Dennis Priebe

A number of years ago the Seventh-day Adventist Church voted to have twenty-seven brief statements describing the beliefs held in common by members of the denomination. Anyone becoming a member of the Adventist Church must state that he or she is in agreement with these twenty-seven statements. Do these statements define the essence of Adventism? Have we gotten to the heart of Adventism by reading these statements?

I understand the twenty-seven statements of beliefs to be like a picket fence that defines the property lines. It tells you where your property ends and where the adjacent property begins. It distinguishes Adventism from other Christian groups. It shows why we are Seventh-day Adventists and not Baptists or something else. But does the picket fence tell us very much about the house that lies inside? Do the twenty-seven statements get to the essence of what it means to be a Seventh-day Adventist?

Seventh-day Adventism is also a way of life. We prepare for the Sabbath on Friday, we go to church on Sabbath morning, and we close the Sabbath at sundown. Our dietary choices are somewhat different than the typical American diet. We have grown up with a cultural heritage, and we are used to the lifestyle of being Adventist. Is this what it means to be a Seventh-day Adventist? Or is there more we need to understand to get to the heart of Adventism?

The Beginning of Adventism

Question: When Jesus died for all mankind, was personal salvation secured for all who chose to receive it? --- Could the disciples of Jesus have the assurance that they would be saved because of the cross?

Answer: Absolutely.

Question: Were there any Seventh-day Adventists standing around the cross?

Answer: No. That happened eighteen hundred years before Adventism appeared on the scene. Yet forgiveness of sins and the assurance of salvation was offered right then to all who believed.

Question: So Adventism was not called into existence to offer the people the assurance of salvation, was it?

Answer: That was taken care of long before there was an Adventist.

Question: When Jesus was inaugurated as our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary, to intercede for mankind for the next eighteen hundred years, were there any Adventists around then?

Answer: It seems that Adventism was not needed for that work either. The work of Jesus in sprinkling our prayers with the incense of His righteousness was initiated long before there was an Adventist. The ministry of the Holy Spirit in nurturing and caring for Christians in a church setting did not need the existence of Adventism at all.

Now all of these things are vital to Christianity, and we are to hold them as very important for us today, but Adventists have inherited these truths from others. These truths were established without any need for the existence of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Then why was Adventism needed?

Revelation 14:7 tells us to "Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come." Now the hour of God's judgment began in 1844, and with it began the final atonement, the cleansing of the sanctuary, and the blotting out of sin.

Was this the time period when Adventism appeared on the scene? Could it be that the existence of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is directly and intimately related to the cleansing of the sanctuary? Is that the reason for its existence? But what does this all mean? What are the issues at stake?

The Great Controversy

Satan has challenged God's character and His right to rule the universe. Satan has said that God's unfitness to rule is proved by His giving a law that could not be kept.[100] Satan has had great success in advancing his claims in the great controversy. He has even gotten God's chosen people in the Old Testament to think that God is unfair and harsh. In the great apostasy after New Testament times Satan convinced Christians that God wants certain rituals and human works to supplement Christ's work at the cross. Just by reading the Bible and church history, you might think that Satan is going to win this battle.

This fear talked about in Revelation 14:7 is addressed in Daniel 8:13 by several questions. How long will this go on? How long will God's good name be trodden underfoot? How long will the sanctuary be trampled? Will Satan win, after all?

The answer comes in verse 14. No, this will not go on forever. After 2300 days the sanctuary will be cleansed. There will be an end to the defaming of God's good name. God will be vindicated.

Romans 3:4 says it well, "That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged." The word "justified" in this context means acquitted of charges, declared innocent, vindicated.

Now Jesus did vindicate God's law and His character in the most noble demonstration ever seen on earth. Jesus showed that God's law is good and His character is love. But one nagging question remained unanswered. Can sinful human beings who have spent half of their lives in rebellion really live without rebelling any more? Maybe Jesus could, but can they?

Some have expressed the thought that God's vindication was completed on the cross, and that nothing further is necessary to vindicate God and His government. But the evidence is clear that the vindication of God was not completed at the cross; that God is waiting for a final vindication before the end of sin on this planet. "All heaven is waiting to hear us vindicate God's law." (RH April 16, 1901. [120]) There is still a need to prove that God's law is good and right for sinners.

"Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own." (COL 69) This famous quotation clearly says that the second coming must wait until Christ's character is seen in His professed people. The only possible reason for such a hold in God's plans for this earth is that something must yet be demonstrated about Satan's charges and God's character.

Revelation 14:5 describes the last generation who will live on earth before Jesus comes. "And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God." God has made an incredible promise here. He claims that He will produce a people who will be without deceit or fault of any kind. In DA 671 is this classic statement: "The honor of God, the honor of Christ, is involved in the perfection of the character of His people." It is not our honor or salvation that is involved here, but God's name and His character. He has promised that He will perfect His people. Can He really do it? If He cannot make us perfect, then His word is a lie and Satan wins the great controversy. It's that simple.[200]

"The honor of His throne is staked for the fulfillment of His word unto us." (COL 148) Whenever God promises something, He puts His name behind His promise. His throne was at stake when Christ came to our earth, and His throne is at stake in what He will do through the last generation. "Every character will be fully developed; and all will show whether they have chosen the side of loyalty or that of rebellion. Then the end will come. God will vindicate His law and deliver His people." (DA 763) It is important to note that God does the vindicating of His own name, but it is also vital to understand that He will do the vindicating in the characters of His people. The full development of righteous and wicked characters is necessary for the final demonstration of God's character and law. The end of sin on this planet is clearly dependent on God's vindication as He brings the plan of redemption to completion.

It is significant that Ellen White calls all of this the final atonement. At the cross the sacrifice was completed but the atonement was not completed there. Right here we have the difference between Adventism and all other Christian religions. The final atonement is all about when and how God will win the great controversy and how soon Jesus can come.

This means that the purpose of Adventism's existence is to prove that Satan is a liar and that God is telling the truth in the great controversy. It's that simple. That is the message and the essence of Adventism.

The only hope for eternal security from rebellion ever arising again in the universe is when no one will ever consider Satan's accusations any more because they have been proved false in the arena of demonstration. Of course this requires the involvement of God's people in this demonstration. Our role is to allow God to come into our lives and do what He said He could do--cleanse our hearts and make us totally obedient to Him.

Do you really want to end sin on this planet, my friend? Are you tired of hearing about child abuse? Are you tired of hearing about the senseless violence of wars of aggression? Are you tired of hearing about the abuse of animals over which man has been given dominion? Are you tired of hearing about injustice in the court system, where too often the abundance of wealth determines the outcome of a case?

There is only one way to end these problems, and that is the second coming of Christ. These abuses cannot be solved by picketing or boycotts or rioting. These methods might alleviate some of our pain but they are not the solution. The only way the ugliness of sin can be stopped is by allowing Jesus to come back. Please note that I did not say waiting for Jesus to come back. He is waiting for us; we are not waiting for Him.

