** SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST - ARE THEY CHRISTIAN? **
Part 1 of 2
Ellen G. White founded this religion, though she was a
follower of one William Miller of New York, who propounded
much of what Mrs. White later adopted for her religion. It
is interesting to note that a 7th Day Adventist Physician,
Dr. William Russel, wrote in 1869 that 'Mrs White's
visions are the result of a diseased organization or
condition of the brain or nervous system." While we should
feel pity for Mrs. White, we must point out that her
teachings were, AND ARE BLASPHEMY AND DIRECTLY OPPOSITE OF
WHAT THE VERY WORD OF GOD SAYS!
The standard work of Mrs. White is her THE GREAT
CONTROVERSY BETWEEN CHRIST AND SATAN which has been
published many times. This is, perhaps THE most
authoritative expose of Adventist teachings. One of Mrs.
White's counselors and intimates, D.M. Canwright, wrote
about Mrs White,"She often copies her subject matter
without credit or sign of quotation from other authors.
Indeed her last great book, THE GREAT CONTROVERSY, which
they laud so highly as her greatest work, is largely
(mainly in the historic parts) a compilation of Andrews'
HISTORY OF THE SABBATH; HISTORY OF THE WALDENSES, by
Wylie; LIFE OF MILLER, by White; THOUGHTS ON REVELATION,
by Smith, and other books." Additional denouncements were
made, both by Adventist and other critics concerning
plagerism by Mrs. White, yet the preface to the current
published version still reads:
"We believe she has been empowered by Divine
llumination to speak of some past events, which have been
brought to her knowledge with greater minuteness than is
set forth in any existing records, and to read the future
with more than human foresight."
Although there are MANY heresies within the Adventist
church, we will deal with four of the areas that the
Adventist feel are mandatory teachings:
(1)*Seventh Day Adventism denies the Biblical Doctrine of
the COMPLETE atoning Sacrifice of Christ as THE ONLY
means of man's salvation. This is the most serious of the
heresies of the Adventist. We quote Mrs. White:
"The ministration of the priest throughout the years in
the first apartment of the sanctuary (which sanctuary Mrs.
White places in heaven and not on earth-SYSOP) ...
Represents the work of ministration upon which Christ
entered at His ascension ... For eighteen centuries this
work of ministration continued in the first apartment of
the sanctuary. The blood of Christ, pleaded in behalf of
penitent believers, secured their pardon and acceptance
with the Father, yet their sins still remained upon the
books of record."- THE GREAT CONTROVERSY
We have yet to obtain an answer from the Adventist to
the question, How are sins pardoned YET kept on the books?
(2)* Seventh Day Adventism denies the FINALITY of the work
of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. They THUS claim
Jesus to be a LIAR in His statement, "IT IS FINISHED!"
Again, we quote Mrs. White: (UPPER CASE BY SYSOP)
"As in typical service, there was work for atonement at
the close of the year, so before Christ's work for
redemption of men IS COMPLETED (SYSOP ADDED UPPER CASE),
there is a work of atonement for the removal of sin from
the sanctuary. This is the service which began when the
2,300 days ended. (SYSOP NOTE: Mrs White taught that this
was the year 1844!), At that time, as foretold by Daniel
the Prophet, our high priest entered the most Holy to
perform the LAST DIVISION of His solemn work to CLEANSE
THE SANCTUARY ...in the new covenant the sins of the
repentant are by faith placed upon Christ, and
TRANSFERRED, IN FACT, TO THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY ... so the
actual cleansing of the heavenly (sanctuary) is to be
accomplished by the removal, or blotting out, of the sins
that are there recorded. But, BEFORE this can be
accomplished, there MUST BE AN EXAMINATION OF THE BOOKS of
record to determine who, through repentance of sin and
faith in Christ, are entitled to the benefits of His
Atonement. The cleansing of the sanctuary therefore
involves a WORK OF INVESTIGATION - a work of judgement.
Those who followed in the light of the prophetic word saw
that, INSTEAD OF COMING TO THE EARTH at the termination of
the 2,300 days in 1844 (as "prophet" William Miller had
widely proclaimed), Christ entered in to the most holy
place of the heavenly, to PERFORM the CLOSING WORK OF
ATONEMENT preparatory to his coming."-THE GREAT
CONTROVERSY
We feel it helpful to outline some history. William
Miller prophesied that Christ would come (This where the
name 'ADVENTIST' - One who looks to the ADVENT) in 1844.
We need not ask if this happened - it was a false
prophesy! Look at what the Bible has to say about False
Prophets. Mrs. White then stepped in with her "higher
revelation" that Christ only went into the "heavenly
sanctuary" and, as shown above, to "COMPLETE" the work
that he started here on earth! This is what the Adventist
refer to as "investigative judgement" - preparation for
His Second coming.
