain refers to worship, religion, God or gods. The Hebrew uses a word meaning a “wide valley” when referring to the wicked, but a word meaning a “narrow valley” when referring to the righteous. (See Isaiah 2:2; Joel 3:14; Psalms 121:1; Isaiah 22:1.) Possibly this symbolism comes from Sinai, where God spoke from the “mountain” to the people who were in the “valley” below. Here God has a message to the Valley of Vision, or the people of prophecy. In Revelation the people of prophecy, who keep the commandments, refers to God’s remnant church. (Revelation 12:17; 19:10.) This identification of the object of chapter 22 is further confirmed in verse 4, where the church is called “the daughter” of “my people.” In Isaiah’s day, God called Israel “My people”(Isaiah 51:16), whereas spiritual Israel is here identified as the “daughter” of “My people.” Isaiah 22 describes the condition of God’s people in the last days. It describes them as a “tumultuous city, a joyous city.” Yet their members are slain, though they “are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.” (Verse 2).

Today, as this prophecy predicted, our members are slain. Our young people are leaving the church in mass. Attendance figures in North America are generally on the decline. Most churches have less than half their membership even occasionally attending services. Even counting babies and visitors, most churches do well to have half as many in church as are on the books. Our people are slain, though not in martyrdom or from warfare with the enemy, but from apostasy. God’s power has seemingly been removed from the church and we are trying to replace that power with good public relations, exciting music, celebration worship, and colorful programs. Thus, while God’s people are “slain” though not “in battle” they are “a tumultuous city, a joyous city.” In order to secure themselves in the midst of these conditions, the leaders bind themselves together in a confederacy to support one another. (Verse 3.)

God and His people lament this condition within the church. He says; “I will weep bitterly; do not labor to comfort me because of plundering of the daughter of my people. For it is a day of trouble and treading down and perplexity by the Lord God of hosts in the Valley of Vision.” (Verses 4, 5.) God can no longer protect His people because of their spiritual condition. “He removed the protection of Judah. You looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest; You also saw the damage to the city of David, that it was great.” (Verses 8, 9.)

God’s people do everything to cover up their losses and to turn them around—except for one thing. They look to the institutions of man’s accomplishments, they number the homes of Jerusalem, they sacrifice some institutions to preserve others, they consolidate, they expertly plan for the future—but they do not seek the wisdom of the One who established the church in the beginning through the Spirit of Prophecy. (See Verses 8–11.)

“In that day the Lord God of hosts called for weeping and for mourning, for baldness and for girding with sackcloth.” (Verse 12.) “But instead,” what does He find in the church? He finds “joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine.” (Verse 13.)And what is the result of this apostasy of celebrating when the Lord calls for deep repentance? “Then it was revealed in my hearing by the Lord of Hosts,

‘Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, even to your death,’ says the Lord God of hosts.” (Verse 14.) As in Ezekiel 9 and Leviticus 23, this rebellion constitutes a sin that cannot be pardoned. Probation is soon to close, and those who are celebrating when the Lord is calling for sorrow for sin will find themselves without a mediator. “Satan invents unnumbered schemes to occupy our minds”—his goal is to keep us joyfully celebrating within the church, until probation’s door is forever closed and we are unprepared. (Great Controversy, 488.)That day is fast approaching.

 

New Theology for a New Movement

 

The celebration movement has its roots in the New Theology teachings that Desmond Ford and others brought into the church, starting in the 1950’s. The New Theology taught that, since Jesus had a different human nature than we do, we cannot be like He was. We can never hope to overcome sin and live a life like Jesus lived. “He is our substitute,” it was said, “not our example.”

The gospel, according to the New Theology, was the good news of justification. Sanctification was not a part of the gospel. Jesus forgives our sins without anything being done on our part except to accept Him as our Savior. We will continue to sin until Jesus comes, but we will still be saved because of Jesus’ righteousness. He accepts us just as we are. This was called “good news.”

I remember a prominent Sabbath morning speaker at a conference camp meeting I was helping with a few years ago. He spoke about the joy of Sabbath-keeping. Sabbath is supposed to be a day of joy, but this joy is supposed to come from having victory over sin, not because God permits us to continue in sin. But this speaker proclaimed that the Sabbath is to be a day of joy because God accepts us in sin, just the way we are. He affirmed that we are to rejoice and be happy whether we have character defects or not—not because God can help us to overcome these defects, but because God happily accepts us while we continue to sin.