The mission of Adventism is different from the mission of any other Christian group that has ever existed. Adventism's mission is different from the mission of the early Christian church; it is different from the mission of the Waldenses; it is different from the mission of Martin Luther. Our mission is completely unique. It has never been given to any other group of people on the face of this earth. The reason is simply that we are living in the Day of Atonement when the cleansing of the sanctuary is in process, and there are unique issues involved with this Day.

WHEN CAN CHRIST RETURN?

The second coming of Christ is not possible just at any time, because it is dependent on God's victory in the great controversy. In the 1840's God led out a people, and they had a marvelous experience. But after the great disappointment things fell apart, and God's people didn't have the courage to move forward unitedly. They fragmented and only a few survived through this difficult period. Jesus wanted very much to return very soon after 1844 but He could not because His people were not united and moving together with Him. So Jesus put things on hold, much like space launch missions in Florida are put on hold when something is wrong with the equipment.

After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, Jesus came again to His people and asked them if they were willing to move forward with Him. But once again God's people balked. Instead of asking "What does God's Word say?" they were asking "What do our leaders say?" We have spent a good part of the last century denying that we really delayed Christ's coming for one hundred years. We have claimed that our forefathers' repentance was genuine and we have been teaching righteousness by faith ever since. In reality the denial of the 1888 message is just as real and strong today as it was in 1890. As a result of our failure in the 1890's Christ had to put His plans on hold once again, this time for over a century. Now He is making yet another appeal to the Seventh-day Adventist movement He is telling us that He is ready to take us home if we are ready to move unitedly with Him. The question for us is identical to the question of 1888. What will happen this time? Will we respond in such a way that God can finally carry out His plan, or will we continue to put our selfish interests above the vindication of God in the great controversy?

LESSONS FROM ISRAEL

When God called Israel to be His chosen people, it was not His purpose to qualify them alone as worthy of salvation. He wanted Israel to be His witness to the nations of the excellence of His character and His government. The purpose of Israel's existence was to enlighten the world so that all would welcome Jesus when He came to earth. Did Israel succeed or fail in its mission? We know that they did not prepare the world for the first coming of Christ. Please notice the approach of Christ in light of their failure. Have you noticed that Jesus spent very little time in outreach to the Gentiles--the world? Most of Jesus' time and energy was spent on efforts to restore Israel by bringing them to repentance. They were the people through whom God wanted to enlighten the world. So Jesus spent most of His time doing the most difficult work of all--breaking down the walls of apathy and prejudice to bring them back to obedience to God.

Now the purpose of Adventism is exactly the same as the task given to Israel. God is not qualifying Adventists alone as worthy of salvation, but He wants us to be His witness to the world of the excellence of His character and His government. Our mission is to prepare the world for the Second Coming of Christ. Now the question must be honestly addressed: Is Adventism succeeding in its mission?

Perhaps we can find an answer in an editorial by William Johnsson in the Adventist Review of July 3, 1986. A Gallup Poll was taken to determine the attitude of the public to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. "Although 70 percent of respondents say they have heard or read about the church, when asked what they like best about us, 52 percent can give no answer. Another 21 percent say 'Nothing in particular.' That is, fully 73 percent of the public can think of no attractive feature about the church. That figure is almost exactly paralleled by responses to the question 'What do you like least about Adventists?' Again 51 percent gave no answer, and another 20 percent say they don't dislike anything in particular. The church's failure to project a sharp image concerns me… I'm troubled that we are hiding our light under a bushel."

In another public survey reported in the Adventist Review of February, 1995, only 53 percent had heard about the Seventh—day Adventist Church. In addition, there was a marked increase in the number who misidentify us with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or Jehovah's Witnesses.

Now we must ask the question again: Are we succeeding or failing in our mission to prepare the world for the second coming of Christ? The truth which is very difficult for us to face is that we are in jeopardy of failing just as the Jews failed two thousand years ago.

Inspiration spells out God's plan for this church. "Christ designs that heaven's order, heaven's plan of government, heaven's divine harmony, shall be represented in His church on earth. Thus in His people He is glorified." (DA 680) Notice that God is glorified when His church reveals heaven's plan of government to the world. Is heaven's plan of government currently being seen in the Seventh-day Adventist Church? Do human plans too often dominate over God's expressed will for this church?

"God's people have a great work to do.. ..The world must see in the church of God true order, true discipline, true organization." (Ms. 30, 1900) This is when we will fulfill our mission and allow Jesus to return to this world "Through the church eventually will be made manifest the final and full display of the love of God to the world that is to be lightened with its glory." (TM 50) Notice that God's love will be seen through the church. It will not come through angels or the rocks, but through God's people. Thus the success of God's church in representing His character is very important to the finishing of the great controversy.

Since our church is currently not succeeding in its mission to prepare the world for Jesus' return, what are we to do?

One approach that many are adopting today is to ignore the problems in the Adventist Church and to go out to the world to do outreach work.[500]

This approach is attractive because Jesus told us to take the gospel to every nation, and because many are receptive to the gospel, while the church seems to be very resistant to any major reformations in its midst. Further, if we just forget about the disobedience within the church and concentrate on soulwinning, we will receive much praise from the church itself for the good work we are doing. In addition, it is personally fulfilling to give Bible studies and lead people into readiness for baptism.

But is this approach the one Christ used when He came to His failing chosen people? For three and one-half years Jesus spent His time trying to restore His precious church that was in danger of self-destruction. He spent almost no time in outreach to the Gentile world, in spite of the fact that many Gentile souls were in need of the gospel. Jesus' first priority was trying to restore His people so that they could give the message of truth to the Gentile world.

The late Henry Baasch, who served as a conference president, shares with us a vital principle and an important warning. "Music is made up of three parts: melody, rhythm and accompaniment. All three are essential, but are not equal in importance. The melody should have the most prominent part and should not be overshadowed by the rhythm or the accompaniment. The evangelization of the world by means of extensive preaching, teaching, and printed propaganda, and the expenditure of large sums of money for campaigns, buildings, equipment, travel, et cetera--vital though all these are--do not, in and of themselves, fulfill the principal commission entrusted to the remnant church. These are not the melody. At the most, they are the accompaniment."

He continues, "The melody which is to ring forth, sketchily at first, but every more clearly, is the song of victory over sin, the song of Moses and the Lamb, soaring higher and higher, closer and ever closer to the heavenly Pattern, further and further away from the world, to the climactic height of a full and final display of His grace in vessels of clay, but divested of all earthliness and testified unto by the declaration of the angel: `Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.'" Revelation 14:12. For the first time this testimony will be said of a whole community of saints.

