One Down, Six to Go

I learned today that a distant cousin of mine is a Seventh Day Adventist (SDA). The only thing that I ever really knew about this organization is that they try and observe the Jewish Sabbath which is on Saturday. At one point in my past I believe I attended an Adventist service with a friend of mine who was searching for God. My recollection is that it reminded me of Catholic Mass in that it was a quiet and reserved environment. I don’t recall attending another service. Finding this out about my cousin led to me doing a little research on this denomination. Along with Sabbath keeping, Adventists also believe:

• Baptism into the church is done by full immersion after the age of accountability.
• Members are encouraged to watch uplifting entertainment. Some conservative congregations suggest that members should "shun all questionable worldly amusements such as the theater and dance."
• Inter-faith marriages are discouraged. This includes marriages to non-SDA Christians.
• Remarriage is only allowed if one’s spouse is guilty of adultery/fornication.
• Ellen White is recognized by the SDA Church as having received the gift of prophecy. The written works by Ellen White "are a continuing and authoritative source of truth which provide for the church comfort, guidance, instruction and correction."

In their defense, the Seventh Day Adventists due share beliefs with more mainstream Christian denominations such as their views on homosexuality, origins and the inerrancy of Scripture. However, the partial list of beliefs given here are an indication of the legalism and downright error which apparently resides within this denomination.

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:3-6

The role and type of baptism a Christian should undergo is the topic of many a heated debate within the Body of Christ. With that said, I am of the view that baptism, while it can be a beautiful depiction of the inward reality of new birth, is not required to be a Christian. The Bible states there is only "one baptism." That baptism is either the baptism of the Holy Spirit or water baptism. Which one is the one that saves an individual? Obviously, it is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I am not against water baptism, only when it is taught as a necessary act of salvation. As for the "age of accountability," the Bible is silent on the subject and we should be as well. But, what it does say is that we are all sinful from the time our mothers conceived us (Psalm 51:5). Therefore, without further information we should conclude that even children come into this world dead in sin. If a child were to pass away before making a conscious decision for Christ, I believe it best to leave that child’s eternal destination in the hands of a loving and just God.

"Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp." Psalm 149: 1-3

Growing up in what is called the "hip-hop generation" I can understand where popular forms of entertainment and dance can be an affront to God. And with what passes for entertainment in Hollywood, these days, can be shameful as well. However, scripture does not condemn believers from taking time out to enjoy or participate in these forms of entertainment. Our freedom in Christ makes it possible for each individual to determine if the forms of entertainment or dance they partake in are edifying to the Lord or not. And even if they are not, our sins are not being held against us. Besides, scripture has many examples of believers who honored the Lord through dancing. David danced before the Lord (2 Samuel 6:14) and Miriam led the people in dance after Pharaoh’s army perished in the Red Sea (Exodus 15:20). Dancing, on many occasions, is an outward expression of the joy of the Lord we have in our hearts.

"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?" 2 Corinthians 6:14

Scripture is clear in its instruction that Christians should not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. I doubt any believer would encourage, for example, a Christian to marry a Muslim or other lost person. However, to discourage marriage between Christians of different denominations is a dangerous precedent to establish. While there may be doctrinal obstacles to overcome between Christians of different denominations they would have belief in foundational truths in common with each other. The differences they have can be overcome through study, prayer and reliance on the Holy Spirit to lead them into all truth. To encourage otherwise is an exercise in religious control. As for only being allowed to remarry if your ex-spouse engaged in infidelity leaves the possibility of a lot of Christians trapped in abusive and destructive marriages out of fear that leaving the situation is a sin. God is not edified when one of His children is in fear of their spouse and in fear of God should they decide to leave their marriage.

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!" Galatians 1:6-9

I don’t care how revered Ellen White’s teachings are amongst the Seventh Day Adventist’s. Her teachings are not an "authoritative source of truth" for a believer. That distinction is reserved for the Word of God and only the Word of God. If the doctrines of the Adventists, described here, are any indication of her "authority" it should be condemned. It is a different gospel not coming from the pages of Scripture. Only God’s Word "is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17)." If Ellen White has anything of use for a Christian, she learned it from the Holy Spirit. The same Holy Spirit that indwells each and every believer. If what she teaches lines doesn’t line up with scripture, it needs to be discarded and those preaching it rebuked.

"There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience." Hebrews 4: 9-11

Finally, the Sabbath rest Christians are to enter into is not a day of the week. The rest we are to enter into is a daily rest from our works of trying to please God through self-effort and trying to live life under the law. And when the Seventh Day Adventist tries to keep the Sabbath Day, they are trying to live a life under the law. And if you are living under the law you are not living by faith. Any attempt to establish our own righteousness apart from Christ’s righteousness is an act of disobedience we are not to engage in or encourage others to do. The righteousness a Christian has is one that comes by faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work for us and resurrected life in us. Only through understanding this truth can we proclaim, as the Apostle Paul does in his letter to the Philippians, that "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith (Philippians 3: 8-9)."