But now let us look more closely at the purpose of Satan's sneak
attack on standards in the remnant church. We have described his
cunning program of gradual infiltration through borderline issues,
and how those tiny loopholes were slowly expanded into major
departures from our historic principles. The divine cause-and-effect
law immediately began to operate, creating doubt and confusion about
the true doctrine. And Satan made very certain that a masterpiece of
deception was in both wings waiting to emerge just as soon as enough
minds had been sufficiently dulled by conformity to the world.
Desmond Ford and Walter Rea appeared on the stage almost
simultaneously, and for the first time the old, stale objections
began to raise questions in the minds of Seventh-day Adventists.
It is only when we look closely at the focus of the "new
theology" errors that we can understand Satan's ingenious strategy.
Almost all of its attack is aimed at the law of God. Even though
some Seventh-day Adventists are afraid to say it, the real issue in
the age-long controversy is over the subject of God's law and
whether it can be kept or not.
Satan knows even better than we do that the final clash in the
great contest will revolve around loyalty and obedience to that law.
Anything he can do now to weaken and discredit the law in the eyes
of Seventh-day Adventists will be a master stroke on his part. He
has no problem with the rest of Christendom, because their doctrine
already belittles the Decalogue, but he needs some incredibly
deceptive approach to make Adventists look lightly upon the law.
The roots of the law controversy go all the way back to the
fallen angel, Lucifer. That rebel angel based his entire attack
against God on the premise that Heaven's law was too severe and
could not be obeyed. Those false charges were aired before the
unfallen universe, and one third of the angels were persuaded that
Lucifer was right. From that time to this, the governments of good
and evil have been locked in a titanic struggle to settle those
issues raised by Lucifer.
The plan of salvation was designed by God to vindicate His
justice and honor before the universe, and to clear His name from
the lying accusation that His law could not be obeyed. The purpose
of His 6000-year program has been to produce a people who will live
without sin. If God's plan is not able to restore man to that
original position of obedience from which he fell, then Satan's
arguments will be upheld. On the other hand, if God is able to
exhibit a people who have totally obeyed Him, under the most adverse
conditions Satan can create, His character will be eternally
vindicated before the unfallen worlds. The universe will be forever
secure from further disobedience, because, age upon age, the living
testimony of the redeemed remnant will be a reminder of God's
righteousness in dealing with His creatures.
Now, can you see how important it must be for Satan to make
people sin? And do you see why the remnant of the woman-those who
keep the commandments and have the Spirit of Prophecy-are the
special objects of the dragon's wrath? Whatever Satan does against
God's faithful saints will be aimed at diluting their confidence in
the law. Somehow he must prepare them to regard the law so lightly
and see sin as so unobjectionable, that when their lives are on the
line, they will choose to disobey rather than perish. Satan sees
this as his last opportunity to strike out against God's plan to
bring His people to perfection.
Does it begin to make more sense now for Satan to prepare special
assaults against Sabbathkeepers? No wonder he devised the clever
plan to slip worldly customs slowly into the church. He knew very
well the Bible principle that doctrinal confusion would quickly
follow. And he made careful preparations to introduce his artful
"anti-lawism" through respectable inside spokesmen who would have
the widest influence.
THE "NEW THEOLOGY" ATTACKS
The first basic error of the "new theology" stemmed from the old
Augustinian doctrine of original sin. By ascribing imputed sin to
all of Adam's descendants the assumption was made that every baby is
born not only with accrued guilt, but with such an utterly perverse
nature that it could never stop sinning short of Paradise. Thus the
foundation was laid for rationalizing lawbreaking as a problem of
irresponsible genes and hormones. Strike one against God's law!
This initial deviation made it necessary to introduce another
distortion of truth. If all of Adam's descendants inherit his guilt,
then Jesus would also become guilty as soon as He was born. That
would never do, of course. In that case, He could save no one. He
would be a sinner Himself. The Catholic church neatly took care of
the problem by inventing the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception,
which excluded the Virgin Mary from partaking of Adam's imputed
guilt. The "new theologians" simply accepted an ancient Protestant
version of the Catholic position and declared that Jesus was
actually born with Adam's unfallen nature instead of with Abraham's,
David's or Mary's fallen nature.