"Let Laodicea be warned! At one time David fell victim to the magic influence of numbers (cf I Chronicles 21:1)--that Satan-inspired sport which so slyly leads to pride and self-complacency, which so trickishly substitutes quantity for quality, mediocrity for true merit, and pomp for paucity. The charm exerted by numbers, size, and quantity, if allowed to prevail, will fill Laodicea's pews with 'illegitimate children' and swell her ranks with a mixed multitude which, as of old, could bring her march to a standstill at another 'Kadeshbarnea.' God forbid that such a thing should happen!" [700]

"Let Laodicea ponder her way! Let her pause and take inventory, let her consider and define where she has strayed from the Pattern in her multiple activities: ministerial, educational, medical, social, etcetera. Let her frankly confess her shortcomings, plead for forgiveness and then chart her future course in harmony with the divine counsel. Let her shun the subtle art of rationalizing, which makes evil appear good and transgression a necessity, trying to 'update' what is eternally fresh and young - ever the head and never the tail.

"Unless Laodicea will submit to a candid self-examination and to an uncompromising self-discipline, there will descend upon her a tempest that will sift and shake her ranks and sweep to one side the whole of her household, with its elaborate furnishings and costly equipment, clearing the stage for the Lord Himself to take hold of the reins (cf Testimonies to Ministers, 300; Testimonies, vol. 5, 80; Romans 9:28) with an army of 'unidentified' ones whose names and pictures may not be found in any register, or church paper, or book, nor diffused from any desk or platform." (Our Firm Foundation March, 1989) The workers of the 11th hour.

Remember that this strong warning does not come from a critic of the church, but from a leader in the church who saw clearly what constitutes success and failure in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

PRIORITIES

The primary mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is the vindication of God. It will be accomplished through the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary. But before the sanctuary in heaven can be cleansed from all the records of sin, the sanctuary of our hearts must be cleansed from the pollution which continues to dishonor God's name. Adventism is all about God's victory in the great controversy, as He finishes His six thousand year struggle against the lies of Satan.

The secondary mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is world mission and outreach through Bible studies and soul winning. When the primary mission is understood and addressed, the secondary mission will find abundant success. If we try to reverse these priorities, as we have been doing for many years, we will continue to fail. Outreach alone is not the solution to our sickness. We have been putting the cart before the horse, and it simply hasn't worked. If outreach is to be successful, it must flow from a consecrated and obedient heart.

Remember that Christ's efforts while on earth were to restore His people to obedience from the heart. Likewise our outreach must flow from total obedience and total love, with no more rationalizing so that we can do what our selfish hearts desire. We must abandon cultural values to determine what is right and wrong. Most of the problems in the Adventist Church today are the result of placing cultural values above a "thus saith the Lord." Will we decide once and for all to obey God, or will we continue to try to force Him to do it our way? The way we answer this question will determine the success or failure of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

EZEKIEL'S APPEAL

Ezekiel lived in a time of apostasy and backsliding, and God gave a special message to him for Israel. "So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me." (33:7) "Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" (33:11)

This is not just God's appeal to His rebellious chosen people in Ezekiel's time; it is His appeal to His rebellious chosen people today.[800] God is saying, "Please turn back before it is forever too late. Why do you insist on dying, O house of Adventism?" Can we really be faithful Adventists and ignore this question? Part of our responsibility as church members is to help heal our church so that it can fulfill both its primary and secondary missions. Sometimes the surgeon's knife is painful and the healing process is difficult, but our gracious God is the Master Physician.

Right now there are some carefully laid traps by which Satan is trying to subvert this process of healing. One trap is a compromised gospel, a gospel which says that since Jesus did everything that was necessary, all we need to do is believe and the rest is taken care of. Then we have the absolute assurance of salvation. This gospel has been coming into Adventism for the past thirty years and has been gaining great strength in the past ten years. It is a gospel which gives false assurance of salvation, because it promises that we can be saved while still sinning. It teaches that we can ignore our little sins--our besetting sins--because Jesus loves us unconditionally. As long as we continue to believe in Him as our Saviour, we continue to be in a saving relationship with Him, regardless of our continued sinning. This trap may cause the loss of more sincere Adventists than any of Satan's other traps. Click here, here and here for more on this.

Another trap laid by Satan is the trap of humanism and cultural priorities. Here we determine what is right and wrong by the best human thinking available. We take surveys and determine what should be done based on these surveys. We ask for the best scholarly research and the best logic, while we set aside inspired counsel as outdated, in need of cultural reinterpretation.

Another trap is having a critical spirit. Some see clearly the problems in the church and spend their entire time exposing and delineating the sins of the church. Satan leads these individuals to become negative about everything they see.

Then there is the most subtle of all Satan's traps--the moderate trap. We all want to be balanced; we want to avoid the extremes on both sides. We realize that there are some problems in the church, but we hear about all the souls being won, and we conclude that things must probably be headed in the right way. With all our progress and growth, things can't be too bad, can they? The problems must be someone else's problems, so we can safely ignore them. Even though our schools and hospitals are having difficulties, we'll just keep our mouths shut--it's safer that way. When strange music and worship styles come into our churches, we will make the best of it. Yes, it is very tempting to stay out of the fire so that we will not get burned.

But is this silence in harmony with Ezekiel's appeal? Are we faithful watchmen if we remain silent while the enemy climbs over the walls? Or will we do what we can to save and heal our church? We cannot have a unique Adventist witness without a unique Adventist message. The gospel of Adventism is different from the gospel of contemporary Christianity. Will we let that gospel die? Our understanding of the great controversy between Christ and Satan is totally unique. Will we let it die by our silence? Our understanding of the relationship between law and grace is unique. Even our understanding of health reform is unique, because we do not live healthfully to avoid disease or to live longer, but to allow God to fully sanctify the soul. We need to uphold the highest lifestyle standards, so that God has a chance to win the battle for our minds.

We have a unique understanding of a modern-day prophet, in which God speaks with just as much authority as He did in Paul's day.

Are we willing to be Seventh-day Adventists today? Are we willing to prepare the way for the final vindication of the character of God? Are we willing to live in the house behind the picket fence? The price is high, but the reward is beyond anything we can imagine.

"If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trusted, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?" (Jeremiah 12:5)

Today we are in the land of peace and we are running with the footmen. Ahead of us are the horses and the swelling Jordan. This is our preparation time, the time to strengthen our characters. If the church militant is ever going to be the church triumphant, then we must get serious about the name Seventh-day Adventist. We must know who we are and why we exist. We must get our primary mission and our secondary mission straight, so that our efforts can be blessed by God. Let us pray together that the hard ground of our hearts may be broken up, so that the refreshing early rain may lead to the powerful latter rain. And above all, let us pray that this generation of Seventh-day Adventists will be the last generation to live on a sin-cursed earth.

Know how to recognize error
By Ralph Larson

Because the Seventh day Adventist faith has been blessed by the Lord for so long to be the guardian of long neglected Bible truths, this faith has also been the target of attacks by Satanic lies and temptations to lead many astray.

My Appeal to Adventist Ministers -- In the book The Great Controversy, 654, 655, we have an interesting line. "The minister who has sacrificed truth to gain the favor of men now discerns the character and influence of his teachings. It is apparent that the omniscient eye was following him as he stood in the desk, as he walked the streets, as he mingled with men in the various scenes of life. Every emotion of the soul, every line written, every word uttered, every act that led men to rest in a refuge of falsehood,has been scattering seed; and now, in the wretched, lost souls around him, he beholds the harvest."