The speaker gave examples from the Bible to prove his point. He said that Moses threw down the Ten Commandments from the mountain in a fit of anger, yet the Lord accepted him, without a word of reproof, and brought him back up into the mountain to talk with Him face to face, even though Moses was continuing to manifest anger. The speaker went on to say that if the Lord accepted Moses—even with his uncontrolled temper, He will accept you if you have a temper problem too. That is why the Sabbath is to be a joyful day! Thus, he taught we are to make Sabbath a day of rejoicing without worrying about our sins.

Either the speaker had not read the Spirit of Prophecy account of this story or he did not believe what it says, for there we are assured that when “he threw down the tables of stone and broke them . . . Moses did not sin . . . He was wroth for God, jealous for His glory.” Early Writings, 163. But the speaker used this story to falsely assure his hearers that sin is inconsequential—God doesn’t care!

The speaker used other illustrations. He said that Paul boastfully claimed to have kept the law. Since those who believe in the New Theology do not believe that anyone can keep the law, thisstatement of Paul’s is not believed. He claimed that Paul was just manifesting boastful self-righteousness, but God accepted him too. Thus, God even accepts the self-righteous and boastful, according to this speaker. Again, the thought was conveyed—forget about your shortcomings, simply rejoice in the goodness of the Lord. I was shocked and distressed over this perverted theology that taught people to rejoice in their sins, but was even more surprised to hear the comments of delight over the message by those attending.

This is superficial Christianity. “If they were really one with Christ, if His Spirit were dwelling in them, they would see the sinfulness of sin. Not only would they confess; but they would forsake that which God abhors.” The Youth’s Instructor, March 5, 1903. “He who is truly penitent does not forget his past sins, and grow careless about them as soon as he has obtained forgiveness. On the contrary, the clearer the evidence he has of divine favor, the more he sees to regret in his past life of sin. He loathes, abhors, and condemns himself, and is more and more astonished that he should have continued in rebellion so long. He renews his repentance toward God, while he grasps more decidedly the hand of Jesus Christ, and finds that repentance is a daily, continued exercise, lasting until mortality is swallowed up of life. He who thus repents, appreciates the righteousness of Christ as above silver and gold above every earthly tie and affection.” Signs of the Times, November 26, 1894.

“He who is truly repentant, he who is regenerated, hates sin. All manner of selfishness is distressing to him. Indifference to God on the part of those around him grieves him. He is not led to exalt self in the performance of his duty, but abhors self. ‘I abhor myself’ is the language of the godly of all ages, who have had a clear view of the purity and holiness of Christ.” Signs of the Times, August 13, 1894.

“When the church are united, they will have strength and power; but when part of them are united to the world, and many are given to covetousness, which God abhors, He can do but little for them. Unbelief and sin shut them away from God.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 149.

It is the spirit of Satan that leads to indifference to sin. And it is this indifference and blindness to sin, which has been steadily growing in the church since the New Theology was introduced, that has laid the foundation for the celebration movement. No one who truly understands the significance of sin and the Laodicean apostasy within the church today is going to join a celebration movement —rather they are going to become a part of the movement calling for contrition and repentance for sin.

 

The Movement Finds a Home

 

The New Theology laid the foundation for the acceptance of the celebration movement within the church, but what was the catalyst that caused it to materialize? For years there has been a growing interest in statistical growth, or “numbers,” within the organization, There was the “1000 Days of Reaping” program followed by “Harvest 90.” These programs encouraged the baptizing of large numbers of people throughout the world. Literally millions joined the church, often without adequate preparation.

In Inter and South America and the third world countries, dramatic growth was witnessed. In contrast to the explosive Adventist growth in these countries, the church in North America has grown at a snail’s pace. Once the mainstay of the Adventist denomination, North America is becoming more and more insignificant compared to the other divisions. It no longer dominates the world field during the General Conference session.

In my state of Kansas, there were 100 churches around the turn of the century. Today, Kansas has nearly a million more inhabitants, but the Adventist church has grown downward from 100 churches to 56! In church after church in thriving communities, I have asked how their church today compares to what it was thirty years ago—in nearly every instance there are fewer in attendance today. Somehow the power of the gospel has, for the most part, left the Adventist movement in the Western Countries. Though there are local exceptions, church schools, academies, pathfinders, evangelism, prayer meetings and ingathering are all floundering compared to the advances made in prior years. Seemingly every program that has promised revival has failed. In short, the condition of the church in North America, as well as in Europe and Australia, has become an embarrassment.

For years, in an attempt to turn things around, we have been inviting speakers from evangelical, non-Adventist churches and seminaries to speak to our ministers and share with them how we can grow like other churches. We have copied their programs, such as their New Testament Witnessing Concepts, thinking that what works for them will work for us too, but it hasn’t. The “Caring Church” concept was one such program that was primarily a disappointment. The “Lab 1” and “Lab 2” programs for conflict management have not produced the results hoped for either. Nor has Management by Objectives brought about the miracles hoped for in administration. As was predicted in Isaiah 22, we have looked in every direction for every solution to our problems, but we have not looked to the Maker of the church—to the One who fashioned it long ago. (See Isaiah 22:11.).

