Knowing the Truth is Not Enough

Theology is the study of who God is. It’s very important for us to have correct teachings and correct theology. Second Timothy 3:5, 7 tell us there will be a people in the last days who “have a form of godliness but deny its power. And from such people turn away! … always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” First Timothy 2:4 says, “Who [God] desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Solomon said in Proverbs 23:23, “Buy the truth, and do not sell it.” When the angel spoke to Daniel in vision he said, “Now I’ve come to tell you the truth” (Daniel 11:2). It’s very important to know the truth and to have a correct theology, but we are going to see that having true theology is not enough.

If we really want to know the truth about any subject, we must follow the Bible rule found in Isaiah 28 which is precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little. Here God teaches us that as we study Scripture it should be done by looking at all the scriptures found regarding a subject. If there is confusion regarding a subject, it is essential that we must study all the statements found in Scripture and the Spirit of Prophecy.

In 2 Peter 1, Peter tells us that the apostles preached the truth. He also tells us how he knew it was the truth: “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain” (verses 16–18). He could say that we know what we are telling you is the truth because we saw it ourselves. We witnessed His majesty and heard the voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

But Peter also says there is evidence even more powerful than their personal witness. “We have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophesy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (verses 19–21).

So Peter says that we told you the truth; we know it is the truth; we witnessed His majesty ourselves, but we have evidence even more powerful than what we witnessed on the mount of transfiguration. That evidence, more powerful and more certain, is the word of prophecy. Would that all people could comprehend the certainty of prophecy. Those today who have the truth, study and understand Bible prophecy, especially those relating to the last days.

The book of Daniel was the first inspired book given especially for the last days. Other prophets spoke for their own time, but their prophesies also applied to the end of time. It is good to study the prophesies as they were applied historically, but we especially need to study them as they apply to the last days. In addition to the inspired writings in the book of Daniel, the apostle John wrote the book of Revelation where he documented what he was shown regarding the very last days of earth’s history.

The truth involves judgment. Romans 2:2 says, “We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things [those things mentioned in Romans 1].” Verse 8: “To those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath.” Notice, the truth involves judgment. Romans 3:4: “Let God be true but every man a liar.” Revelation 19:11: “I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.”

Over 20 years ago Pastor Ron Spear shared the following Spirit of Prophecy statement with me and I am still awed by it today: “We want to understand the time in which we live. We do not half understand it. We do not half take it in. My heart trembles in me when I think of what a foe we have to meet, and how poorly we are prepared to meet him. The trials of the children of Israel, and their attitude just before the first coming of Christ, have been presented before me again and again to illustrate the position of the people of God in their experience before the second coming of Christ—how the enemy sought every occasion to take control of the minds of the Jews, and today he is seeking to blind the minds of God’s servants, that they may not be able to discern the precious truth.” Selected Messages, vol. 1, 406.

“We don’t understand” she says. We don’t know what’s going on. Consider this: When a person is deceived, do they know that they are deceived? No. If they knew, then they wouldn’t be deceived. “Satan’s snares are laid for us as verily as they were laid for the children of Israel just prior to their entrance into the land of Canaan. We are repeating the history of that people.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 160.

Why is it not enough to have the truth? We read in Romans 1:18, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” These are people who have the truth, but who don’t live the truth. It is not enough to just know the truth.

This was the problem with the Jewish people in the time of Christ. Jesus addressed this problem in Matthew 23:2: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.” Most people in Jesus’ time went to the synagogue where the Scriptures were read to them during the worship services.

During the middle ages, Christian churches might have scriptoriums. A person at the front of the room would read a verse to 30 or more people who would then write what they heard. In this way copies of the Bible were produced. However, with 30 different people in the room all writing what was being read, the possibility that someone might misspell a word or say “that” instead of “which” resulted in variations from one transcript to another. In fact, that is why there are approximately 200,000 variations of the New Testament today. The making of books before the printing press was laborious, time consuming, and very expensive, but you can depend on what you read in your Bible as being the truth.

But when Jesus was talking to the people in Matthew 23, information primarily was received by listening to what was said in the church. When Jesus said, “They sit in Moses’ seat,” He meant they were being taught the law and about the prophets. Notice what He says in verse 3, first part: “Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do” because they’re telling you what Moses and the prophets said. “But do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do” (verse 3, last part). Did they have the truth? Yes, they possessed the truth, but their lives and their church were not in harmony with that truth.

The apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11:2–4, “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste [pure] virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted.”

There is a great deception depicted in these texts. The person is preaching Jesus, but it is another Jesus. There is more than one Jesus being preached in the world today. There are millions of Christians praying every day asking the Lord to pour out His Holy Spirit upon them, but if a person is living in sin and asks to receive the Holy Spirit they have placed themselves in a very dangerous position, because they could receive a spirit and could believe that they have been filled with the Holy Spirit, but it is the wrong spirit.

Jesus warned us that this would happen in the last days. We read in Matthew 7:21, 22: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders [that is, powerful works or miracles] in Your name?’ ” How were they able to prophesy, cast out demons and work miracles? Because they had a spirit that they believed was the Holy Spirit, but Jesus says to them, “Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness [iniquity]’ ” (verse 23)!

These people believe they have received the Holy Spirit and they prove it by doing these marvelous things, but it is the wrong spirit. When Jesus comes, He will say, “You are not loyal subjects of My kingdom. You have not kept the laws of My kingdom. I do not know you.” No matter how many times I repeat these verses in Matthew 7, my mind still cannot take it in. You really believe that you are filled with the Holy Spirit, but when Jesus comes and you say, “Lord, I know that I’m saved,” He says, “I do not know you.” Probation is closed. It’s too late to be saved. Think of the shock for these people, but according to Jesus, this will happen to many people.

Let’s consider the Jews as we continue to study the concept of it not being enough just to have true theology. The Jews thought of themselves as the only chosen of God and they had a few beliefs that supported this idea:

  1. Their church organization was inspired
  2. They idolized their church organization
  3. Their organizational policies were inspired
  4. Their church organization would never fall

The Jews considered their church organization to be inspired because the Sanhedrin was made up of 70 people and they believed this could be proven based on Numbers 11:16, 17. These scriptures say: “So the Lord said to Moses: ‘Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you. Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone.’ ” Continuing in verses 24 and 25 the Bible says, “So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord, and he gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tabernacle. Then the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again.” Some manuscripts read, “They prophesied and did not cease.”

If the Spirit of God came down upon these 70 leaders in Israel, was it inspired? Yes, it was. Hundreds of years before Christ’s time, they had appointed 70 men to lead their nation and called them the Sanhedrin. This was done because the Lord said this was how His church was to be organized. So they believed their church organization was inspired. But it is not enough to just know the truth; it must be practiced.

Concerning this problem Stephen said, you “have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it” (Acts 7:53). Truth without practice is worthless. First Peter 1:22 says, “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.” Ellen White quotes this text over and over throughout her writings.

Next, they made a god of their church organization. Their church organization was centered in the temple, and the temple became an idol more important to them than the God of the temple. One of the main reasons they sought to crucify Jesus had to do with His attitude toward the temple. In Mark 14:58 the false witness accused Jesus of saying, “ ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’ ” They felt the same way about the apostle Paul and wanted to kill him, too. They said of him, “Crying out, ‘Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place [the temple]; and furthermore He also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place’ ” (Acts 21:28).

When you make a god of something, whatever it is, it has to be removed if you are going to be saved. Because they had made a god of their church organization, it would have to be destroyed. Matthew 23:38 says, “See! Your house is left to you desolate.” In The Adventist Apocalypse, Ellen White made the statement that all of Matthew 24 will have a fulfillment in the last days. Notice what it says in Matthew 24:1, 2: “Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, ‘Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.’ ”

Third, because they believed their church organization was inspired and that the Sanhedrin was inspired, it was very logical for them to believe their policies also were divinely inspired. The Jews established many arbitrary policies and these policies were said to be divinely inspired. This, however, was very deceptive. While they could read right out of the Old Testament that the policy was inspired, they added words to inspiration, and the average person could not figure out where inspiration ended and the words of their arbitrary policies began.

The Desire of Ages, 398, tells us, “The substitution of the precepts of men for the commandments of God has not ceased. Even among Christians are found institutions and usages that have no better foundation than the traditions of the fathers. Such institutions, resting upon mere human authority, have supplanted those of divine appointment. Men cling to their traditions, revere their customs, and cherish hatred against those who seek to show them their error. …

“In place of the authority of the so-called fathers of the church, God bids us accept the word of the eternal Father, the Lord of heaven and earth. Here alone is truth unmixed with error. … Let all who accept human authority, the customs of the church, or the traditions of the fathers, take heed to the warning conveyed in the words of Christ, ‘In vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men’ (Matthew 15:9).”

Finally, believing their church organization and their policies were inspired and that they were the true church chosen by God, the Jews came to believe their church organization would never fall. Ellen White says in Christ’s Object Lessons, 294, “The Jewish people cherished the idea that they were the favorites of heaven, and that they were always to be exalted as the church of God. They were the children of Abraham, they declared, and so firm did the foundation of their prosperity seem to them that they defied earth and heaven to dispossess them[selves] of their rights. But by lives of unfaithfulness they were preparing for the condemnation of heaven and for separation from God.”

Today we have an identical problem. People are writing books that say, “Our church organization will never fall. I can prove it from Letter 55, 1886.” There’s a sentence in that Letter that says, “The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out—the chaff separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must take place.”

The problem is that most people don’t read the entire letter. Let me share a couple of sentences from Letter 55 that you never hear ministers quote: “All the policy in the world cannot save us from a terrible sifting, and all the efforts made with high authorities will not lift from us the scourging of God, just because sin is cherished. If as a people [that is, as a church] we do not keep ourselves in the faith and not only advocate with pen and voice the commandments of God, but keep them every one, not violating a single precept knowingly, then weakness and ruin will come upon us.”

There are several problems with the prediction that church organization will never fall. The most important one is that few people have studied out the difference between the true church and the professed church. The true church has never fallen and will never fall. Not in the time of Enoch or Noah, Elijah or during the Babylonian captivity. Not during the days of John the Baptist, Nero, Diocletian, Constantine, Theodosius or Pope Innocent III or in the days of William Miller; yet the professed church was almost totally destroyed at each of these times in history.

Another problem has to do with the message to the church of Philadelphia. This message must be carefully studied because this is the only church of the seven churches of Revelation that is promised divine protection during the time of trouble (Revelation 3:10).

A third problem is that people don’t seem to realize that God doesn’t need the Seventh-day Adventist Church organization to finish His work. In fact, He doesn’t even need the Free Seventh-day Adventists, the Historic Adventists, the Reform Seventh-day Adventists or any other Adventist groups. For instance, Ellen White says in Notebook Leaflets vol. 1, 62, “If His people [that is, God’s people] will not follow in His way, the Lord will employ heathen princes to do His will.” God is able to finish His work just fine without any of us if He must. We must never feel that God has to use us; that is what the Jews thought. They believed that their church organization and policies were divinely inspired and that made them His true people who would go through to the end. Thus they expected all Christians to work with them and follow their policies. And because Jesus did not do that, they rejected and crucified Him. We must be careful in our day not to become like the Jews.

Remember what we read at the beginning. Ellen White said that God had shown her over and over that the attitude and problems that existed just before Jesus’ first coming would also exist just before the second coming. They rejected the Messiah because He was not in harmony with their church organization and policies. The word Jesus used in the New Testament to refer to what the Jews believed were divinely inspired policies was the word tradition. Ellen White calls them arbitrary rules. Another word is customs.

We all have customs that we follow: the time Sabbath School begins, the order for church service, how communion is conducted, how long the preacher can preach. We have so many customs that we’ve observed for so long that we don’t even consider them customs anymore.

The Jews said that because their church organization and policies were inspired, all Christians had to work with them and if they didn’t, they weren’t following the Lord. We see this same attitude in the Adventist Church today. Interestingly, around 1303 A.D. the Pope made a pronouncement that if you were going to be in the kingdom of heaven you needed to be connected with their church organization, otherwise you wouldn’t be in heaven. Many Adventists also believe that way.

Pastor Rafael Perez was in South America preaching, holding revival meetings. A Seventh-day Adventist lady came to him with tears rolling down her cheeks. When he asked her what was the matter, her reply was that she wanted to attend the revival meetings, but she had been told that if she did, she would be disfellowshipped. And if she was disfellowshipped, how could she go to the kingdom of heaven?

I have found people today who will not take part in any kind of evangelism or other soul-winning work unless it is connected to the church organization. Let me ask you, has God ordained self-supporting work or any work done by individuals if it is not connected to the church organization? It’s something to investigate: precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little.

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

Wanted: An Easy Religion

The Gospel of Jesus has never been popular. The gospels reveal that Jesus “came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11).

Thus Jesus tells us to “enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13, 14).

Although there has always been a mass of professors of religion, there have been but few who have been willing to be truly converted thereby, willing to be broken on the Rock and to crucify self.

Religion has never lacked popularity. Throughout history, most people had “religion” and have even been proud of it. But “The religion that is fashionable, that is popular in the world, is not the religion of the meek and lowly Jesus.” The Review and Herald, June 14, 1892. “The religion of Christ permits no compromise, no yielding to the influences of the world.” Ibid. One of Satan’s goals in our church is to make religion fashionable; to lower the standards of truth so that our church may be filled with those who are professors of religion, but not truly converted.

“It has been the continual endeavor of the enemy to introduce into the church persons who assent to much that is truth, but who are not converted. Professed Christians who are false to their trust are channels through whom Satan works. He can use unconverted church members to advance his own ideas and retard the work of God. Their influence is always on the side of wrong.” Notebook Leaflets from the Elmshaven Library, vol. 1, 21.

The book of Revelation reveals that Satan has succeeded in diluting this church with professors of religion who are not converted. In prophecy, this church is pictured: “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot … and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:16, 17). But because of their profession, Laodiceans viewed themselves as being rich and having need of nothing.

No more fearful delusion can take a people captive, and no more accurate description could depict our church today. We are more intent on maintaining a good name than on living a godly life. We want to feel good about ourselves while maintaining our worldly lifestyle.

We want to be popular as are the churches of the world. Typical is our turning to non-Adventist church-growth experts to teach us how we can become popular and grow like the other churches. In the process, the offense of the cross has ceased. No longer is there persecution from without, only that which comes from within when someone raises his voice calling for reform.

And yet for all the endeavors at popularity, we are not growing, at least not in the Western countries. Why should this be? In all our efforts to learn the secrets of growth employed by the churches from which we as Seventh-day Adventists were called out, is it possible that we have missed something? We have become Laodicean relatively slowly—adopting the ways of the churches which compose mystical Babylon by default rather than by intent.

As Elijah said, “How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him” (1 Kings 18:21, KJV). Let us therefore choose to have either pleasing, popular religion, or accept the offense of the cross. And for those who want a pleasing and popular religion, not by default but by intent, here are three ways to have a pleasing religion like the world:

Preach Jesus, Without Requiring Perfect Obedience

Everyone has some besetting sin. From birth, Satan has been cultivating certain sins within each one of us.

I remember in a baptismal class, as we were reading from the Bible about jewelry, one young woman spoke up and said: “If I have to take off my wedding ring to go to heaven, I can’t go.” She had been married just six months and had a new diamond wedding ring. When I visited with her in her home two days later, she had two non-Adventist ministers there helping her to see that a little jewelry was not wrong.

She came to the baptism with all her jewelry on. She asked me to explain again the reasons why wearing it was wrong. We then went into the study and spent the next hour and a half reading again all the texts and discussing their meaning. Finally, with tears, she said, “I surrender!” From that moment on the Lord used her, and within a relatively short period of time she had brought several other people into the church.

But first, she had had to overcome her besetting sin, which probably an evil angel had worked to develop this love in her from the time she was a little girl. Presents of jewelry had probably been given to her. Prideful comments had undoubtedly been made about wearing jewelry, and how good it made one look. Jewelry had become associated with femininity, sex appeal, marriage, wealth, success, and attractiveness.

How easy it would have been to have brought her into the church without counseling her about jewelry! And although she eventually made the decision to take it off, how many do not!

I remember another young woman who had three hundred pairs of earrings, several hundred pairs of shoes, and three mink coats. She was a personal acquaintance of some well-known movie stars. She came to every meeting and accepted every truth—but one. That again, was wearing jewelry. Consequently, she found a church that would accept her with her one besetting sin.

Some are lost when standards are held high. Jesus lost the rich young ruler. How much credit he could have been to the fledgling church. He had money, influence, and leadership. Moreover, he kept all the commandments, and even accepted Jesus in broad daylight and knelt down before Him—more so than Nicodemus.

Judas’ keen perceptions immediately grasped what it would mean to their little group to have this respected leader in their company. If the young man needed any reforms, he felt these could come later.

“When Jesus presented to the rich young ruler the condition of discipleship, Judas was displeased. He thought that a mistake had been made. If such men as this ruler could be connected with the believers, they would help sustain Christ’s cause. If Judas were only received as a counselor, he thought, he could suggest many plans for the advantage of the little church.” The Desire of Ages, 719.

If Jesus had listened to Judas, the small group of disciples would not have lost the rich young ruler, nor the crowd of 5,000 when “many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (John 6:66). Jesus seemed to lose more disciples than He kept. Somehow, He had never been taught the secrets of church growth. His standards were too high, in Judas’ estimation.

Numerically, Jesus could have had much more success, and we can, too, if we will just be content to preach more of “Jesus” and not concern ourselves with obedience. As long as a person will accept Jesus as his Saviour and accept “most” of the standards of the church, surely the other points of godly living will come along as he sits in church Sabbath after Sabbath.

The only trouble is that as long as there is even one point not fully surrendered to the Lord, Satan has control of the life. Because conversion “requires an entire transformation, a renewing of our whole nature, we must yield ourselves wholly to Him.” Steps to Christ, 43.

“We are not God’s children unless we are such entirely.” Ibid., 44. The more areas of godly living displayed in the life, while one sin is being cherished, the more deceptive is the Christian experience. As long as one point is unsurrendered, all the preaching in the world will not avail. Judas was not converted by his association with Jesus.

“Even one wrong trait of character, one sinful desire, persistently cherished, will eventually neutralize all the power of the gospel. Every sinful indulgence strengthens the soul’s aversion to God.” Ibid., 34.

Sin is like a cancer. Either it is completely eradicated, or it completely eradicates Christ. There are only two roads we can travel: one is the road of total victory, the other is the road of total defeat. All we have to do is take one step down, and the next one becomes easier. “After every advance step in the downward road, Satan has some special temptation to lead them [professed Christians] still further on the wrong track.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 287.

But here is the problem: We do not know when we have been totally defeated. “When sin has deadened the moral perceptions, the wrongdoer does not discern the defects of his character.” Steps to Christ, 40. Sin blinds the perceptions. The Jewish leaders in Jesus’ day came under Satan’s complete control, but thought they were the guardians of the faith.

All Satan needs is for us to reject one standard. “The removal of one safeguard from the conscience, the failure to do the very thing that the Lord has marked out, one step in the path of wrong principle, often leads to an entire change of the life and action.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 1, 320.

And so, if we want to be popular like the other churches, just preach “Jesus.” Call it “Christ our righteousness.” Make the people active, happy Christians but allow them to retain their one cherished sin.

Tell People to Wait for Jesus to Overcome Their Sins for Them

If the lie that perfect obedience is unnecessary doesn’t work and Satan cannot deceive us into thinking we can be saved while still cherishing sin, then he has another scheme that is just as effective. Preach Jesus, preach perfect obedience and sanctification, but tell them that Jesus will do the perfecting for them. Teach them to read the Bible and pray, and Jesus will do the rest.

This is a most deceptive, alluring philosophy. I remember talking with a leader in the church who was addicted to a certain caffeinated drink. She drank it all day long. She said she knew it was wrong, but could not quit. I asked her why she bought it and she said she was waiting for God to take the sin away from her. She even suggested that it would be wrong for her to quit unless God took it away.

It is true that we have no power to overcome sin in our own strength. But God has called us, with His power, to put sin out of our lives. Jesus gives the power, but we must do the overcoming.

“In the work of redemption there is no compulsion. No external force is employed. Under the influence of the Spirit of God, man is left free to choose whom he will serve. In the change that takes place when the soul surrenders to Christ, there is the highest sense of freedom. The expulsion of sin is the act of the soul itself. True, we have no power to free ourselves from Satan’s control; but when we desire to be set free from sin, and in our great need cry out for a power out of and above ourselves, the powers of the soul are imbued with the divine energy of the Holy Spirit, and they obey the dictates of the will in fulfilling the will of God.” The Desire of Ages, 466.

When Judas came to Jesus, he thought that if he just associated with Him, that all his sinful traits would be washed away. How wrong he was!

“He [Judas] felt in his own person the evidence of Christ’s power. … He loved the Great Teacher, and desired to be with Him. He felt a desire to be changed in character and life, and he hoped to experience this through connecting himself with Jesus. … [Christ] endowed him with power to heal the sick and to cast out devils. But Judas did not come to the point of surrendering himself fully to Christ. He did not give up his worldly ambition or his love of money.” Ibid., 717.

Judas wanted to be changed. He thought that by associating with Jesus he would be changed. He heard the words of Jesus day after day and talked with Him face to face. But because he himself did not give up his sins, his life was not changed as he hoped it would be. How many are going through a Judas experience today because of the Judas philosophy? They have accepted the idea of just spending time with Jesus and letting Him change the life apart from their own endeavors.

“Everything depends on the right action of the will. The power of choice God has given to men; it is theirs to exercise. … Desires for goodness and holiness are right as far as they go; but if you stop here, they will avail nothing. Many will be lost while hoping and desiring to be Christians. They do not come to the point of yielding the will to God. They do not now choose to be Christians.” Steps to Christ, 47, 48.

There is a work for man to do in overcoming sin that God will not do for him. God gave Samson superhuman strength, but he had to exercise every ounce of energy; he had to lift those gates off the city wall. He had no power to do it himself. But neither could he merely kneel beside those gates and wait for them to move. He had to exercise the power that God had given him.  Likewise, we must exert effort in the expulsion of sin from the soul.

“There must be an earnest effort to conquer through the grace freely given of God.” The Review and Herald, January 24, 1893.

“The pleasing fable that all there is to do is to believe, has destroyed thousands and tens of thousands, because many have called that faith which is not faith, but simply a dogma. Man is an intelligent, accountable being; he is not to be carried as a passive burden by the Lord, but is to work in harmony with Christ. Man is to take up his appointed work in striving for glory, honor, and immortality. God calls upon men for the use of every talent He has lent them, the exercise of every power He has given; for man can never be saved in disobedience and indolence.” Ibid., April 1, 1890.

“Divine help is to be combined with human effort, aspiration, and energy. But we cannot reach the battlements of Heaven without climbing for ourselves. … Not even divine power can lift one soul to Heaven that is unwilling to put forth efforts in his own behalf.” The Signs of the Times, August 14, 1884.

“God will work for His children, but not without their co-operation. They must have indomitable energy.” The Review and Herald, April 8, 1890.

“God will never deliver those who will not strive to free themselves [from temptation].” The Signs of the Times, October 8, 1885.

The counsel is clear. We must overcome as Jesus did, first by uniting our weakness to His strength, our human frailties to His divine omnipotence, our nature to His, and then, thus empowered, we must overcome sin by refusing to do evil and choosing to do right.

“If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13).

But this work requires the crucifixion of self, not pleasing to the natural heart. It will not make for a large, popular church. If we want to have a pleasing doctrine that will gain more adherents, preach victory through Jesus, call it “righteousness by faith,” but teach that Jesus will do the overcoming for us.

Lead People to Worship the System

In all ages, worshiping the system has worked effectively. Get people to transfer their allegiance from the Creator to the created. In ages past, men worshiped the works of creation in the sun, moon, and stars, all in the name of religion.

However, in the New Testament era, Satan has found something new—the church. Throughout the Dark Ages, the idol and opiate of mankind was the church. People looked to the church to interpret the Scriptures, to set guidelines for their daily lives, and to fulfill the vacuum existing in the heart of every man and woman. They worked and sacrificed for the church. God was their Father, but the church became their mother, and their final allegiance was to their mother.

Do we have the same danger? In Laodicea, Jesus is pictured as standing outside the door, while the church within continues to function as though it needs nothing. The church has replaced Jesus.

We need the church, just as we need the sun, moon, and stars. But the church must never take the place of God. There must never be a creed to take the place of the Bible. There must never be a system to take the place of personal obedience. There must never be an official interpretation to take the place of personal conviction. This concern was one of Ellen White’s great burdens for the church, especially following 1888.

“The Jewish nation were not brought suddenly into their condition of thought and practice. From generation to generation they were working on false theories, carrying out principles opposed to the truth, and combining with their religion thoughts and plans that were the product of human minds. Human inventions were made supreme. …

“Let no plans or methods be adopted in any of our institutions that will bind mind or talent under the control of human judgment. …

“The high-handed power that has been developed, as though position has made men gods, makes me afraid, and ought to cause fear. It is a curse wherever and by whomsoever it is exercised. …

“We are not to bargain away our stewardship.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 359–362.

Ellen White’s great fear following 1888 was that we would do as did the Jewish nation in putting the system where God should be. She therefore warned: “Battle Creek is not to be the center of God’s work. God alone can fill this place. When our people in the different places have their special convocations, teach them, for Christ’s sake and for their own soul’s sake, not to make flesh their arm. … To place men where God should be placed does not honor or glorify God. Is the president of the General Conference to be the God of the people? … When the Lord shall work upon human hearts and human intellects, principles and practices different from this will be set before the people. ‘Cease ye from man’ (Isaiah 2:22).

“The Lord has a controversy with His people over this matter. …

“Just as soon as man is placed where God should be, he loses his purity, his vigor, his confidence in God’s power.” Ibid., 375, 376.