These religious leaders are leading people to perdition while pretending to guide them to the gates of Paradise. Yet we know that this sad state has been predicted in exact detail. "The clergy will put forth almost superhuman efforts to shut away the light lest it should shine upon their flocks. By every means at their command, they will endeavor to suppress the discussion of these vital questions." The Great Controversy, 607.

They will not let a historic Seventh-day Adventist speak at their pulpit, but they will let a Catholic priest. "They try by every means to suppress the discussion of these vital questions." Read these words of warning: "The people see that they have been deluded. They accuse one another of having led them to destruction; but all unite in heaping their bitterest condemnation upon the ministers." The Great Controversy, 655.

I want to appeal to my brethren in the ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, who I love very dearly. Please, hear my words! Those of you who are prostituting the pulpits of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, using improperly that which was ordained for a holy use, prostituting it to the devil's use, please, hear my words! You who are prostituting the classrooms of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, defiling the minds of young people with falsehood and false doctrines, listen! You who are prostituting the publications of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and you who are even prostituting the Conference Offices of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, using them to support falsehood and error, hear my words!

You may be saying like the people of Israel, "The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil," so let me do what I want to do. (Zephaniah 1:12.) But God is keeping record and everything is going into His computer and, when God pushes the right button, it is all going to come right back on the screen and you are going to be looking at yourself, telling people that they do not need to stop sinning. You are going to be looking at yourself telling people that the judgment was all done on the cross, while you stand in judgment! May God have mercy! I implore you, my brethren, I plead with you, my brethren, be done with it. Finish it off. Recognize that you cannot win.

There is an old black folk sermon that says, "Young man, young man, your arm is too short to fight with God." I appeal to any minister of the Seventh-day Adventist Church who ever reads these words; you cannot fight with God and win.

More Errors to Flee From -- To those of you who may ask the question, "How do I know if I am listening to error?" here are some suggestions. Do you hear "It is O.K. to sin"? Scream and run for your life. If you are not hearing any sermons on overcoming, if you are not hearing any sermons on the Sanctuary, but you are hearing the statement made that it was all done on the cross, flee from the wrath to come.

Are you hearing that obedience is legalism? So many people are being accused of legalism because they want to obey the law. What is legalism? Let's read Paul's comparison. "For it is written that Abraham had two sons [Isaac and Ishmael], the one by a bondmaid [Hagar], the other by a freewoman [Sarah]. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory; for these are the two covenants." Galatians 4:22–24.

There you have a very clear Biblical definition of legalism. We must ask the question delicately and chastely. Was the physical action of Abraham that resulted in the birth of Isaac any different from the physical action of Abraham that resulted in the birth of Ishmael? No, the action was the same. Legalism has nothing to do with actions. The actions can be identical, legalistic or not legalistic.

The difference is the attitude of the heart. In the case of Hagar, the mother of Ishmael, Abraham was saying, "I know how to do this. The laws of the country provide for this. It has all been worked out. I do not need the Lord; I can do this by myself." That is legalism. In the other case Abraham was saying, "This will not work unless the power of the Lord comes into the situation. There is no way this can be done except by the power of the Lord." That is not legalism.

Fix this fact in your mind. Legalism is not an action. Legalism is an attitude of the heart. So if you say, "I believe I should obey the commandments of the Lord," and someone tells you, "Oh, you are a legalist," you just say, "How long have you been on the throne of God? Can anybody other than God read the heart and see what attitude is there?"

Be warned, if you hear many sermons on justification and very few on sanctification; if they tell you from the pulpit that Christ came in the unfallen nature of man; if they tell you that they believe in original sin. By the way, they probably will not use the word "original sin." They will probably say something like the definition given in The Review and Herald, January 25, 1990, in an article written by a Seventh-day Adventist theologian and professor in one of our colleges. He describes it very succinctly like this. "If a baby dies a few hours or days after birth, it is still subject to the second death, the condemnation death even though it has never broken any commandment."

According to the Calvinistic theology [begun by Calvin's followers, not the man himself] that this man is following, that little baby is going to hell and he will burn and burn and burn, and never stop burning! That is where they are taking us. May God have mercy!

If your minister is talking a lot about the Eucharist instead of the Lord's Supper, watch out. If you hear the line that behavior has nothing to do with salvation, beware. Where did that come from? A Calvinistic theologian wrote, "It is an error to think that there is anything that must be done to inherit eternal life. When we bring the message of Scripture, we must be careful not to create the impression that human repentance, faith and obedience contribute in even the smallest way to divine forgiveness. ... We are not saved by anything we do, not even by our decision to believe. As paradoxical as it may seem, imperfect faith is an evidence of our union with Christ. . . We must get rid of all thought about our actions." Neal Punt, Unconditional Good News, 135–139. How sick can the human mind become? There does not seem to be any limit. And today many Adventists are following in the road of Calvinism. However, John Calvin himself, may not be blamed for today's doctrines among those who claim to descend from him. These doctrines appear to have developed after their mentor.

So what can you do? If you are sneered at and asked if you think you are perfect, just take it and look for a city of refuge. Go to a historic campmeeting and look around, get acquainted. You may find someone from your own area that you did not know about who is feeling the same way you are and having the same problem you are having. Historic Adventists have to find each other, and get to know each other, and unite with each other in a way that will bring the harmony and the unity that God calls for without sacrificing any principle of truth. There is a power that will come with unity that cannot be obtained in any other way. We are claiming that promise. May God bless you and strengthen you to stand for the truth.

Beware of wily errors
When reading articles or books on faith issues, be aware of and always check "quotation wrap-arounds" before jumping to conclusions. "Quotation wrap-arounds" are quoted portions which authors use in long sentences written in their own words, and include in them tiny snippets of quotations from the writings of Ellen White, sometimes as small as two or three words. He who traces these small snippets to their sources, and examines their context, may often experience a series of shocks. We submit an example.

On page 497 of Movement of Destiny Dr. Froom presents a paragraph on the human nature of Christ over which he places this heading: Took Sinless Nature Before the Fall. Beneath this heading he arranges a series of brief quotations from Ellen White, including this line:

"He did not in the least participate in its sin."

If you look at those two lines for a moment, you will surely have some questions. What sin was there in the sinless nature of Adam before his fall that Christ might have participated in? None whatever. There was no sin of any kind in Adam before his fall. Why, then, did Ellen White write a senseless statement like that? What was the matter with Ellen White? Deeply perplexed, we go to the source, and discover that as Ellen White wrote it, the statement actually looked like this:

"In taking upon Himself man's nature in its fallen condition, Christ did not in the least participate in its sin." Signs of the Times, June 9, 1898. (Emphasis supplied)

We gaze at this in disbelief. This is the ultimate violation of context. The writer has been represented as having said the exact opposite of what she actually did say.