Isaiah says in verse 13, that the next solution sought would be one of celebration!

With each failure, the desire for a program that works has grown more intense. We have developed a great desire for the Holy Spirit to come and give us “numbers” in the developed countries as we have heard about in the other countries. We have already reached outside of our church for the expertise of the Sunday keeping churches that supposedly have manifestations of the Holy Spirit—that is, the Pentecostal churches—to make up for what we have not found in the evangelical churches. Several of our ministers have gone to the Pentecostal churches to learn the secret of their power. In years past, there was no confusion as to the source of their power. We always believed that it was a counterfeit manifestation of the Holy Spirit. We tested all manifestations of the Holy Spirit with such verses as Isaiah 8:20. We believed that the Pentecostal power was spiritualistic, and that it would help to unite apostate Protestantism and Catholicism together, and that under this three-fold power America would “follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience.” Great Controversy, 588.

Generally, in our past history, we would not consider renting a Pentecostal church for our own services, or renting out our facilities for a Pentecostal service. We loved the Pentecostal people dearly, but believed that the movement was a form of spiritualism. We could not worship in the same room where spiritualism reigned.

The result of this new endeavor to revitalize our church through the introduction of Pentecostalism is the celebration movement. It is of no small significance that the two most heralded celebration churches, the flagship churches of Portland, Oregon and Colton, California, are both conducted in Pentecostal churches.

How surprised I was to hear a sermon from a minister in one of our largest conferences,in a revival meeting, that had been promoted with a full color advertisement in the Union paper, say that his best friend was a Pentecostal minister. He shared how the Holy Spirit is being manifested in churches today, and is now even coming into some Adventist churches as well. But he said that most Adventists are so afraid of the Holy Spirit that if it should come, they would flee from the room. The conference president and other conference leaders heartily endorsed his speech. His purpose was to start a new celebration church in their conference.

Many of the Adventist celebration books and materials are simply re-writes from straight Pentecostal books and materials. And the whole order of service in these churches is Pentecostal in style.

In preparation for this article, I visited one church. I heard the reports from others, and am not the one to visit questionable places just to see for myself. But I thought that maybe the reports had been exaggerated. I was pleasantly surprised in the foyer at the conservative attire of the greeters—no jewelry or frivolous dress (though I soon found that other leaders in the church were not similarly attired). But inside I was in for a shock. A musical drama was in progress, with the lights off and spotlights on the “actors.” Following was music by the band and lead singers from up front. The music had the definite beat of rock music. When the pastor called people to come up for prayer, hundreds went forward. There was the laying on of hands by elders while the pastor and his wife prayed, and many others waving their hands back and forth in a Pentecostal manner. Throughout the service there was clapping, joking, laughter, and a happy feeling. At the conclusion the band and lead singers let loose with the loudest music of the day, with a beat that was becoming harder all the time. The lead singers clapped their hands and swayed back and forth.

Those attending appeared to be an interesting amalgamation—everything was acceptable. Many think that this is wonderful. I, too, enjoy seeing people who represent a melange of philosophy and dress in a church if the people are non-Adventists looking for truth, but that was not the case in this church. While God accepts each one where they are initially, when they first find the Lord, He expects practical, spiritual growth to ensue from that point on. The road to heaven is not the broad road that includes every brand of Christian practice and life-style, it is the narrow road that Jesus walked.

I wondered what Jesus would have said if He had attended. I am sure He would have called the service sacrilegious. I will not go back, for I do not believe the Lord could protect me from the evil influences that there prevailed. Is that too old-fashioned; too far fetched? Haven’t we always told our members not to attend spiritualistic meetings and Pentecostal services because the Lord could not protect us in such places?

 

Celebration Spreads

 

Ellen White says that “the final movements will be rapid ones.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 11. We have seen the rapidity with which Eastern Europe has turned from Communism to the Pope. But nowhere have final events moved faster than they have in the celebration movement. Who even heard of a celebration church two years ago? But today it is world-wide. Pastors from all over America have been trained in the celebration concepts. Pastors from Australia and New Zealand,on the way to the General Conference, have stopped off and been trained in the celebration concepts. Celebration churches are springing up everywhere, as though empowered by some special force.