Not only did this contradict many specific Bible statements, but
it also left every one of Adam's children without any hope of
overcoming their sins. It left the human race without one
encouraging example of perfect obedience, except in an alien nature
totally unknown to anyone who has been born since Adam sinned. If
Jesus dared not face the temptations of fallen man, how could any
mortal ever expect to gain the victory over those temptations? Such
a doctrine added fuel to the satanic proposal that God's laws are
too difficult to obey anyway. Strike two against the law!
How did these first two perversions tie in with further "new
theology" attacks against the law? Strange as it may seem, even
though they portrayed Jesus in a nature far removed from needy
humanity, these professors of new light asserted that Christ was
able to impute to sinners all the merits of His holy life, including
His obedience, through His atoning death on the cross. That sounds
like good theology, but look at it more carefully.
They call this imputed merit of Christ "righteousness by faith,"
but sanctification is specifically and deliberately excluded from
this package of grace. It is maintained that obedience is entirely
separated from the requirements of salvation, and acceptance of the
imputed merits of justification alone is the only "works" required
for entrance into God's kingdom. Thus conformity to God's law is
assigned an optional role in the experience of salvation. Strike
three against the law! 2
With the focus on imputed righteousness, the atoning death of
Jesus on the cross came to be regarded as the finished work of
redemption: He did everything for us, including a perfect obedience,
and all is credited to us as we accept it by faith.
Did the death of Christ finish the work of atonement in behalf of
the transgressor? No, it did not. It provided a perfect sacrifice.
The offering of the unblemished Lamb was finished forever, but the
final atonement was not completed until the blood had been sprinkled
in the most holy place and the record of sins blotted out. The book
of Hebrews proves beyond question that Jesus returned to the
heavenly sanctuary to minister His own blood in fulfillment of the
types carried out in the two apartments on earth. That work is going
on today. What is involved in that work? Why was it needed? How did
it excel the work which was carried out in the earthly sanctuary?
Chiefly in this respect; the earthly services could only provide
for the forgiveness of sin, and never for the power to stop sinning.
Those offerings of lambs and goats could not make anyone perfect.
"For the law ... can never with those sacrifices which they offered
year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect." Hebrews
10:1.
On the other hand, Paul declared that the true High Priest in the
heavenly sanctuary would remove sins and make people perfect. "For
by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are
sanctified." Hebrews 10:14.
Herein is revealed the grand necessity of the high priestly work
of Jesus in heaven. It was required in order to cleanse sins from
the record AND from the lives of the worshipers. The "new theology"
asserts that the atonement was finished at the cross, and there is
no present application of the yearly "most holy place" ministry to
the work of the heavenly High Priest. This essentially denies both
the need for any sanctifying of the saints, and the means of
ministering that sanctification or perfection. By rejecting the
two-apartment ministry of Christ for us, the "new theology" turns
attention away from the exalted place where the law resides beneath
the mercy seat of the ark. Small wonder, then, that it finds no need
for sanctification in the experience of righteousness by faith. The
law is minimized in the great scheme of salvation. Strike four
against the law! 3
And what about the perfection provided to worshipers from the
heavenly sanctuary? Most "new theologians" deny the doctrine of
total victory over sin in the flesh. To them sin is synonymous with
being born. It is pervasive in every fallen body and mind until
translation eradicates it at the coming of Christ. With this view,
it is easy to see why sanctification has been downplayed. If it is
impossible to overcome all sin, then obviously God will accept that
part of sin which it is not possible for man to conquer. But how
much and which part is in that category? Is it left up to each
person to decide which sins he cannot overcome in the strength of
Christ? How could one be sure that he was not tolerating a sin that
could be put away, with a little more faith and effort on his part?
The fact is that there is no intimation in the Bible that anyone
should stop certain sins only, or diminish the amount of other sins
he commits. Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, "Go and sin
no more." He did not tell her to cut back on the amount of adultery
she was committing. If I believe some sins are impossible to
overcome, I certainly will not waste any time attempting to put them
out of my life. Can't you see how dangerous it is to conclude that
ANY sin cannot be overcome in the strength of the Lord? I become
tolerant of that sin and deceive myself into believing that God also
will accept it. And how easy it will be for my poor human nature to
select any sin that I don't want to give up as one of those which
cannot be overcome.