Contradictions between two different books
In 1975 Southern Publishing Association published a book called Perfection, The Impossible Possibility. Dr. Heppenstall wrote a section in it. In this section there are twenty-one statements that it is impossible, even by the power of God, for Christians to stop sinning. Here is a sample:

"The Bible rejects every possibility of our reaching sinless perfection in this life." Ibid., 73.

In 1974 The Review and Herald Publishing Association had published a book written entirely by Dr. Heppenstall entitled, Salvation Unlimited. In this book there are fifteen firm statements that it is possible, by the power of God, for Christians to stop sinning. Here is a sample:

"We need to commit ourselves to that love from God and from His Son that issues in our deliverance from all that is sinful. Let us give full scope to His incomparable love and law in our lives. The power of the Holy Spirit within us is sufficient to make us like Him, to keep His commandments, and to know Him whom to know is life eternal." Ibid., 236.

Contradictions within a single book
In 1977 the Review and Herald published the book, The Man Who Is God, written entirely by Dr. Heppenstall. In this volume Dr. Heppenstall lays caution aside and goes all out in defense of Calvinistic falsehoods. And he repeatedly contradicts himself. If we present a series of questions related to his subject matter to this book, we are confronted by a bewildering array of self-contradictory answers.

1. Was Christ conceived as all men are? Yes, page 60. No, page 135.

2. Was Christ born as all men are? Yes, pages 24, 25, 125. No, pages 126, 135.

3. Was Christ born with the same flesh and blood that we have? Yes, pages 36, 86, 91, 136. No, page 137.

4. Is sin a thing of the flesh? Yes, page 137. No, page 138.

5. Did Christ have advantages in meeting temptation that we do not have? Yes, pages 132-133. No, pages 86, 90-91.

6. Was Christ born into the same state or condition that we are? Yes, pages 24, 91, 98. No, pages 126, 129, 132-133.

7. Is this state or condition into which all men are born actually guilt? Yes, page 146. No, page 121.

8. Did Christ take human nature as it was before Adam's fall? Yes, page 155. No, page 121.

9. Is Christian character perfection possible? Yes, pages 120, 125, 166. No, page 147.

10. Is original sin a matter of man's nature? Yes, pages 108, 118, 132, 135. No, pages 107, 109, 122.

Three times I have heard Dr. Heppenstall make the statement, "We must not let Ellen White veto the scriptures." I submit that when a man publishes a book exalting Calvinistic falsehoods, containing incredible self-contradictions, then accuses Ellen White of vetoing the scriptures because she disagrees with him, that he is not a well man. He has the affliction that Ellen White and the Apostle Paul have described for us. He has lost the ability to distinguish between truth and error.

Dr. Desmond Ford taught at Avondale College and Pacific Union College. On October 27, 1979, he made a public attack on the sanctuary doctrine. I was one of those who were asked to analyze his arguments and send a written report to the General Conference. The first thing that I noticed was that he now admitted that he had been disbelieving the sanctuary doctrine for many years, although he had firmly denied this when others had suspected it of him. I discovered, as I went through his presentation, that his particular specialty was the employment of artificial, manufactured, falsified evidence. He made false statements about the Scriptures, the Spirit of Prophecy, and other sources as well. I counted twenty-six arguments against the sanctuary doctrine in his presentation. Of these, I reckoned twenty–three to be totally fictitious, and the other three to be half truths. I was reminded that when a half truth is presented as if it were an entire truth, it can have the effect of an untruth.

Dr. Ford alleged that: The word "cleanse" is not in Daniel 8:14 and Leviticus 16 in Hebrew, (it is); that modern translations do not use "cleanse," (some do); that in his own commentary he refused to relate Daniel 8:14 to Leviticus 16, (he did not see his Daniel, p. 175); that most versions translate Hebrews 9:12 as "most holy place," (they do not); that bulls and goats were sacrificed only on the day of atonement, (they were not, see Leviticus 4); that the high priest had no distinctive work in the holy place, (he did, see Exodus 30:7 and Hebrews 7:26-27); that Adventists invented the concept of a movable throne, (we did not, see Daniel 7:9-10, Revelation 4:2-3, and Ezekiel 1); that Ellen White said the day of atonement began in 31 AD, (she did not, see Great Controversy, 409, Patriarchs and Prophets, 350, and Early Writings, 251); that she made double applications of the earthquake prophecies in Revelation, (she did not, see Great Controversy, 304 and 637). Other problems were as grievous as these, but are too technical for this paper.

A man who does things like this is either being deliberately dishonest, which I do not want to believe, or he suffers from the affliction described by Ellen White and the Apostle Paul—he has lost the ability to distinguish between truth and untruth. He apparently believes his own fictions to be true.

Dr. Helmut Ott teaches at Southern College. In 1987 he published a book called Perfect In Christ. It would be better entitled Sinning In Satan. The purpose of the book is to prove that Ellen White taught that overcoming sin in this life is impossible, and that God does not expect that of us. He maintains that this is the correct understanding of Ellen White's writings. Inasmuch as she had written the opposite not less than 4500 times, his project required some enormous distortion, twisting, and misrepresentation of her words, as well as of the Scriptures. Here is a sample of Dr. Ott's work, in reference to the robe of Christ's righteousness:

"Clothing is never an integral part of those wearing it. It is something that is put upon someone, an outward cover intended to make a person look appropriate." Ibid., 22.

Compare Revelation 19:7-8: "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."

But now let us permit Ellen White to speak for herself: "The wedding garment represents the character which all must possess who shall be accounted fit guests for the wedding." Christ's Object Lessons, 307.

"By the wedding garment in the parable is represented the pure, spotless character which Christ's true followers will possess." Christ Object Lessons, 310.

"By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey God's commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united to His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed in the garment of His righteousness." Christ's Object Lessons, 312. (Emphasis supplied)

And the other side of the picture is this: "The righteousness of Christ will not cover one cherished sin." Christ's Object Lessons, 316.

We tremble for those who read and believe Dr. Ott's book and continue sinning, confident that they will be covered by the robe of Christ's righteousness. We tremble even more for Dr. Ott. How well Ellen White wrote: "Religious teachers have led souls to perdition, while professing to guide them to the gates of Paradise." Christ's Object Lessons, 640.

Dr. Roy Adams has taught at the theological seminary of the Far East, where I once taught, and is now an associate editor of the Review. In 1994 he published a book entitled `The Nature Of Christ.' It is the most wildly erratic and irresponsible of the books that we have examined.[1200] In his attempts to exalt and defend the falsehoods of Calvinism, he literally stops at nothing. He rewrites portions of the history of our church into pure fiction,and even dares to rewrite the words of Ellen White, to make them serve the purposes of Calvinistic falsehoods. He grossly misrepresents the views of those who are trying to be faithful to the Adventist faith, reviles them, and makes wildly false accusations. And his book is highly reccomended to us by the president of the General Conference, Robert Folkenberg.