Twice before, Satan has tried to bring this kind of spiritualistic experience into the church—after the disappointment of 1844 and again after the turn of the century. In both cases it was supposedly the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and was associated with music, drums, and the swaying of the people. Ellen White predicted that this phenomenon would again come into the church. “The things you have described as taking place in Indiana, the Lord has shown me would take place just before the close of probation. Every uncouth thing will be demonstrated. There will be shouting, with drums, music, and dancing. The senses of rational beings will become so confused that they cannot be trusted to make right decisions. And this is called the moving of the Holy Spirit.” Selected Messages, vol. 2, 36. The Lord here said that this would take place “just before the close of probation”! Isaiah 22 says there would be no atonement made for those who join in, for probation will close. Surely, we are seeing the final events of history being enacted! This is no time to be a sleeping Christian, but as Paul said, “knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep.” Romans 13:11.

“But,” someone may say, “Our church is becoming a celebration church and we don’t see all the extremes mentioned above manifested in our church. Our church is just incorporating the good parts of the celebration movement.” But let us consider the source. Eve found it impossible to separate the good from the bad when she partook of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Let us consider one other thing: The two flag-ship celebration churches were started as celebration churches. It is impossible to change an existing, traditional church into a full-fledged celebration church immediately. There must be a conditioning process. Many times I have heard conference presidents counsel us ministers not to go too fast with the people. As in every other area of life, change comes one step at a time.

A person doesn’t become an alcoholic over-night. At first it appears that alcohol is quite a pleasant entertainment. The one who drinks doesn’t consider that he will ever go to the “excesses” of the alcoholic, but one must look at the alcoholic to see where alcohol consumption ultimately leads. And so, if one wants to see the end result of the celebration movement, he must see the character of the churches that have been started as celebration churches, without the baggage of traditional Adventists in the congregation to slow the process down. The pastor of the Colton California celebration church, found that he could not introduce all of his ideas into the Azure Hills Seventh–day Adventist church, because too many of the members objected to his ideas, as they should have done. Therefore, pastors who introduce the celebration concept into established churches must progress slowly, step by step—but the end result, though it will take a little longer to achieve, will be the same as the full–fledged celebration churches. Thus, even the first vestiges of the celebration concept must be vigorously opposed in every congregation. Once a church becomes a celebration church, it is the duty of every true and faithful Seventh-day Adventist to leave that apostate congregation.

 

Time to Speak Up

 

Today it is time for every true and faithful Seventh-day Adventist to raise his voice against this apostate movement within the church. This will bring persecution.

“It needs something besides theory to reach hearts now. It needs the stirring testimony to alarm and arouse; that will stir the enemy’s subjects, and then honest souls will be led to decide for the truth. There has been and still is, with some, a disposition to have everything move on very smoothly. They see no necessity of [a] straight testimony.

“Sins exist in the church that God hates, but they are scarcely touched for fear of making enemies. Opposition has risen in the church to the plain testimony. Some will not bear it. They wish smooth things spoken unto them. If the wrongs of individuals are touched, they complain of severity, and sympathize with those in the wrong. As Ahab inquired of Elijah, ‘Art thou he that troubleth Israel?’ they are ready to look with suspicion and doubt upon those who bear the plain testimony, and like Ahab overlook the wrong which made it necessary for reproof and rebuke. . . Just as long as God has a church, He will have those who will cry aloud and spare not . . . whether men will hear or forbear. I saw that individuals would rise up against the plain testimonies.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, 283, 284.

Already persecution has arisen against those who speak out against the celebration movement. At least one has been disfellowshipped for this, and undoubtedly other disfellowshippings will follow.

When persecution arose in Battle Creek against the straight testimony, Ellen White wrote to the leaders of the church and recalled how she and others had been persecuted in their previous denominational churches and for this reason had to leave, and to call others out of these churches, too. Then, in referring to our own church, she said: “We hoped that there would not be the necessity for another coming out.” 1888 Materials, 357. But Ellen White found that she did have to call people out of the Battle Creek church, and tell students not to attend school there. We, too, must recognize that we must not attend a place where God’s Spirit has left. The Seventh–day Adventist movement is going through, but, as in Ellen White’s day, there is proving to be a need for a calling out from certain congregations and institutions within the church.

In commenting on Adventists who had not accepted all the truth, the messenger to the remnant said: “I was shown the necessity of those who believe that we are having the last message of mercy, being separate from those who are daily imbibing new errors. I saw that neither young nor old should attend their meetings; for it is wrong to thus encourage them while they teach error that is a deadly poison to the soul and teach for doctrines the commandments of men. The influence of such gatherings is not good. If God has delivered us from such darkness and error, we should stand fast in the liberty wherewith He has set us free and rejoice in the truth. God is displeased with us when we go to listen to error, without being obliged to go; for unless He sends us to those meetings where error is forced home to the people by the power of the will, He will not keep us. The angels cease their watchful care over us, and we are left to the buffetings of the enemy, to be darkened and weakened by him and the power of his evil angels; and the light around us becomes contaminated with the darkness.