Does it seem logical to think that God can and will give me the
victory over some sins-perhaps those that are not too deeply
rooted-but that He cannot or is not willing to deliver me from the
others? The entire concept is foreign to the Word of God. The only
thing to be done with sin is to stop doing it, to put it away, to
claim victory over it altogether. The blatant attitude that God's
children must keep on sinning until Jesus comes is not only a denial
of the Word, but a favorable vote for Satan's ancient lie.
Strike five against God's law!
SATAN'S WAR AGAINST PERFECTION
Is Satan happy when Christians resign themselves to a program of
continued sin? You can be sure that he is. Does one become more
tolerant of a sin that he believes is impossible to overcome?
Without question! Is there something especially dangerous about
Seventh-day Adventists defending Satan's accusation that the law
cannot be obeyed? Indeed, it borders on spiritual treason and
blasphemy.
But let me explain why this doctrine against character perfection
is such a deadly menace to the remnant church. We are repeatedly
reminded in the Spirit of Prophecy that none will be sealed except
those who survive the shaking and take part in the loud cry. BUT THE
CONDITION FOR RECEIVING THE LATTER RAIN AND GIVING THE LOUD CRY IS
TO OVERCOME EVERY SIN!
What a triumph for Satan to be able to lure Seventh day
Adventists into the fatal delusion that sins cannot be completely
conquered. By yielding to that monstrous lie, one would be conceding
the impossibility of being saved, because, at that point in time,
all who do not receive the latter rain will be lost. Consider these
significant statements:
"Those who come up to every point, and stand every test, and
overcome, be the price what it may, have heeded the counsel of the
True Witness, and they will receive the latter rain." Testimonies,
Vol. 1, p. 187.
"Today you are to have your vessel purified, that it may be ready
for the heavenly dew, ready for the showers of the latter rain; for
the latter rain will come, and the blessing of God will fill every
soul that is purified from every defilement." Evangelism, p. 702.
"Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our
characters have one spot or stain upon them. It is left with us to
remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse the soul temple of
every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as the
early rain fell upon the disciples on the Day of Pentecost."
Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 214.
"I was shown that if God's people make no effort on their part,
but wait for the refreshing to come upon them and remove their
wrongs and correct their errors; if they depend upon that to cleanse
them from filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and fit them to engage
in the loud cry of the third angel, they will be found wanting. The
refreshing or power of God comes only on those who have prepared
themselves for it by doing the work which God bids them, namely,
cleansing themselves of all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,
perfecting holiness in thefear of God." Testimonies, Vol. I, p. 619.
In the light of these explicit declarations, how could any
Adventist Christian deny the possibility of overcoming all sin? No
one can be sealed who has not experienced this perfect process of
sanctification in his life.
Many overlook the fact that there are two distinct aspects of
righteousness by faith which must be experienced by every successful
overcomer. One of them, justification, provides for deliverance from
the death penalty through forgiveness of past sins. This tremendous
gift is based solely upon the objective work of Jesus in living a
perfect life, assuming our liability of guilt, and dying to satisfy
the penalty against us.
As soon as we exercise faith in Jesus as our personal Saviour, He
gives us the credit for all those things he did in our behalf. He
counts us as having lived a perfect life, and looks upon us as
though we have never sinned. He imputes to us the merits of His own
death on the cross, relieving us of any condemnation or punishment
for our past sins. This transaction of faith lies at the very heart
of the great plan of salvation. None can be saved without it, and
none can receive it by any other means than faith alone. The Bible
says, "To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth
the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Romans 4:5.
Notice that the one requirement for receiving justification by
faith is to be ungodly. Those who feel that they need to make
themselves less ungodly by their good works before seeking
justification are destroying their only grounds for receiving it.
Furthermore, they hopelessly contradict the Scriptures by seeking to
extract some personal merit from a totally undeserved gift. The less
ungodly a person feels himself to be, the less inclined he will be
to cast himself in simple faith upon the promises of God. In the
justification experience, there can be no dividing of credit. It is
by faith alone.