Ellen White counseled us to teach our people, in all their important convocations, not to put confidence in human leaders, but in God. “Our churches are weak because the members are educated to look to and depend upon human resources.” Ibid., 380.

“For many years an education has been given to the people which places God second, and man first. The people have been taught that everything must be brought before the council of a few men in Battle Creek.” Ibid., 325.

“Men have assumed authority, but the people should not depend upon poor, finite, erring men. … The Lord alone is to be exalted.” Ibid., 319.

But it is easy to turn our power of thought over to a committee and it is easy to work for something more tangible than God. Moreover, it seems so much more rewarding to work for man than for God. We can climb the system of human organization, but we cannot climb into prominence in God’s vineyard. He said, “Whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:27, 28).

Organizational worship and service is easier, more pleasing, and more rewarding to the carnal heart than doing all for the Master. It is particularly deceptive because God has ordained organization. God is not leading discordant elements into the kingdom, but a well-disciplined army. But when we give allegiance to the army instead of to the King, then organization becomes a curse instead of a blessing. Because of this problem, organization in the New Testament was kept very simple and unassuming. There was enough organization to propel the church into all the world, united by the cords of love for God and humbleness of service to mankind. All were servants of the One who had given His life for them. All were students of the Word. All were looked upon as brethren. As Jesus said, “all ye are brethren” (Matthew 23:8 KJV).

Thus, though this list does not claim to be exhaustive, there are three leading ways, all equally successful, of making the church popular and Laodicean:

    • Preach Jesus, but do not require perfect obedience.
    • Tell people to wait for Jesus to overcome their sins for them.
    • Lead people to worship the system.

How is it with you?

All Bible texts NKJV, unless otherwise noted.

Pastor Marshall Grosboll, with his wife Lillian, founded Steps to Life. In July 1991, Pastor Marshall and his family met with tragedy as they were returning home from a camp meeting in Washington state, when the airplane he was piloting went down, killing all on board.

ISSUES: Part III – No New Organization – Section II

by Marshall Grosboll

In the great family of heaven, each one has his own individual personality, each has freedom, yet no one misuses that freedom to act independently, for all are held together by the cords of humility toward self and love toward one another. As the bee extracts the honey and leaves the pollen, so in heaven, each one receives in order to give— each works so as to benefit one another. Thus there is perfect harmony, yet with each maintaining his own identity, uniqueness and function.

Even God does not act independently. In fact, we should say especially God! Everything He does is for the well being of His creatures. In all that He does, He elicits the love and cooperation of those He has created. Consider the creation of Adam. As soon as he was created, God set him to work to assist Him. God asked him to name the animals. How much easier it would have been for God to have named the animals without Adam’s help. When Adam was created God programmed his mind with words and language— but He intentionally left out of his vocabulary the names of the animals so that Adam could unite with Him, as far as possible, in the work He was doing. The Bible says, “We are God’s fellow workers” 1 Corinthians 3: 9. (Texts are from the NKJ Version)

Then God went far beyond merely having Adam name the animals. He told Adam and Eve that they and their descendants were to continue the work that God had begun of populating the earth. God created just enough people so that they could continue His work. Again, how much easier it would have been for God to simply create, in a moment of time, enough people to populate the earth at the beginning— and they would have all been perfect! No one would have been raised by faulty parents! What a risk God took, and how poorly most people have done in carrying on the pro- creation work of God by the way they have raised their children. Yet, in spite of failure, God has not taken the responsibility away from the human family. God would rather suffer loss than to act alone without our cooperation. God has gone to more trouble than any other being to elicit our cooperation, calling us “kings and priests” (Revelation 1: 6), rather than to act alone and independent.

As it was on earth with Adam and Eve, so it was in heaven with the angels. God did not create a hierarchy or a dictatorship, but a family. That is why there was a war in heaven. When Satan chose to rebel, God could have simply spoken the word, and Satan would have been banished from the society of heaven. But God did not do that, for the angels were His fellow workers, and even in this crisis situation He did not take the reins into His own hands, but allowed the angels, as far as possible, to decide the issue (Revelation 12: 7).

Even after the war, Satan seems to have been allowed to come back to represent the earth at the councils of heaven. In the book of Job, God presented Job’s fidelity and challenged Satan’s claim to represent the earth. Satan did not represent all the inhabitants of the earth, but evidently the angels allowed him to remain. But that time of tolerance ended at the cross.

I have often contemplated the account by Ellen White where she was shown that, “All the angels that are commissioned to visit the earth hold a golden card, which they present to the angels at the gates of the city as they pass in and out” EW39. Why must the angels who visit the earth present a golden card at the gate? Before the crucifixion of Christ, the angels continued to allow Satan access on what he considered official business (Job 1), because many still had some sympathy for him. At the cross Satan’s “disguise was torn away. . . . Henceforth his work was restricted. Whatever attitude he might assume, he could no longer await the angels as they came from the heavenly courts and before them accuse Christ’s brethren of being clothed with the garments of blackness and the defilement of sin. The last link of sympathy between Satan and the heavenly world was broken” DA 761. (All emphasis supplied)

Thus the angels decided that Satan could no longer visit heaven as the representative of earth. Jesus was henceforth to be the only representative of this planet. But how were they to keep him out? They evidently decided to issue golden identification cards to all who were commissioned to visit the earth, which they were to present upon exit and entry. Heaven is a very real place, and the angels have far more to do with the running of the government than most realize. Heaven is not run like a communist hierarchy or like the totalitarian government of Satan, but as a loving family, each with his own part to act, each with a voice and each with total faith in the wisdom of the Father.

Today there is a judgment going on in heaven. And why a judgment? Does God need a judgment? Of course not! He knew who would be saved and who would be lost from the very foundation of the earth! (Ephesians 1: 4; Isaiah 46: 10). The reason there is a judgment is because God is not running a hierarchical dictatorship. He has made the beings of heaven His fellow workers and in order for them to be a practical part of the process, they need a judgment. They do not have all knowledge like God has. They must keep records and review them. God could have decided the eternal destiny of each, with complete accuracy, in a moment of time. But what He could do instantly by Himself takes much longer when He involves the cooperation of the angels. He is willing to expend the extra effort and energy in order to work with His angels rather than apart from them.

What a lesson for parents. How much easier it is when children are young for parents to make the beds, do the dishes, fix the food and change the oil in the car by themselves without the help of the little ones. The “help” the little ones give takes so much more of the parents’ time! It is so much easier to simply tell a child to go off and play for awhile or to watch TV while we do the work without him. But that is not the way God works. He says: “I want the cooperation of men and angels, even if it costs more work, trouble and heartache.”

A CHANGE TAKES PLACE IN HEAVEN


So heaven is built on the principle of cooperation and unity, and thus it had always been throughout all the ceaseless ages of eternity, until one arose to begin his own independent ministry and organization. This was sinful independence, for it sought to work apart from God and His plans and organization. Independent ministry and self- supporting work were never a part of God’s original plan. But there was one who came along in a perfect environment, a perfect government, and began his own ministry in competition and opposition to the regular and established ministry of heaven which had been in operation for ages.

When that spirit of independence came to earth, this world entered into the darkness and misery of sin. The first great temptation of man was to be independent. The Bible says, “And the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God does know that in the, day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” ‘ Genesis 3: 4, 5. Thus the serpent tempted Eve with the thought that she would be wise enough to act independently, knowing good and evil herself, without having to depend upon God for guidance.

Multitudes still cling to this lie. Thus this earth became a part of the independent ministry of Satan, which made things rather confusing on planet earth because nearly the whole population of earth, with a few exceptions such as Noah, became loyal to Satan’s independent ministry. Now those who remained loyal to God, became themselves independent of the rebellion that persisted on earth. Thus those who were independent with Satan became the establishment, while those who humbly remained loyal to God appeared to be independent. The appearance was the opposite of the reality.

GOD’S TRAINING FOR HEAVEN


God’s plan has always been for humble cooperation. God is trying to teach each one of us the essential character traits of humility and submission. This is the character of heaven. Every experience of life is to instill within us these precious traits of character so that we can fit into that society which Satan forfeited because of his pride and independence. That is why Paul tells us in Romans 13 that we are to learn to be submissive to the civil government and to obey their laws. Ephesians 6: 5, 6 tells us that we are to learn to be submissive to our employers. That is what is fundamentally wrong with labor unions. We can choose where we want to work and whether we want to continue to work in a certain place, but, while there, we are to “be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh.”

Peter tells us that the younger are to be submissive to the elders, that the elders are to learn the principle of submission also, and are to show themselves thus unto the younger. “Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, ‘for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” ‘ 1 Peter 5: 5, 6. Many people do not like the idea of submission, unless they are the ones who are “on top.” Many husbands revel in Paul’s counsel for wives to “submit to your own husbands,” but they overlook the verse before which says that both husbands and wives are to submit to each other. Ephesians 6 tells us that children are to learn the lesson of submission. God wants everyone to be saved— husbands, children, workers, older people and younger people, and thus He is trying to teach each one the lessons that will allow them to fit within the society of heaven.

The spirit of humble submissiveness will be exemplified in the life and character of the 144,000. The Bible describes them as “the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes” Revelation 14: 4. There is no spirit of independence here. And yet they appear to be independent to human appearance, for “these are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins” Ibid. Women, in the Bible, represent churches and religions, and so the 144,000 are those who are not defiled with false religion and the false religious philosophies that predominate throughout the world. They are independent from man- made tradition, yet the Bible says they are “followers” —followers of the Lamb.

APPEARANCE IS NOT ALWAYS THE REALITY


From the beginning of sin, those who have remained submissive and dependent upon God by “following the Lamb, wherever He goes,” have found themselves out of step and independent from the world. Think of Noah. He was given the warning of the coming flood and he determined to follow the Lamb and to build the ark as God had directed, yet, the rest of the world remained independent of God and His counsels. The churches and religious leaders counseled and legislated against the project. Only Noah and his family remained submissive to God. How alone and isolated Noah and his family seemed. How aloof from counsel he appeared to be! How independent they were accused of being! And yet they were the only truly non- independent ministry on earth.

Satan scored a major victory in the days of Noah when he succeeded in causing the whole world to join him in his independence. Yet his greatest victory came when he caused the whole church, God’s church, to become independent of God and of His counsels. God established His church with the children of Israel and He led them out of Egypt by the hand of Moses. But the people rebelled against Moses and the leadership of God.

From the very beginning the “church in the wilderness” (Acts 7: 38) showed their independence from the Lord’s direction. Upon the return of the faithless spies: “All the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation [the Old Testament word for church, see Acts 7: 381 said to them… ‘Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt’ So they said to one another, ‘Let us select a leader and return to Egypt” ‘ Numbers 14: 2- 4. This was the first great nominating committee of the Hebrew church. They were going to select their own leader instead of the one God had chosen for them.

Caleb and Joshua remonstrated with the people, saying: “‘ Do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the

Lord, is with us. Do not fear them. ‘ And all the congregation said to stone them with stones” Ibid., verses 9, 10. Caleb and Joshua, in this instance, became independent of the organized church— they did not accept the leader the church was choosing nor the decisions they were making— and so the church chose to disfellowship them by stoning! (Stoning is the ultimate in Disfellowshipping.) Thus those who refused to become independent from God became independent from an independent church. And the penalty for independence from the church was disfellowshipment by stoning.

Now, the question at stake is, Who was right— those who remained loyal to the church or those who appeared to be independent and were therefore Disfellowshipped? It is easy to give the answer when looking back at the Bible account, but not so easy when faced with the situation.

In the old covenant types, God often revealed His pleasure or displeasure immediately as a “type” of the future reward and punishment of the new covenant which will be fulfilled at the last judgment (Revelation 22: 12). In this case, the unfaithful leaders “died by the plague before the Lord” Ibid., verse 37. Yet, so entrenched was this spirit of independence and insubordination in the heart of the people that not even the direct intervention of God seemed to be able to uproot it from their midst— and yet they thought they were just right, the holy people of God!

MOSES ACCUSED OF BEING INDEPENDENT


Two chapters later in the book of Numbers, this sinful spirit of independence sprang up again in the rebellion of Korah. “Now Korah the son of Izar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men; and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown” Numbers 16: 1, 2.

Like our church, the Israelites had a representative form of government. Today, when representatives of the church come together, we call it a constituency meeting or a General Conference.

These “representatives of the congregation” were “men of renown,” and Korah was their chosen leader, with Dathan and Abiram his assistants. These leaders of the people “gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, ‘You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourself above the congregation of the Lord?” ‘ Numbers 16: 3.

Moses and Aaron were accused of being independent from the church and taking too much upon themselves without the approval of the church. After all, it was God’s church that Korah and his associates represented, and the church, they said, was holy, for God had chosen it for Himself. Surely, when the entire church, through their appointed representatives, decides on something, it is as the voice of God to the people! How could Moses and Aaron not come under the authority of the church and the leaders the church had chosen? How could they justify their “independent” ways? Yet, Moses and Aaron were not independent— again, as in Noah’s situation, they were the only truly non- independent ones within the church. Appearance was again deceptive. The church body had become independent, whereas those accused of being independent were the ones who had remained loyal and true to the government of heaven.

A peripheral reading of this story might lead to a false conclusion. I have heard ministers and leaders liken their ministry to that of Moses, and anyone who is not in harmony with their plans or the plans of the conference, regardless of their reasons or convictions, are likened to Korah, Dathan and Abiram. But, in writing to the leaders of the church, Ellen White warns:

“The question of religious liberty needs to be clearly comprehended by our people in more ways than one. With outstretched arms men are seeking to steady the ark, and the anger of the Lord is kindled against them because they think that their position entitles them to say what the Lord’s servants shall do and what they shall not do. They think themselves competent to decide what shall be brought before God’s people, and what shall be repressed. The Lord inquires of them, ‘Who has required this at your hand? Who has given you the burden of being conscience for My people? By what spirit are you guided and controlled when you seek to restrict their liberty? I have not chosen you as I chose Moses— as men through whom I can communicate divine instruction to My people. I have not placed the lines of control in your hands. The responsibility that rested on Moses— of voicing the words of God to the people— has never been delegated to you” ‘ 18MR 223.

It should be noted that Moses was not the elected leader of the children of Israel— he was never elected by the people. Rather, Moses was the one whom the people rejected (Acts 7: 35). Moses was a type of Christ (Deuteronomy 18: 15) whom the leaders of the church hated and crucified. He was a prophet chosen by God. The elected leader whom the people chose was Korah! “And Korah gathered all the congregation [or church] against them [Moses and Aaron] at the door of the tabernacle of meeting” Numbers 16: 19.

Did God recognize Korah’s position simply because the whole church was behind him? Would to God that we, today, would remember the lessons of Korah and seek more for the will and direction of God rather than for position, victory at the polls, or referendum mandates. Will we learn the lesson that no committee or conference or power on earth has the authority to change one precept of truth, as the beast power claims to be able to do? God is seeking the cooperation of His fellow workers on earth, but He has not abdicated the throne nor will He allow mankind to develop and assume kingly and controlling power over His heritage, which are His purchased possession.

JOHN WAS INDEPENDENT OF THE SANHEDRIN


When God called John the Baptist, a prophet equal with Moses (Matthew 11: 11), to prepare the way for Jesus’ first coming, leaders like Korah were in charge of the church. Though John was faithful to the church, he did not recognize the authority of these self- appointed leaders and he fearlessly reproved them for their pride and arrogance.
“John had not recognized the authority of the Sanhedrin by seeking their sanction for his work and he had reproved rulers and people, Pharisees and Sadducees alike” DA 132.

John’s calling and authority did not come from man, but from God, and John the Baptist respected the authority of heaven. The Sanhedrin, the highest human authority in the church, had tried to assume prerogatives and authority that belonged to God alone, thus making themselves independent of God, and John the Baptist did not join in their independence by submitting himself to them. Moreover, he reproved rulers and elders just as well as the com mon people— he was no respecter of persons. Though some would consider that criticism of the leadership, John recognized clearly that sin in one was as bad as sin in another, and public sins that were unrepented of needed to be publicly reproved.

When John the Baptist “saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them. . . . ‘bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, “we have Abraham as our father,” for I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” ‘ Matthew 3: 7- 10.

John taught the people not to put full faith in any system, profession of personal piety, or institution— for “every tree which does not bear good fruit” will be “cut down.” Every independent person, congregation, conference, institution, or ministry, however large or small, that becomes independent from God will be cut down. “God has a church. . . . It is the people who love God and keep His commandments” UL 315. God’s church, His people who are totally dependent upon Him and who “follow the lamb wherever He goes” (Revelation 14: 4), will go through to the end, and they will go through unitedly as a body of Christ. Yet it must be understood that the movement is much more than systems, buildings and legal documents. When the Seventh- day Adventist headquarters at Battle Creek became independent, God burned it down; but the church itself survived, and will ultimately triumph. We want to triumph with it. God is not going to start a new church or a new movement, but the movement must be purified from every element of independence from Him.

The Jews thought that because they could trace their lineage and system back to Abraham, they were secure; but John said that God was not dependent upon them to have a people— He could take the stony hearts of the Gentiles and graft them into the true stock. In commenting upon John’s message, Ellen White elaborates: “Not by its name, but by its fruit, is the value of a tree determined. If the fruit is worthless, the name [Jew, Israel, Christian or Seventh- day Adventist] cannot save the tree from destruction. John declared to the Jews that their standing before God was to be decided by their character and life. Profession was worthless. If their life and character were not in harmony with God’s law, they were not His people” DA 107.

Somehow John did not seem to understand, as the leaders did, that the church (which to them meant the visible structure that was under their control) was going through regardless. “The Jews had misinterpreted God’s promise of eternal favor to Israel: ‘Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is His name: If those ordinances depart from before Me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me forever. Thus saith the Lord; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the Lord. ‘ Jeremiah 31: 35- 37. The Jews regarded their natural descent from Abraham as giving them a claim to this promise. But they overlooked the conditions which God had specified” DA 106.

The Jews trusted in the promises of the Bible that they would last forever, as long as the sun and moon existed. They could tauntingly argue with John the Baptist, asking “Is the sun still shining, John? You see then, God must not have cast us off, has He?” But they had overlooked the conditions upon which the promises were based. John assuredly warned them that “every tree which does not bear good fruit” will be cut down and “thrown into the fire” —even Israel and Jerusalem!

When John warned the church that God could work without them, in their eyes he committed the unpardonable sin. Instead of taking his message to heart and working to purify the church so that the conditions of acceptance with God could be fulfilled, they sought to silence the reprover. To them the church was the structure of buildings and the human leadership in Jerusalem, and that system was as secure in their eyes as the throne of God itself. Yet, “‘ from the beginning, faithful souls have constituted the church” AA 11. Never has the Lord, either anciently or today, made His work or His church totally dependent on physical structure. God removed the structure in Jesus’ day, but the true church survived. Throughout the Old Testament God had promised that “in the place where it was said… ‘You are not My people, ‘ there it shall be said to them, ‘You are the sons of the living God” ‘ Hosea 1: 10. As it is today, so it was then, God was not dependent upon the established church to preserve a people. He could raise up children to Abraham from the stony hearts of the Gentiles, for “if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” Galatians 3: 29.

John warned that it is “not, by its name, but by its fruit, is the value of a tree determined. If the fruit is worthless, the name cannot save the tree from destruction” DA 107. When God’s people begin to worry about the semantics of their name, seeking to protect the words themselves by crucifying people who use it, as they did Jesus upon the cross, it is a sure sign that they have lost the true significance of the name. The primary purpose of a name is to signify the character within. If Jesus had not called Himself a Jew, the Jewish leaders would not have put Him to death.

It is time again for the message and ministry of John the Baptist to come to God’s heritage in order that we might be prepared for Jesus’ second coming. Today we are called to do a work similar to that of John the Baptist, and to give the same message in even stronger terms, yet in a spirit of love. “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” 1T 321. It is a fearful thing to be a minister and speak smooth and popular messages that please the people. Though they may receive the credentials and tithes of the conference, God does not acknowledge them as His ministers. “‘ 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” 5T 211.

JESUS, OUR TRUE EXAMPLE


Probably the only person in the Bible who talked straighter than John the Baptist, as God’s preachers today are to do, was Jesus. When Jesus met the religious leaders, He did not simply call them poisonous snakes, as John had done; He plainly stated that they were the children of Satan. The Jews had argued with Him that they were assuredly God’s people because they had the official name and the official organization that had been sacredly handed down for centuries (John 8: 39- 41), but Jesus said: “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. . . . You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do” John 8: 42- 44. You may think you represent God because you have the official name and represent the official organization, but if your life is not in harmony with God’s expressed will, you are most assuredly not His representatives.

When Jesus came, He was viewed from the very beginning as being independent, but of all the people on earth, He was the least independent person who ever lived. He said: “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” John 5: 30. Jesus was the least independent minister who ever lived, as far as His own will was concerned, but He was independent from the church organization on earth because they had become independent of God. He would like to have been united with them, but He could not unite with them and remain dependent on His Father, for the two were not in harmony. As the Bible says: “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” Amos 3: 3.

Thus, to outward appearances, He manifested what appeared to be an independent attitude. “Under the synagogue teachers the youth were instructed in the counsels regulations which as orthodox Israelites they were expected to observe. But Jesus did not interest Himself in these matters. From childhood He acted independently. . . .” Jesus was viewed as being independent, but what was He independent from? Let us finish the sentence. “From childhood He acted independently of the rabbinical laws. The Scriptures of the Old Testament were His constant study, and the words, ‘Thus saith the Lord, ‘ were ever upon His lips” DA 84.

If one wants to cause trouble, let him ask for the authority from the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy when confronted by the church manual. But that is the kind of trouble Jesus caused. (It was because we did not want our church to become like the Jewish church that we decided not to have a church manual when It was first proposed in 1883, but the decision was reversed in the General Conference of 1931.)

Though Jesus tried, “in every gentle and submissive way.., to please those with whom He came in contact. . . . He would not be easily influenced by their teaching” DA 85. The priests could not tolerate this spirit of independence in Jesus. “They urged Him to receive the maxims and traditions that had been handed down from the ancient rabbis, but He asked for their authority in Holy Writ. He would hear every word that proceeds from the mouth of God; but He could not obey the inventions of men” DA 85. I can hear them urging Him: “Jesus, don’t you believe that this is God’s church?” “Yes,” He would answer. “Well, don’t you believe that God has guided and directed in this church down through the ages?” “Yes,” He would answer again. “Then you must believe the practices and teachings of this church which have been decided upon and practiced for centuries. You don’t believe that all these rabbis were wrong, do you?” (Notice, It was the “maxims and traditions that had been handed down from ancient rabbis” which they urged upon Jesus.) But Jesus would simply answer, “Where does It teach that in the Bible?”

Even Jesus’ own mother, who was a converted person and a conscientious member of the church, thought Jesus was too independent “Mary often remonstrated with Jesus, and urged Him to conform to the usages of the rabbis” DA9O. What a trial this must have been for Jesus. All alone Jesus bore His fidelity to truth. He was misunderstood by the best people in church— they could not understand how any sincere, consecrated person could become so independent from the teaching of the much respected rabbis of the past and present, since they had been ordained of God.

For Jesus, there was no inspired manual other than the holy Word of God. But so hierarchical had the church become that they knew of no other way that the church could function other than by man- made rules and authority and a strong, Jerusalem- centered structure. But Jesus elevated truth above structure.

Jesus was viewed as being so independent of the structure that the leaders of the church decided that if He was allowed to continue He would destroy the church— and there is no question that their power structure would have been destroyed. “He who was the foundation of the ritual and economy of Israel would be looked upon as its enemy and destroyer” DA 111. The pious leaders of the church tried to prevent His influence from destroying the church in every way possible. They tried to prove Him wrong. They warned the people against listening to Him. They prevented Him from speaking in the churches. They spread lies and rumors about Him and His ministry. They tried everything to limit His influence (and they were quite successful at this), but nothing seemed to stop Him. Finally, as a last resort, they “regretfully” decided that they must put Him to death.

They undoubtedly “hated” to do this, but the church must be preserved— its reputation and name must be protected from such irresponsible people as Barabbas and Jesus.

Jesus and Barabbas, of course, were quite different— one was a murderer and one was a life- giver. But they were both independent, and of the two, Jesus was the most dangerous because His doctrines and practices fooled the common people. And once the spirit of independence gets started, they figured that there was no way to protect the church. It was inconceivable to them that God could protect and preserve His church if they would purify themselves and call upon Him for His protection— no, if they did not preserve It, the church would be destroyed. It was either Jesus or the church (John 11: 50). Therefore, Jesus must be destroyed so that the church could survive. “If He stands in the way of Israel’s well- being, is it not doing God a service to remove Him? Better that one man perish than that the whole nation be destroyed. . . . In their opinion, He had set aside the priesthood. He had refused to acknowledge the theology of the rabbinical schools. He had exposed the evil practices of the priests, and had irreparably hurt their influence. . . . Satan told them that in order to maintain their authority, they must put Jesus to death. This counsel they followed. . . . Such was their deception that they were well pleased with themselves.

They regarded themselves as patriots, who were seeking the nation’s salvation” DA 540- 541. Thus Jesus was Disfellowshipped and the people who Disfellowshipped Him thought they had saved the church from some great independent calamity that was threatening their very existence.

THE BASIS FOR TRUE AUTHORITY


But though they tried, and verily thought they had succeeded, they could not disfellowship Jesus from the church. Jesus was the church. They merely succeeded in Disfellowshipping themselves from the true church. For God “has put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” Ephesians 1: 22, 23.