“I saw that we have no time to throw away in listening to fables. Our minds should not be thus diverted, but should be occupied with the present truth, and seek wisdom that we may obtain more thorough knowledge of our position, that with meekness we may be able to give a reason of our hope from the Scriptures. While false doctrines and dangerous errors are pressed upon the mind, it cannot be dwelling upon the truth which is to fit and prepare the house of Israel to stand in the day of the Lord.” Early Writings, 124, 125.

 

Conclusion

 

Ellen White was shown the final struggle of God’s remnant people: “I saw some, with strong faith and agonizing cries, pleading with God. Their countenances were pale and marked with deep anxiety, expressive of their internal struggle. Firmness and great earnestness was expressed in their countenances; large drops of perspiration fell from their foreheads . . .

“Evil angels crowded around, pressing darkness upon them to shut out Jesus from their view . . . As the praying ones continued their earnest cries, at times a ray of light from Jesus came to them, to encourage their hearts and light up their countenances. Some, I saw, did not participate in this work of agonizing and pleading. They seemed indifferent and careless. They were not resisting the darkness around them, and it shut them in like a thick cloud. The angels of God left these and went to the aid of the earnest, praying ones. I saw angels of God hasten to the assistance of all who were struggling with all their power to resist the evil angels and trying to help themselves by calling upon God with perseverance.” Early Writings, 269, 270.

Some day soon, before Jesus comes, each Christian must go through a Gethsemane experience. Those who have developed a shallow experience based upon emotionalism will not go through. But those who have learned to stand for truth and principle now, will be helped to stand true then.

There is coming a true outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But it will not be accompanied by worldly music, clapping of hands, lightness and triviality and fanaticism —it will rather lead to deep contrition of soul. But before the genuine outpouring of the Holy Spirit will come a counterfeit movement, just as before the Second Coming of Christ will come a counterfeit second coming. I would rather choose to wait for the genuine Holy Spirit, and the genuine Second Coming.

Someday there will be a genuine celebration church. There will be most beautiful, holy music in this church. There will be rejoicing and jubilee. There will be no sin within this church, and no tempter to destroy, for it will be the celebration of the redeemed of all the ages celebrating around the throne. Just as I can wait for the true Holy Spirit, and the true Second Coming, so I can wait for the true celebration church.

“And it will be said in that day: ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.’ “Isaiah 25:9.

 

A Lesson From Australia

by

In 1888 our church leaders and a large proportion of the Seventh-day Adventist church rejected the message that God sent to us through A.T. Jones and E.J. Waggoner at the Minneapolis General Conference. Ellen White, A.T. Jones, and E.J. Waggoner traveled all over the United States preaching and teaching our people, attempting to reverse the tide that had been set in motion by our leaders, but it did not work. The majority of Adventists flessonsdid not accept the message of righteousness by faith. The General Conference leaders decided they needed to get Ellen White out of the way, so they suggested that she go to Australia. She had no light from the Lord that she should go, but she said at one time when she had no light from the Lord, she followed the counsel of the brethren (see appendix part A). This statement has been quoted all over the world, but she made another statement later that she believed that she had made a mistake in going to Australia. Later the General Conference brethren wanted to get her even farther out of the way so they suggested that she go to Africa, but she would not go (see appendix part B).

She came back to the United States in 1900, just in time for the greatest crisis that the Seventh-day Adventist church would go through, up to that time. It is reported that Ellen White said in Australia in 1896, that if we had accepted the message in 1888, we would have been in the Kingdom by then. It was during the 1890s, after we had rejected the message of righteousness by faith, that we started on the long way home to the Kingdom. The long way involved the building up of many institutions.

If you look at the history of Adventist institutions, you will find that most of our colleges started in the 1890s. The college at Keene started in the 1890s; the one at Lincoln and Walla Walla started in the 1890s too. Shortly afterwards, we had two crisis General Conferences in 1901 and 1903. After the 1903 General Conference, which Ellen White said was one of the deepest disappointments of her life, the Lord chose to institute another plan for finishing His work.

Ellen White, through Divine inspiration, authorized Dr. Sutherland and Magan to begin Madison College, a self-supporting institution which she said was not to be under the control of the conference (see appendix part C). God authorized self-supporting work, work that was not under the control of the conference, and it has been under attack by the devil ever since. When Ellen White was in Australia, she was instrumental in helping them start a model school. There were two schools that were established in Ellen White’s lifetime which she spoke of as model schools. One of them was the college at Avondale; the other one was Madison College.