But the second, and equally important, aspect of righteousness by
faith is sanctification. The dynamic power of the gospel does not
deliver us from the guilt of sin without also saving us from the sin
itself. Adam's fall into sin created two terrible problems for
himself and all his descendants. First, it brought the sentence of
death upon the human race, and second, it weakened man's moral
nature to such a degree that he had no power to stop sinning. Both
of these tragic consequences have been reversed by the glorious
victory of the second Adam.
The first problem is remedied by the imputed righteousness of
Jesus in justification. By it the death sentence is lifted, and past
sins are canceled.
But there is still another issue to be resolved. How is the moral
nature to be restored so that sin can be resisted and overcome? The
plan of salvation does not provide for only a partial deliverance
from the effects of sin. Through sanctification, the righteousness
of Jesus is imparted to the believer, and total victory is made
possible over every inherited or cultivated weakness. Faith in the
power-packed promises of the Bible can break sin's stranglehold and
fit the soul for sealing under the latter rain.
Only those Adventists who have claimed both justification and
sanctification will have a part in the loud cry experience. The Seed
of the woman has given back to all of Adam's descendants the power
to choose not to sin. There are critics of our church who feel that
God's blessing can no longer rest upon it because of its Laodicean
condition. Some have withdrawn their membership in protest of the
declining spirituality and loss of standards. I share nothing in
common with such an attitude. Recently, I received a letter from a
man who was once an ordained pastor of a large Seventh-day Adventist
church. He seemed genuinely concerned that I could bring people into
a church that had "totally apostasized from the truth," as he
described it," and had reverted to Babylonian darkness." He quoted
some paragraphs from Sister White to the effect that the church was
retreating toward Egypt, that they were drifting away to sea,
without chart or compass. I was acquainted with those statements and
many others in the same vein. She did portray the sad, Laodicean
condition of every level of church organization, rebuking,
appealing, and weeping over its compromise with the world. BUT SHE
DID NOT LEAVE THE CHURCH, OR SUGGEST THAT IT WAS BABYLON! Even
though she spoke shocking words of correction, there was never any
intimation that the concerned, faithful ones within the remnant
should leave the organization for any reason whatsoever. She did
write repeatedly that the weak, worldly, vacillating ones would be
shaken out, leaving a pure people to finish the work.
"The searching testimony of the Spirit of God will separate those
from Israel who have ever been at war with the means that God has
ordained to keep corruptions out of the church. Wrongs must be
called wrongs. Grievous sins must be called by their right name....
The plain, straight testimony must live in the church, or the curse
of God will rest upon His people as surely as it did upon ancient
Israel because of their sins." Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 676.
FACING OUR DEFECTS HONESTLY
It would be folly to ignore the sins which have been condoned and
embraced by many in the church. It does no good to put our heads in
the sand. The voice of warning must be heard. The cutting truth must
be proclaimed, but it must be done in the context of love and
concern for those who have been blinded by Satan. There is still a
loyal group who will not be moved from the pillars of truth.
"The leaven of godliness has not entirely lost its power. At the
time when the danger and depression of the church are greatest, the
little company who are standing in the light will be sighing and
crying for the abominations that are done in the land. But more
especially will their prayers arise in behalf of the church because
its members are doing after the manner of the world." Testimonies,
Vol. 5, p. 209, 210.
This statement is typical of many in which Sister White
identifies a "little company" within the remnant which refuses to
follow the rest of the church whose "members are doing after the
manner of the world." From such statements it seems clear that there
is a remnant within the remnant who will recognize the breakdown of
standards and take a strong stand against the worldly drift within
the church.
Today God is looking for those who will set their faces like
flint against sin and all its allies. What joy there is in placing
no limits upon the operation of His marvelous grace! Every one of us
has the privilege right now of submitting every faculty of our being
to God and His message. He does not call us to divided service.
There is no peace in a half surrender of the heart.
What common ground is there between truth and error? God desires
His remnant people to give an unambiguous witness to every point of
true doctrine and experience. This church is not the true church
just because it fits into a particular historical and prophetic
framework. It is true, and will remain true, only as it continues to
preach and practice in full harmony with the testimonies of God's
Spirit. We can feel no assurance of salvation, either, just because
we belong to the true church. Our security rests upon a personal
relationship with Christ, which produces the obedience of faith. An
inordinate spiritual pride destroyed God's Israel of old, and it
could easily be a snare to Seventh-day Adventists today.