The church is still to be “built upon Christ as its foundation; it is to obey Christ as its head. It is not to depend upon man, or be controlled by man. Many claim that a position of trust in the church gives them authority to dictate what other men shall believe and what they shall do. This claim God does not sanction. The Saviour declares, ‘All ye are brethren. ‘ All are exposed to temptations, and are liable to error. Upon no finite being can we depend for guidance. The Rock of faith is the living presence of Christ in the church. Upon this the weakest may depend, and those who think themselves the strongest will prove to be the weakest, unless they make Christ their efficiency. ‘Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm’. . . Jeremiah 17: 5” DA 414. “This principle bears with equal weight upon a question that has long agitated the Christian world,— the question of apostolic succession. Descent from Abraham was proved, not by name and lineage, but by likeness of character. So the apostolic succession rests not upon the transmission of ecclesiastical authority, but upon spiritual relationship. A life actuated by the apostles’ spirit, the belief and teaching of the truth they taught, this is the true evidence of apostolic succession. This is what constitutes men the successors of the first teachers of the gospel” DA 467.

Within Christ’s church there is to be no hierarchical, centralized, controlling power that supersedes the headship of Christ. As the messenger of the Lord said, “Battle Creek is not to be the center of God’s work. God alone can fill this place” TM 375. There is a place for order, but it is to be a simple, humble order, always uplifting the primacy of Christ For “He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” Colossians 1: 18.

Thus, as Christ is the head of the body, He is always to “have the preeminence.” Whenever the church assumes preeminence over Christ, or His word, it thereby becomes an idol to the people.

Christ created the structure— it is holy— but it is always to remain subservient to the Word and to Christ as its head. Anything that supersedes God becomes a false God. That is what the Jews did with their temple. The temple became more important than the truth, or even God’s dear Son. A word of criticism spoken against the temple was worse than a false teaching being taught from its precincts. The final charge brought against Christ was that He spoke against the temple.

In view of this danger of making the system and its leadership a false God, Ellen White has a whole chapter in Testimonies to Ministers entitled, “Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me”— she was referring to Battle Creek its system and the leadership. She also warns that “the trials of the children of Israel, and their attitude just before the first coming of Christ, have been presented before me again and again to illustrate the position of the people of God in their experience before the second coming of Christ— how the enemy sought every occasion to take control of the minds of the Jews, and today he is seeking to blind the minds of God’s servants, that they may not be able to discern the precious truth” 1SM 406.

Jesus was rejected by most because He was not sanctioned by the visible church, and those who rejected Him were lost. According to the Spirit of Prophecy, this will likewise be our test. “To stand in defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord when champions are few— this will be our test” ST 136.

THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH


“And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues” 1 Corinthians 12: 28. God is the One who has promised to place various gifts in the church. When the church is pure, God is the One who calls and ordains through His chosen instrumentalities. He chooses through the official channels when He can, but when He cannot, He will call people directly, as in the case of David and John the Baptist. Never has God turned the entire control of His church over to human instrumentalities.

The Lord wants to direct His heritage and His church far more than we give Him opportunity to do.

“If ministers and men in positions of authority will get out of the way, and let the Holy Spirit move upon the minds of the lay brethren, God will direct them what to do for the honor of his name. Let men have freedom to carry out that which the Holy Spirit indicates. Do not put the shackles upon humble men whom God would use” RH 7/ 9/ 95.

It is not being independent for humble men and women whom God has called to act upon their God given responsibilities. In various places around the world I have been told by laymen that they cannot even give a Bible study without the pastor’s permission. In most places, a laymen is not even permitted to hold a prayer meeting in his own home, if it is called a prayer meeting, without the church’s permission— and if the pastor wants to come in and take control, he assumes that prerogative. Not long ago I was asked to have some meetings in one of the major cities of America. Previous to my coming they had had Ron Spear and Cohn Standish in to speak. This meeting was held in a private hail and one of the local pastors was in attendance and expressed great appreciation for the meetings. However, the pastor of the largest church in town, where this laymen held office and membership, asked him not to have these meetings. The laymen, however, felt that the Lord wanted these meetings, and as they were not a part of any church function or on church property, and as those who were asked to speak were all ordained Seventh- day Adventist ministers and members in good and regular standing, he felt impressed to quietly go on with the meetings. He had no intention of having a conflict with the pastor, but was simply trying to serve the Lord. Yet, because of his supposed “independence” from the pastor, he was duly disciplined by the church by way of official censor and removed from being an elder.

But who was acting independently— the laymen or the pastor? There is no law in the Bible, or even the manual, forbidding people from getting together and reading and studying the Bible together. For the pastor to arbitrarily make these rules is independence indeed! During the Dark Ages it was against the law to hold private meetings, but America guarantees that right— have we lost it in the church? It is “Satan . . . [who] works to restrict religious liberty, and to bring into the religious world a species of slavery. Organizations, institutions, unless kept by the power of God, will work under Satan’s dictation to bring men under the control of men. . . . His methods are practiced even among Seventh- day Adventists, who claim to have advanced truth” TM 366.

Today if someone tries to raise up a new congregation or hold a meeting for Bible study and prayer, the question asked is: “By whose authority are you holding these meetings?” That was the question that was asked of John the Baptist and Jesus. “Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority” ‘ Matthew 21: 23.

“Laws and rules are being made at the centers of the work that will soon be broken into atoms. . . . The Lord does not ask permission of those in responsible positions when He wishes to use certain ones as His agents for the promulgation of truth. . . . Those who know the truth are to be worked by the Holy Spirit, and not themselves to try to work the Spirit. If the cords are drawn much tighter, if the rules are made much finer, if men continue to bind their fellow- laborers closer and closer to the commandments of men, many will be stirred by the Spirit of God to break every shackle, and assert their liberty in Christ Jesus” RH 7/ 23/ 95.

God has appointed leadership to act under Him, but never in His place. There is a place for organization— heaven is a place of order. God’s church, all through the ages, has been a place of order. The Old Testament church was a church of order, and God’s church today is to be just as ordered and orderly as was the Old Testament church. There is a place for leadership, a place for elders, a place for deacons and administrators. But their job description was never intended to be

that of being the head of the church or of controlling the church, but rather they were to be the servants of God to the people. “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” Matthew 20: 25- 28.

Do you suppose that I, or anyone else, could ever get to the place where we could supersede God’s authority in the church? We could try, but that would be a false, sinful and assumed authority that God and His true people would not recognize anymore than John the Baptist did (DA 132). Suppose that I had charisma and good leadership abilities, made a lot of friends, and made some good business or political decisions and so began to climb the corporate ladder in the church until I got to the very top. Could I ever get to the place where I had enough authority to supersede God’s authority? Could I tell someone whom God had called to preach, for example, that God had not called him to preach, as they told John the Baptist and Jesus? I could tell him, but no matter how much authority I might have assumed or think I had, I could never get enough authority to supersede God’s authority. That would be the epitome of independence. But in my blind presumption, I would probably think that the person whom God had called and who was merely fulfilling His God- given mission was being independent because he had not listened to me! —what pride!

“But,” someone might insist, “someone must have that kind of authority in order to maintain order in the church.” That is exactly the claim of the papal church. “It is one of the leading doctrines of Romanism that the pope is the visible head of the universal church of Christ, invested with supreme authority over bishops and pastors in all parts of the world. . . . God has never given a hint in His word that He has appointed any man to be the head of the church” GC 50, 51.

While God has not given any man the authority to say who cannot preach when the Holy Spirit has made it plainly evident that God has called him to preach, likewise God has not given any man the authority to say that someone can or should preach whom God has not called. No local church should ever be forced by some higher human authority to allow a conference- appointed pastor or leader to speak when the congregation and elders feel, based upon biblical evidence, that God has not called him to speak.

In fact, for men to receive those sent to them from the conference whom God has not sent, causes them to become independent from God along with the pastor, and results in the withdrawal of God’s blessings. “As there are woes for those who preach the truth while they are unsanctified in heart and life, so there are woes for those who receive and maintain the unsanctified in the position which they cannot fill” 2T 552. “There are fearful woes for those who preach the truth, but are not sanctified by it, and also for those who consent to receive and maintain the unsanctified to minister to them in word and doctrine” 1T 261, 262.

Yet, how many ministers whom God has never recognized are lauded and applauded by men, and how many ministers have been scourged and even put to death who were the chosen instrumentalities of God.

For a central, ruling authority to assume controlling power over the local membership, telling them who will preach to them and who will not preach to them, is to place one’s self in the place of God over the people. God has entrusted to His people certain inalienable rights and obligations, such as the right and the obligation to carefully and prayerfully decide who they will receive and maintain to minister to them. The Bible predicted that there would come a power that would seek to put itself in the place of God. “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” 2 Thessalonians 2: 3,4. That, in a special way refers to the papacy of the Middle Ages, and we can adopt some of the same policies, until we are “following in the track of Romanism” TM 362.

“The high- handed power that has been developed, as though position has made men gods, makes me afraid, and ought to cause fear. It is a curse wherever and by whomsoever it is exercised. This lording it over God’s heritage will create such a disgust of man’s jurisdiction that a state of insubordination will result . . . . The spirit of domination is extending to the presidents of our conferences. . . . They are following in the track of Romanism.. Rule, rule, has been their course of action. Satan has had an opportunity of representing himself” TM 361- 363.

These statements from the Spirit of Prophecy were not written to imply that the church does not, or should not, have proper authority. The church is to have a great amount of authority under God. When a point or a decision can be shown from God’s word and from the leading of the Holy Spirit to be from the Lord, the leaders are to have a great deal of authority. Whenever the church utters the utterances of God, It is as the voice of God. But when they become independent of God and assume authority such as the Sanhedrin assumed, then they are no longer the voice of God. It was when the leaders were becoming independent of God, that Ellen White said: “That these men should stand in a sacred place, to be as the voice of God to the people, as we once believed the General Conference to be,— that is past” GCB 4/ 3/ 01.

THE 1888 PROBLEM


In the papal church, one central power decided who is called and who is not called, what should be preached and what should not be preached, what people could read and what they could not read, what meetings could be held and what could not be held. The church was a controlling element, and it was being controlled by human wisdom, with “the eyes of a man” Daniel 7: 8. That was the same type of controlling element that ruled the church in Jesus’ day. The people came to worship the system as their lord and master rather than Jesus.

This false gospel of system worship, where the organization became the master rather than the servant, was what Ellen White recognized as the main problem of the General Conference of 1888. In talking about the problems of the church, she related the cause of these problems in the following letter: “This is largely due to the feeling of Elder Butler [the General Conference President that position gave unlimited authority. . . . God designs that men shall use their minds and consciences for themselves. He never designed that one man should become the shadow of another, and utter only another’s sentiments. But this error has been coming in among us, that a very few are to be mind, conscience, and judgment for all God’s workers. The foundation of Christianity is ‘Christ our Righteousness. ‘Men are individually responsible to God and must act as God acts upon them, not as another human mind acts upon their mind; for if this method of indirect influence is kept up, souls cannot be impressed and directed by the great I AM. They will, on the other hand, have their experience blended with another, and will be kept under a moral restraint, which allows no freedom of action or of choice . . . . If we would be wise, and use diligently, prayerfully, and thankfully the means whereby light and blessings are to come to his people, then no voice nor power upon earth would have authority over us to say, ‘This shall not be” ‘ 1888,110- 113.

In a letter to Elder Butler, Ellen White related what was shown her in vision: “My guide… stretched out his arms toward Dr. Waggoner, and to you, Elder Butler, and said in substance as follows: ‘Neither have all the light upon the law; neither position is perfect” ‘ 1888, 93. The question was not simply theology— Elder Waggoner and Elder Jones’ positions were not perfect, but God had given them a message, even though still imperfect, to give to the church. But the leadership thought that every message should have to go through them for their approval. These young men from the West— Jones and Waggoner— had no right to work without the permission of the General Conference officers.

“Never, never feel the slightest disturbance because the Lord is raising up youth to lift and carry the heavier burdens, and proclaim the message of truth. It has been at this point that Elder Butler has failed, and he is a deceived man, … I hope there will never be the slightest encouragement given to our people to put such wonderful confidence in finite, erring man as has been placed in Elder Butler, for ministers are not as God, and too much reliance has been placed upon Elder Butler in the past. Even the messages and testimonies were made of none effect through the influence of the words and ideas of Elder Butler. This sin has not been repented of by some of our people, and they will have to go over the ground again and again unless they cease from man, and put their whole trust in the living God” 1888, 975.

There is a place for counsel, and even for warnings against false teachings, to be given by the leadership. But all such counsel and warnings are to be based upon sound biblical principle, not upon hierarchical authority. People are thus to be taught to depend upon the counsels and warnings of the Word, rather than that of man. We are to teach people to respect leaders, but not to depend upon human wisdom and leadership. “When our people in the different places have their special convocations, teach them, for Christ’s sake and for their own soul’s sake, not to make flesh their arm . . . . To place men where God should be placed does not honor or glorify God. Is the president of the General Conference to be the god of the people? Are the men at Battle Creek to be regarded as infinite in wisdom? When the Lord shall work upon human hearts and human intellects, principles and practices different from this will be set before the people. ‘Cease ye from man’ [Isaiah 2: 22]” TM 375, 376.

As one reads through the over 1,800 pages of The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials and the book Testimonies to Ministers, he cannot help but be impressed with both the seriousness and the present prevalence of corporate independence. This was the chief problem in 1888, and it seems that it was never corrected. Supposedly a correction came in 1901, but two years later Ellen White commented: “The result of the last General Conference [1901] has been the greatest, the most terrible sorrow of my life. No change was made. The spirit that should have been brought into the whole work as the result of that meeting was not brought in because men did not receive the testimonies of the Spirit of God” 13MR 122. it was in 1901 itself that she said: “We may have to remain here in this world because of insubordination many more years, as did the children of Israel” Ev 696.

TWO KINDS OF KINGS


Kings are independent That is why the messenger of the Lord associated independence with kingly power. In 1901 Ellen White warned our leaders against independence, insubordination, and rebellion. At the same time she told how this had come into the church— through the exercise of “kingly power,” so that God’s rulership was replaced by human kingship. In her opening address to the delegates of the 1901 General Conference, Ellen White repeatedly stated that we were being governed by “kingly power.” (See Ellen White’s speech in Spalding and Magan, 162- 174.) But there are two kinds of kings, both of which lead to independence from the Lord. First, there are those kings who have enough charisma and influence to get followers. We call them the successful kings. There are also those kings that cannot get anyone to follow them, but they are, nevertheless, going to do whatever they want to anyone, as a king without any subjects, independent of the Lord.

Some individuals might wrongly suppose that because there are bad leaders, that gives them the right to become independent and do whatever they want to do. If they do this, they are no better off than the “bad” leaders they are critical of. God has not called anyone to be independent or to act independently. God has called us all to be servants of one another and to draw together in true unity and love. God is not calling for separationism, but for a purifying of the church, where all can work together in true harmony for the finishing of the gospel. it is true that truth must be paramount, but wherever truth and the salvation of souls are not at stake, we are to do everything we can to live peaceably with all men and to work together in unity and harmony. We are to consider others first and self last. The true following of the principles of God will not lead to disunity, but to the true unity that was manifested at Pentecost, where all “were with one accord in one place” Acts 2: 1.

God has a church, and it is the Seventh- day Adventist church. This is the church of prophecy and providence, and only God can start a church— it is to be built upon Him, not upon any human founder (Ephesians 2: 20). True, God’s remnant church is described as “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” in the Laodicean message of Revelation 3, but it is still God’s church. Leaders and members may not always exemplify God’s character, and for this reason we are still on earth. Whole congregations, institutions, or even conferences may apostatize— the organization itself may become so independent of God that He cannot use them any more, just as happened with Israel— nevertheless, God will always have true and faithful Seventh- day Adventist people, registered on the books of heaven (Hebrews 12: 22,23), who will constitute His church and who will go through victorious to the end. God wants every conference, institution, and congregation to triumph with them, if they will be purified of every sin. Although we should strive to live peaceable with all men, nevertheless, when God sends His message to purify the church of sin and selfishness, it will cause a reaction.

“Just as long as God has a church, he will have those who will cry aloud and spare not, who will be his instruments to reprove selfishness and sins, and will not shun to declare the whole counsel of God, whether men will hear or forbear. I saw that individuals would rise up against the plain testimonies. It does not suit their natural feelings. They would choose to have smooth things spoken unto them, and have peace cried in their ears. . . . The shaking must soon take place to purify the church” 2SG 284.

The Lord is calling for individuals today to do the work of Elijah and John the Baptist, in all humility. But there are many who rise up to give a message on their own charge, without a commission from the Lord. There are many who would seek to steady the ark of God, as Uzzah did, with their own human wisdom and might. How can a person know whether he has been called of God or is simply motivated by feelings of importance?

Those who are truly called of God must be faithful, humble servants, not seeking for notice or first place. Moreover, whenever God calls for an individual to be His instrument, He always lays the burden upon more than simply he himself. Even when Jesus began His ministry, though He was not recognized or acknowledge by the church leadership, He was, nevertheless, acknowledged by John the Baptist and by the Holy Spirit at His baptism. David was anointed by Samuel. The disciples were called by Jesus. Paul received a vision and was set aside by the church at Antioch. Timothy was called by Paul. Daniel and Joseph were set apart by a series of circumstances and providence called forth by the Lord— but both had been faithful in the little things of life before being called to positions of prominence.

A DAY AND AGE OF INDEPENDENCE


As never before, a spirit of independence from the Lord afflicts our church, just as it did the Jewish church in the days of Korah and again in the days of John the Baptist (see 1SM 406). We are living in a day and age of independence. When I was pastoring, I was talking to one of my conference presidents about the local Adventist hospital. It had become so large that it was only able to fill a small percentage of its staff with Adventist help, yet they were building it still larger. In conversation one day I kindly pointed out that the Spirit of Prophecy counsels against building large hospitals and staffing them with those not of our faith. His response was that those counsels do not apply to today. In our educational work, our administrative work and our medical work, it seems that self- rule and independence has become the rule of the day. God’s counsels, they reason, do not apply anymore. “Times have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief” ST 211.

I was talking to a Union president not long ago. He brought up the subject of tithing, and accused another ministry that we at Steps to Life work with and support, of being a “thief” because they accept tithe. They do not solicit it, but when it comes in they accept it and apply it toward ministerial work. “Why,” I asked, “are they a thief? Who have they stolen from?”

The response was that all the tithe should go through the organization because it is the storehouse. I then asked: “What about Quiet Hour, Voice of Prophecy, and Amazing Facts, all of which accept tithe and always have? Are they thieves also?”

This was indeed hard to answer. He would not suggest that other ministries were stealing, but he still maintained that the ministry he was opposed to was stealing the tithe, even though this particular ministry is doing nothing different than most of our accepted ministries always have! The problem was that the ministry he was opposed to was preaching the straight testimony and that was what he was really opposed to— the tithe was only a smoke screen. Nevertheless, I pursued the issue.

“What about Ellen White’s example and counsel?” I asked. She paid her tithe directly to various ministers and women Bible workers who were not being paid by the conference. Moreover, she accepted other people’s tithe who gave it to her and who did not want it to go to the conference. “Was she a thief?”

“Well,” he wanted to know, “do you base your beliefs on the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy?” “I thought they were the same,” I replied. But he then informed me that Ellen White did not understand tithing. So I asked him whether he understood the biblical principles of tithing better than Ellen White did.

He responded: “Yes I do. I understand tithing better than Ellen White.” I thought I had misunderstood, so I asked him again just to make sure I had heard right, and I received the same assurance that he understood this principle better than Ellen White. I asked him for his biblical references for his understanding, but he could produce none!

It is interesting that in 1905 when the Colorado Conference president tried to set up his will as the governing rule stating that all tithe should come into the conference treasury rather than being sent directly to people who were not on the conference payroll, Ellen White warned him that if he agitated this question she would have to make known to others what she did with her tithe. In referring to disagreements with the management of the tithe by the conference, she said that we should make our complaints known but that we should not withhold our tithe (9T 249). However, in the case of apostasy and false teaching by the ministry, and in the case of the conference neglecting or refusing to support those whom the Lord had called and chosen, Ellen White made it crystal clear that it was not only the privilege but the duty of herself and others to send their tithe directly to where they thought it would do the most good (see 1T 261, 262; 2T 552; SpM 117, 215). Moreover, she stated that those who simply trusted the conference to expend their means, without taking responsibility themselves as to the outcome of the money God had made them stewards of, would not be held “guiltless” before the Lord for their stewardship (1888, 1443, 1444). Some have formed such strong opinions and policies that they think they know more than the Spirit of Prophecy in these and other kindred areas.

Today, prideful independence from the Lord and His counsels has become the rule of the day.

TWO KINDS OF INDEPENDENT MINISTRIES


As there have always been, so today there are two kinds of independent ministries. We read about Jesus: “From childhood He acted independently of the rabbinical laws” DA 84. John the Baptist had a ministry independent from the Sanhedrin (DA, 132). Elijah and Paul had independent ministries. Madison Sanitarium and school was ordained by the Lord with direct counsel from the messenger of the Lord that they were to become an institution independent from the General Conference. God has always had independent ministries.

Many of these ministries have been unappreciated. When Elder A. T. Jones was not allowed to speak in Battle Creek in 1891, Ellen White said, “We will secure a hall in the city and the words God has given Bro. Jones to speak the people shall have them” 1888, 847, 848. Jesus spoke by the seashore, Wesley in the fields, and William Miller in tents. Today, while people like Desmond Ford are allowed to speak in our largest churches, many who have been faithful ministers for years are obliged to speak in rented halls because of the straight message they bear. It may be, if the message is barred from the churches, that God will use the independent ministries to help finish the work where the official church has failed.

And so there is a healthy, God ordained place for independent ministries. God has never tied His hands to any set counsel of men, but has always had the privilege of choosing whom and how He desires. God has always used independent ministries.

There is sinful independence today also, as there always has been. Any independence that puts human wisdom and authority above God’s wisdom and authority, making man independent of God, is sinful independence. This was what Eve was tempted to do. Whenever a Christian hospital rejects, either openly or in practice, the counsels of the Lord, it has become an independent ministry. Whenever a church school, union college or university accepts the standards of the world in the place of the standards of the Lord, it has become an independent ministry. Whenever a conference or a church receives counsel from psychologists and philosophers or from religious institutions that do not keep the Sabbath, as Ahaziah did when he sought the god of Ekron (2 Kings 1: 2), and rejects the plain counsel of the Lord, it has become an independent ministry. [A new organization] Whenever a ministry that is designated as independent because they are not under the conference structure departs from the teachings and practices of the Lord, it has become independent in the wrong way. May the Lord save us from sinful independence.

A REFORMATION NEEDED


It is time to humble our hearts before the Lord so that He can send upon us the true revival and reformation that was displayed at Pentecost, where unity was achieved through believing the truth, through humility toward self and love toward one another; where the full gospel was preached in all its purity and power; and where the principles of the government of heaven were followed, with Christ as the true head of the church and all its members were fellow servants.

Kingly power in the hands of religious rulers will never save or exalt the church. Unity through centralization will never exalt Christ. Blindly following religious teachers will not save a single soul. But humble cooperation, where every member is a fellow worker with Christ (1 Corinthians 3: 9) and organized together in a body according to the call of God, and where dependence is placed first and foremost upon the revealed will of God, will bring the long- sought- for blessings of the latter rain and the soon return of Jesus Christ. This is that primitive godliness that will be revealed among God’s people before the final visitation of God’s judgments upon the earth (GC 464).

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ISSUES: Part III – No New Organization – Section I

issues 3 no new organizationSECTION I – NO NEW ORGANIZATION

by JOHN J. GROSBOLL


Those who do not uphold God’s law are joining the new organization that was started by Satan.

Thousands of years ago in heaven God presided over a wonderful organization, a wonderful government. This government had representatives. We read in Patricachs and Prophets, page 36, about a time when God called a meeting shortly before the overt beginning of the great controversy and all the representatives of the unfallen worlds were present Although God’s government had representatives, it was not a democracy and no elections were ever held because our God is not only the Creator, He is a great king; and Jesus Christ the only begotten of God shared the Father’s throne, having equal authority, divinity and power with the Father. “The Father then made known that it was ordained by Himself that Christ, His Son, should be equal with Himself; so that wherever was the presence of His Son, it was as His own presence. The word of the Son was to be obeyed as readily as the word of the Father” LHU 18. Christ was “not a son by creation, as were the angels, nor a son by adoption, as is the forgiven sinner, but a Son begotten in the express image of the Father’s person, and in all the brightness of his majesty and glory, one equal with God in authority, dignity, and divine perfection. In him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” ST 5/ 23/ 95.

Although the Father and the Son had absolute power and authority and had a law which governed the entire universe, their rule was very beneficent and mild. It came to the angels almost as a matter of surprise that God had a law when Lucifer brought it up as a point of contention.

We know that the organization or government of God had the following characteristics: (1) Only the service of love was desired— the use of force is contrary to the principles of God’s government (DA 22). (2) God willed to give to both the angels and to man freedom of will. This is the highest possible level of freedom. (3) Although each is given freedom of will, each is responsible for the choices made. God’s government is moral, that is, it is based on ethical principles which each citizen must at all times be in harmony with to remain a subject of the divine government. (4) To prevent the possibility of making a seriously wrong choice that would bring disaster and suffering on one’s self and others, God had (and still does have) a law that explicitly defines morality or right and wrong. This law although very brief is comprehensive enough to maintain peace and order and allow for the fullest development of happiness by all creatures in the universe and is of such pivotal importance it is the foundation of God’s government. (See GC 493.) In God’s government, the truth is always primary and to communicate anything at all that is not true is to step outside the perimeter of God’s government and start your own independent organization or government. (5) There was no hierarchy in God’s government— there was only one Lord and only one Father who was all in all. (6) Jesus Christ, being one with the Father from eternity, was exalted over all created intelligences and was the One who participated in the councils of the deity. (7) Another characteristic of God’s government is the necessity of work and bearing fruit or producing results. (See John 15: 1- 7.) Heaven is a place of intense activity. The Father and the Son are both constant and earnest workers and so are all the angels. If we are to be members of God’s organization we must be laborers together with God. There was one who wanted to reorganize the government of God. He wanted to start a new organization. He did not claim to be doing this. He said that he just wanted to improve on God’s government, but the government of God being perfect, any change would not be an improvement and God would not consent to a new organization.