I recently visited Avondale College with Elder O. K. Anderson. His father was very well acquainted with Ellen White. Elder Anderson showed us around the college and showed us the place where Ellen White saw a furrow in vision and knew that this was the sight that they needed to purchase. Elder Anderson’s father was contacted and he went and investigated this property. People thought that it would not grow anything, but it became a very fertile farmland in just a few years.

Ellen White directed them to plant an apple orchard, where today they have a ball field. They had a high-producing apple and persimmon orchard on this farm. Ellen White lived at Cooranbong, just a stone’s throw from where this college was established, from 1896 to 1900. Under her direction this college was established, and the Austral-Asian Division became a flagship division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The work progressed very rapidly; Ellen White visited both Australia and New Zealand and taught them that they had the responsibility of taking the Gospel to all of that region of the world. From Australia and New Zealand we sent missionaries to Fiji, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and to New Guinea. In addition to that, there are many small islands scattered throughout the Pacific. Before World War II, we had mission boats and our missionaries would travel from island to island.

The work was established in these islands at great sacrifice. Many of the missionaries that first went there lost their lives. We lost one of our missionaries in 1920 from Blackwater Fever. In 1966 there was a new convert to Adventism who wanted to take the Gospel to the islands, so he and his wife went to the islands. He was there for only eleven days when he was speared and lost his life. In 1988 we had a missionary who was shot and lost his life. Taking the gospel to these islands has not been without cost.

As the work progressed in these islands, everyone looked to Austral-Asia as a flagship division—a place where the Adventist work was progressing rapidly in purity. We had no idea what was going to happen, that this would be the division that would be the first to come under a tremendous attack through the new theology.

At the General Conference Session in 1980, H. M. S. Richards, Sr. referred to the possibility of losing a whole division. This attack began when Desmond Ford began to teach our ministers and theology students at Avondale College. A fight developed between Desmond Ford and many of our leading evangelists and pastors in Australia. These pastors and evangelists in Australia said that Desmond Ford was preaching heresy and something needed to be done about it. The interesting thing was that our organization would not do anything about it. Anyone in the Austral-Asian division that went to school after about 1960 was trained in this new theology. Ministers that were experienced said, “This is heresy!” But the church would not listen to them. However, it finally got so bad that something had to be done, so this is what was done:

People said, “He is just a big fish in a little pond over here in Australia. We’ll just ship him off to the United States and then he’ll be a little fish in a big pond and he won’t cause so much trouble.” So they transported the problem to the United States, and within a matter of months it became a worldwide problem. At that time Desmond Ford was “defrocked.” However, it was a situation in which outwardly he was defrocked, but actually instead he got control of a large portion of the Adventist church. New theology had already taken hold—it had taken hold in the 1940s and 1950s among some of the leading men in our seminary. In the mid 1950s we published the book Questions on Doctrine, and by the 1960s it was starting to take hold of the men who were teaching our ministers in the United States. By the 1980s it was everywhere, not just with the ministers, but all through the ranks of Adventism.

Let me just mention a few of the cardinal teachings of the new theology. The first and the main one is the teaching that you cannot keep the law of God perfectly. You can keep it, but you cannot keep it perfectly. Desmond Ford was grilled on this by his opponents; he would say, “Yes, I believe that you can keep the law of God.” So he was finally asked, “Do you believe that you can keep the law of God perfectly?” He said, “No, I don’t believe that you can keep the law of God perfectly.” That understanding is based on a certain understanding of the nature of Christ, original sin, what happened at the cross, and the meaning of the sanctuary. New theologists do not think that the Adventist doctrine concerning the sanctuary has any real relevance.

In 1979 Desmond Ford made the statement that he did not think that 1844 was relevant. If 1844 is not relevant, then our Sanctuary teaching from Daniel 8 and 9 and the book of Hebrews is not relevant. If that is not relevant, then you do not have any rational reason to be a Seventh-day Adventist, you might as well be a Seventh-day Baptist or something else. Of course, Ellen White would be a false prophet. Desmond Ford was forced to take a position on all of those things. He said that he did not believe that Ellen White had canonical authority (whatever that is)! He said that she had pastoral authority. That’s the same as denying the prophetic gift! A prophet has Divine authority!

This controversy exploded all over the United States, and we had a tremendous shaking in which we lost members from all of our large churches in the early 1980s. The effects of this liberal theology are still being felt in our conferences, institutions, and in the structure of the Seventh-day Adventist church today.

But this attack came first in Australia, and it has been there longer than any other place. The very same thing that happened there could happen in the United States if we are not thinking correctly. In Australia, as this fight between Historic Adventism and the new theology went throughout the churches, there were many ministers and laymen who were concerned, so they began to fight this liberal theology.