Several points are made by Sister White concerning the faithful
"little company" within the remnant. They sigh and cry for the
abominations done in the land, and "their prayers arise in behalf of
the church because its members are doing after the manner of the
world. . . . In the time when His wrath shall go forth in judgments,
these humble, devoted followers of Christ will be distinguished from
the rest of the world by their soul anguish, which is expressed in
lamentation and weeping, reproofs and warnings. While others try to
throw a cloak over the existing evil, and excuse the great
wickedness everywhere prevalent, those who have a zeal for God's
honor and a love for souls will not hold their peace to obtain favor
of any." Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 210.
Oh, what a responsibility rests upon the watchmen on the walls!
And how earnestly we should be studying and praying to be a part of
that small group who grieve over the sins of the church. How clearly
we see the fulfillment of Sister White's description as we approach
the sealing time. We long to be able to turn back the floodtide of
compromise. Daily we need to plead for the Spirit of God to keep our
feet from sliding back and to fortify our minds against the
deceptions which surround us. Who is sufficient for these things?
As one watchman on the walls, I will be held responsible to God
for the souls of any whom I do not warn against the approaching
enemy. My heart mourns as I watch what is happening and see how
little I seem able to do. What can be done to bring our church back
to the pattern so clearly laid down in the inspired counsels?
The medical work has taken a direction against which we were
warned years ago. By taking the administration of our institutions
out of the hands of the church and placing them under the direction
of highly paid health professionals, we have opened a floodgate of
compromise. The new arrangement is accelerating the pace of our
shameful competition to be the biggest and to attract the largest
number of patients. Nowhere have we been encouraged by God to
construct such facilities. Over and over we have been warned not to
compete with the world in this area. Smaller, rural sanitariums
where true health reform principles can be practiced and taught, was
the burden of Sister White's message from God. How can we defend the
investment of borrowed millions of dollars in the proliferation of
medical-surgical monoliths which defy the great mass of instruction
which God has given us?
The counsel against drugs has been flaunted. In most of our huge
hospitals and medical centers there is little distinction from the
world in the way we treat disease. My last two crusades were held in
large cities where two of our sprawling hospital complexes were
located. I often ate in the cafeterias of those metropolitan
institutions. Imagine my shock and chagrin to find meat being served
in one of those Seventh-day Adventist hospitals. Each day I had to
question the servers closely to identify the real meat from the
vegetarian entrees.
In the other hospital, no meat was served in the cafeteria, but
large coffee-dispensing machines stood in the room. On Sabbaths, the
public, as well as the employees, paid for their food at the ringing
cash register, just as they did on the weekdays. Even though I had a
guest card, it was an uncomfortable experience to watch the
business-as-usual. I remembered how, years ago, no one could eat in
our hospital cafeterias on Sabbath unless he had a meal ticket. No
money was exchanged on that day.
My heart is sick also when I look at the trends our publishing
and educational work are following. I know how sensitive our
educators have become to the smallest criticism, but I must refer
you to a statement by Dr. Winton Beaven in the Adventist Review of
September 27, 1984, in which he is quoted: "Between 40 and 45
percent of male students at Adventist colleges in North America
drink beer, wine or spirits." Some will surely want to reject that
appraisal, but who would be better qualified to make such a
judgment? Dr. Beaven has been a recognized authority in drug
research for many years, and he made the statement at the first
board meeting of the Institute of Alcoholism and Drug Dependency at
Andrews University.
I know we have some of the finest Christian educators in the
world-men and women who are really dedicated to the character
development of our youth. They are often limited by board rules,
parental pressures, and proximity of the unpredictable young people
day after day after day. Seventh-day Adventist teachers deserve a
great deal of honor and recognition for their commitment to a
difficult task.
Yet somewhere along the line we have dropped the ball, and along
with it, many of the standards and rules which once safeguarded our
educational centers.