THE ATTEMPT TO START A NEW ORGANIZATION– A NEW GOVERNMENT

God Himself had established the order of heaven. Lucifer decided to dispute the supremacy of Christ. His work to start a new organization involved an attempt, first of all, to change the law of God— specifically to effect a change in the first commandment which says, “You shall have no other Gods before me” Exodus 20: 2. He wanted to be equal with Christ and this would require a change in the first commandment. It is important to recognize that whenever there is an attempt to change God’s law that men have entered into a new organization which God has not authorized.

Lucifer began to insinuate doubts concerning the laws of God, intimating that they were not necessary for angels. He claimed to be loyal to the divine government and to be working for its stability when actually he was fomenting discord and rebellion.

Many of God’s loyal, faithful and true Seventh- day Adventist people today are being accused of separating from “God’s faithful movement” and starting a new organization. The charge has been tossed about far and near in various printed materials and needs to be carefully examined. Before you can rightfully accuse someone of separating and starting a new organization, you must know what it means to stay with the movement and stay loyal to God’s organization. Let us begin by looking at three inspired statements:

“But let it ever be remembered that the work must move solidly and in complete harmony with God’s plan of organization” 1SM 112.

God’s work is the same in all time, although there are different degrees of development and different manifestations of His power to meet the wants of men in the different ages. Beginning with he first gospel promise and coming down through he patriarchal and Jewish ages and even to the resent time, there has been a gradual unfolding of the purposes of God in the plan of redemption (PP 373).

Christ designs that heaven’s order, heaven’s plan of government, heaven’s divine harmony, shall be represented in His church on earth (DA 680).

We have already seen a few of the prominent characteristics of heaven’s order and plan of government. We are assured that God’s work is the same in all time so we may know when we are remaining true to God’s organization and when we have stepped off the foundation of God’s organization, even though we may call ourselves by the same name.

The church of God must have the same type of government as in heaven. To attempt to establish a different type of government is to start a new organization. When a new organization like this is started, it almost always retains the name of the original organization to give it legitimacy. But the original organization will always have the same identifying marks.

God’s plan of organization for His church today is no different than His plan for organization in heaven at the beginning of the great controversy. Our responsibility is to find out what that plan is and repent and come into harmony with it so that we are not condemned in the judgment for starting a new organization, which is always apostasy from the truth.

It is very serious to leave God’s organization and start something independently from Him. Following are a few ways that this is done.

1. “God has a church, and these churches are organized on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone” Testimonies to Southern Africa, 7. If we cease to teach and preach and operate according to the principles of the New Testament and the Old Testament, we have stepped off the foundation and started a new organization. This is what happened to the Roman church in the second century: “Romanists have persisted in bringing against Protestants the charge of heresy and willful separation from the true church. But these accusations apply rather to themselves. They are the ones who laid down the banner of Christ and departed from ‘the faith which was once delivered unto the saints’ Jude 3” GC 51. If you lay down the banner of Christ and depart from the faith once delivered unto the saints, you have started a new organization and the only saving way out of that situation is to repent, confess, make restitution and commit to stand again on the truth of God’s word. If that is not done, all is lost for that organization. If anyone is accused of starting a new organization, it must first be proved that they have left God’s organization. Paul went all over the world establishing new churches, but none of these were new organizations— they were just an enlargement of God’s organization, His church. Every home church or other church established on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets is likewise an enlargement of God’s organization on earth, His church.

“We now need skillful generals to organize into working companies the Lord’s believing children. Nothing must be looked upon as too great for us to undertake, if the Captain of the Lord’s host plans the work and arranges the battle and leads us forth, ‘terrible as an army with banners. ‘ Every movement will be a victory. We need Jesus as our constant Leader” Testimonies to Southern Africa, 44.

2. “Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” John 18: 37. God has given to Seventh- day Adventists the present truth (II Peter 1: 12). If we leave this present truth, we have left the movement, God’s organization, and are in a new organization, even if we have the same name. “The burden of the warning now to come to the people of God, nigh and afar off, is the third angel’s message. And those who are seeking to understand this message will not be led by the Lord to make an application of the Word that will undermine the foundation and remove the pillars of the faith that has made Seventh- day Adventists what they are today” 2SM 103. “I saw a company who stood well guarded and firm, giving no countenance to those who would unsettle the established faith of the body. God looked upon them with approbation. I was shown three steps— the first, second, and third angels’ messages. Said my accompanying angel, ‘Woe to him who shall move a block or stir a pin of these messages. The true understanding of these messages is of vital importance” ‘ EW 258.

What is this platform? It is the messages in Revelation 14: 6- 12, and we are forbidden to step off of this platform. The first angel’s message in verses 6 and 7 proclaims that the hour of God’s judgment has come. This message cannot be proclaimed without an understanding of the sanctuary and the 2300 days prophecy, and the investigative judgment. Those who have left this historic Adventist teaching have stepped off the platform and are no longer a part of the organization founded on the prophets and the apostles. The same is true concerning those who no longer know who Babylon is (the second angel’s message), those who no longer know who antichrist is (the third angel’s message), etc., and also those who believe that the law cannot be kept perfectly, that a person cannot perfectly overcome. They no longer believe Revelation 14: 12, which is part of the third angel’s message. All of these people have stepped off the platform of present truth and have become part of a new organization. God has sent historic Adventist preachers to these people for years to urge them to get back on the platform that the church militant stands on. Very soon opportunity for repentance and reform and getting back on the platform with the church militant will be over for professed- only Seventh- day Adventists. “In every age there is given to men their day of light and privilege, a probationary time in which they may become reconciled to God. But there is a limit to this grace. Mercy may plead for years and be slighted and rejected; but there comes a time when mercy makes her last plea. The heart becomes so hardened that it ceases to respond to the Spirit of God. Then the sweet, winning voice entreats the sinner no longer, and reproofs and warnings cease.” DA 587.

The awful possibility of the Seventh-day Adventist church organization starting a new organization independent from God is a matter of prophecy. Ellen White prophesied that what we are seeing today could happen. We will look at the 12 main points of the prophecy having to do with the new organization in Adventism. It was a conditional prophecy in her day. It is coming to pass in our day.

Following are the 12 main points of the prophecy. Ellen White wrote that the enemy of souls would seek to bring in among us the supposition that a great reformation was to take place among Adventists. This reformation would consist in giving up the doctrines which stand as the pillars of our faith and engaging in a process of reorganization. Ellen  White then said that the result of this would be:

  1. Principles of truth that God…has given to the remnant church would be discarded—our religion would be changed.
  2. The fundamental principles that have sustained the work in the 19th century would be accounted as error.
  3. A new organization would be established.
  4. Books of a new order would be written.
  5. A system of intellectual philosophy would be introduced.
  6. The founders of this system would go into the cities to do a wonderful work.
  7. The Sabbath would be lightly regarded (as the God who created it).
  8. Nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of the new movement.
  9. The leaders would teach that virtue is better than vice, but God being removed,
  10. They would place their dependence on human power, which, without God, is worthless.
  11. Their foundation would be built on the sand.
  12. Storm and tempest would sweep away the structure.

Let us look at each of these 12 points briefly.

POINT #1:

Has our religion been changed? Have our teachings been changed? The book Apostasy is the Issue by Dr. Larson shows conclusively that this has occurred. Many authors have substantiated this fact. See also the booklet Issues: The Real Issue, the Side Issues, and the Pseudo-Issues by Dr. Larson, which also substantiates this fact.

POINT #2:

Predicts that fundamental principles would be changed. What are the fundamental principles? The fundamental principles are as follows:

  1. Those doctrines that have made Seventh-day Adventists what they are: “Messages of every order and kind have been urged upon Seventh-day Adventists, to take the place of the truth which, point by point, has been sought out by prayerful study, and testified to by the miracle-working power of the Lord. But the waymarks which have made us what we are, are to be preserved, and they will be preserved, as God has signified through His word and the testimony of His Spirit. He calls upon us to hold firmly, with the grip of faith, to the fundamental principles that are based upon unquestionable authority” Special Testimonies, Series B, no. 2, p. 59 (1904).
  2. The fundamental principles will not lead a man to transgress God’s law. (See RH 7/05/92)
  3. When the fundamental principles are given up, usually opposition to the visions of Ellen White are an early manifestation. (See The Progressive Years, vol. 2, 149.)
  4. An article by James White in the Signs of the Times in 1874 briefly explains the fundamental principles of the Seventh-day Adventist faith.

Part of these fundamental principles included the doctrines included the doctrines of the investigative judgment beginning in 1844 (the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary), and not only a profession but a demonstration of living according to the counsels of the Spirit of Prophecy. The same books mentioned above document the fulfillment of point 2 of the prophecy.

POINT #3:

A new organization would be established. When do you establish a new organization? When did the Roman church separate from the true church and establish a new organization? When they laid down the banner of Christ and departed from the faith once delivered unto the saints (GC 51). When the above two points have been fulfilled and the organization supports these changes, then you no longer have the same organization—you have a new organization established.

When the angels in heaven chose to follow Lucifer instead of Jesus Christ, they had decided to start a new organization. They claimed that they were only trying to improve or work for the good of the original organization, but actually they were starting a new organization. Jesus Christ is still the head of the church today (Ephesians 1:22, 23) as he has been the Commander and Captain of the Lord’s host from the days of eternity. If any organization or group of human leaders changes leaders so that Jesus is not the Head of their organization, then that is a new organization. Has this ever happened in Adventism and is there any possibility of it happening today? Inspiration gives the answer in the following statements:

  1. “There are some who in the past have had a correct experience, but who have changed leaders. Not all, but many have been beguiled. There are leaders who, before God can own and accept them, must first be converted, and led back to God. The beauty of His holiness is eclipsed by their unsanctified words and acts. They are strangers to God. They have no union with Him.” Special Testimonies, Series B, p. 19.
  2. “Let none suppose that because they have been used as the Lord’s instrumentalities, they are all-sufficient. The Lord uses men and honors them by giving them His wisdom, as long as they are true to Him, and do not gather glory to themselves. Those who make themselves capable of managing the work, are not led by His Spirit, but by ‘another spirit.’ Satan steps in, and they change leaders. Then comes the crookedness and subtlety of the serpent’s guile. Manuscript 37, May 1, 1903, ‘Directions for Work’” UL 135.
  3. “If you indulge stubborness of heart, and through pride and self-righteousness do not confess your faults, you will be left subject to Satan’s temptations. If when the Lord reveals your errors you do not repent or make confession, his providence will bring you over the ground again and again. You will be left to make mistakes of a similar character, you will continue to lack wisdom, and will call sin righteousness, and righteousness sin. The multitude of deceptions that will prevail in these last days will encircle you, and you will change leaders, and not know that you have done so.” RH 12/6/90.
  4. “I would caution all believers to learn to maintain a godly jealously over yourselves, lest Satan shall steal your heart away from God, and you slip unconsciously into work in Satan’s lines, without perceiving that you have changed leaders, and be found in the treacherous power of a tyrant.” RH 11/8/56.
  5. “This is a time when Satan’s deceptive power is exercised, not only upon the mind of those who are young and inexperienced, but upon the minds of men and women of mature years and of broad experience. Men in positions of responsibility are in danger of changing leaders. This I know; for it has been plainly revealed to me. I have been instructed that the enemy seeks to link up with men bearing large responsibilities in the Lord’s work, in order that he may fill their minds with evil devisings. Under his influence men will suggest many things that are contrary to the mind of God.” Special Testimonies, Series B, p. 48.
  6. “Men have broken God’s laws, and despised and trampled on His Sabbath. Thus they have broken their contract with God, and He cannot work in their behalf. The Lord tells us in words too plain to be misapprehended that that metal of the faith of His once chosen people is corrupted. They have a spurious faith. They have changed leaders, and no longer bear the King’s sign. They cannot be trusted in time of test or trial, for they will act the traitor’s part. They do not draw from the Lord’s foundry.” 15 MR 36.

According to these statements, it is possible for leaders in Adventism to change leaders and not even know it! When this happens, a new organization has been established because Jesus is the Head of the church and if His leadership is changed for the leadership of Lucifer, a new organization has been formed (although as at the beginning, it will be claimed that only efforts for the good of the original organization are promoted).

POINT #4:

Books of a new order would be written. Again, this has been documented by many others in books such as Questions on Doctrine.

POINT #5:

A system of intellectual philosophy would be introduced. If you would like to see if a system of intellectual philosophy has been introduced, study such books as The Word Made Flesh by Dr. Larson or, for confirmation, read the book Issues Part II.

POINT #6:

The founders of this system would go into the cities and do a wonderful work. The great apostasy in the second century began as a tremendous campaign to be more successful in evangelism. Here is predicted large scale evangelistic campaigns, but the result would not be people who were taught that they could keep all of God’s law—Sabbath-keeping would be lax among these new converts. Point #6 pinpoints a problem we have had in Adventism for many years now.

POINT #7:

The Sabbath would be lightly regarded. Notice that the prophecy does not say that the Sabbath would be given up but that it would not be strictly kept. Is this happening where you live? If the church organization were to condone sending your children to school on Sabbath, would that fulfill this prophecy? That has been happening for many years in some parts of the world with the knowing silence of the Seventh-day Adventist world structure. (See The Kulakov File.)

POINT #8:

Nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of the new movement. This is being fulfilled before our very eyes. Anyone who protests the apostasy and will not bow to the new theological ideas today being promoted all over the world is stripped of church office, ostracized from all church functions (often not allowed to even pray or announce a song in public service) and then censured and finally disfellowshipped. We have found this happening in every part of the world where we have traveled, which includes most of the continents of the world. If the majority of the church stand for historic Adventism, the church is disbanded and then reorganized without the true and faithful Seventh-day Adventists.

POINT #9:

The leaders would teach that virtue is better than vice—they would give lip service to much theological truth but the truth would not be lived out—professed but not practiced.

POINT #10:

They would put their dependence on human rather than divine power. When a church who is supposed to be the bride of Christ puts her trust in the arm of the state-either legislative, judicial or executive powers of the state-have they fulfilled this prophecy? If a church begins to sue members who do not agree with the leaders who are changing the historic doctrines of the church, is that church fulfilling this prophecy?

POINT #11:

Their foundation would be built on the sand. What does it mean to have your foundation built on the sand? It means that your life-practice is not in harmony with the teachings of Christ (Matthew 7:24-27). When we step off the foundation of the three angel’s messages and will no longer preach them but rather want to preach a peace and safety message, a love and unity message, when we have been called to do a work similar to Elijah and John the Baptist, we are stepping off the true foundation and building a foundation on the sand. Have you noticed that little preaching of the actual three angels’ messages taking place where you live? Have you noticed that many so-called Adventist preachers are afraid to preach the three angel’s messages today? What will be the result of this?

POINT #12:

Storm and tempest sweep away the structure! As of this writing, this last point in the prophecy has not yet been fulfilled. The only way to prevent it from being fulfilled is by a thorough repentance followed by confession and restitution and a stepping back on the true foundation, the true platform—retracing all the steps of apostasy that we have taken and following the Lord in simple, humble obedience to all inspired counsel.

It is thought by many that we do not need to concern ourselves about unsanctified ministers because God will take care of this, and the Sunday law crisis coming will shake them out—God will correct anything and everything that is wrong at the head of the work.

The shaking will indeed culminate in the Sunday law crisis, but that is not the beginning of the shaking and sifting which will separate the wheat and the tares. The shaking begins as a result of the introduction of false doctrines among God’s people (TM 112), which already happened decades ago. The second phase of the shaking is the presentation of the straight testimony (EW 270), which has been in progress in Adventism now for several years. These two developments separate the church into two distinct camps. “Divisions will come in the church. Two parties will be developed” 2SM 114. Then, in the third phase of the shaking, the church will be sifted by the fiery trials of the Sunday law crisis, which will not start but finish the shaking and sifting process. The reaction of people to the shaking process which is now well under-way will, in almost every case, determine the decision they will make in the great test soon to come: “The mark of the beast will be urged upon us. Those who have step by step yielded to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will not find it a hard matter to yield to the powers that be, rather than subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death.” 5T 81. Whether or not we are yielding to worldly demands and conforming to worldly customs now makes all the difference in our eternal destiny. The purpose of the shaking is to purify the church (2SG 284) and this process began a long time ago. It is not something that begins and ends in the Sunday law crisis—that is simply the final end of a process that we have been in for a long time already. The church is becoming progressively more and more purified by this shaking process.

In most churches, the majority reject the straight testimony upon which the destiny of the church hangs (EW 270) and finally cast out the true and faithful, which we see happening around the world at the present time. When this occurs, that church has gone through the second phase of the shaking and the true and faithful who are meeting in someone’s home are the true church; the rest, who have the building, the pastor, the “organization,” the money, etc. are professed-only church—they still have the name, the profession, but they have been shaken out of the true church. Though they maintain all the forms of religion (see GC 378, 614, 615; 5T 210, 682), these forms will be powerless to give them the spiritual strength to remain true in the Sunday law test. They will then manifest whose synagogue they are really members of.

If we support unsanctified ministers, we will meet the same fate that they meet: “As there are woes for those who preach the truth while they are unsanctified in heart and life, so there are woes for those who receive and maintain the unsanctified in the position which they cannot fill.” 2T 552.

“If the truth has not sanctified, made pure and clean, the hands and heart of him who ministers in holy things, he is liable to speak according to his own imperfect experience; and when he speaks of himself, according to the decisions of his own unsanctified judgment, his counsel is not then of God, but of Himself. As he that is called of God is called to be holy, so he that is approved and set apart of men must give evidence of his holy calling and show forth in his heavenly conversation and conduct that he is faithful to Him who hath called him” 1T 261.

“Just as soon as God’s people are sealed and prepared for the shaking, it will come. Indeed, it has begun already;…(MS 173, 1902)” 4BC 1161.

“As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel’s message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position and join the ranks of the opposition. By uniting with the world and partaking of its spirit, they have come to view matters in nearly the same light; and when the test is brought, they are prepared to choose the easy, popular side. Men of talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls. They become the most bitter enemies of their former brethren.” GC 608. We see this happening already. Those who join the ranks of the opposition are presently still calling themselves Seventh-day Adventists, but they are opposing with all their might the true and faithful Adventists and trying with all their power to keep control of the minds of God’s professed people.

Around the world there is a giant tidal wave taking place that many professed Adventist ministers are trying to stop. People are searching and finding historical Adventism—the same doctrines of the Bible that electrified our pioneers and made the Seventh-day Adventist church what it has been. These people are finding out that the present Seventh-day Adventist churches in their localities no longer believe and practice historic Adventism so they are assembling in home churches which are not recognized by “the conference.” It is then claimed that they are not united with the church. But the question needs again to be asked, Who and what is the church? Since the remnant of the woman’s seed consists of those who love God and keep His commandments and have the spirit of prophecy, if you are united with an organized body of historic Seventh-day Adventist believers, you are united with the church. (To have a church, you need to have two historic Seventh-day Adventists who are agreed and unified—see Matthew 18.)

Actually, to be truly united with the church, you must have a mutual spiritual experience. If this spiritual experience is lacking, we are not united to the church no matter where our physical membership may be located: “Union is strength, and the Lord desires that this truth should be ever revealed in all the members of the body of Christ. All are to be united  in love, in meekness, in lowliness of mind. Organized into a society of believers, for the purpose of combining and diffusing their influence, they are to work as Christ worked. They are ever to show courtesy and respect for one another. Every talent has its place, and is to be kept under the control of the Holy Spirit.” Testimonies to Southern Africa, 89.

WHEN DOES GOD FORBID US TO GO TO THE “BRETHREN” FOR COUNSEL?

“You who are finite, erring, and unsanctified, have supposed that God’s children were put under your jurisdiction, for you to plan for them, and bring them to your terms. The policy you have labored so hard to establish in your connection with the work is an offense to God. He has never justified an arrangement, through organization, discipline, or laws, whereby men who have evidenced that they are not susceptible to the Holy Spirit’s moving shall use their power to sustain others in a like disregard of the Spirit’s work. But such has been the arrangement that has prevailed.” 1888 Materials, 1367.

THE HOME CHURCH MOVEMENT BELIEVES IN CHURCH ORGANIZATION.

One of the most exciting aspects of the worldwide home church movement among historic Seventh-day Adventists is the fact that these people are not loners who prefer to act alone and they are not erratic people who want to pull apart or be disorganized into independent atoms. These are people who fully believe in church organization and want the unity for which Christ prayed; but they understand that you can never have the unity for which Jesus prayed unless you unite on the truth, and the conference churches they have gone to have made it abundantly clear to them that they will not stand simply on a plain “thus saith the Lord” in the writings of Ellen White, and sometimes not even in the Bible.

Around the world there are historic Seventh-day Adventists who want to press together in faith and love (RH 12/6/06) and God is drawing them together with other historic Adventist believers at the same time that they are being cast out of conference churches. These true and faithful believers are coming into line as God ordained that the church should always be. They are coming into perfect unity with other historic Adventist believers. At the very time when there is more pluralism and less harmony in many conference churches than ever before, God is drawing His true and faithful believers into a harmony and unity with other believers (who are having victory over sins in their lives) where you worship, you had better go to your closet and pray—soon your opportunity to be united with God’s true and faithful believers will be over. “We are to unify, but on a platform of error.” Battle Creek Letters, 111.

PERFECT UNITY

“I am instructed to say to Seventh-day Adventists the world over, God has called us as a people to be a peculiar treasure unto Himself. He has appointed that His church on earth shall stand perfectly united in the Spirit and counsel of the Lord of hosts to the end of time.—Letter 54, 1908. (Jan. 21, 1908.)” 2SM 397. Notice that the church is to be perfectly united in the spirit of the Lord and in the counsel of the Lord. We can never have unity until we are all under the control of the same Spirit. You cannot go to a church where music is played that comes from a different spirit and ever become united in unity with the Holy Spirit (see I Corinthians 10:20, 21). You cannot go to a church where there is a spirit of unbelief and ever be a united body with the Holy Spirit. Either the spirit of unbelief and the music with the wrong spirit will be overcome and cast aside or God will separate the true and faithful from those who refuse to repent and reform.

Neither can we be in unity until we are united in the counsel of the Lord—until we are willing to submit and obey the Spirit of Prophecy just as it reads. In spite of the fact that the true and faithful Seventh-day Adventists all over the world are being harassed and cast out of conference churches recognized by the general conference, these people are being led by the same Spirit and are submitting to the entire counsel of inspired writings—they are willing to follow all the divine directions to be ready for the soon coming of Christ, and the unity that is becoming more and more evident at their meetings is awesome to behold and experience.

NO NEW ORGANIZATION

Because the true and faithful Adventists have often been cast out of their churches and in other instances they can no longer with clear conscience go to their conference churches because of the apostasy that is being both taught and practiced, they have been forced to raise up home churches; but this is not a new organization of any kind—rather, it is the people who are determined to maintain all the old historic beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists—the people who are part of the original organization not only in name but in doctrine and spirit. This movement is not independent of the church—it is an integral part of the church (the true church, not just the church by profession only), God’s last remnant faithful people, those who keep the commandments of God and the spirit of prophecy as manifested in the writings of Ellen G. White. The same situation that was faced by Sutherland and Magan in educational work at the beginning of the 20th century is now faced by the home church movement. Just as it was necessary to begin educational institutions which were independent from the structure now (but never independent from the Lord). The counsel given then is just as much or more applicable to the home church movement today: “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 from 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 consideredThe Madison School, 31, 32.

Recent developments among professed Adventist ministers, such as the video on a lost mine, the denial of basic Adventist doctrines on television by prominent Adventist ministers and the heart-sickening immorality by others, have left some Adventists reeling—Where is the prophesied pure, true sanctified ministry prepared for the latter rain (3SM 385) going to come from? It is not going to come from Adventist ministers who just stand by and do nothing and say nothing in such a crisis of apostasy as we are in today. “Many have tried neutrality in a crisis, but they have failed in their purpose. No one can maintain a neutral position” RH 4/ 19/ 98. “Preachers and people are in danger of being found upon the side of the powers of darkness. There is no such thing now as a neutral position. We are all decidedly for the right or decidedly for the wrong” 3T 328. “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 crises is regarded of God as a grievous crime and equal to the very worst type of hostility against God.” 3T 281.

Where is the pure, true sanctified ministry prepared for the latter rain going to come from—it is going to come from the faithful few who are standing in the gap and crying aloud and sparing not, calling on God’s people to come into line—come into full harmony with inspired counsels, be the cost what it may, and stand up for the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, maintaining the testimony of Jesus. “There are precious ones now hidden who have not bowed the knee to Baal. They have not had the light which has been shining in a concentrated blaze upon you. But it may be under a rough and uninviting exterior the pure brightness of a genuine Christian character will be revealed” 5T 81.

We are in the exciting time when these hidden ones are beginning to come to view! It is only as we take a bold decided stand for the truth now that we will be enabled to stand in the soon-coming Sunday law crisis.

The devil is trying by every manner of fanaticism and attack from professed Adventists to divide and destroy the grass-roots revival and reformation that is taking place in Adventism. Unfortunately, the so-called structure is acting the part of one of the most skillful of the devil’s agents to bring this about. Every manner of smear tactic is being used. Independent ministers are being accused of being the same as David Koresh in Waco. This is indeed sad when one realizes that all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone (Revelation 21:8).