Colin Standish, Ron Spear, Marshall Grosboll and a number of other Historic Adventist preachers went throughout Australia preaching against this new theology. They preached about things like the nature of Christ, the Sanctuary, the Spirit of Prophecy, and all of these things that pointed out the difference between Historic Adventism and the new theology. They would get crowds of people—over a thousand—at these different meetings. By the time I was there in 1988 you were not getting crowds of over a thousand, but you could get crowds of several hundred sincere, Christian people.

But a terrible thing happened in Australia. I want to describe to you as briefly as I can, without mentioning any names, what happened. Preachers went around Australia preaching about this terrible apostasy. They preached the doctrines of Historic Adventism, and the people believed it. But there was one fatal flaw, and if we do not learn our lesson, the same thing that is happening there will happen in other places. Here is what many preachers were telling the people: “In spite of all this apostasy, in spite of this new theology, the church is the church.” Have you ever heard that expression? “The church is the church.”

What do people mean when they say that “the church is the church?” This organized church, this conference structure—that is the church, and you have to stay in there and fight it out. Let us just think this through a little bit. Suppose that you are in a mental and a spiritual battle with the forces of darkness. You are supposed to fight it out, but when you go to fight it out, all you can do is sit in the pew—you cannot say anything! The other side has the pulpit and control of who speaks all the time. Who do you think is going to win?

In Revelation 3, what is the big problem among the people of God in the last days? They think they are all right! People got the idea, “I’m not part of the new theology, I believe the Historic Adventist doctrines, but I’m going to stay here.” So they stayed; they kept going to church. And over a period of time their convictions, their fervor, their zeal, their burden for lost souls just seemed to disappear. Why? Because of the preaching they were listening to. Don’t you ever let anybody tell you that where you go to church and what kind of preaching you listen to has no affect on your soul’s salvation. It does!! If you go listen to people that are preaching the new theology or easy-going sermons, it is going to have an affect on you. God is not going to work a miracle to cover up or take away the effect of your presumption, when you go and listen to that kind of preaching.

Do you know what has happened in Australia today? I have talked to some very concerned people who have been there and watched this whole thing develop, some have even lost their own children! They decided that they needed to keep going to these churches. The new theology people had control of the pulpit, and as they kept going there year after year after year, finally they got calmed down. And at the same time they got calmed down, the apostasy got worse.

There are still some today who are trying to tell the people that they need to stay in the conference churches. They have had evangelists come in from the United States who have had evangelistic meetings, and they have had twenty to twenty-five people get ready for baptism. But they said, “We’ve got to keep these people in the church structure; take them to a conference church.” And after a few months, they do not have anything to show for. Either the people leave the church, or what is even worse, they become Laodicean, they get calmed down. There is almost no protest going against the apostasy.

I spoke at three different places in Australia, and in every place that I spoke, it was a place that just happened to have a home church, and so people came. These people were still alive spiritually, they were not totally asleep. The places that are still alive are the places where there are home churches. We need to pray for a miracle in Australia; it used to be one of the strongest divisions in Adventism, and, at the present time, it is one of the weakest.

I do not want to see what happened in Australia happen here in the United States. We are going to have to tell everyone, “You cannot keep going where the new theology is being preached and people say, Just believe in the Lord, trust Him! Everything will be all right.” If you go and listen to that, you will get calmed down and will go to sleep. Jude 3 says that we are to contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saints. The word contend literally means fight. There is a time to fight; there is a worldwide battle going on in Adventism. If you just sit and get calmed down, the devil will put you to sleep and the end result will be that you will lose your soul.

Here is what has developed in the Austral-Asian Division. Eight years ago, when all this was going on in Australia that I described, I was over there for the first time. I was told that all of these awful things that are going on in Australia and New Zealand had not gotten out to the islands. How long do you think that would last if things keep getting worse in Australia, which calls the shots in the islands? It should not be impossible to figure out that the time is coming when the same thing that is going on in Australia and New Zealand is going to start up in the islands; it did in the early 1990s. The same thing that has happened in Australia and New Zealand is now taking place in the islands.

But there is one difference: Evan Sadler has been up to these islands and they have figured out that they have to stay together as a church. You have to have a church of people that believe the same way, you have to meet together, exhort one another, and help one another get to Heaven. You cannot stay in an apostate church! We are hoping that we will have a completely different outcome in the islands. There has been an effort to crush the revival and reformation movement in all the islands, but it has not been possible. God has raised up people to proclaim the Adventist message in Fiji, Vanuatu, in the Solomon Islands, and in Papua New Guinea.