On the basis of the Review statement, if our colleges still
maintained the published standards of the recent past, almost half
the male enrollment would qualify for immediate expulsion. Their
continuation in the schools provides dramatic proof that the most
basic Christian standards are not being maintained. If Dr. Beaven is
correct, we are adjusting our rules to meet the Laodicean lifestyle
of an indulgent generation, or else our educational leaders do not
know what is going on right under their noses. Instead of
disciplining the drinking students, some schools are instituting
programs of alcohol rehabilitation. This is not to fault the good
plan for alcoholic reform and recovery, but in the meantime there
must be a meaningful program to uphold a disciplined lifestyle on
every Adventist campus.
Does this lenient stance toward drinking bleed over into other
areas of Adventist practice? Look at the divorce rate in the remnant
church. It just about equals the worldly average. Consider the
rapidly changing attitudes toward movie attendance, abortion, and
homosexuality. Historic Bible positions are being adroitly
neutralized by learned dissertations based largely on emotional
appeals for fairness, equality and justice. Emotion we need, but far
more, we need to stand on clear-cut, long-held, inspired principles
which have served us well for over 125 years.
But in spite of some mistaken policies of compromise, this is
still God's remnant church, and it is going through to the Kingdom.
Many of its members, its ministers, and its administrators will be
shaken out, but the church of the translation will be pure and
uncompromised. Worldly policy and political expedience will be
unknown in the ranks of that Spirit-filled remnant who will give the
loud cry!
"But the days of purification of the church are hastening on
apace. God will have a people pure and true. In the mighty sifting
soon to take place we shall be better able to measure the strength
of Israel. The signs reveal that the time is near when the Lord will
manifest that His fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge
His floor." Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 80.
"Satan will work his miracles to deceive; he will set up his
power as supreme. The church may appear as about to fall, but it
does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted
out . . . This is a terrible ordeal . . . The remnant that purify
their souls by obeying the truth gather strength from the trying
process." Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, p. 911.
"I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen and was shown that
it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the
counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans . . . . Some will not
bear this straight testimony. They will rise up against it, and this
is what will cause a shaking among God's people." Early Writings, p.
270.
Are we not entering the shaking time already when the church will
be purified in both doctrine and practice? What a responsibility
rests upon those who stand at the head of the work in various
conferences and institutions! Not one hindrance should be allowed to
interpose between our people and the spirit of true revival and
reformation. No segment of the organized work should be permitted to
cast stumbling blocks in the way of this sanctifying process.
Some would urge that it is better to ignore the blatant articles
in the youth paper which run counter to our historic Christian
standards. They would keep silent altogether when our college
science teachers publish their views against a 6000-year earth
history. But is that the best policy? Will the message of the True
Witness accomplish its work when such a course is followed? A clear
break with Laodicea calls for repentance for such grievous sin on
the part of the leaders. It would be wrong for those who make up the
church to accept quietly such misrepresentation of the true
Adventist position. To continue the employment of teachers, pastors,
or administrators who do not support the doctrines of the church
does not encourage revival or reformation. Neither does it inspire
confidence in those who have been elected to oversee the Lord's
business.
When men preach contrary to truth, they should no longer be
retained as spokesmen for that truth. It just doesn't make sense.
Such a course would place the church in conflict with its own best
spiritual interests.
Listen to the words of two former General Conference presidents
as they looked at the spirit of compromise working in the church in
their day:
"I am troubled by the direction that our educational and training
work is definitely taking. I am concerned by the more and more
obvious fact that in the education and training of our workers we
are inquiring more and more of the world and less of God than
formerly." Elder C. H. Watson, Review and Herald, November 21, 1935.
"The time has come for a thorough reformation to take place. What
we need today is a people revived with new spiritual power, a church
reformed and turned away from the world . . . there has come into
the church a listlessness, a carelessness that is deplorable." Elder
J. L. McElhany, Review and Herald, December 3, 1936.
In the same year the Review editor made this earnest appeal for
the straight testimony to be restored in the church:
"If our hearts become faint and our tongues palsied, and we fail
to proclaim the whole counsel of God, crying out against sin in the
church regardless of who may be involved, we shall lose our power,
and heaven must raise up others from the ranks to take our places."
Elder F. M. Wilcox, Review and Herald, June I, 1936.