GOSPEL ORDER AND ACKNOWLEDGED TEACHERS

It is a necessity for home churches to not allow any person into the pulpit, even a conference employee, unless they meet the criteria in Early Writings on page 100: “I saw that the church should feel their responsibility at the lives, qualifications, and general course of those who profess to be teachers. If unmistakable evidence is not given that God has called them, and that the ‘woe’ is upon them if they heed not this call, it is the duty of the church to act and let it be known that these persons are not acknowledged as teachers by the church. This is the only course the church can take in order to be clear in this matter, for the burden lies upon them.” Those who are guilty of telling lies, and have not repented and are in apostasy from the truth, who no longer believe the three angels’ messages and try to prevent others from fulfilling their God-given duty of proclaiming them to the world, and who seek to rule with authority that God has not given them, must not be allowed to speak to God’s people.

WHEN THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY DOES NOT ENDORSE THE CONFERENCE STRUCTURE

There is a time when the regular lines (the conference structure) is not to be endorsed or cooperated with: “We have heard much about everything moving in the regular lines. When we see that the ‘regular lines’ are purified and refined, that they bear the mold of the God of heaven, then it will be time to endorse these lines. But when we see that message after message given by God has been received and accepted, yet no change has been made, we know that new power must be brought into the regular lines. The management of the regular lines must be entirely changed, newly organized. There must be a committee, not composed of half a dozen men, but of representatives from all lines of our work, from our publishing houses, from our educational institutions, and from our sanitariums, which have life in them, which are constantly working, constantly broadening” 13MR 193. “The Lord in His wisdom has arranged that by means of the close relationship that should be maintained by all believers, Christian shall be united to Christian, and church to church. Thus the human instrumentality will be enabled to cooperate with the divine. Every agency will be subordinate to the Holy Spirit, and all the believers will be united in an organized and well-directed effort to give to the world the glad tidings of the grace of God” GW 444. Notice that it is not enough to have representatives from all over to meet in council if these representatives do not “have life in them”—only those who give evidence of being under the control of the Holy Spirit can meet in council and have authority over the church. If the representatives are not under the control of the Holy Spirit, the conference or council does not have Divine authority. The result of a council or conference in which the representatives are under the control of the Holy Spirit is that every agency will be under the control of the Holy Spirit.

There can be no unity between truth and error. We can unite with those who have been led into deception only when they are converted.

APPENDIX 1

What are the pillars of the faith that were established by the word of God and by the revelations of His Spirit?

  1. “We are now to understand what the pillars of our faith are,—the truths that have made us as a people what we are, leading us on step by step.” RH 5/25/05.
  2. “For more than half a century the different points of present truth have been questioned and opposed. New theories have been advanced as truth, which were not truth, and the Spirit of God revealed their error. As the great pillars of our faith have been presented, the Holy Spirit has borne witness to them, and especially is this so regarding the truths of the sanctuary question. Over and over again the Holy Spirit has in a marked manner endorsed the preaching of this doctrine. But today, as in the past, some will be led to form new theories and to deny the truths upon which the Spirit of God has placed His approval.” Ev 224.
  3. “Infidelity prevails to an alarming extent, not in the world only, but in the church. Many have come to deny doctrines which are the very pillars of the Christian faith. The great facts of Creation as presented by the inspired writers, the fall of man, the atonement, the perpetuity of the law—these all are practically rejected by a large share of the professedly Christian world.” LHU 157.
  4. “There are the main pillars of our faith, subjects which are of vital interest, the Sabbath, the keeping of the commandments of God.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, 77.
  5. “[The] pillars of truth were revealed, and we accepted the foundation principles that have made us what we are—Seventh-day Adventists, keeping the commandments of God and having the faith of Jesus.” UL 352.
  6. “Our people need to understand the reasons of our faith and our past experiences. How sad it is that so many of them apparently place unlimited confidence in men who present theories tending to uproot our past experiences and to remove the old landmarks! Those who can so easily be led by a false spirit show that they have been following the wrong captain for some time,—so long that they do not discern that they are departing from the faith or that they are not building upon the true foundation . We need to urge all to put on their spiritual eyeglasses, to have their eyes anointed that they may see clearly and discern the true pillars of faith. Then they will know that ‘the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his.’ We need to revive the old evidences of the faith once delivered to the saints” The Southern Watchman 4/5/04.
  7. “Our faith in reference to the messages of the first, second, and third angels was correct. The great waymarks we have passed are immovable. Although the hosts of hell may try to tear them from their foundation, and triumph in the thought that they have succeeded, yet they do not succeed. These pillars of truth stand firm as the eternal hills, unmoved by all the efforts of men combined with those of Satan and his host. We can learn much, and should be constantly searching the Scriptures to see if these things are so.” Maranatha, 247.
  8. “The truths that have been substantiated by the manifest working of God are to stand fast. Let no one presume to move a pin or foundation-stone from the structure. Those who attempt to undermine the pillars of our faith are among those of whom the Bible says that ‘in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.’” Bible Training School 3/1/15. [This statement defines what entering into a new organization really is.]

Next –> SECTION TWO, by MARSHALL J. GROSBOLL

Organization

A Touchy Subject

The idea of organization has been a touchy subject among us as Seventh-day Adventists, even in the situation we now find ourselves in. It is a subject that needs to be approached with much tact, prayer and concern. However, I have observed, over the last few years, that we have been too quick to throw the baby out with the bath water. If something did not work correctly for us in the past, we are a little more gun shy now.

Why are we, as a movement, here? Because we want true fellowship; we want to be where God’s people are; we want cooperation; we want to hear the truth; we do not want it watered down.

Jesus is doing something here, folks, and we really need to do some deep thinking so that we understand the whys and the wherefores of what is really happening. It will give us a better understanding of what God expects from us in the future. We are where we are today because what we receive and what we desire to get we are not getting in the regular Seventh-day Adventist Churches.

I want to present to you our thoughts and concepts as we began to organize an association of small churches in Maine. We have had to come to grips with a lot of things, and I want to share these with you. I am not telling you that we have something with which you need to fall in line, but I hope this article will reaffirm concepts you have been forming.

Many of the things that I have mentioned are the exact reasons why I started going to independent meetings in my area almost 12 years ago. I wanted to hear things that were actuated and empowered by the Spirit of God! I would sit in the regular church, and I would say, “Why do I want to go to sleep? I should listen, but what am I hearing? Even though I am hearing words, I am really not hearing anything.”

Missing the Point

Communication is more than just words. It is the concepts and the spirit behind the communication. The idea that we see many of the things that are wrong within the regular church does not mean that we have really come clear of that completely. Often times my heart has been wrung over the years as we have basically licked our wounds and talked a lot about what the conference has done to us, and we have missed the whole point.

Take a look at some of the early settlers in this country who fled severe persecution in Europe, only to come here and pass religious laws and put people in stocks who did not follow their rules and regulations. I have often seen, in our groups in Maine, the same spirit that we condemn within the conference. So we have to ask, what is happening?.

What is happening is that the regular Seventh-day Adventist Church is not organized. You say, “What do you mean? They have conferences, pastors, teachers, conference presidents and all that.”

I want to introduce into your mind the concept that the Adventist movement, before it formed an organization in 1863, starting when the Michigan Conference was organized. They were spiritually organized, and this spiritual order is what we need to understand.

We seek to become involved in an outward organization that will facilitate doing God’s work, which I believe is necessary. But it is the icing on the cake. We have to understand true spiritual order, in order to have physical organization really function. Otherwise all we have done, again, is form another situation that will follow the track of Romanism at some point in time.

Some time ago I heard a friend of mine speak on apostasy. He quoted many things from the Bible and a lot of things from the Testimonies dealing with the alpha and the omega. Our eyes were opened. A lot of things that I had thought about were confirmed. I was thrilled to hear my thoughts echoed in what he said.

When I shared these things with fellow members in the Adventist Church, I was set back when I saw the displeasure on their faces. So my wife and I learned that there were places where we would be fed and there were other places where we would not.

Divisive and Disloyal?

After awhile we said, “Why should we go someplace where we are not fed when we can go to a place where we are fed?” To make a long story short, after two or three business meetings at the church, we were disfellowshipped for belonging to a divisive and disloyal organization. Well, I am sorry to say, brothers and sisters, to my disappointment and to the disappointment of others, within a year that organization folded.

It was an embarrassment to the Lord, and it was heart–rending to most of the participants. I now understand that even though it was an organization, it was not truly organized in gospel order. That was why, as soon as something came along that was controversial, everybody ducked and ran for their corners.

The problem is, brothers and sisters, our thinking, as Seventh-day Adventists, is in the same mode as the children of Israel when they said, “Let us make us a king.” (See 1 Samuel 18:5.)

Still Looking to Man

This organization was formed around a man. He was a very charismatic speaker, so people said, “Let us get together and raise funds so that you can speak.” It was based on an individual.

Now there is room for personal ministries, and they have filled a void, but if we look for people like that to fill those voids, instead of taking our own place in service, we are going to be in big trouble.

It is a human tendency to sit back and say, “Let us make us a king that will judge among us” and then have some kind of central government. But I believe that God would have a kingdom with Jesus as the Head. Christ said, “All ye are brethren,” (See Matthew 23:8) with an invisible but obvious Leader. When we learn to order ourselves in that manner, then we can go forward. Without ordering ourselves in this manner we cannot accomplish the work, neither can we have personal victory.

Some of us think, “I just cannot deal with other folks. I just want to go off by myself and get this right.” If we do this, at some point in time we are going to be missing out on the interaction that occurs among brethren and in the strengths and weaknesses that bind us together. When we work in concert, we can be balanced.

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffer-ing, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1–3.

Many times I have seen division after division after division take place. If you have not, brothers and sisters, I feel thankful for you, but I have seen this so many times in so many groups. I have heard of it in so many different places and people ask “Why?” Oftentimes we think these divisions are of little consequence, because we are in the shaking time. There are those who are going to depart from us.

But in Ephesians 4, Paul said that we must endeavor to keep “the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.” He did not say endeavor to make it but endeavoring to keep it. You would not get married to someone you did not love with the hope that, just because you were getting married, you would love each other eventually.

Just Living Together, but Never Married!

Oftentimes that is what so-called Christianity is doing today in ecumenism. “Well, let us just get together and live together because we have some common goals and we will put all these other things aside for now.” That is not what God is asking for. He is wants us to become one, as He and the Father are one. That occurs through sanctification of the truth.

The disciples did not fully understand it, being brought up in the system in which they were. They had been taught to look for a temporal kingdom and a temporal king. Jesus would often try to teach them a lesson but their minds would be darkened because of their own preconceived ideas. Jesus would tell them, “Oh, but My kingdom is like this,” and He would try to give them an example. (See John 18:36.) They did many things which showed that, even though they were teachable, there were still wrong ideas within them.

We are dealing with the same thing today. We cannot make unity. God in His Spirit, within us, draws us into unity, but we have to understand the concepts of Christian conduct among ourselves so we know how to conduct ourselves in the church for God.

There are things that we are doing that God would not have us to do, and there are things that we are not doing that God would have us to do. There is conduct that is acceptable, and there is conduct that is not acceptable. If we have an intelligent faith, God expects us to study His Word and come into line.

We may talk to 20 different people and come up with 20 different ideas of organization. My friend has often said, “There is the “Big O” organization and there is the “Little o” being organized.” There is no way that anybody can efficiently do anything or amount to anything unless they are organized.

In the Testimonies the Servant of the Lord has told us that God’s angels are not authorized to work with confusion. (See Testimonies, vol. 1, 649.) Orderly conduct, “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore He saith When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Now that He ascended, what is it but He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.” Ephesians 4:3–10.

New life, new spirit—the human carnal nature that is within us must be eradicated in order to have true unity.

I am not saying that we cannot go forward unless we all have perfect victory. I am saying we need to be aware of what spirit is within us and what that Spirit leads us to do, as far as conduct within our family, within the church, or within larger groups.

Responsibility Within the Church

When there is no order within the home, that disorder spills over into a lack of order within the church. I am not talking about being a hard, dictatorial individual who drives your family. We, as men and fathers, women and mothers, grandparents or children, have a place within the family, a responsibility, and we must fulfill it in a diligent manner. Otherwise there is going to be trouble in the family.

It is also true in the church. There are those whom God has given to fill places of responsibility in the church. If those people take more responsibility than what God has given them, there is trouble. If they do not take the responsibility that God has given them, there is trouble. So we cannot go either way; and since we are gun shy of organization, because of what the “Big O”organization has been doing, we will find ourselves going to perdition because we lack order and organization among us.

Brothers and sisters, there is no option. It is mandatory that we have order. We are forming no new organization, and we encourage no one else to form a new organization. This organization has been around since before this world existed. This organization is still there, existing, in place. The only problem is that we do not understand where our place is to function within it.

Jesus Christ is now calling for all of those who have faith to fall into line and to understand their place within the temple of God. When we fall into line, it will start a domino effect for perfection of character, for the building up of the church and for an understanding of the truth. We will no longer be divided and will not be tossed around by every wind of doctrine. Those things have come in among us and have given us all heartache, trouble, contention and confusion. It is not God’s will. It is because we are not organized.

“And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.” Ephesians 4:11. Here are the gifts. He has given gifts to men, not positions of authority but positions of responsibility. These positions of responsibility are given straight from the Commander to those generals whom He has chosen as leaders.

Christ has set these positions in place. If these are not soon coming about within historic Adventism, we are in trouble. We have no right to point to the regular Seventh-day Adventist Church and say, “Shame on you.” Shame on us! We are in as much trouble, if not more than them, because our knowledge of truth should be greater than those who say, “Well, I just do not care. I think we just ought to love.”

If we serve God with a faith that is based upon correct and right principles, we have an intelligent faith. These positions of responsibility Jesus put within His church, not to function as independent atoms but to culminate and work in concert with all the rest of the people and with the other gifts within the church, “For the perfecting of the saints,” (See Ephesians 4:12), bringing about character development.

Do We Really Love God?

We have talked many times in groups, as brothers and sisters, about the concept of character perfection. I am sure that most of us understand that God expects us to overcome every sin. Just to say that I love Jesus is not good enough.

The overcoming of every sin is not going to happen until things come to order in the church. Yes, sin is personal between you and God. It effects the group, however, when individual problems come to the surface. How do you deal with that? There is a tactful way to give counsel. If my brother is at fault, or if people begin to realize that I am off balance, then we say, “Help me, brother. Help me, sister, to see where I should put my next footstep.”

Working in concert within a group, as brethren, begins to give balance and provides a format where people can see those deep rooted tendencies they have not seen. The way things are now, if someone is continually coming up with a problem, how are they to know? They will think it is because so-and-so put them in that situation. They have no way to sit down to bring about justice, to have good counsel and to deal with problems that arise in the church.

How are you really going to follow Matthew 18 through in most cases? It is impossible. “…for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” Ephesians 4:12–16.

How is this working together in concert to happen? This is the key to understanding where we stand before God and how we proceed. Often we have said, “Well, let us just go do the work.” We have tried that with sometimes success and sometimes very limited success. I dare say that God is not going to bring in that great influx of people, which we have been promised, until things are done decently and in order.

People are not foolish. They are not spiritually dumb, and they are not ignorant. These people are wide awake. They understand issues. They just have not had everything revealed to them, and I dare say that God is not taking the blinders off, in many cases. Oftentimes, all they would be brought into is a very discouraging circumstance of wrangling, faultfinding, backbiting, gossiping, self-righteousness, and condemnation of someone because they are not following the convictions of the one doing the condemning.

There are going to be problems, but when people come in and see the love of God brought about in an orderly fashion, they will know this is completely different than what they experience anywhere else.

Choose Ye This Day—God or Man?

Everywhere else man rules! And where man rules, one man is exalted and other men are put down. That situation is never going to bring about perfection of Christian character. All it is going to do is discourage character development and produce fanaticism.

Another situation we have to deal with is that God expects us to come into unity and all speak the same thing. Unless you are greatly immune from what we in New England have experienced, every wind of doctrine has also blown your way. In many cases some of these winds of doctrines have not necessarily been that far off from truth. We have kind of puzzled over them to see what is really occurring. Remember, communication is more than words. We have to learn to detect the spiritual undertow of what is presented.

We have come to the conclusion that many of these people have one prominent issue. It is on their mind, and they come and teach this one prominent issue. Even if you may not disagree, they want you to stand fully for that issue. Sister White calls these people “one-idea people.” (See Gospel Workers, 1915 edition, 119.) They have made this one issue the prominent test. That is it.

So accepting or rejecting that one issue determines whether you are in their group or whether you are not in their group. This has caused more division or heartache than is imaginable. If you have had trouble with that, and I am sure you have to some extent, remember, there are testing truths that God has given, which are not optional.

The Issue

The message we have to take to the world, to warn the world; the information we need in order to put together the nuts and bolts of a practical Christian character; the sealing of ourselves, our families and those out there in the world, is the issue.

If we are ever going to accomplish this work and go home to see our Saviour, we must come to the point where we ask, “What is the priority?” The concepts that are involved in the Three Angels’ Messages apply to our lives, and when taught and applied to the lives of others, they are the key to going home. It is the key to finishing the sealing so Christ can finish His work in the Most Holy Place, is it not?

If Satan can distract us on any other issue, so that we are waylaid, held up, and resources expended in any other way, even though it may be an important issue, we have failed to address the prominent emergency of the day. That is where we need to get centered. What are those issues?

In New England, we are, as you know, very strong personality people, and there have been issues that have divided us. We have had to come together and say, “We believe at this point in time that some of these issues can be tabled for now because there is a situation on which we must go forward, otherwise things will not progress, and we will not progress personally either.”

Remember the divisions in Corinth? Paul wrote them a letter. He said, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” 1 Corinthians 1:10.

Isaiah 9 says that Christ’s kingdom is going to be set up and He is going to order it in justice and judgment. How many folks have gone out from groups like ours because there was no justice and there was no judgment?

We Cannot go Back

That has to stop! Jesus would bring in justice and judgment, but He wants us to all speak the same thing! What is it? Now truth runs close to error. You have those people out there saying, “You believe one thing; we believe another. Let us just put aside our differences and work together.” My reply would be, “No, we cannot just put our differences aside. We need to resolve our differences.”

There needs to be some fence mending. There needs to be some prayer and fasting so we can find out where we are not in harmony with God’s order. That is a must! “I will have you all speak the same mind,” He said. Why were they not speaking the same thing and why were they not of the same mind?

It is very obvious that in Corinth the people were choosing men to lead them. “For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 1:11, 12.

It is the human tendency to make a king. This was brought out to me on one of our brother’s back lawns a few weeks ago. As we began to come together, we read the chapter in Patriarchs and Prophets of when the children of Israel finally asked for a king. They came to Samuel. They had already been thinking about this, and they said, “Your sons are not just. So we want a king to reign over us and to judge us.” Ibid., 604.

How often I have heard it said that if the regular church would stop celebrating; if they would stop some of the erroneous training of the pastors; if that (and the list goes on) was corrected, then we could go back. I say to you what Jesus said to His disciples when they suggested the same thing: “You cannot put new wine into old bottles lest the old bottles burst.” (See Matthew 9:17.) Brothers and sisters, I believe that we could not go back into the regular church unless the whole thing was set up on completely different principles.

In order to do that you would have to dismantle it from top to bottom. To say that just putting different men in those positions would correct the problem is not the right concept. Look around you. We have done that. It is still a human tendency to set up these kingdoms with a prominent individual that we can look at and say, “Here, world, here is a charismatic individual, a steady, spiritual individual. He is our leader.”

Are You Asleep in the Pew?

As we have looked at the regular church with the pastors who are man–made leaders just because they have gone through the system and have been ordained, it seems the people think, “Well, he has to be God’s appointed.” Well, no! Then you have the people who sit in the pews and say “Amen” to whatever they hear. But if somebody new comes along who is not endorsed by those in authority, then these same people find fault with him, no matter what is said.

I have also seen this within the independent ministries. It is still not so much what is spoken as how it is spoken and by whom it is advocated. We have to get over that hump. We have to come to the place where we stop looking for a human king and start looking for our King Jesus. Then all of us can come into line and say, “All of us are brethren.” (See Matthew 23:8.) Paul said, “I would have you all of the same mind, the same judgment.” (See
1 Corinthians 1:10.) The reason they were not of the same mind is that they were following different leaders and receiving a different spirit.

You know, the disciples had their problems. Upon their return from a missionary tour, John said to Jesus, “…Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in My name, that can lightly speak evil of me.” Mark 9:38, 39.

So even the disciples had the concept that if someone was not part of their group, then they were not with the program. This is the thinking that we have.

We are No Man’s Master!

There have been more ills caused in Adventism because we have not understood that we are not mind and judgment for our brothers. We are to be wise counselors, but we are not another man’s master. Christ is the Master of all. In giving counsel we can give information, but then, if the individual is not involved in open error or open sin, that brother or sister must follow their own convictions, even though we do not agree.

Many times we have not discerned the difference between counsel and law. For instance, we are told that Eve was counseled not to leave the side of her husband. (See Early Writings, 147, 148.) Did she sin when she left his side? No, she did not. She did not sin until she ate of the tree, but departing from that counsel was the first step leading up to her sin.

So there are things we have been counseled to do and not to do. We need to heed that counsel very closely, and if we expect to honor God, we will. When someone else has departed from that counsel, we cannot treat them as though they have transgressed.

There is a great difference there. Out of that misunderstanding we have the “dress police,” and we have the “food police.” We have people who will, at a potluck dinner, scrutinize the food to the point where they do not even want to be there, or eat, because somebody has brought something that is not quite what they are convicted ought to be on the table. God is not asking us to be somebody else’s policeman. We are not to be mind and judgment for someone else. Many times we watch our brethren to see where they are in the faith, rather than examining our own hearts to see whether we are in the faith.

Louder than Words?

There is, however, a condition where we seek Christ’s approval, and then we go ahead and do things to the contrary. How many times have we made mistakes because we want to be seen as good Christians, yet we have neglected to do the things that God says constitutes being a good Christian. “And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” Matthew 23:9–12.

So the idea of being exalted, as opposed to being brethren and servants, was formed. I think if we sat down with His disciples at the time, they would not realize that they thought that way. I think it is that way among us, too, even though we talk about being a servant and being the least; our natural tendencies like to take over. Actions speak louder than words.

Often our actions have said that we would like to be first. Jesus said this could not be. You know, we talk about the pope and all of these things that go on in Romanism, and a lot of times we miss the point that what is wrong with Romanism is the exaltation of man in the place of God and the putting down of other men. That exists among us today. You do not just have to look to the structured church to see that.

Primitive Godliness?

If there is anything that I can impress upon your minds, it is this: we have not fully understood the deep underlying reasons and concepts of what has really happened within the structured church and why we are where we are. We need to understand those, and we need to understand it like the disciples did.

Look at Acts 1:6. The disciples had gone through so much. They had Jesus, Who was raised right before their faces, and still they asked, “…Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” These men still had not come to an understanding of what Jesus was saying when He said, “My kingdom is not of this world. My kingdom is spiritual. The words that I speak unto you are spirit and they are life.” (See John 18:36.)

They were still looking for a temporal kingdom and they wanted somebody on that throne. However, Jesus said to them, “…It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8. You know, it is so wonderful how Jesus does things, and it is something that we have to learn about counseling people.

Oftentimes people are doing something, and we would like to say, “Do not do that!” Jesus, rather than hitting them on that point would draw them onto a higher plane of truth. He would almost avoid the subject, but He would take them beyond that situation.

Another place He said, “…but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” Luke 24:49. So these individuals were put in a situation where they were to tarry. They fellow-shipped together. They prayed together and something began to happen. “And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots….” Acts 1:24, 25.

Now look at Acts 2:1. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” Now everybody in the world cannot get together in one place, but it says to not neglect the gathering of yourselves together as you see that day approaching. As these men were together in one place, the Spirit of God began to work on their hearts and they began to see how they had been treating each other.

Me, First!

They had been putting themselves first; they were looking for a king, but who did they really want for a king? They wanted to be a king themselves. They realized of what spirit they were, and they then began to confess their faults among one another.

They started to mend some fences and go to their brothers and say, “Look, I am sorry how I did this, and said that, and how I injured you.” I believe they started to get very specific in how they had been doing things to one another.

That is what I think needs to be done among groups where there have been divisions. There may be such a broad area of doctrinal difference that healing cannot occur. There may be other individuals who cannot work closely together because of their strong tendencies. But certainly these things, the strife and contention that we have had among us, must be put away. It cannot be shuffled under the carpet. It has to be resolved.

The apostles began to repent of their sins before God, and that prepared the way. “…suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And their appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:2–4.

Some have said that Acts of the Apostles would be more rightly titled, the Acts of the Holy Spirit. These men came into order; they came to a place where they could go no other way. They realized that what they had been taught was going nowhere. They had run right into a theological wall, and they had to rethink everything. There was no place for them to go. They could not turn around and go back to the Sanhedrin; they knew that was not going to work. So they had nothing left to do but to resolve things. They saw, that even though there was contention, differences and strong personalities, these were the people whom God was going to use to move His work forward as soon as they received the Spirit of God.

In that situation, God could fill them. Then they were teachable. They were no longer like Peter saying, “I can do it!” But they were meek, saying, “Let us have faith and God will guide us.”

Suspicious of Ourselves

They became what the Servant of the Lord has often talked about; we should be more suspicious of ourselves than we are of others. (See Review and Herald, April 15, 1880; Ibid., October 29, 1901.) Many of you have probably been in the Adventist Church all of your lives. I think that we should be more suspicious of ourselves than we are of the structured church.

We have a great knowledge, and we need to be suspicious of ourselves. As we come before God and allow Him to point out where we have erred, we will be a lot more gracious with our brothers and sisters as they err.