The spirit in which Dr. Adams writes is well demonstrated by his reviling. He applies these words to us: Sour, festering, self-appointed, infected with the virus of judgmentalism and suspicion, disease, martyr complex, seasoned controversialists, spirit of accusation, outraged, aghast, scandalized, pathetic, self confessed expert, misguided, wrongheaded, steeped in their cherished position, impenetrable to any theological logic, irresponsible, almost dishonest, deluded self-appointed gurus, disgruntled, pious self-appointed prophets, turncoats, charlatans and scoundrels. He applies these descriptive terms to our reasoning: Mumblings, innuendos, broken faith with the church, specious theology, perfection-istic agitation, petty, picayune, disgusting, speciousness, repetitive, exasperating, subtle spin, overblown, vacuousness, subtle legalism, anger, irritation, anger to new heights, radical articulation, fuss, ingenious theological gymnastics, willfulness, mischief, dishonesty, far-fetched explanations, artificial and contrived, totally fabricated, thoughtlessly, narrow, shallow, facile admonitions, simplistic pietism, shrill, provincial, manipulative, like Jim Jones and David Koresh, dogmatism, trap of perfectionistic legalism, frustration, heated, quoted piously, specious reasoning, vehement, inordinate insistence, maliciously accusing, sharpened tongues, navel-gazing, and self flagellation.

The crescendo of vituperation reaches its climax in a viciously false accusation against Robert Wieland and Donald Short: "Look at the Middle East today. (There was war there.) Look at Northern Ireland. Look at Yugoslavia. Look at Sudan. Yet this is what people like Wieland and Short wish on us." Ibid., 106.

This is too contemptible to deserve comment, but it may well remind us of Ellen White's prediction that when apostasy in our church has reached its climax, our greatest enemies will be the false brethren who once walked among us. And what is the crime that we have committed, that has called forth such venomous language? Simply that we want to remain faithful to Adventism, and not change our faith to Calvinism. Visualize a court scene in which faithful Seventh-day Adventists are being put on trial for their faith. The prosecuting attorney calls Dr. Adams to the witness stand. Need we question what hatred and false accusations will pour forth from his lips?

We have said that Dr. Adams even presumes to rewrite Ellen White's words in order to make them serve the purposes of Calvinism. He was displeased by the following statement by Ellen White in Christ's Object Lessons, 69.

"When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as his own."

Dr. Adams "rephrased" it like this: "When the spirit of unselfish love and labor for others will have fully ripened in the character of His people, then He will come to claim them as His own."

The words "character of Christ" have been removed, and the words "spirit of unselfish love and labor for others" have been put in their place. Why? Is there something wrong with the character of Christ being reproduced in His people? And what of the thousands of other references in Ellen White's writings that testify to character perfection by the power of God? Will Dr. Adams undertake to rewrite them all? Do we need to have the Spirit of Prophecy rewritten for us? And is Dr. Adams qualified to rewrite the Spirit of Prophecy? What do you think?

Dr. Adams writes on page 120 of his book: "The people I most admire—whether within the Adventist church or out of it . . . are those who never dwell on the subject of perfection or sinlessness."

That clearly excludes Ellen White. And it forcefully reminds us of that strange manner of madness, that mental impairment, that is described for us by Ellen White and by the Apostle Paul, the madness that begins with "They received not the love of the truth," and ends with "They are unable to distinguish between truth and error, right and wrong, light and darkness."

We are clearly approaching the long awaited crisis in Seventh-day Adventist history. We observe that the hatred toward the truth manifested by these afflicted persons grows more intense as they go along. We cannot doubt that there will be more. We must prepare ourselves to encounter worse manipulation of evidence, more ludicrous self-contradictions, more brazen falsifications of evidence, greater violence to the Spirit of Prophecy, and more viciously and maliciously false accusations.

Under these circumstances, it is imperative that we take a clear-eyed look at the situation. Let us not deceive ourselves that these strange actions are only human error. They go far, far beyond that definition. Men who do things like this are either dishonest persons who are deliberately trying to deceive us, or they are suffering from the self-induced mental impairment, the manner of madness, that the inspired writers have warned us about. We have to believe one or the other, and neither is a happy choice. Whichever view is correct, the result is certain to be some very difficult times ahead of us. Only in the power of God and by the grace of God can we hope to survive.

"The prudent man foreseeth the evil." Proverbs 27:12.

Th evil looms largely and clearly ahead of us. How imperative then that we know the truth, love the truth, and learn to trust God even in the most forbidding circumstances. We must learn to "put not your trust in princes." We must not follow a multitude to do evil, and we must never let ourselves lose sight of the final result of this great conflict. The truth will ultimately triumph, and triumph gloriously. We must triumph with it. May God bless you. [Ralph Larson; Thank you brother Larson for defending the faith.

A few more comments:

Also study 5T, p. 75,76,217; 8T p. 250; (backsliding separates us from God) with Deut. 28; Jer. 18:7-10; 31:35-37,40. The Jews took verse 40 as their cue that they were alright with God at the time of Christ. They forgot to read the other scriptures laying down the ground rules and Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD. -- We cannot flirt with the doctrines of antichrist, because those doctrines will surely separate God's people from the Saviour. We must ever remember that the presence of Christ alone can constitute the church, those that live out their faith. -- There is a difference between profession of faith and actually living out the faith, those whose character shows that they actually are keeping the commandments and use the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy to grow in Christian maturity. This is the difference which draws a line between those in the church who think of themselves as the remnant church. -- That is why Ellen White wrote, "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." [GC 51; Jude 3]

When they did it, they were in the great majority. You cannot tell by numbers. They kept the church organization. They had control of it. They kept the money. They kept the buildings. They kept almost all of the pastors and yet, they are the ones that willfully separated from the true church.

How did they do that? You need to know how they did it so you can tell when somebody does it again, even if they are in the majority. Here is how they did it.

Here is why they are the ones that separated from the true church. "They are the ones who laid down the banner of Christ." [Ibid; Ex. 13:9; Ps. 20:5; 60:4; Jer.51:27] What is the banner of Christ? The banner of Christ is the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Christ and all the apostles taught Christians to keep the commandments of God through the faith of Jesus, by the power that Jesus will give you. That is what the Apostolic Church was all about.

But the Romanists laid down that banner. They have taught that you cannot keep the commandments, it has gone all over the world, and most Christians believe it today. Do the best you can, but you are going to have to go on in sin. Then you have to go to confession every day, or every week, or however often, confess, and get your sins forgiven.

If you just keep your sins confessed, then you will be saved. Have you ever met anybody who believes that? Why, people all over believe it. You just have to keep your sins confessed; then you will be saved. Now, where in the Bible do we find that message? That is the gospel according to antichrist. The Bible teaches that, not only must I confess my sins to receive pardon, but I must also overcome.

That is why, in the book of Revelation, over and over again it is stated that the person that inherits eternal life will be the person that overcomes. You read Revelation 2 and Revelation 3, the messages to the seven churches. In every case it is the one that overcomes who inherits eternal life. It is very plain.

They did two things. They separated from the church in two ways. Number one, they laid down the banner of Christ, that is the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus and the belief that you can overcome. Number two, they departed from the faith once delivered to the saints. What is the faith that was once delivered to the saints? Well, friends, before Jesus left He gave a charge to His apostles.