Today such honest confessions from church leaders is almost
unknown. Administrators, workers, and laymen are discouraged from
taking note of such specific shortcomings among the saints. But it
was exactly that kind of strong, direct appeal which stirred the
hearts of our members and made them aware of their individual needs.
Nothing would more quickly restore and establish confidence in the
leadership of this movement than their sincere, open admission of
obvious failings, and a public commitment to make things right by
God's grace.
TIME FOR THE STRAIGHT TESTIMONY
Surely the time has come for every Seventh-day Adventist to learn
about the sins of Laodicea -its worldliness, pride, etc.-and to join
those who will cry out against this nauseating mixture of flesh and
spirit. Ministers and members must be willing to risk criticism in
order to preach the Laodicean message. There are a thousand more
pleasant subjects, but the hour is too late to substitute smooth
things. Neither do the sleeping saints need any more soothing
messages. This is the hour for an awakening.
If you think John the Baptist was too strong and direct in his
preaching, you may rise up against the kind of messages God is
leading men to proclaim today. Was John too blunt when he called the
king into question for being unlawfully married? If so, we must be
more blunt. Consider this statement:
"In this fearful time, just before Christ is to come the second
time, God's faithful preachers will have to bear a still more
pointed testimony than was borne by John the Baptist. A responsible,
important work is before them; and those who speak smooth things,
God will not acknowledge as His shepherds. A fearful woe is upon
them." Testimonies, Vol. 1, p. 321.
Will the religious leaders of today feel any better about being
corrected than those in John's day? Surely we can expect the same
outrage to be expressed by those who are settled in the comfortable,
self-righteous mold of Laodicea. How dare anyone charge the true
church with wrong-doing or apostasy!
"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."
Testimonies, Vol. 3, p. 261.
In these days of separation and testing, the spirit of fear must
not mold the ministry of responsible pastors and leaders. It is no
kindness to comfort those who are asleep in Zion. We may be
inclined, like Eli, to be very gentle and loving, but don't ever
forget how that lack of firmness led to Eli's rejection. Much good
can be said about the man, but he was too fearful of taking a
strong, uncompromising, public stand against sin.
"Eli was gentle, loving, and kind, and had a true interest in the
service of God and the prosperity of His cause. He was a man who had
power in prayer. He never rose up in rebellion against the words of
God. But he was wanting; he did not have firmness of character to
reprove sin and execute justice against the sinner so that God could
depend upon him to keep Israel pure. He did not add to his faith the
courage and power to say No at the right time and in the right
place. Sin is sin; righteousness is righteousness. The trumpet note
of warning must be sounded. We are living in a fearfully wicked age.
The worship of God will become corrupted unless there are wide-awake
men at every post of duty." Testimonies, Vol. 4, p. 517.
Will God hold many sweet, gentle pastors responsible for sins
they find no heart to expose and rebuke?
"If wrongs are apparent among His people, and if the servants of
God pass on indifferent to them, they virtually sustain and justify
the sinner, and are alike guilty and will just as surely receive the
displeasure of God; for they will be made responsible for the sins
of the guilty." Testimonies, Vol. 3, pp. 265, 266.
"If the leaders of the church neglect to diligently search out
the sins which bring the displeasure of God upon the body, they
become responsible for these sins." Testimonies, Vol. 3, p. 269.
"Those who have too little courage to reprove wrong, or who
through indolence or lack of interest make no earnest effort to
purify the family or the church of God, are held accountable for the
evil that may result from their neglect of duty. We are just as
responsible for evils that we might have checked in others by
exercise of parental or pastoral authority as if the acts had been
our own." Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 578.
In anticipation of his last-ditch effort to make God's special
remnant lose confidence in the law, would it not be logical for
Satan to infiltrate the church with uncommitted pastors as well as
unconverted members? When viewed in the context of the age-long
warfare, it is easy to see how he would attempt such a long-range
tactical ploy.
Because we live literally in the final stages of this tremendous
drawn-out drama, we become grandstand spectators of Satan's total
strategy. Right now he is pulling together all the lines of
influence which he has manipulated to weaken the commandment
keepers. We see a converging of many circumstances which could not
be understood until now, because they appeared only as distressing
side issues. Suddenly we see that they were all tied together and
were being masterminded by the great adversary himself.