Acts continues to tell about how they preached; and many dwelling in Jerusalem were added to the church that God would have saved. God is not adding all to the church today that need to be saved, and there is a good reason for it.

Gun Shy

Brothers and sisters, I want to appeal to you today. We, as Seventh-day Adventists have been so gun shy of organization, because it has been drummed into our heads from the time we were small that the Adventist Church is the last church. It is God’s only church. Just stick with the church. But God is going to sift the sinners out of Zion. Quotes from the Testimonies have been misused to contradict clear and plain “Thus saith the Lord” from Scripture on coming into order. We must come into order!

Over one hundred years ago, the Servant of the Lord wrote, “I would hope there would not be another coming out.” She lays down principle, and the principle is bigotry. If you look it up you will find that bigotry comes from a term that is meant to take an oath, to dig in your heels, personal opinion. “This is where I am going to stand. I am not going to move.” That is not what God would have. It is also synonymous with what the Scripture calls a heretic. Someone who is an opinionated person. We need people who are able to move with a “Thus saith the Lord.” If you have taken a position and you are not willing to move when more light is given, you have a serious problem. That is going to cause division, too.

There is much need of men who will hold to principle, who are able to say, “I am sorry,” when they have erred. That is what we need today. People who are able to say, “I am sorry. I really messed up. I believed that this was the issue. I believed this is where we were supposed to stand, but now that I have had more light revealed to me, I see where I have been mistaken, and we need to move along in this other area.” That would be a great change of spirit from what I have seen over the years.

To be Organized?

So these are the principles and concepts that we need to understand to move forward. This is the “Little o” that my friend is talking about, a physical organization on top of the spiritual organization.

Just because the “Big O,” which has become a monster of its own, is coming after the church, does not mean that we should not have the “Little o” organized. We must be organized. You cannot do anything officially without being organized, and God and all beings in the universe are very well organized. Order must come into our ranks.

Spiritual Order

“For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and be holding your order, and steadfastness of your faith in Christ.” Colossians 2:5

Recently much discussion has entered the arena of ideas regarding “gospel order” and “organization” of smaller bodies of believers, either within their own groups or as groups joining together. Many necessities have arisen in these late hours of earth’s history that are making such discussions imperative.

Fair or Foul Usage

In considering the practical and physical nature of order and organization, we would do well to consider the spiritual order necessary to make anything of a practical nature function correctly. There are many who are afraid of physical organization, believing such endeavors are doors to corruption. The early Seventh-day Adventist pioneers faced 20 years of such fear before settling into that which proved a “grand success.” (See General Conference Bulletins, April 10, 1903; General Conference Daily Bulletins. January 29, 1893; February 20, 1899.)

Everyone reading this probably has a five dollar bill in their wallet or purse. A great deal of time, thought, expense, and machinery went into the process of producing that small piece of paper. Users of that denominated bill can either purchase lunch, gasoline, or a pornographic magazine if they so choose. The bill itself is not compromised by fair or foul usage. It is the user who decides the final issue of its value.

One of the main reasons people fear organization in religious fields arises from the premise that it is an open door to a hierarchy developing. Hierarchies have certainly developed. Some, like the papacy, put it right on paper. Others put on paper principles of gospel order and representative systems of governance, but in practice they are veritable papal machines functioning as “rule or ruin” systems. The paperwork is invalidated by men, in positions of responsibility, either ignorant, blind, or defiant of inspired directions in these matters. The heart is not right. The head becomes confused. The results become a detriment to the progress of Christ’s church.

The True Foundation

Spiritual order is the true foundation often missing from efforts to organize a work for God. I trust readers are well aware of the many statements from the Spirit of Prophecy, which deal with the topic. Two should provide an adequate perspective;

“Organizations, institutions, unless kept by the power of God, will work under Satan’s dictation to bring men under the control of men; and fraud and guile will bear the semblance of zeal for the truth and for the advancement of the kingdom of God.” Testimonies to Ministers, 366.

“There is too much reliance upon human plans and methods, and too little faith in the mighty God of Jacob; too much machinery, and too little of the life-giving Spirit and power of the Most High.” Signs of the Times, June 30, 1881.

A Tool to Further God’s Work

Literally hundreds of other statements can be read to get the balance of intent where organization, machinery and kindred terms are found. Organization and the elements of organization are essential for the oversight and forwarding of God’s message in this world. Positions of responsibility can be faithfully carried out, or people can fall into being betrayers of sacred trust. Such actions are not a call to dismantle order and organization. They just show the perversions that can enter. Let it be remembered that rebellion broke out even in heaven. No amount of organization can keep things spiritual, period. Organization is a tool to be used by spiritual people to forward a work for God in this world. It is not to be feared but respected and utilized, as one would use any tool to accomplish a purpose.

This brings us to principles of spiritual order from the Holy Bible by which we can be blessed. They are simple things, but oh, how often forgotten or not given proper consideration.

Here is the bottom line, the foundation:

“…Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God… he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” John 3:4, 5.

Every problem within organization stems from this situation first. If, in this politically correct world of ours, spiritual people cannot detect whether individuals placed in positions of responsibility are spiritual people themselves, we are in a most destitute situation, indeed. This is not judging salvation. This is not deciding who is weak in faith or strong. It is simply knowing who is a citizen of God’s kingdom by new birth, and who is not, by virtue of observing the fruits of life—love for God and love to our fellowman. If this cannot be known or observed in practical ways, let us call it a day and close up shop. But spirituality can be observed. It must be observed.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33.

Sung over and over again, as a Scripture song, the foundational principle here stated is almost lost amongst a people who regularly put men on pedestals, in the place of God, run the church like a Madison Avenue business or some secular country, when Jesus plainly stated – My kingdom is not of this world. The pure, worthy, heavenly, biblical prinicples that make up the governing of God’s kingdom must be sought, known and practiced if any kind of physical organization is to function well. They cannot be found in the kingdoms or corporations of this world. They are found only in Inspiration and the things of nature that God has created for our instruction.

Christ’s Righteousness Must be Exalted

All efforts to organize must center on the exaltation of Christ’s righteousness. No uplifting of the talents, accomplishments, education or banners and methods of man should be given entrance into the work of God. We are all sinners in need of a Saviour. We are all prone to self-centeredness. We are all bound to seek the comfort and affirmation of men in a crisis, rather than hold the line for God in the face of scowls, slicing words, or death. Teach, or let people look to men, and they will. They will bypass or replace counseling together with permission to go forward. A thus saith the Lord is replaced by a thus saith men. The principles of Bible truth are replaced by the rules, resolutions, regulations, policies, mandates and commandments of men. Nobody, with the glory of Christ’s righteousness shining through, will seek anything but the knowledge of God’s character, government, and purposes, and act in accordance with them, Great Controversy, 593. Whatever cannot be shown to aid in the believer’s attainment, by faith, of Christ’s righteousness cannot be made hard and fast. Let much prayer and thought go into this premise. Jesus knew about what He was speaking.

This leads us into another foundational principle. “…all ye are brethren.” Mat-
thew 23:8. There is only one King, one Head on one set of shoulders, upon which the government rests. There is one Lawgiver. How easy for sincere people to set men, called of God to do a work for Him, in the place of God Himself. It cannot be overstated how dangerous this is. It is very prevalent in all circles today and must cease. If we cannot humble ourselves and knock down the pedestals, God will.

“But Jesus called them unto Him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28.

If men seek position, authority, dominion or greatness, they have not the spiritual order necessary to be involved in the work of God on earth.

In Luke 22:24-34, the same scenario is portrayed, with the added situation of Peter’s need for conversion to strengthen his brethren, and his confident statement of loyalty; to which Jesus told him of his coming denial.

We Must be “Servants”

Let the passage speak to the issue. Conversion, and realizing we are to be servants, is so necessary to successful organization; without it, all the talent on earth will accomplish only pain and trouble.

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Matthew 7:1. “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone:…” Matthew 18:15.

In Matthew 7:1–5, and Matthew 18:15–20, we read of basic principles of spiritual order that are constantly neglected to the destruction of souls. Now, let it be understood that Jesus said to “…judge righteous judgment.” John 7:24. But can you imagine a person with a ceiling beam sticking out of his face trying to tell someone how to get a sliver out of his eye? Jesus portrayed a preposterous situation to illustrate a plain truth; make sure your own heart and life are right with God before you get to thinking how to straighten out someone else’s life. Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself. How simple, and yet how foreign to much of what exists in religion today amongst God’s professed people, in the home and in the church. Certainly no organization can function properly where such principles are not carried out or found. Oh Lord, help Thy people to have spiritual order in every aspect of our lives.

A Heart Problem

Gossip and backbiting are poisons and disease that are eating out the life of the church in every quarter. Things ripple through the pews with such speed that surely the Seventh-day Adventist grapevine is the fastest communication system on earth! It is a heart problem that has nothing to do with districts, conferences, unions, positions of responsibility, printing presses, schools, or health institutions. There is such a lack of true brotherhood amongst God’s professed people that such illness is common rather than rare. Organization cannot stop it. Heaven could not stop it. Lucifer did what he did, and God allowed it to have its unfortunate results that we might learn the futility and destructive nature of these things. (See Patriarchs and Prophets, 41-42; paperback, 17, 18.)

Lucifer attacked God’s character, government and purposes. Spiritual order in heaven broke down. Rebellion broke out. War resulted. A separation took place. Do not miss the points. There is nothing new under the sun.

“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Galatians 6:1

In all things, restoration to God’s ideals is the influence that should be seen and practiced by God’s people. Tear down sin; do not tear down people.

Antichristian Behavior

Does the student of the Bible realize there is not a single instance in the gospels where Jesus verbally stated the problems people had with their personalities, characters, motives or methods—unless He was outright asked, addressed, or had people gather around Him to listen to Him teach principles that spoke to people’s hearts? Until people have that spiritual order that leaves the flaws of character, motive, personality, and methods (not out of harmony with a distinct biblical command) of others in the hands of God, we shall wander in the wilderness for generations to come, biting and devouring until a generation gets it right. We will never prepare for heaven while living out such antichristian behavior.

Consider these two stories and their import:

“And John answered Him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid Him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in My name, that can lightly speak evil of Me. For he that is not against us is on our part.” Mark 9:38–40.

If men forbid others because they are not “with the program,” if they display a “party spirit” or have that “company man” mentality, know they are not possessors of God’s spiritual order and will promote human wisdom over God’s revealed will.

In Luke 9:46-56 the same story is mentioned with the addition of comments by the “Sons of Thunder.” (See Mark 3:17.) When Jesus was not allowed to enter a village of the Samaritans because of their prejudice, James and John responded:

“Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elias did?” Jesus responded, rebuking them with the perfect words,
“Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” Luke 9:54–56.

To Build Up the Body of Christ

If men display self-importance, if they display bigotry or prejudice, or seek to hurt or destroy with ideas contrary to God’s government and kingdom, they have not the spiritual order that will build up the body. It is one thing to speak out against open sin and rebellion. It is another thing to deal with people as though we are engaged in a military conflict or sporting event. We war, but with spiritual weapons, not carnal ones. We race, but we do so that all may receive the crown of life, knowing we are in an endurance race, not a sprint to the finish line.

The book of Acts is filled with such harmony, brotherhood, love and power that one looks almost in vain to find any dissension. The murmuring of the Grecian converts, in chapter 6:1, which resulted in the office of deacons, is recorded. In chapter 15 we see the sharp contention between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark’s usefulness; something that was settled for the good of all with the insights, confidence and courage displayed by Barnabas. Would you be willing to disagree with the apostle Paul for the good of God’s work, or would Paul’s word settle a matter? Do not miss the point there.

In Acts 21:17–40, we have the unfortunate story of leaders having no confidence in Paul, this time around, which grew from having no spiritual order and little faith. Paul was asked to compromise his own principles, which he did to keep peace and unity. It cost the church the freedom of its greatest missionary. The leaders had no authority to place Paul under unnecessary restrictions, and their cowardice is a testament to what lack of brotherly love can cost God’s movement.

The Plague of Unbelief

There is, though, an underlying stone of offence that appears frequently in the book of Acts, as well as the epistles. In Acts 14 we see the influence of unbelieving Jews, and Acts 15 relates to us, in revealing detail, the problems that Judaizers would give the movement for years.

Unbelief is a plague, of course. No one would deny that. What could be less spiritual? But when it has the semblance of zeal for God and for His people, then it is most perfidious.

“But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.” Acts 14:2. What can be worse than former brethren and the trouble they can cause? Without spiritual order, and organization, an unraveling of the fabric of God can swiftly take place. Paul understood the issues and the times. He boldly spoke to these unbelievers and told them if they didn’t want the truth and the torch he would turn and watch God give it to the Gentiles. Acts 13:46; 14:3. True, they had to flee stoning (verse 5), but there is never a dull moment in the army of the Lord, beloved. Let us understand well that spiritual point. “All they that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (See 2 Timothy 3:12.)

In Acts 15 the issues came to a head within the body itself. If there is one thing that can slow down or derail the train of salvation, it is the misunderstanding of the plan of salvation. The Judaizers taught, “…Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.” Acts 15:1. It did not seem to dawn on these souls that if circumcision actually saved anyone, half the human race (females) were left out. No small dissension and disputation arose. The Jerusalem council was called; Peter spoke the obvious, that the Holy Spirit had already decided the matter, and why put yokes on people no one was able to bear (generation after generation of false thinking)?

Is it not so that in our day there is tremendous misunderstanding of the plan of salvation, unto translation to heaven, throughout the ranks of God’s professed people? Rest assured, God has, and will continue to have, a movement where these precious truths are understood and proclaimed. But let it also be known that any type of physical organization that has people making up its numbers who do not understand God’s plan of redemption—from justification to sanctification to glorification—will find continual weak links in the chain of pulling souls from the quicksand of sin onto the solid rock of salvation.

The Mortar of Wise, Praying Builders

The entire Bible is filled with God’s spiritual order. We have looked at but a few places of foundational interest. It is the conviction of the author that a “new movement” in Adventism, a “reformation,” has been underway for a century. Its results can be clearly seen in the confusion that abounds. When a people see that independent atoms cannot be God’s plan for success, when it is realized there is need for organization more than ever before, let the principles of spiritual order be experienced and put into the mortar of wise, prayerful builders.

The reader is asked to notice the scope of order and organization employed by Paul in 2 Corinthians 13. He quotes Deuteronomy 19:15 as a foundational principle in dealing with all issues in verse 1; that at the mouth of two or three witnesses let every word be established. He asserts his authority to speak to the issue of unrepentant sinners in verse 2, especially in the light of those who have challenged his calling as an apostle.

He pleads for self-examination, whether we be in the faith; that faith once delivered unto the saints (Jude 3). He states we cannot do anything against the truth in verse 8, and wishes for the perfection of his readers (verse 9), knowing the power of the truth to sanctify the believer.

He wrote to his children in the faith unto their edification, not destruction (verse 10), knowing, at times, that spiritual order calls for plain speaking. There certainly is need for plain speaking in our day.

“Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. Greet one another with an holy kiss. All the saints salute you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.” 2 Corinthians 13:11-14.

Partners with the Holy Spirit

Beloved, if people are experiencing the power of the grace of Jesus and the love of God; if they are partners with the Holy Spirit; if they are praying together and truly studying together to show themselves approved unto God, workmen that need not to be ashamed, but rightly dividing the word of truth, spiritual order will prevail, physical organizations and structures will remain steadfast, on course, having timbers of integrity that will resist storm and tempest, and God will move mightily in this world again. (See 2 Timothy 2:15.) True, the time is coming when men will not be able to buy or sell. Property will be confiscated. Buildings will be taken away. Things will boil down to the simplest of actions and order. Probation will close. God’s judgments against the false orders and organizations of this world will fall, and we shall go home. Home! That place where perfect peace and order shall exist forevermore. But, until then, let us do every-thing decently and in order. (See 1 Corinthians 14:40.) God’s order. Let us go home.

The Church in Apostolic Times

“He [Jesus] who was the foundation of the ritual and economy of Israel would be looked upon as its enemy and destroyer.” The Desire of Ages, 111. The reason for this was that those who were in charge of the system viewed themselves as being the church, and they realized that if Jesus were to be accepted, many of them would lose their positions.

Considered Dangerous to the Church

Today, there is a similar problem in the professed church of God; there are some inspired counsels we are willing to deal with but others that we are not. If many of the counsels of Ellen White were really advocated, they would be considered to be dangerous to the church, possibly even capable of destroying it. I do not believe, however, we will ever receive God’s blessing until we feed upon every word.

Principles of church organization affect every aspect of the church, from the youngest member on up to the General Conference. In the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy, there is a great deal of information dealing with church organization that is written not only to those in leadership positions but to laymen as well.

Throughout history, whenever doctrine becomes corrupted, organization also becomes corrupt. In fact, in Revelation God is as concerned about false organization as He is about false doctrine. In the writings of Ellen White there is a great deal written about doctrine, but I also find hundreds of pages written about church organization which we are afraid to touch, because if we even read the quotation, we will be accused of criticism. It is time, however, that we have the courage of John the Baptist and, with the spirit of love, humbly look at the things God has given to us, praying that He will help us to implement these things so He can pour out His Spirit and finish the work He is seeking to do.

I Corinthians 1:2 tells us how the New Testament church is organized. “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints.” The church at Corinth, identified by Paul, is not addressed as the church which is registered. It could be registered, but that is not the point. Nothing is said regarding their organization or where they meet. They may meet in some building, and they are organized, but that is not the point. The church here in Corinth is those people in Corinth who are sanctified and called to be the saints of God. Now the church was to be organized, but the organization was not the church. The people were the church. These people could work in harmony, because this is possible when God is in your heart. So they would meet and work together, send out missionaries and take up offerings, and do all those things which are necessary for God’s work to progress. But the church itself was the people. This is what the church has always been.

In a special sense, the church is those people who are registered in the books of heaven. “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven. . . .” Hebrews 12:22, 23. The church, the true church of God, is composed of those people who are registered in the Book of Life in heaven.

Now this presents a very interesting situation. Who decides who is going to be a church member? Is it the pope who has the keys? If it is not the pope, is it the church board? Can they decide? What about the church body? Can we decide who is saved and who is not, whose name is written in heaven and whose is not?

Well, do we not have anything to do? Oh, yes, we have something to do. We are called to recognize those whom God has registered in the books in heaven; and those whom He has registered there, we are to register here. He does not, however, follow our suit; we are to follow His, and there is a difference.

The Books on Earth Must Match the Books in Heaven

Let us suppose that God takes someone’s name off of the books in heaven, and they are disfellowshipped. Are they still church members? No! But suppose their names remain in the books on earth. This is an interesting dilemma. The church is purified when the books on earth match the books in heaven. You see, God has given mankind no authority to decide who can be a member and who cannot be a member but to simply recognize those whom He has accepted or rejected.

God has local congregations here on earth, and we have organizations here to help organize the work. But the headquarters of your local church is in heaven, where only the sanctified are registered, not in some office in your state or some office in Takoma Park, Maryland. Some people find this rather disconcerting, believing such a policy could lead to all kinds of trouble.

Just suppose that a coup took place in some local church or conference through politicking, and some people, who were not inspired by the Lord or filled with the Holy Spirit, took over through manipulation, and because of their prejudices, certain people were unjustly disfellowshipped. Would those who were disfellowshipped cease to be church members? Certainly not. Suppose, on the other hand, that people were allowed to come into the church who were never converted. Because their names were in the books on earth, would they, therefore, be church members? Not in any way, shape or form. God has never left His church to be manipulated and tampered with by the political whims of mankind. There is coming a time when He is going to turn and overturn the professed church that is called by His name. God’s true church remains the same as it has always—those people who are registered in the books of heaven.

“God has a church. It is not the great cathedral, neither is it the national establishment, neither is it the various denominations; it is the people who love God and keep His commandments. ‘Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them’ (Matthew 18:20.) Where Christ is even among the humble few, this is Christ’s church. . . .” Upward Look, 315.

When Paul was ordained, he was ordained to baptize and establish churches—the two together. According to inspiration, the same ordination that gives people the right to baptize gives them the right to establish churches. More and more, however, there are increasing restrictions controlling the starting of new churches.

I have been doing some studying on the history of Kansas. In 1903, Kansas had one hundred Seventh-day Adventist churches. The state has grown by almost a million people in the last fifty years, and during that period of time, we have gone from one hundred churches down to fifty-four. [Editor’s Note: This information is taken from ???????????]

God’s Presence Alone Establishes a Church

Not only has God alone reserved the right to start and to recognize a church, but if you and I decide to go out and start a church apart from His will, no matter what conference committee may approve it, it will never be a church. “For the presence of the High and Holy One who inhabiteth eternity can alone constitute a church.” Upward Look, 315. [All emphasis supplied.] If God’s presence is not the center of His church, it is not recognized by Him as His church, whether or not it is recognized by a conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

In New Testament times, the church was those who were called and sanctified. Wherever Paul went and converted a few people, he organized them into a church, right there and then, without seeking any other permission. It was not up to the church in Jerusalem to give permission or to decide if they were a church but to recognize the fact that they were. Now, of course, if a church apostatized or if a local member apostatized, it was also up to the church in Jerusalem to decide that, as these people were no longer keeping the commandments of God, they were no longer recognized as being one of God’s churches.

For us, individually, to receive the Holy Spirit, we must study the Bible, pray, overcome sin and witness. For the church body to receive the Holy Spirit, they must, as a body, also have these four things present. Not only is it necessary for us as individuals to be winning others to Christ, but God’s design for His church is that every church should start new churches.

Primitive Organization?

One of the things that must take place before God can pour out His blessing upon the church is not only revival of primitive doctrine but a revival of primitive organization. The New Testament churches had the freedom to go out and start new churches, but they were not just started and left to flounder by themselves; they were left with local organization. “And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, `We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.’ So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” Acts 14:21–23.

Authority in the early church was to be earned because of a godly life, a knowledge of the Scriptures and the ability that God had given to one. Never was it to come just by virtue of office. Today, our church is almost being destroyed in some parts of this world, because some have assumed the office of minister and decided that, because they have that office, they are the king of the local church. God never intended that office to be that of a king but one of service.

“From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church.” Acts 20:17. What elders were these that He called? These were the elders who had been appointed. Notice, it is elders plural, not the elder. “‘Therefore take heed to yourselves [This is the instruction he is giving to these elders.] and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.’” Acts 20:28–31.

Organization is Needed for Protection

So he called the elders to guard the church from wolves. In a correlating passage to this, in Testimonies, vol. 5, 77, Ellen White, writing of her own experience, says that she could scarcely keep from weeping when she saw the people who were taking charge of the church who were trained by Satan. Paul had the same concern, and the elders were called to protect the church from these wolves.

Now the questions is, suppose that a wolf came from Jerusalem. Were the elders to protect the church from that wolf? “Oh, no,” someone says, “not a local elder.” Turn with me to one of the most interesting passages in the New Testament in regard to this. “Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.” Galatians 2:11–13. Paul stood up and rebuked Peter, but Paul was not happy about this, because he was not the one who should have had to do the rebuking.

God had established a local leadership to protect the church. “Not from Peter,” someone might say, “he was from Jerusalem. He was one of the pillars; he knew Jesus personally. No, not from Peter. They were only Gentiles who had been newly converted to the faith. You do not expect them, these Gentile Galatians who had just come into the Christian church a few years ago, to stand up and rebuke Peter, who was from the Jerusalem church, who had been a Jew all his life, one of the pillars in the church, a follower of Jesus—not Peter! I mean, Paul was an apostle. He could do that.” But Paul was most unhappy that he had to do that. “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?” Galatians 3:1.

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1. Someone might say, “That scripture is dealing with circumcision and all those things.” Circumcision was involved, and eating with Gentiles was involved, but that was not the issue! The issue in Galatians was that Peter had caused them to transgress, and they were to stand in their freedom, even if it was Peter from Jerusalem who should come down and preach false theology.

What is this Strange Fire?

“But strange fire has been offered in the use of harsh words, in self-importance, in self-exaltation, in self-righteousness, in arbitrary authority, in domineering, in oppression, in restricting the liberty of God’s people, binding them about by your plans and rules, which God has not framed, neither have they come into His mind. All these things are strange fire, unacknowledged by God, and are a continual misrepresentation of His character.” Testimonies to Ministers, 358.

The Lord established the church upon the Rock, Jesus Christ, and He is to be the head of the church. (See Ephesians 1:22, 23.) The issue in the days of Martin Luther was who was in charge of the church, the Lord or the pope. That was the issue in Wesley’s day and it was the issue in 1888. I have been amazed at how little Ellen White deals with doctrine in relationship to 1888. The problem with Jones and Waggoner was that they did not go through the “proper channels.” They were not approved by the “proper people.”

The following statements are from a letter that Ellen White wrote to Elder Butler. “God designs that men shall use their minds and consciences for themselves. He never designed that one man should become the shadow of another, and utter only another’s sentiments. But this error has been coming in among us, that a very few are to be mind, conscience, and judgment for all God’s workers. The foundation of Christianity is `Christ our Righteousness.’” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 112. Do you want to know what Christ our Righteousness means? She tells us what it means. “Men are individually responsible to God and must act as God acts upon them, not as another human mind acts upon their mind.” Ibid. God is to decide what is right, not some human committee. God makes the rules, not some human rule book. The Bible is our creed. We always used to say: “We do not have a creed book; the Bible is our creed.”

“For if this method of indirect influence is kept up, souls can not be impressed and directed by the great I AM. They will, on the other hand, have their experience blended with another, and will be kept under a moral restraint, which allows no freedom of action or of choice. . . . If we would be wise, and use diligently, prayerfully, and thankfully the means whereby light and blessings are to come to His people, then no voice nor power upon earth would have authority over us to say, `This shall not be.’” Ibid., 112, 113.

Where Does Church Authority Come In?