He told them to go into all the world and to "make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you." Matthew 28:19, 20. Have you ever studied carefully through that text? Teaching them what? To observe all things whatever I have commanded you. Do you notice in verse 20, that human teaching is shut out of the church of God?

God, have mercy on is

Do you have a good idea of what it means to be a Christian? If you do not, how are you going to teach your child how to be a Christian? What does it mean to be a Christian? It says in 1 John 2:6 that we, as Christians, are obligated to walk as He walked; that is, as Christ walked. What does it mean to be a Christian? It means to be Christlike. It means to have a Christlike character.

As children grow up, they are always watching and they are always imitating. They even imitate after they become adults. Children that grow up in a home where there has been abuse of a spouse or abuse of children, they grow up and they do the same thing in their own home twenty years later, thirty years later. Children imitate.

But as they see the father, the mother; as they listen to the tone of the voice, the type of words that are spoken; and if they hear Christlike words and see Christlike actions; if they see kindness, courtesy, and love manifested, they will begin to learn what the Christlike life is all about. The Bible says that God is love and he that does not love, does not know God.

How does a child learn about that? A little child learns about that by watching the behavior and listening to the speech of the father and the mother. She says put your children as little as possible in contact with our churches, [That is the ____ Churches (with a low grade of piety)], that the low grade of piety which is current in this day shall not leaven their ideas of what it means to be a Christian.{12MR 333.1}]

Those that say, I am part of the church, I am part of the remnant church but are living in sin, are not going to triumph. [See `Spiritual Gifts,' Vol. 1, 130, 131.] It is not enough to say, I am part of the church and still live in sin. Notice this statement. "The Lord hath a controversy with His people (Hosea 4:1; Isa. 66), and although in His great mercy He bears long with them, yet if they persist in living in transgression of His law, they will not stand in the day of His rebuke." [Signs of the Times, March 12, 1894.] Notice, they are not going to triumph. They are not going to be a part of the church triumphant.