Look once more at the amazing order which the jigsaw puzzle
begins to reveal. The isolated developments within the church are
seen to be small portions of a giant pattern which is now
approaching completion. It all makes sense in the light of Satan's
ultimate objectives. What better plan could he have devised than to
dilute the spiritual standards slowly by worldly wedges of
compromise that grew bigger and bigger. At the same time, Satan
exploited the fears of many against fanaticism and legalism, causing
a radical swing toward grace-only, the finished work of the cross,
and a down-play of sanctification. Some ministers were caught up in
the trend, and were conditioned to accept new members for baptism
without the fruits of full obedience. Under the influence of these
unconverted ones, and a worldly-oriented membership, the church was
not prepared to cope with the explosive impact of the "new
theology," especially since it filtered through the weekly sermons
of numerous young advocates of the divergent views.
My heart goes out to the hundreds of faithful Adventists who have
written me about their efforts to stem the relentless tide of
apostasy. They recognize the "snipping away" of one cherished
principle after another, and are seeking support in their lonely
work of trying to hold the line. My counsel is always the same. Stay
in the church, and especially stay close to the Lord Jesus in prayer
and Bible study. Be sure that you stand on sound, historic truth,
and DON'T COMPROMISE!
What is the real solution to the problems we face in the church
today? The corporate answer, of course, is the shaking, but the
personal solution is a very deep, spiritual relationship with
Christ. None of us can ever imagine the nature of the full-blown
opposition program of Satan against the saints. He will literally
throw everything in his arsenal of evil at those who stand in his
way. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken.
The large cities will be centers of violence and dangers. There
will be no safe place there for Sabbath-keepers. We have received
warning after warning to leave the great metropolitan areas and
secure small places in the country. Money and property will become a
snare and threat to those who waited too long to put them into the
work of God. The real deceitfulness of riches will be exposed when
millions of Adventist dollars are swept away in the approaching
economic collapse.
For those who have placed their lives and possessions upon the
altar, there will be no fear of the final events. By daily
heart-searching prayer and Bible study, they have prepared
themselves for the maelstrom of Armageddon. When the great
controversy rises to its final stages, each person becomes the
subject of a raging battle between Christ and Satan. There will be
security only for those who have prepared in advance. The ones who
have developed a conciliatory attitude toward the world cannot meet
the test.
God's call to Laodicea is to repent and lay hold of faith, love,
the righteousness of Christ, and the Holy Spirit. There is hope and
promise for every soul who will cooperate with the agencies God
provides for our sanctification. Like Daniel of old, we must be
faithful in little things before we are prepared to face the death
sentence. By developing unswerving loyalty in every circumstance,
the soul is fortified, and victory is assured.
How is it with you today? Are you waiting for more signs that the
end is upon us? Ask yourself what work of grace still needs to be
done in your life in preparation for Christ's coming. If you are not
spending at least an hour a day in study and prayer, how do you
justify your neglect? We find time for what we really want to do.
Satan's favorite deception is to create a false security in those
who have only a nominal experience.
Seek the Lord now while He may be found. Adjust your daily
program to reserve choice prayer and study time in the early morning
or evening. By consistent and deliberate decisions to make God first
in your life, an amazing discipline of spirit will result.
"When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His
heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His
mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His
life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His
righteousness." Christ's Object lessons, p. 312.
What an exciting possibility! The habitual yielding of the entire
being to God results in an actual union with Him. When we hunger for
that experience more than for anything else in the world, we shall
receive it. And the desire grows as we spend time in His presence.
The fragrance of such a relationship will fill any life with joy
unspeakable. As you give priority, quality time for feeding on God's
Word, there will be spiritual revival also-just as surely as growth
follows the rain.
"If we keep the Lord ever before us, allowing our hearts to go
out in thanksgiving and praise to Him, we shall have continual
freshness in our religious life. Our prayers will take the form of a
conversation with God as we would talk with a friend. He will speak
His mysteries to us personally. Often there will come to us a sweet
joyful sense of the presence of Jesus. Often our hearts will burn
within us as He draws nigh to commune with us as He did with Enoch."
Christ's Object Lessons, p. 129.
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