In the book Testimonies to Ministers, Ellen White wrote a great deal of material to the leadership, and ministry in general, after 1888. Much of this book is dealing with this very principle of church authority. Among other similar statements, she said, “The high-handed power that has been developed, as though position has made men gods, makes me afraid, and ought to cause fear. It is a curse wherever and by whomsoever it is exercised.” Testimonies to Ministers, 361. “The spirit of domination is extending to the presidents of our conferences. If a man is sanguine of his own powers and seeks to exercise dominion over his brethren, feeling that he is invested with authority to make his will the ruling power, the best and only safe course is to remove him. . . .” Ibid., 362. “Rule, rule, has been their course of action. Satan has had an opportunity of representing himself.” Ibid., 363.

In the chapter “Under Which Banner?” she says, “Humanity is hailed as God.” Ibid., 365. She is talking to us dear friends. She says, “God will not vindicate any device whereby man shall in the slightest degree rule or oppress his fellowmen.” Ibid., 366. A curse is pronounced upon all who do this. (See Jeremiah 17:5.)

“State conferences may depend upon the General Conference for light and knowledge and wisdom; but is it safe for them to do this? Battle Creek is not to be the center of God’s work. God alone can fill this place. When our people in the different places have their special convocations, teach them, for Christ’s sake and for their own soul’s sake, not to make flesh their arm. There is no power in men to read the hearts of their fellow men. The Lord is the only One upon whom we can with safety depend, and He is accessible in every place and to every church in the Union. . . . Is the president of the General Conference to be the god of the people?” Ibid., 375. Following the counsel and teaching of these ideas does not make a person very popular, but we are told to do it.

We Have Placed God Second

Instead of teaching the truth God has commissioned to be taught, do you know what she says we have been taught? “For many years an education has been given to the people which places God second, and man first. The people have been taught that everything must be brought before the council of a few men in Battle Creek.” Ibid., 325. I want you to notice that this is a serious matter, because it is breaking the first commandment. God says, “‘You shall have no other gods before Me.’” Exodus 20:3. “Let me entreat our state conferences and our churches to cease putting their dependence upon men and making flesh their arm.” Ibid., 380. Today we have gone far beyond where they were in 1888.

“In reference to our conference, it is repeated o’er and o’er and o’er again, that it is the voice of God, and therefore everything must be referred to the Conference and have the conference voice in regard to permission or restriction or what shall be and what shall not be done in the various fields. . . . We have heard enough, abundance, about that ‘everything must go around in the regular way.’ . . . He [God] wants every living soul that has a knowledge of the truth to come to their senses.” Spalding and Magan Collection, 163. “The Lord wants His Spirit to come in. He wants the Holy Ghost king.” Ibid., 166. Today we have come to the point, in many places, that if you even invite someone to come and speak in the pulpit, you have to get the permission of the local conference.

God is looking for every one of us, from the General Conference president down, to be broken on the Rock. When Jesus is the King, unity, peace and love pervade. This does not do away with organization. It is the only thing that creates a workable organization. We still have offices, but when God’s plan is followed, no one is striving for office, because everyone is striving to serve one another. (See Matthew 20:25–28.)

Less Control

The message of Christ our Righteousness has to become practical. We need to exercise less and less control over one another and do more and more praying for one another. Let us not decide that God has given any one of us authority to tell everyone else how they are to serve God. God is calling for much more freedom in His church than what we have been willing to allow. There is a place for order, a place for leadership, but dear friend, God is calling for us to be broken on the Rock, to be filled with the humility and the love of Jesus. Then we will find that once again the Holy Spirit will be King.

No New Denomination – Part I

Are You Starting a New Denomination?

I would like to study something with you that we actually have studied before, however, I believe we need to study it again, because of the confusion that is developing among God’s professed people, especially in the revival and reformation movement. I have received many letters and communications lately asking questions like, Are you starting a new denomination?

Why, no, we have never thought of starting a new denomination. We have never intended to do any such thing. We do not want to do anything like that. We have no intention of doing anything like that. So where are all these ideas coming from? Well, people are getting these ideas because other people are making accusations about things they do not really understand or know.

The basis for these accusations is the fact that they do not understand the New Testament concept about who and what is the church. The first time I heard about the New Testament concept of the church was in 1987; my brother had started preaching it. I had never heard of anything like this before. I had been a Seventh-day Adventist minister for over 20 years, and at that time I was working in the Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. I had to study out this theory. In fact, before I ever preached on this subject myself, which was the next year, in 1988, I had studied it very thoroughly and very carefully for a number of months, to find out what the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy really teach on this subject.

This is a critical subject. You see, Marshall and I were told, in effect, in 1988, that we could not do evangelism. It is a very serious matter when you cannot do evangelism. We are commanded in the gospel commission to go to all the world. The reason we were told that we could not do evangelism was very simple; when we got people ready for baptism, the church and the church organization would not accept them as members because they had been brought in by the “wrong” people.

We actually had people come to the Steps to Life campmeeting and say, “I want to be a Seventh-day Adventist. I want to be baptized and become part of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but where I live the pastor will not baptize me because the “wrong” people gave me Bible studies.” Because of confusion on this subject, there are many people who are not doing any evangelism.

Waiting for the Lord

Publicly they have said, we cannot do any evangelism right now; we are just waiting for God to clean up the church and purify the church, and then we will do evangelism. Some of these people have been waiting now for the better part of 20 years. I do not know how long they plan to wait. How long do you want to wait to finish God’s work? Do you want to wait 50 years? 100 years?

The reason people cannot get serious about finishing God’s work is because of what they believe about who is the church. If the church tells them not to do it, they are afraid to do it for fear that they will be dishonoring God and disobeying Him. It is from the same misapprehensions that the question is asked, Are you starting a new denomination?

So before we look at the specific question of, Are you starting a new denomination? , let us ask a few very basic, simple questions that can be answered right out of the Bible.

How Many “True” Churches are There?

First question: How many true churches are there? Now some people say that there have been lots of true churches. There was the church in Abraham’s time; there was the church in Moses’ time; there was the church in Jesus’ time, the Jewish Church; there was the church during the Dark Ages, the Protestant Churches, the Waldensian Church, and there is the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Some people think that there are lots of different churches, but that is not what the Bible says. What does the Bible say about how many churches there are? My brother, Marshall, used to say that if you want to know the truth about who and what the church is, the Bible would be a good place to look. So, let us look at the Bible.

In Ephesians 1:22, 23, Paul says very distinctly that Christ is the Head of the church; it only has one Head. There are some organizations in the Scripture that are described as having seven heads, but not the church of Christ. It does not have two or three or four or seven heads; it only has One.

According to Ephesians 1:22, 23, Christ is the Head. It is also stated there that the church is His body. So, how many bodies does Christ have? Look at Ephesians 4:4: “There is one body and one Spirit.…” There are how many bodies? One. So how many true churches are there? One! There has only been one true church since the days of Adam and Eve, and there will never be more than one until the end of time. Whether you are talking about time or space, the answer is the same. There is only one body! The first three chapters of Ephesians say that His body is the fullness of Him who fills all in all. That is the whole universe.

Ellen White distinctly and very powerfully reaffirms, validates and verifies exactly what we just read in Ephesians 4. She says, “God had a church when Adam and Eve and Abel accepted and hailed with joy the good news that Jesus was their Redeemer. These realized as fully then as we realize now the promise of the presence of God in their midst. Wherever Enoch found one or two who were willing to hear the message he had for them, Jesus joined with them in their worship of God. In Enoch’s day there were some among the wicked inhabitants of earth who believed. The Lord never yet has left His faithful few without His presence nor the world without a witness.” The Upward Look, 228.

From Age to Age

She talks in very similar language throughout the first chapter of The Acts of the Apostles. She speaks of the churches being one throughout the whole period of earth’s history— from the apostles’ time, through the Dark Ages, to our time, to the end. “Through the ages of moral darkness, through centuries of strife and persecution, the church of Christ has been as a city set on a hill. From age to age, through successive generations to the present time, the pure doctrines of the Bible have been unfolding within her borders.” Our High Calling, 172.

Notice, she is talking singular here: “The church of Christ, enfeebled and defective though she may appear, is the one object on earth on which He bestows in a special sense His love and regard. The church is the theater of His grace, in which He delights to make experiments of mercy on human hearts.” Ibid. Is that not exciting? The church is a theater; a “theater of His grace.”

Revival and Reformation Exists!

I want to tell you, friends, as I travel and as I visit with people in different countries and in different places, over and over again, I have been amazed as I have seen what God is doing. When Evelyn and I went to New Guinea a few years ago, they told us that the Lord is going all through this country, and some of the people who are the greatest criminals have accepted the gospel.

In fact, while we were there, they had a baptism on Sabbath afternoon. One of the people who was baptized had been the head of a drug gang. Unbelievable things like this happen! You see people who have been involved in every kind of crime and problem, and God is pulling them out of that lifestyle and completely changing their lives, by grace.

It is something that you cannot explain by any method of psychology, human education or anything like that. It is beyond explanation. It is “the theater of His grace,” and it is worldwide. Ellen White says, in Testimonies, vol. 6, 367, that the church below and the church above are one. (See also Manuscript Releases, vol. 6, 316.) There are not two separate churches, one in heaven and one on earth. They are both one!

There is just one true church. Now it immediately follows that if there is only one true church in all time and all of space, if you or I would ever start another church or another denomination, that would be apostasy. Does that make sense? If there is only one true church in all of time and all of space, and that is exactly what the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy teaches, then to start a new church would be apostasy from the true, and we certainly do not want to do that! There is only one true church!

You see, Adventists did not start a new church in 1863 or 1861 or 1844. The church has existed since the days of Adam and Eve, and it has been shaken over and over again. People have been shaken out, but there have always been some who have gone through.

Were there some people who went through in Jesus’ day? Yes. The 12 apostles came right out of the Jewish Church. There were some people who endured the shaking and accepted the Messiah and stayed with it. Did the same thing happen in the times of Martin Luther? Yes. Did the same thing happen in the days of Ellen White? Absolutely!

A Remnant

Were there some people after the great disappointment who held on to their faith even though they were disappointed beyond measure and could not understand how God could have allowed such a thing to happen to them? Were there some people who hung on? Yes, there were, and they were not a new church. They are called, in the Bible, a remnant. Is a remnant something new? No, a remnant is not something new. A remnant is something that goes back to the beginning, but it is just the last part of the original.

But, of course, there is a dividing line in God’s church. There always has been, because in this world, since the devil rebelled in heaven and since Adam and Eve fell, we are in a situation where there are people who profess things that are not true.

The devil and his angels profess things that are not true, and so do human beings, the devil’s agents. If you are one of God’s children, you will never make a profession that is not true, because then you are breaking the ninth commandment. That is why, by the way, you and I can never, ever make any profession that we are perfect or holy. We will never be making those professions, even during the time of trouble. We will be in heaven before we will be able to say, I am holy or I am perfect. God’s children do not ever make a profession that is not true. But the devil’s children do, and the devil has been doing this for thousands of years.

Drawing the Line

The devil brings his agents into God’s church, and they make a profession of something that is not true. So now you have this group of people all together; some of them are true; some of them are not true, and you cannot tell for sure which is which because they all make the same profession. But God draws the dividing line.

You can find this in the Bible, (See Matthew 7:15, 21–23) and I like the way Ellen White put it in Signs of the Times, June 30, 1881. She says, “He draws the dividing line between those who bear His name by profession, and those whose character shows them to be His children.”

So, here you have a people, all professing to be part of the true church, the remnant. They all profess to be commandment keepers; they all profess to believe the Spirit of Prophecy, and they all profess to be Christians. Where does God put the dividing line? They all make this profession, but God draws a line. Some people are on one side of the line; some people are on the other side of the line.

You and I do not have to know where the line is. God has drawn it, and He knows which people are on which side of the line. As the shaking progresses, it will become apparent to everybody else, also. On one side of the dividing line there are the people who make the profession, but their profession is not true. On the other side of the dividing line is the true church. They are the people who make the profession, too, but their profession is true. Their character shows that they are God’s children.

The True Church

I want to go over several distinguishing points about the true church. I am not talking about the true church by profession, I am talking about the true church in character. Many, many times Ellen White describes the true church as being those who have a certain type of character. (See Christ’s Object Lessons, 310.)

The true church does not have any tares in it. There are tares that make the profession; they are all part of the group, but notice carefully, this church does not have any tares in it. Jesus talked about people who do not go through the door, but they come in another way. He said they are thieves and robbers. (See John 10:1.)

You can have a thief in your house. A thief does not come through the door, he climbs through the window. So is he part of your family? He is in the house, but that does not make him part of your family. It is the same with the wolves in sheep’s clothing; they have climbed over the wall, and they are in the fold. Does that make them part of the flock? Are they part of the true church? Well, they profess to be, but they are not. They may have their lamb’s clothing all zipped up, clear up to the neck, but they are not really a part of the true church.

Notice what Ellen White says about the true church: “From the beginning, faithful souls have constituted the church on earth.” The Acts of the Apostles, 11. Now what does the word constitute mean? That is who makes up the church, and it is the faithful souls.

By the way, are the faithful souls the tares? Is any tare a faithful soul? No, a tare is not a faithful soul. So this church that she is talking about here does not have any tares in it, because it is constituted by faithful souls. She says that, until the end of time, the true church will have the Holy Spirit. (See The Acts of the Apostles, 54, 55.)

Not the Various Denominations

And then there is this very familiar statement from The Upward Look, 315. It is a very interesting statement that I have pondered many, many times. A lot of people do not like some things in this statement, and they try to get around it. I am always afraid, if I am trying to get around something in God’s Word. If there is something in God’s Word that sounds like it is difficult, well, probably that means we just do not understand everything yet. Notice what this says: “God has a church. It is not the great cathedral, neither is it the national establishment, neither is it the various denominations.”

Now that is a very pointed statement. It is not the various denominations. It is not?

Well, it is our denomination, people say.

No, it is not. It is not the various denominations.

Oh, but ours is an exception.

It does not say there are any exceptions. It just says that it is not the various denominations. Now that is a very powerful statement. I did not write it. I am not even interpreting it. I am just sharing it with you.

Well, who is it then?

Oh, it is our denomination.

No, that is not what she said. Now she is going to tell you who it is.

“It is the people who love God and keep His commandments.” Ibid.

So, do you love God and keep His commandments? Then you are part of the true church. You are a member of the church of which there is only one in all time and space. When the church is taken to heaven, all generations from all over the world, plus the angels and the beings up there, will all be one. And you will be part of it—if you are one of those who love God and keep His commandments.

This is important to understand right now, especially if some of you have heard Pastor Billy Paul tell about what is happening in Central and South America. People are being disfellowshipped all over Central and South America for standing up and proclaiming the Three Angels’ Messages. Should these people become frightened and say, Oh, no, I am lost! I am not in the church anymore. Is that what they should think? Are they out of the church? No. Do they love God and keep His commandments? Yes, they do. Then they are in the church!

Organization Needed Now!

Now, just because you love God and keep His commandments does not mean that you should not be organized. All we are saying is that the organization is not the church. Our organization is not the church. We have a church at Steps to Life, and it is organized. We have elders, deacons, a church clerk, and a treasurer. We are an organized church so that we can do the work of Christ. But our church organization is not the church itself. Do you see the difference? And if that church organization should apostatize, even if all the leaders should apostatize, the church would still remain.

Let me tell you, I have seen that happen more than once. I have seen the leaders of a church all apostatize, but the church remains, because the church is the people who love God and keep His commandments.

The General Conference is Not the True Church

And then, I thought about this. I asked myself, Should I get this pointed? I think that I had better do it. I think that I have an obligation to do it. So, brace yourself for this, because some people are going to read this and they are going to be shocked when they do. The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is not the true church, and it has not been the true church, or even part of the true church, for a long time.

I am going to read that to you right out of the Spirit of Prophecy: “Says the prophet, ‘The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.’ [Now notice what she says about this text. She has just quoted Revelation 12:17.] We can see from this Scripture that it is not the true church of God that makes war with those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” The Signs of the Times, April 22, 1889. [Emphasis supplied.]

Any organization, or group, that makes war with those who keep the commandments is not the true church. That is what Ellen White says. When you take people, who are keeping the commandments, to court and you put them in jail, and believe me, that has happened; when you take them to court and try to ruin them financially, you are waging war. Do you know what a lawsuit is? A lawsuit is a legal war, a legal battle. I do not know how anybody could controvert or dispute that. If you think that it is not, you have just not yet been sued.

People can lose everything that they have and go to jail because of a lawsuit, you know. Mrs. White says that it is not the true church of God that makes war with those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. That makes it absolutely certain that the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists could not possibly be the true church today, or any part of it, because they are making war against those who are trying to take the Three Angels’ Messages to all the world. They are making war on these people all over the world. In Interamerica they are disfellowshipping them. In South America they are disfellowshipping them. In the United States they are taking them to court. They are doing similar things in the South Pacific, in Australia and in Europe, and just about anywhere in the world where people are getting aggressive and saying that we need to get the Three Angels’ Messages to the world now!

Now, I know that they are the true church by profession. So that nobody will misunderstand that, let me just remind you that Caiaphas and company were the true church by profession in the days of Jesus, but it was not true.

The true church is built, established, on the Rock. (See Matthew 16:18.) This is one of the favorite texts of the papacy. The true church is established on the Rock. It is established on the Rock, Christ Jesus. By the way, I have thought many times that, of all the apostles, the Lord chose to have the apostle Peter explain that explicitly so that nobody would be mixed up about who the Rock is upon whom the church is built.

Built on the Chief Cornerstone

So the apostle Peter spends about ten or eleven verses in 1 Peter 2, and he tells you exactly who the Rock is upon whom the church is built, so you cannot make a mistake. He says, Now the rest of you, you are living stones, too, but you are built on a Foundation and on the Chief Cornerstone. And any church that is not built on that Rock is not the true church. The church that is built on the apostle Peter is not the true church, because he is not the Rock.

Let us look at two or three more characteristics about the true church. In the book The Great Controversy, 51, Ellen White makes the following statement: “Romanists have persisted in bringing against Protestants the charge of heresy and willful separation from the true church. But these accusations apply rather to themselves. They are the ones who laid down the banner of Christ and departed from ‘the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.’ Jude 3.”

Now, if you study that statement carefully, she says the accusation against the true church of departing from the church applies to whom? To the Romanists. And why does it apply to them? Because of two things: they laid down the banner of Christ and departed from the faith once delivered to the saints. Now that paragraph, if you study it carefully, reveals to you characteristics of the true church.

The true church is that group of people who will uphold the banner of Christ and who will defend the faith once delivered to the saints. They will defend the historic Christian teachings in the Bible. That is still true. That is where the term “historic” Adventists came from. People said, We want the doctrines that we know are true, that our people have believed and that Christians have believed throughout all ages. They studied their Bibles. That is what we want!

Who Laid Down the Banner of Christ?

Now the Roman Church laid down the banner of Christ and departed from the faith that was once delivered to the saints, so they are the ones that willfully separated from the true church. You need to understand this point crystal clear. I am amazed that I find Seventh-day Adventists who are mixed up on this point, and I hope after you have studied this over with me that nobody will ever be able to be mixed up on this again.

Who was the true church during the Dark Ages, between the time that the apostles died and the Protestant Reformation or up to our own time? I find that people are very confused on this. I was absolutely shocked just a few weeks ago when I found out that there are Adventist leaders in the revival and reformation movement who apparently think that the Roman Church was the true church clear up until the sixth century.

I could have fallen off my chair. The Roman Church, friends, apostatized in the second century, and after they apostatized, they were not the true church any more. Who was the true church? Ellen White is very, very specific about this.

“‘The church in the wilderness, [Now who is the church in the wilderness? That was those Bible-believing Christians who had to flee from persecution.] and not the proud hierarchy enthroned in the world’s great capital, was the true church of Christ.” The Great Controversy, 64. And that is as plain as you can state it!

Here is another one. “The professed church of God was swept into the ranks of this delusion, and for more than a thousand years the people of God suffered under the dragon’s ire.” The Signs of the Times, November 1, 1899.

So, the church at Rome went into apostasy in the second century, before ad 170 or 180. We have good historical evidence that it was starting in the late ad 120s at least, and that the apostasy was well under way by the late ad 150s. We do not need to look at the spiritual, religious, Bible side of things, you can go right to the history book and figure that out.

Upholding the Banner of Christ

So the true church will uphold the banner of Christ, and it will not depart from the faith. In fact, the apostle Paul gives that as a definition of the true church. It is the pillar and ground of the truth. (See 1 Timothy 3:15.)

So who was the true church in Jesus’ day? Was it Caiaphas and company? They professed to be, but it was not really true, was it? Remember that God draws the dividing line between those who are His children by profession and those whose characters show that they really are His children. So who was the true church in Jesus’ day? It was the people who followed Jesus, and that is all that it was.

The people who were following Caiaphas crucified Jesus. Did the true church crucify Jesus? No, that was not the true church; those were the people following the devil. You cannot be following the devil and the Lord at the same time. Does that make sense? The true church in Jesus’ day were those who followed Jesus.

Who was the true church in the second, third, fourth and fifth centuries? It was those Christians who maintained their faith, those who were Bible-believing Christians. They were scattered all over the world. They were called many, many different names. Ellen White says that the whole world became a battlefield over the Christian faith. You can see the evidence of the battle in England, the British Isles, the Continent of Europe, in the Middle East, down to Africa and India. (See The Great Controversy, 55, 56.)

The whole world became a battlefield, and what happened to the true church? Do you know where one of the most common places was that the true church met? One of the most common places where the true church met was in the fields of martyrdom, where their members were killed by those claiming to be the true church.

If you read the book, The Martyr’s Mirror, one of the major debating points was the Waldenses claim that they were the only true church. The papists could not stand that, because if the Waldenses were the true church, then they were an apostate church.

The true church was in the wilderness, according to Revelation 12. So you know from Revelation 12 that you would not find the true church in London or Paris or Rome or Jerusalem. The true church was in the wilderness, in the desert.

The Church in the Desert

Several years ago when I was traveling in southeastern France, in the Cevennes Mountains, which was where the headquarters of the Huguenots was located, I had the privilege of visiting a church. I looked on the stone wall that was built in 1696; I went inside the church, and the church was built like a fort. It had walls about three feet thick. You had to get on a ladder to see out the windows, as they were probably higher than the peak of most ceilings.

They still have the church Bible. You see, private people in those days often could not afford to have a Bible, so the church had a Bible and you would come to the church; somebody would read, and the rest of the church would listen. That is the way you studied the Bible back in those days. If they really wanted a part of the Bible for themselves, while it was being read they copied down the text, then they had part of the Bible for their own. The Bible is still there, in the front of the church.

It is very interesting what they called themselves. They called themselves the church in the desert. Where do you suppose they got that idea? They got it from Revelation 12. They knew that they were the church described in Revelation 12.

So who was the church in 1844? It was the people who accepted the truth about the hour of God’s judgment to come. Like always, the church was the pillar and ground of the truth. Now, they did not understand what that meant yet, but it was the people who accepted that. There were a lot of people who claimed to accept it who were not true, so the Lord arranged to divide things so you could find out who really believed this message.

Sorting Things Out

And that is what is going to happen to us, too. It is already under way. God is arranging things for the shaking to sort things out. By the time Jesus comes, all of the people who make a profession, and whose character does not agree with their profession, will be weeded out. But that is God’s business, not ours. We do not take the tares out of the church. God does that, and He is doing it right now. We do have an obligation to disfellowship members living in open sin. When a tare becomes an open sinner, he is to be disfellowshipped by the church. (See 1 Corinthians 5; 2 John and Christ’s Object Lessons, 71.)

Who is the church now? And who will be the church in the future? It will still be the same as it has always been, since the days of Adam and Eve. It is those who love God and keep His commandments; those who uphold the banner of Christ; those who defend the faith once delivered to the saints; those who have the Holy Spirit; those who are built on the Rock, and those who do not ever make war against those who are keeping God’s commandments.

We need to be careful that we never have the wrong spirit. People might come to you and me and say, Well, you know so-and-so, look what they are doing; they are terrible; they are fanatics. They may be a fanatic. They may be doing something wrong, but let me tell you something, if they are keeping God’s commandments, we had better not get in a war with them, even if they are making mistakes. Because, if we do, we will show the whole universe that we are on the opposite side of the great controversy, that we are not part of the church at all, no matter what our profession.

We are not self-supporting workers or some adjunct, some sideline, some irregular line. I believe Martin Luther put it best when he said, “The Pope and the priests need not make a noise. We are the church!” Do you believe that? It is still true. We are the church.

Melancthon said it just as well: “‘There is no other church than the assembly of those who have the word of God, and who are purified by it.’” Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 237.

to be continued…

Organizational Unity

It is the work of the Christian to mend, to restore, to heal. This healing process saves many a soul and hides a multitude of sins. God is love; God is, in Himself, in His essence, love. He makes the very best of what appears an injury, and gives Satan no occasion for triumph by making the worst appear and exposing our weakness to our enemies. The world must not be introduced into the church, and married to the church, forming a bond of unity. Through this means the church will become indeed corrupt, and as stated in Revelation, ‘a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.’ ” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 265.

Who is Babylon?

Do you understand the significance of this statement? If the world is introduced into and married to the church, it will become Babylon. She does not place it in a time frame, but she says it will happen. Our danger, as Seventh-day Adventists, is that we will be reading the statements Ellen White wrote in the 1893 Review and Herald (August 22, 29; September 5, 12), which say that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is not Babylon, and saying, “See, this proves everything.” It does not prove everything at all, friends. You have to look at all of the inspired statements before you draw your conclusions. Do not take one group of statements that were addressed to a specific situation in 1893 and then forget everything else that was written and assume that you know it all.