Notes and References by CIAS

[100] This insinuation of Satan is best documented in Job 1:8-12. The rest of the Book of Job shows how Job deals with the disaster which befell him and his family.
[120] Here is the quote in some of its context: "Satan wages an untiring warfare against the law of God. And so completely has he deceived men that his insinuations against this law are repeated from professedly Christian pulpits. Men, women, and children have been taught to believe them, and as a result -- look at the world today. Satan is its god. Nations have become workers of iniquity. Evil has lifted up itself against good. Men say, It does not matter what God's law says; the laws of the nations must be obeyed. Despotic power shows itself strong. Man-made laws are climbing higher and still higher, to displace and make void the law of God, to take the consciences of men under their control, and defy God to His face. Satan is gathering the powers of evil, to give them back to a lawless world under the solemn names of law and religion.".... {RH, April 16, 1901 par. 10}
The world has broken away from its true center. The churches of today have allowed Satan to enter in among them. Under his influence they have made void the law of God. The truths of the Bible are interpreted by religious teachers to mean something entirely different from what they do mean. Is there no remedy for this? Is the chain of dependence which unites the human family henceforth to be used to advance universal disorganization and hostility to God? Is the law of God always to be disobeyed? Is the law of influence to be used by Satan to drag mankind lower and lower? Is it not time that a people stood forth in moral independence, cherishing at the same time a sense of their dependence on God, and realizing that upon them rests the responsibility of declaring that the law of God is not changed and never will be changed? Let those who see the binding claims of the law arise and shine, because the glory of the Lord is risen upon them. {RH, April 16, 1901 par. 15}
The Lord has sent to our world a message of warning, even the Third Angel's Message. All heaven is waiting to hear us vindicate God's law, declaring it to be holy, just, and good. Where are those who will do this work? God calls upon His people to gain a deeper insight into His plans and His law. His law is the transcript of His character. It is unchangeable; for God will not alter the thing that has gone out of His lips. Christ has declared that the law is perfect; and with David we may say, "It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law." {RH, April 16, 1901 par. 16}
[200] But does the Bible not say that the end will come when the gospel is preached in all the world? Yes. But read the whole section. "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Matthew 29:18-20. Obviously this teaching is meant to get people to keep all things commanded - that includes all of the Ten Commandments - even the seventh day Sabbath. Those who fight keeping God's law, therefore, prolong our suffering on earth.
[500] In fact this approach was vocally presented in the Convocation of the NCC on September 15, 2007. The speakers preached to not argue over doctrines but go out and work not realizing that doctrines are the underpinnings of the government of God and we must first unite in doctrines in order to be able to work together and teach those we talk to what God's Kingdom is all about.
[700] Wow, this is exactly what happened at the convocation when one speaker appealed for funds in `church planting', like the mega churches do. They looked over the audience (`counted' like David) and hoped to reach deep to get the funds for their projects. There was no word of first to come together and confess sin before seeking the Lord in prayer. The leaders seemed to have no concept of what Adventists want to hear when they come to these gatherings. They appeal only to those who are easily swayed by any doctrine. Adventists want to see genuineness in our leaders, a comprehension of this topic we present. Many of us don't prefer to hear sermons we can hear in a Baptist church. Have our pastors forgotten how to preach Adventist sermons? We pray they will read and accept the challenge here so well presented by Dennis.
[800] On Apostasy and Biblical Unity:
On the subject of `apostasy' we could read and cite many pages. This time we quote what was written probably in the 1920's, "Those who reject the apostasy will be severely charged of criticism because they will protest against it. A great effort has been made for a long time to eliminate "criticism." It has been terribly condemned far and near - in sermons, articles, conventions, institutes, campmeetings and conferences. Honest protest has been stifled and suppressed by branding it "criticism" and then condemning it.
A distinction must be made between "protest" and "criticism," for if not, no voice can be raised against wrong! Pernicious criticism is a wicked thing, and ought to be confessed and forsaken. Criticism of men is that bad. But there is another side to this question of criticism.
If men have gone so far in criticism that they criticize the work of the Spirit of God and the messages from the Spirit of God and denounce those who are maintaining those messages as having the spirit of the devil, that would come terribly close to being a sin against the Holy Spirit and would call for alarm and utter humiliation and abasement before such men should dare lift up their heads and ask God for the gift of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain.
This criticism of the work of the Spirit of God is more heinous and disastrous to ourselves and to the work of God than is criticism of men.
If leaders so criticize the Spirit of Prophecy that men are moved by the Spirit of God to protest against such apostasy, there must be a distinction made between such protest and evil criticism. When men are in the wrong and do not see it and God sends brethren to counsel them and they persist in denouncing such counsel as unjust criticism, they are indeed in a great delusion, and it is most difficult for God to reach them.
According to Inspiration there will be various voices in the church from this time forward till after the shaking is over. There will be false reformations that will sweep in thousands; there will be great worldliness and there will be those who "sigh and cry" over the condition of the church as God sees it, and these will reprove and warn and "will not hold their peace to obtain the favor of any." (5T, 210) [Julius Gilbert White, The Alpha and Omega of Apostasy, p. 57,58]
"Here we see that the church--the Lord's sanctuary--was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient men, those to whom God had given great light and who had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people, had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we need not look for miracles and the marked manifestation of God's power as in former days. Times have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief, and they say: The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil. He is too merciful to visit His people in judgment. Thus `Peace and safety' is the cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a trumpet to show God's people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs that would not bark are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended God. Men, maidens, and little children all perish together." [5T 211.2]
"The seal of God will be placed upon the foreheads of those only who sigh and cry for the abominations done in the land. Those who link in sympathy with the world are eating and drinking with the drunken and will surely be destroyed with the workers of iniquity. `The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.'" [5T 212.3]
"Anciently, when Elijah was sent with a message from God to the people, they did not heed the warning. They thought him unnecessarily severe. They even thought that he must have lost his senses because he denounced them, the favored people of God, as sinners and their crimes as so aggravated that the judgments of God would awaken against them. Satan and his host have ever been arrayed against those who bear the message of warning and who reprove sins. The unconsecrated will also be united with the adversary of souls to make the work of God's faithful servants as hard as possible." [3T 261.2]
By the way, do you know that there will be an `Elijah' message just before the end?
Do you know why Elijah denounced them? - Because he was Christ like and he was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Do you know what the Elijah message really is? Read here.
Who is it in Adventism today who will come into unity? Like in the time of Jesus, they were not the rejecting Jews, those who fight God's messengers, who came into unity. So it is today too. Those who come into unity will not be those who follow the new theology, they will never come into unity. They are more pluralistic every year. It will not be those who reject the Spirit of Prophecy either or step off the platform of truth. The people which will come into unity are those we may call historic Seventh day Adventists that hold on to our fundamental beliefs as revealed to our spiritual forefathers and stand on the Three Angel's Messages and accept all of the Spirit of Prophecy, those will be the only people who come into unity. They are those who allow the Holy Spirit to rebuke them in any way God chooses. What ever happens, we should be able to say, `Lord, I don't want to have pretender lips.'
But there are also those people who say, `I know that there are problems and that there is apostasy, but you never get reformation by talking about it all the time, and you folks are just talking about it all the time and that is not happy. You should talk more about positive things.' - Have you ever heard that?
Let us read a testimony that was given to the Battle Creek church. It was given specifically to two people in the Battle Creek church who, she said, were working directly against the Spirit of God. And it says,
"They did not seem to understand that Heaven's light was shining in upon them to call them as a people to repentance. They treated the warnings of the Spirit of God as a matter of indifference,--as though that voice were human in place of divine. What there was to make any demonstration of on their part they could not see. If they had done wrong, why dwell upon it so much? Just go on (This they were thinking in their mind); let it all drop, and say as little about it as possible. This is the very thing the enemy of souls wants them to do; and Bro. McLearn, here in this peril of the church, while God is seeking to arouse them, has revealed his true spirit, and that he was not a safe man to counsel and advise the church in a crisis. God is calling them to repentance, and do Bro. McLearn and Wm. Gage work in harmony with the Spirit of God? Are these men confessing their own sins, acknowledging their departure from God, which has brought calamity upon the church and the frown of God? Smooth words and fair speeches are uttered to mislead those who would come to the light. Instead of these men falling upon the Rock and being broken, they are using their inventive powers to make it appear that they were not deserving of reproof, that their course had been altogether different than the Spirit of the Lord had represented. Will they take the Testimonies home and act upon them? No; they have not done it, and do not intend to do it. A spirit of vindication is aroused in them rather than of humiliation and confession." [PH155 1.2]
"The Lord seeks to save, not to destroy. He delights in the rescue of sinners. "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked." Ezekiel 33:11. By warnings and entreaties He calls the wayward to cease from their evil-doing and to turn to Him and live. He gives His chosen messengers a holy boldness, that those who hear may fear and be brought to repentance. How firmly the man of God rebuked the king! And this firmness was essential; in no other way could the existing evils have been rebuked. The Lord gave His servant boldness, that an abiding impression might be made on those who heard. The messengers of the Lord are never to fear the face of man, but are to stand unflinchingly for the right. So long as they put their trust in God, they need not fear; for He who gives them their commission gives them also the assurance of His protecting care." [PK 105.1]
The Elijah message caused Elijah to be very angry, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit when he was angry, for there was something to be angry about.
"Never seek to cover sin; for in the message of rebuke, Christ is to be proclaimed as the first and the last, He who is all in all to the soul." [1SM 380.1]
We all have to become humble enough to accept a rebuke and reprove from whoever God chooses to send. Elijah was accused of being a trouble maker in Israel. Paul was accused of being a desecrator of the Temple. We find in the Bible, that anytime God sent someone to decry the evil, people did not like it and they were accusing them of being the cause of the division.
In that same line of thought, have you ever heard that historic Seventh day Adventists are being called the cause of divisions today? - That is still a common accusation.
We need to know, what is the real cause of divisions and the lack of unity that we have in our church today.
"God's plan for the salvation of men, is perfect in every particular. If we will faithfully perform our allotted part, all will be well with us. It is man's apostasy that causes discord, and brings wretchedness and ruin." [Signs of the Times, May 19, 1881]
Why then do we have so much division in Adventism today? - It is not because of historic Adventists who stand firm to our historic beliefs, it is because of the apostasy and we will never have unity again, unless we stand up and fight the apostasy and forsake the new theology and get back on the platform of truth that God has given us.
What is the purpose of rebuke?
John the Baptist says in Matthew 3 and Jesus in Matthew 4, the purpose of rebuke is to repent. The people who are willing to repent are coming into perfect unity.
What we need to do today is to get on our knees and say to Jesus, 'Whatever rebuke that I need in my life to be ready for Jesus to come, give me the grace to accept it.'

[1200] The adult Sabbath School Study Guide, second quarter 2008, while it can provide inspiration, it misses the certain ring we have been used to. Especially lesson #12, `The Efficacy of His Priestly Ministry' misses important Bible truths taught in the Book of Hebrews. Instead the author uses up scant space to present a degree of doubt by stating, "And while common sense would lead us away from the conclusion that every board and nail of the tabernacle (and later the temple) had theological significance, we should, nevertheless, take with all seriousness the teaching function of the Old Testament sanctuary system." No one sees significance in every board and nail. That is a superfluous statement. Why bring such a thought even up and not point anywhere in the lesson to the essential duty of believers to overcome sin? Similarly he writes, "Though we do not know the exact forms of Jesus' intercession for us, Scripture offers examples of the idea, albeit from a human standpoint." This seems like another waster sentence where truth could have been proclaimed. At this point in the lesson why go back again to the rebellion at Kadesh? While not wrong, it occupies space where truth for our time could have been presented. It is as if Mr. Adams circles around what the sanctuary means to Adventism now, in the time of the end. He studiously avoids a reference that at last the blood of Christ is offered once after which there is no more offering for sin, Hebr. 10:1-18.