In Papua New Guinea, when Livingston Kul was raised up by the Lord to preach, he did not intend to be a preacher. He already had a very good job, a nice home and was better off than most of the people on the island. He left his good job and went to get trained to be a minister. Not too long ago, Livingston Kul got in trouble with the conference because he was preaching the Three Angels’ Messages on the street. There were so many Roman Catholics that were listening to him that one of the Catholic clergy went and talked to one of the leaders of the Adventist mission. The president of the Adventist mission called Pastor Kul into his office and told him, “We want you to quit preaching on the street.” Livingston Kul was convicted that he was doing what the Lord wanted him to do, so he said, “I will never, never, never quit!” A short time afterwards the Adventist mission did not have any money to pay him anymore.

Now he was without a job and he did not know what to do, so he started praying. The Lord led him to start teaching laymen how to be street preachers, and he has organized a force of street evangelists. Seventeen people were disfellowshipped because they were supporting Livingstone Kul and all these street preachers. When they were disfellowshipped, eight churches said, “We’re going with them.” Now the revival and reformation movement has about twenty churches. These lay preachers are going out and they are shaking Papua New Guinea.

Right now they are going through a similar experience to what Australia went through fifteen years ago. I hope that the outcome will be much different. What is it that will make the outcome different? You must gather all the people that want to do the Lord’s will and organize. You need to have regular meetings and organize for evangelism.

One of the things I learned when I visited Australia was that if I want my religious experience to stay hot, I have something to do. I need to be part of a church that has regular meetings, that is organized and has discipline, where we help each other get to heaven.

The purpose of the church is two-fold. 1. We are to send out a warning message to a lost world in an organized way. 2. We are to help those inside the church get ready for heaven. Where you are going to church is either helping you get ready for heaven or for hell—one or the other. It would be better to be in a little home church with six or eight people and be helping each other get ready for heaven, than to be in a great big church and just sit down and warm the pew and lose your Christian experience. Ellen White said that it was difficult to maintain a high level of Christian experience in large churches. The small churches are where the action has always been.

It is the little home church where people meet together regularly to pray and to study the word, to encourage and help each other get ready for heaven, to send out the warning message to the world—that is the places where people are going to be ready for heaven. I want to be in a place like that, do you? I want to take advantage of all the spiritual opportunities the Lord gives us, to help each other to have discipline and order, and to be ready for heaven.

 

Appendix

PART A – Australia

I have not, I think, revealed the entire workings that led me here to Australia. Perhaps you may never fully understand the matter. The Lord was not in our leaving America. He did not reveal that it was His will that I should leave Battle Creek. The Lord would have had W.C. White, his mother, and her workers remain in America. . . There was so great a willingness to have us leave, that the Lord permitted this thing to take place. Those who were weary of the testimonies borne were left without the persons who bore them. Our separation from Battle Creek was to let men have their own will and way, which they thought superior to the way of the Lord. . . . It was not the Lord who devised this matter. I could not get one ray of light to leave America. 1888 Materials, 1622, 1623

PART B – Africa

Elder Olsen, I wish to say to you, You must not make any calculation for me to go to Africa, I see no light and consistency in such a move. . . . I have not the slightest inclination to go to Europe or to visit Africa, and I have not one ray of light that I should go. I am willing to go where ever the Lord indicates my duty, but I am not willing to go at the voice of the Conference unless I see my own way closer to do so. 1888 Materials, 1263

PART C – Madison

The Lord has instructed me that, from the first, the work in Huntsville and Madison should have received adequate help. But instead of this help being rendered promptly there has been long delay. And in the matter of the Madison school, there has been a standing off from them because they were not under the ownership and control of some Conference. This is a question that should sometimes be considered, but it is not the Lord’s plan that means should be withheld from Madison, because they are not bound to the conference. The attitude which some of our brethren have assumed toward this enterprise shows that it is not wise for every working agency to be under the dictation of conference officers. There are some enterprises under certain conditions, that will produce better results if standing alone. Manuscript Releases, vol. 8, 202

The Lord does not set limits about His workers in some lines as men are wont to set. In their work, Brethren Magan and Sutherland have been hindered unnecessarily. Means have been withheld form them because in the organization and management of the Madison school, it was not placed under the control of the conference. But the reasons why this school was not owned and controlled by the conference have not been duly considered. Madison School, 31, 32

The Need for Union Conferences

There is need of a most earnest, thorough work to be carried forward now in all our churches. We are now to understand whether all our printing plants and all our sanitariums are to be under the control of the General Conference. I answer, Nay. It has been a necessity to organize union conferences, that the General Conference shall not exercise dictation over all the separate conferences. The power vested in the Conference is not to be centered in one man, or two men, or six men; there is to be a council of men over the separate divisions. Manuscript Releases, vol. 14, 279

The End