Who ever thought up this terrible heresy that has gone around among God’s people that professed Israel can never become Babylon? There are two cases in the Bible where Israel became Babylon, one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament. By the introduction of the world into the church, it can become Babylon. We have been inclined to believe that it is only the acceptance, and promulgation of such false doctrines as Sunday sacredness and the immortality of the soul that constitutes Babylon. But Ellen White is very clear that while these do clearly mark a church as being part of Babylon, it is the acceptance of these, and kindred heresies, and “the rejection of the truth,” which convert the church into Babylon. (See Selected Messages, Book 2, 68.) This should cause every Seventh-day Adventist great concern.

“Unsanctified ministers are arraying themselves against God. They are praising Christ and the god of this world in the same breath. While professedly they receive Christ, they embrace Barabbas, and by their actions say, ‘Not this Man, but Barabbas.’ Let all who read these lines, take heed. Satan has made his boast of what he can do. He thinks to dissolve the unity which Christ prayed might exist in His church. He says, ‘I will go forth and be a lying spirit to deceive those that I can, to criticize, and condemn, and falsify.’ Let the sin of deceit and false witness be entertained by a church that has had great light, great evidence, and that church will discard the message the Lord has sent, and receive the most unreasonable assertions and false suppositions and false theories.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 409.

Sin of Deceit

Friends, we have accepted false witness and been engaged in the sin of deceit for a long time.

One of the greatest shocks I have experienced came a few years ago when I was reading the book The Word was Made Flesh. (Ralph Larson, Cherrystone Press, Cherry Valley, California, 1986.) Toward the back of the book is a section that shows how some material is used in the book Questions on Doctrine. (Prepared by a Representative Group of Seventh-day Adventist Leaders, Bible Teachers, and Editors, Review and Herald Publishing Association, Washington, D.C., 1957.) The material used is a collection of statements by Ellen White, put together by a group of scholars or theologians. I had done some research in my life, and as I was studying over this material, I started comparing the sources and how it was put together. In just minutes I was in a state of shock. I said to myself, “No honest man could do this.” (See The Word was Made Flesh, Section 4, 219–275, especially pages 249–264.) You can disagree with me, but I do not believe that it is possible that anyone who is smart enough to do research could do this with an honest mind.

This took place a number of years ago, but have you ever noticed any public declaration that says we repudiate Questions on Doctrine and appeal to God and all of humanity to forgive us for publishing it? There are four steps that have to be taken before historic Adventists can ever be in harmony and unity with the world structure. They are repentance, confession, restitution, and a willingness to get back on and stand on the platform of truth. The only way to have unity is if we are all willing to repent, confess, make restitution, and stand together on the platform of truth.

“Infidelity has been making its inroads into our ranks; for it is the fashion to depart from Christ, and give place to skepticism. With many the cry of the heart has been, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’ Baal, Baal, is the choice. The religion of many among us will be the religion of apostate Israel, because they love their own way, and forsake the way of the Lord.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 467, 468.

The word Baal or Baalim in Hebrew means lord. When you are worshiping Baal, you are obeying and following a different lord. You think you are doing your own thing, following your own way, but the devil really has control of you, and you do not know it.

Be a Disturber

We are at a time when the trumpet must give a certain sound. We are to show people that there can be no unity between truth and error and that there can be no unity between those who are standing under Satan’s banner and those who are standing under the banner of the Lord.

“Evil must be assailed; falsehood and error must be made to appear in their true character, sin must be denounced; and the testimony of every believer in the truth must be as one. All your little differences, which arouse the combative spirit among brethren, are devices of Satan to divert minds from the great and fearful issue before us.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, vol. 3, 1014.

If you are a believer in the truth, you must stand against evil and apostasy. If you do not, you cannot be accounted today as one of God’s children. It is just that simple.

“All who live a conscientious life, who bear testimony of the claims of God, of the evil of sin, of the judgment to come, will be called the disturbers of Israel. Those whose testimony awakens the apprehension of the soul, offend pride, and arouse opposition. The hatred of evil against good exists as surely now as in the days of Christ when the multitudes cried, ‘Away with him!’ ‘Release unto us Barabbas.’ ” Ibid., 1013.

Anyone whom God commissions to do this kind of work is going to be accused of being critical. People are going to speak evil of them and try to destroy their influence.

Have you ever met someone who said, “I want peace; I just cannot stand all of this conflict”? Do you know when we will have true peace? “The true peace will come among God’s people when, through united zeal and earnest prayer, the false peace that exits to a large degree is disturbed.” Ibid., 1014.

There is a false peace in Adventism today, and we are out to disturb it! We want to shake people up right down to their shoes so that they no longer feel secure and make them realize that, if they do not do something different, they are going to go straight to destruction. We have to go through the steps of repentance, confession, restitution, and standing together on the truth.

“While we cannot fellowship with those who are the bitter enemies of Christ, we should cultivate that spirit of meekness and love that characterized our Master—a love that thinketh no evil and is not easily provoked. . . .” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 504.

Those who are followers of Christ cannot fellowship with those who are His bitter enemies. If you can fellowship with people who are enemies of the cross of Christ and are not teaching historic Adventism, there is something seriously wrong. You are not headed in the direction you think you are.

Unity in Diversity

Before Jesus comes, God’s people are going to have a true and perfect unity with one another. The question is not whether or not it is going to happen; it is a matter of prophecy. If those whom God has commissioned to have this unity do not come into line, He will raise up others who will. Those refused to be united will lose their souls.

Even when we do have unity, we will not have the type of unity that many people expect. We are not going to come to the point where we all have the same identity or have absolute uniformity. That is not what we are talking about when we talk about unity. Ellen White describes this with the phrase “unity in diversity.” (See Review and Herald, November 9, 1897.) We are all still going to be individuals. Like branches that are part of a vine, all are different and yet they are all united to the vine.

One of the problems that even historic Adventists are having today is that many people believe that in order to have unity, other people have to think the same as they think, sing the same, play the piano the same, preach the same way, and right on down the line. If this idea is a reflection of your thinking, not only are you never going to experience the type of unity you are hoping to achieve, but you are actually going to become a roadblock to true unity. In order to obtain unity, you are going to try to get everybody else to be like you are, and that is not the unity about which we are talking. All will, however, think the same with regard to the platform of truth. We will all agree on all the truths that God has given us.

Church Organization

“God is leading a people out from the world upon the exalted platform of eternal truth, the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. He will discipline and fit up His people. They will not be at variance, one believing one thing and another having faith and views entirely opposite, each moving independently of the body.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 29.

Notice, if we are going to have unity, we are not going to have theological views that are absolutely contradictory to one another, each one of us moving independently from the body. How can you not move independently from the body and still have unity and not compromise any truth? If you do not understand who the true church is versus the professed church, you will never make it. You have an absolutely impossible situation.

“Through the diversity of the gifts and governments that He has placed in the church, they will all come to the unity of the faith.” Ibid. [Emphasis supplied.] Did you notice that coming to the unity of the faith has something to do with the governments that God has placed in His church?

In a book written by a person whom I used to consider a very close friend of mine, the author totally reinterpreted prophecy. The problem with the total reinterpretation is that some of the reinterpretations contradict the Spirit of Prophecy, so I cannot accept that. I am not saying this to criticize that person, because anyone can make a mistake. Fields of secular endeavor are not the only areas in the world where mistakes are made. You can make a mistake in theology, even if you are sincere. How am I going to keep from going off on a tangent independent of the body? Sister White points out that one of the purposes of governments in the church is to help us keep from going off on a tangent.

“If one man takes his views of Bible truth without regard to the opinion of his brethren, and justifies his course, alleging that he has a right to his own peculiar views, and then presses them upon others, how can he be fulfilling the prayer of Christ? And if another and still another arises, each asserting his right to believe and talk what he pleases without reference to the faith of the body, where will be that harmony which existed between Christ and His Father, and which Christ prayed might exist among His brethren?” Ibid., 29, 30.

If I am really going to find out the opinion of my brethren in some organized way, we must have some kind of church organization. That has to do, Sister White says, with the organization, the governments that God has placed within the body of Christ—so, unity in diversity. This unity can happen if I have regard to the opinion of my brethren and I am willing to keep myself from going off independent of the truth of the body.

“When ministering brethren come together in council, let deference be shown to the expression of intelligent principles, let intellectual freedom be freely accorded to all. There should be unity and love and freedom in communicating one with another. It should be a pleasure to consult one with another, to compare ideas and to review plans. An atmosphere of goodness, confidence, and love should be diffused; for this is the assurance of the presence of the Holy Spirit. The presence of God should be felt, and the soul should be humbled in acknowledging the condescension of God in planning for every soul for whom Christ has died, and thus hearts would be softened and broken.” Manuscript Release, No. 311, 30.

Harmony

I may not be in harmony with the professed church, but I must be in harmony with the true church. That is not optional. I must not go off independently on my own, out of harmony with the body. But I cannot be sure that I am in harmony unless we have communication, and that requires some type of association or “government.”

It is in the order of God that people who are widely different in character, disposition, background, and thought should get together to counsel and talk. This is one of the greatest safeguards of unity and the organization of God’s church.

“Perfection of character means perfection in unity.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 11, 179. We will never have perfection of character until we have perfection in unity.

“An army in battle would become confused and be defeated if the individual soldiers should move according to their own impulses instead of acting in harmony under the direction of a competent general. The soldiers of Christ also must act in harmony. A few converted souls, uniting for one grand purpose under one head, will achieve victories in every encounter.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 139.

This is a wonderful promise. It is a statement that all of the people in home churches ought to learn. If you are united, if you have harmony and are organized, you are going to have victory at every step.

No New Organization

We have written a booklet entitled No New Organization. (Available from Steps to Life.) Do not get the idea that we are forming some new organization. We absolutely are not. The new organization has already been started, but we did not start it.

Do you remember that the early Adventists did not intend to start any kind of an organization? They were just going to work through the organizations that already existed. But as they began preaching the first angel’s message, they were thrown out of their churches. In the days of John Wesley, these Protestant churches were spiritual Israel. They did not have all of the truth, but they were living up to all of the light that they had. When they disfellowshipped the true body of Christ, they became Babylon.

You who belong to the Adventist world structure, please consider this. The Protestant churches in Ellen White’s day disfellowshipped the true body of Christ and rejected the first angel’s message. As a result of that, they became Babylon.

After these Adventists had been disfellowshipped, they were widely scattered, yet they resisted the idea of becoming organized. They knew that the churches they had just come out of were Babylon, and they did not want to be like them. Ellen White said that the Adventists were afraid to organize, because they were afraid they would become Babylon if they organized. But the churches in New York, because of their lack of organization in 1861, were already Babylon. (See Testimonies, vol. 1, 270.)

We have had the same problem of late. People have twisted statements, like the one about no new organization in Notebook Leaflets, vol. 1, 51 [“The Lord has declared that the history of the past shall be rehearsed as we enter upon the closing work. Every truth that He has given for these last days is to be proclaimed to the world. Every pillar that He has established is to be strengthened. We cannot now step off the foundation that God has established. We cannot now enter into any new organization; for this would mean apostasy from the truth.—Manuscript 129, 1905.”], until historic Seventh-day Adventists are afraid to organize. If you do not want your home church to become Babylon, you are going to have to organize it.

Ordained Leaders

If you have a home church and you are going to be organized, you need to have one or more elders and deacons in your church so that you can be organized. Read the first part of the book of Acts, and you will find there the job of the elders and deacons in the church.

The first step in the organization of the Christian Church was in the ordination of the apostles. (See The Acts of the Apostles, 18.) We have had many letters and phone calls in which people say, “Well, couldn’t you do the same work if you did not ordain someone, because then it wouldn’t stir up so much controversy?” Well, that is just about the same as saying, “Couldn’t you be a Christian without getting baptized?” Listen, when God teaches you to do something, if you are not in harmony with divine counsel, you are an apostate. There is no other way about it. We do not ordain to stir up controversy, but because the Bible teaches it. We do it to be true to our conscience.

There are people who are saying, “You do not believe in organization.” The fact that we ordain people ought to prove the falsity of this accusation. If we did not believe in organization, we would not ordain anyone.

Unless we can learn to associate together and be able to call councils where we can get together and discuss what we need to do, as the apostolic church did, the devil has a very good chance of destroying us. This is one of the reasons why we are studying the subject of unity. We are determined that we are going to follow all of the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy counsel in this matter. Are you willing to follow all of the counsel in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy? If you are, we must become more organized and, by the grace of God, we are going to do it.

Reprinted from LandMarks, November 1993.

Pastor Grosboll is the director of Steps to Life Ministry and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas.

The New Testament Church

He [Jesus] who was the foundation of the ritual and economy of Israel would be looked upon as its enemy and destroyer.” The Desire of Ages, 111. The reason for this was that those who were in charge of the system viewed themselves as being the church and they realized that if Jesus were to be accepted, many of them would lose their positions.

Today, there is a similar problem in the professed church of God. There are some inspired counsels we are willing to deal with but others that we are not. If many of the counsels of Ellen White were really advocated, they would be considered to be dangerous to the church, possibly even capable of destroying it. I do not believe, however, we will ever receive God’s blessing until we feed upon every word.

Principles of church organization affect every aspect of the church, from the youngest member on up to the General Conference. In the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy, there is a great deal of information dealing with church organization that is written not only to those in leadership positions but to laymen as well.

Throughout history, whenever doctrine becomes corrupted, organization also becomes corrupt. In fact, in Revelation, God is as concerned about false organization as He is about false doctrine. In the writings of Ellen White there is a great deal written about doctrine, but I also find hundreds of pages written about church organization which we are afraid to touch, because if we even read the quotation, we will be accused of criticism. It is time, however, that we have the courage of John the Baptist and, with the spirit of love, humbly look at the things God has given to us, praying that He will help us to implement these things so He can pour out His Spirit and finish the work He is seeking to do.

The Church is the People

In 1 Corinthians 1:2 we are told how the New Testament church is organized. “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called [to be] saints . . . .” The church at Corinth, identified by Paul, is not addressed as the church that is registered, but that is not the point. Nothing is said regarding their organization or where they meet, but that is not the point. The church in Corinth is those people in Corinth who are sanctified and called to be the saints of God. Now the church was to be organized, but the organization was not the church. The people were the church. These people could work in harmony, because this is possible when God is in their hearts. So they would meet and work together, send out missionaries and take up offerings, and do all those things which are necessary for God’s work to progress. But the church itself was the people. This is what the church has always been.

In a special sense, the church is those people who are registered in the books of heaven. “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn [who are] registered in heaven . . . .” Hebrews 12:22, 23. The church, the true church of God, is composed of those people who are registered in the Book of Life in heaven.

Now this presents a very interesting situation. Who decides who is going to be a church member? Is it the pope who has the keys? If it is not the pope, is it the church board? Can they decide? What about the church body? Can we decide who is saved and who is not, whose name is written in heaven and whose is not?

Don’t we have anything to do? Oh, yes, we have something to do. We are called to recognize those whom God has registered in the books in heaven; and those whom He has registered there, we are to register here. He does not, however, follow our suit; we are to follow His, and there is a difference.

Let us suppose that God takes someone’s name off of the books in heaven, and they are disfellowshipped. Are they still church members? No. But suppose their name remains in the books on earth. This is an interesting dilemma. The church is purified when the books on earth match the books in heaven. You see, God has given mankind no authority to decide who can be a member and who cannot be a member, but simply to recognize those whom He has accepted or rejected.

God has local congregations here on earth, and we have organizations here to help organize the work, but the headquarters of our local church is in heaven, where only the sanctified are registered, not in some office in our state or some office in Silver Spring, Maryland. Some people find this rather disconcerting, believing such a policy could lead to all kinds of trouble.

Just suppose that a coup d’état took place in some local church or conference through politicking and some people who were not inspired by the Lord or filled with the Holy Spirit took over through manipulation, and because of their prejudices, certain people were unjustly disfellowshipped. Would those who were disfellowshipped cease to be church members? Certainly not! Suppose, on the other hand, that people were allowed to come into the church who were never converted. Because their names were in the books on earth, would they, therefore, be church members? Not in any way, shape, or form! God has never left His church to be manipulated and tampered with by the political whims of mankind. There is coming a time when He is going to turn and overturn the professed church that is called by His name. (See Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 372.) God’s true church remains the same as it has always been—those people who are registered in the books of heaven.

“God has a church. It is not the great cathedral, neither is it the national establishment, neither is it the various denominations; it is the people who love God and keep His commandments. ‘Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them’ (Matthew 18:20). Where Christ is, even among the humble few, this is Christ’s church.” The Upward Look, 315.

Establish Churches

When Paul was ordained, he was ordained to baptize and establish churches—the two together. According to inspiration, the same ordination that gives people the right to baptize gives them the right to establish churches. More and more, however, there are increasing restrictions controlling the starting of new churches.

Not only has God alone reserved the right to start and to recognize a church, but if you and I decide to go out and start a church apart from His will, no matter what conference committee may approve it, it will never be a church. “For the presence of the High and Holy One who inhabiteth eternity can alone constitute a church.” Ibid. If God’s presence is not the center of His church, He does not recognize it as His church—whether or not it is recognized by a conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

In New Testament times, the church was those who were called and sanctified. Wherever Paul went and converted a few people, he organized them into a church, right there and then, without seeking any other permission. It was not up to the church in Jerusalem to give permission or to decide if they were a church, but to recognize the fact that they were. Now, of course, if a church apostatized or if a local member apostatized, it was also up to the church in Jerusalem to decide that, as these people were no longer keeping the commandments of God, they were no longer recognized as being one of God’s churches.

For us individually to receive the Holy Spirit, we must study the Bible, pray, overcome sin, and witness. For the church body to receive the Holy Spirit, they must, as a body, also have these four things present. Not only is it necessary for us as individuals to be winning others to Christ, but God’s design for His church is that every church should start new churches.

Organization

One of the things that must take place, before God can pour out His blessing upon the church, is not only a revival of primitive doctrine but a revival of primitive organization. The New Testament churches had the freedom to go out and start new churches, but they were not just started and left to flounder by themselves; they were left with local organization. “And when they had preached the gospel to that city [Derbe] and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting [them] to continue in the faith, and [saying], ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.’ So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” Acts 14:21–23.

Authority in the early church was to be earned because of a godly life, knowledge of the Scriptures, and the ability that God had given to one; but never was it to come just by virtue of office. Today our church is almost being destroyed in some parts of this world, because some have assumed the office of minister and decided that because they have that office they are the king of the local church. God never intended that office to be occupied by a king but a servant. (See Matthew 20:26, 27.)

Elders Protect

“From Miletus he [Paul] sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church.” Acts 20:17. What elders were these that he called? These were the elders who had been appointed. Notice, it is elders plural, not the elder singular. “Therefore take heed to yourselves . . .” this is the instruction he is giving to these elders “and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.” Acts 20:28–31.

Paul called the elders to guard the church from wolves. In a correlating passage to this in Testimonies, vol. 5, 77, Ellen White, writing of her own experience, says that she could scarcely keep from weeping when she saw the people who were taking charge of the church who were trained by Satan. Paul had the same concern, and the elders were called to protect the church from these wolves.

Now the question is, suppose that a wolf came from Jerusalem. Were the elders to protect the church from that wolf? “Oh, no,” someone says, “not a local elder.” Let’s read a most interesting passage in the New Testament in regard to this. “Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I [Paul] withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.” Galatians 2:11–13. Paul stood up and rebuked Peter, but Paul was not happy about this, because he was not the one who should have had to do the rebuking.

God had established a local leadership to protect the church. “Not from Peter,” someone might say. “He was from Jerusalem. He was one of the pillars; he knew Jesus personally. No, not from Peter. They were only Gentiles who had been newly converted to the faith. You do not expect them, these Gentile Galatians, who had just come into the Christian church a few years before, to stand up and rebuke Peter, who was from the Jerusalem church, who had been a Jew all his life, one of the pillars in the church, a follower of Jesus—not Peter! I mean, Paul was an apostle. He could do that.” But Paul was most unhappy that he had to do that. “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?” Galatians 3:1.

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1. Someone might say, “That scripture is dealing with circumcision and all those things.” Circumcision was involved, and eating with Gentiles was involved, but that was not the issue! The issue in Galatians was that Peter had caused them to transgress, and they were to stand in their freedom, even if it was Peter from Jerusalem who should come down and preach false theology.

“Strange fire has been offered in the use of harsh words, in self-importance, in self-exaltation, in self-righteousness, in arbitrary authority, in domineering, in oppression, in restricting the liberty of God’s people, binding them about by your plans and rules, which God has not framed, neither have they come into His mind. All these things are strange fire, unacknowledged by God, and are a continual misrepresentation of His character.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 357, 358.

God Makes the Rules

The Lord established the church upon the Rock, Jesus Christ, and he is to be the head of the church. (See Ephesians 1:22, 23.) The issue in the days of Martin Luther was who was in charge of the church, the Lord or the pope. That was the issue in Wesley’s day, and it was the issue in 1888. I have been amazed at how little Ellen White deals with doctrine in relationship to 1888. The problem with Jones and Waggoner was that they did not go through the “proper channels.” They were not approved by the “proper people.”

The following statements are from a letter that Ellen White wrote to Elder Butler. “God designs that men shall use their minds and consciences for themselves. He never designed that one man should become the shadow of another, and utter only another’s sentiments. But this error has been coming in among us, that a very few are to be mind, conscience, and judgment for all God’s workers. The foundation of Christianity is ‘Christ our Righteousness.’ ” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, vol. 1, 112. She goes on to tell us what Christ our Righteousness means: “Men are individually responsible to God and must act as God acts upon them, not as another human mind acts upon their mind.” Ibid. God is to decide what is right, not some human committee. God makes the rules, not some human rulebook. The Bible is our creed. We always used to say: “We do not have a creed book; the Bible is our creed.”

“For if this method of indirect influence is kept up, souls can not be impressed and directed by the great I AM. They will, on the other hand, have their experience blended with another, and will be kept under a moral restraint, which allows no freedom of action or of choice. . . .

“If we would be wise, and use diligently, prayerfully, and thankfully the means whereby light and blessings are to come to His people, then no voice nor power upon earth would have authority over us to say, ‘This shall not be.’ ” Ibid., 112, 113.

In the book Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, Ellen White wrote a great deal of material to the leadership and ministry in general after 1888. Much of this book is dealing with the very principle of church authority. Among other similar statements, she said, “The high-handed power that has been developed, as though position has made men gods, makes me afraid, and ought to cause fear. It is a curse wherever and by whomever it is exercised.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 361. “The spirit of domination is extending to the presidents of our conferences. If a man is sanguine of his own powers and seeks to exercise dominion over his brethren, feeling that he is invested with authority to make his will the ruling power, the best and only safe course is to remove him . . . .” Ibid., 362.

In the chapter “Under Which Banner?” she says, “Humanity is hailed as God.” Ibid., 365. She is talking to us dear friends. She continues, “God will not vindicate any device whereby man shall in the slightest degree rule or oppress his fellowmen.” Ibid., 366. A curse is pronounced upon all who do this. (See Jeremiah 17:5.)

“State conferences may depend upon the General Conference for light and knowledge and wisdom; but is it safe for them to do this? Battle Creek [Silver Spring, Maryland] is not to be the center of God’s work. God alone can fill this place. When our people in the different places have their special convocations, teach them, for Christ’s sake and for their own soul’s sake, not to make flesh their arm. There is no power in men to read the hearts of their fellowmen. The Lord is the only One upon whom we can with safety depend, and He is accessible in every place and to every church in the Union. To place men where God should be placed does not honor or glorify God. Is the president of the General Conference to be the god of the people?” Ibid., 375. Following this counsel does not make a person very popular, but we are told we must obey God, regardless of man’s approval.

God Second, Man First

Instead of teaching the truth God has commissioned to be taught, do you know what Mrs. White says we have taught? “For many years an education has been given to the people which places God second, and man first. The people have been taught that everything must be brought before the council of a few men in Battle Creek [Silver Spring, Maryland].” Ibid., 325. I want you to notice that this is a serious matter, because it is breaking the first commandment. God says, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:3. “Let me entreat our state conferences and our churches to cease putting their dependence upon men and making flesh their arm.” Ibid., 380. Today we have gone far beyond where they were in 1888.

“In reference to our conference, it is repeated o’er and o’er and o’er again, that it is the voice of God, and therefore everything must be referred to the Conference and have the conference voice in regard to permission or restriction or what shall be and what shall not be done in the various fields. . . .

“We have heard enough, abundance, about that ‘everything must go around in the regular way.’ . . .

“He [God] wants every living soul that has a knowledge of the truth to come to their senses.” Spalding and Magan Collection, 162, 163. “The Lord wants his Spirit to come in. He wants the Holy Ghost king.” Ibid., 166. Today, we have come to the point, in many places, that if you invite someone to come and speak in the pulpit, you have to first get the permission of the local conference.

God is looking for every one of us, from the General Conference president down, to be broken on the Rock. When Jesus is the King, unity, peace, and love pervade. This does not do away with organization. It is the only thing that creates a working organization. We still have offices, but when God’s plan is followed, no one is striving for office, because everyone is striving to serve one another. (See Matthew 20:25–28.)

The message of Christ our Righteousness has to become practical. We need to exercise less and less control over one another and do more and more praying for one another. Let us not decide that God has given any one of us authority to tell everyone else how they are to serve God. God is calling for much more freedom in His church than what we have been willing to allow. There is a place for order, a place for leadership, but dear friend, God is calling for us to be broken on the Rock, to be filled with the humility and the love of Jesus. Then we will find that once again the Holy Spirit will be King.

[All emphasis supplied.]

Reprinted from LandMarks, October 1993.

Pastor Marshall Grosboll, with his wife Lillian, founded Steps to Life Ministry. In July 1991, Pastor Marshall and his family met with tragedy as they were returning home from a camp meeting in Washington state, when the airplane he was piloting went down killing all on board.