We do not find a reference, in the BIBLE, for such an
act of Christ nor do we find reference to a sanctuary in
heaven. We cannot find reference to sin being in heaven as
claimed above in Mrs. White's book! It would seem, from
the writings, that THE SANCTUARY, in some manner actually
becomes the sin bearer or mediator for believers!
(3)* Adventism has declared SATAN to be JOINT SIN BEARER,
and the vicarious substitute of the sinner! ONCE AGAIN, we
quote Mrs. White:
It was seen also that while the sin-offering pointed to
Christ as a sacrifice, and the high priest represented
Christ as the mediator, the SCAPEGOAT typified SATAN, the
author of sin, upon WHOM THE SINS OF THE TRULY PENITENT
WILL FINALLY BE PLACED. When the high priest by virtue of
the blood of the sin-offering removed the sins from the
sanctuary, he placed them upon the scapegoat. When Christ,
BY VIRTUE OF HIS OWN BLOOD,REMOVES THE SINS OF HIS PEOPLE
FROM THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY AT THE CLOSE OF HIS
MINISTRATION, HE WILL PLACE THEM ON SATAN, who in the
execution of judgement must bear final penalty. The
scapegoat was sent into a land not inhabited, never to
come again into the congregation of Israel. So will SATAN
be for ever banished from the presence of God and His
people and HE WILL BE BLOTTED FROM EXISTENCE IN THE FINAL
DESTRUCTION OF SIN AND THE SINNER."-GREAT CONTROVERSY.
Here, we have total elimination of the most loving
doctrine of the Bible - JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. And the
belief that SATAN is substitute for the FINISHED WORK of
Calvary by CHRIST, is more than heresy - it is final
condemnation to the Lake of Fire as shown in Revelation.
Mrs. White alleged that she found this teaching in
Leviticus 23 and the Book of Daniel. We have asked
Adventist to show us this teaching ANYWHERE in the BIBLE -
to date they have not. (3/15/82). Let us look at WHAT THE
BIBLE DOES, IN FACT, SAY TO REFUTE THIS LIE BY MRS. WHITE.
"Without shedding of blood there is no remission "
(Hebrews 9:22)
"The blood maketh atonement for the soul" (Leviticus
17:11)
"Redeemed by the precious blood of CHRIST" (I Peter
1:19)
"Who His own self bare OUR SINS in HIS OWN BODY on the
tree" (I Peter 2:24)
"Made peace through the blood of His cross" (Colossians
1:20)
"Made nigh by the blood of Christ" (Ephesians 2:13)
"He that believeth on HIM is not condemned" (John 3:18)
"There is therefore NOW NO CONDEMNATION to them which
are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24)
"The blood of JESUS CHRIST HIS (God's) SON cleanseth us
from ALL SIN" (I John 1:7)
(4)* Adventism believes Christ inherited a sinful, fallen
nature.
In the Adventist publication BIBLE READINGS FOR THE HOME
CIRCLE, page 115 in the 1915 edition, we read:
"In His humanity Christ partook of our sinful, fallen
nature. If not, then He was not 'made like unto His
brethren," was not 'in all points tempted like as we are,"
did not overcome as we have to overcome, and is not,
therefore, the complete and perfect Saviour man needs and
must have to be saved."
This can be restated - Believe in what we say OR YOU
HAVE NO SAVIOUR!
Continuing:
"The idea that Christ was born of an immaculate or
sinless mother (SYSOP Note - This is adopted ONLY by the
ROMAN church - not evangelical believers!), inherited no
tendencies to sin, and for this reason did not sin,
removes Him from the realm of a fallen world, and from the
very place where help is needed. On His human side, Christ
inherited just what every child OF ADAM inherits-a sinful
nature. On the divine side, from His very conception He
was begotten and born of the Spirit. And all this was done
to place mankind on vantage-ground, and to demonstrate
that IN THE SAME WAY everyone who is 'born of the Spirit'
may gain victories over sin in his own sinful flesh. Thus
each one is to overcome as CHRIST OVERCAME (Their
BOLDFACE)(as in Revelation 3:21). Without this birth there
can be no victory over temptation, and no salvation from
sin, John 3:3-7"
We need to investigate the above teaching VERY
CAREFULLY. In the BIBLE, we are told that we are partakers
of God's Holiness (Hebrew 12:10); God and Christ ARE ONE
as in John 10:30. Above, we are told that Christ partook
"OUR SINFUL, FALLEN NATURE" The BIBLE tells us JESUS was
"Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners".
Adventist would like us to believe that one could be "holy
and undefiled" yet have a "sinful, fallen nature!" If
CHRIST INHERITED a sinful, fallen nature, then HE WAS SUCH
FOR HIS WHOLE LIFE! This MAKES IT NECESSARY THAT CHRIST,
HIMSELF, WOULD NEED A SAVIOR!
../