Seventh-Day Adventists: Can You Work Your Way to Heaven?
https://youtu.be/L48kU9NPggw
American history is peppered with nation-wide revivals, often called “Great Awakenings.” The first was in 1730. The next started in 1800, and had an unusually powerful impact. Baptist, Methodist and other established churches still numerically small in the colonies, enjoyed substantial growth. The Second Great Awakening gave rise several movements. One would become known as the Seventh-day Adventists church.
A Baptist preacher, William Miller planted the seeds of the SDA church by attempting to set the date of Christ’s second coming . He predicted, based on symbolic numbers in highly figurative Bible passages Jesus would come again October 22, 1844. Crowds waited on a hill for Christ’s second advent. When the Lord didn’t show, many returned home humiliated. October 22 became known as the “Great Disappointment.” Of course, the Bible plainly states no human can determine when Jesus will again appear. God’s son said in Matt. 24:36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” Adventism teaches other serious errors. Let’s consider a few.
First, Adventism teaches Christians are subject to the ten commandments. Yet the Bible says the commandments are not divine directives for Christians. Jesus’ death replaced Moses’s law with “a new and living way” (Heb. 10:20). ) Ephesians says, in 2:15 “he abolished… “the Law of commandments contained in ordinances.”
The Galatian church was seduced by false teachers who advocated tenants of Christianity were secondary to Moses’ Law and Paul condemned them writing they were not only embracing false teaching but by it jeopardizing their souls. Galatians 1:6-9 says:
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another…But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed.
No wonder their 19th century contemporaries called Adventists “Galationists!” To make Moses’ laws greater than Christ’s is to subject Jesus to Moses. Galatians 5:4 says, “You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from Grace.” Christ is God’s final solution to the problem of sin, and to fail to accept that is to condemn one’s soul. According to 1 John 2:2, “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”
Second, like the Biblical Galatians, SDAs don’t accept Moses’s law was only a schoolmaster to prepare Jews for Jesus. They instead adhere to certain parts of the old law as though Moses’ words express God’s last will for humanity. Paul wrote in Galatians 3:24-26 “…The Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
Third, Adventists follow non Biblical Dictates of Ellen G. White. After falling down stairs when still a child, White received a purported revelation exalting the Sabbath. )White’s written works which SDAs follow contains as many as 8,000 plagiarisms. Adventists counter White plagiarized only two times Even if that is an accurate count, she twice stole the intellectual property of others and dishonestly claimed it was original to her.
No credible Bible student has accused the apostles and other inspired New Testament authors of plagiarism. Even two intellectual property thefts the SDA church admits are red flags Of the man of sin, part of the great apostacy of the early church the Bible says “that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders… (2 Thess. 2:9). Pilfering is dishonest and bearing bad fruit. Matthew 12:33 say, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 2 Th. 2:9 “that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders…”
Conclusion
The Bible condemns Christians who attempt to merit, or earn, salvation. Ephesians 2:8-10 poses a paradox-sounding statement:
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not…of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God. Prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Christians do not earn heaven by works, yet Ephesians 2:10 says the nature of the saved is to do to do good works. Considering James 2:20 and 26 in light of Ephesians clears up misunderstandings: “But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?… For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”
Humans cannot boast about working their way to heaven because it is impossible. The normal result of salvation is to do good through immense gratitude, love for Christ, and demonstrating our faith. Those motives clarify John 9:4: “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.”
Foot Washing & The SDA Church
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBWch3Qvn3k
Foot washing preceded the first communion service. John 13:5-9 says Jesus: …Poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, Lord, do You wash my feet? Jesus answered and said to him, What I do you do not realize now, but you shall understand hereafter. Peter said to Him, Never shall You wash my feet! Jesus answered him, If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me. Simon Peter said to Him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
Some denominations have at times washed feet. However, Seventh-day Adventists see foot washing as a permanent worship act and every three months have a foot washing ceremony followed by communion. For three Bible reasons, foot washing has no place in Christian worship. Let’s pause for a moment. Please select subscribe, the thumbs up icon and the notification bell. Thank you for your support.
First, washing feet was necessary in Bible times. Ancients walked on dirt; muddy when wet and dusty when dry. Feet cleansing make them comfortable indoors and kept them from soiling floors and rugs. When God’s son, and not a servant or the disciples themselves, washed their feet, he demonstrated no service, however humble, is beneath any Christian. Jesus said “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…” (Matt 20:28).
Second, other Bible accounts indicate feet were washed for both hospitality and practical reasons. Angels appeared like men to Abraham. The patriarch said “Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree” (Gen. 18:4). Lot told angels who appeared as men “…my Lords, please turn aside into your servant’s house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may…go on your way” (Gen. 19:2). Abraham sent his chief servant to find a wife for his son Isaac. Gen. 24:32 says, “…Then Laban…gave [the servant]…water to wash his feet and the feet of the men…with him.” Judg. 19 records a traveler and his concubine passing through Gibeah. An old man offered hospitality: “He….gave the donkeys fodder, and they washed their feet” (Judges 19:21). While Jesus dined in a Pharisee’s home, a woman washed his feet out of love and and devotion. Luke 7:38 says, “…she….wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head…kissing His feet, and anointing them.” A poor widow could be supported by the church “…if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work” (1 Tim. 5:10).
Third, not everything Jesus and his Apostles did established an act of worship. Paul instructed Christians in Rome and elsewhere to greet one another with a holy kiss. Even today in some parts of the world, men kiss men and women kiss women as a greeting, corresponding to handshaking in the Western world.
Early Christians worshipped in the temple. Acts 5:42 says, “Every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” After Stephen’s death and the accompanying persecution, “….Those who had been scattered went about preaching the word”(Acts 8:4). Dispersed Christians and their converts worshiped in upper rooms and homes of wealthy believers. Acts 20:8 says, “There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together.” Paul saluted “…Our sister…and to the church in your house” (Philemon 2). That doesn’t mean we must in homes or upper rooms.
CONCLUSION
The Bible reveals Christians under the direction of inspired apostles engaged in five acts of worship. First, saints worshiped by taking communion. Acts 20:7-8 says, “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day, and he prolonged his 1message until midnight. On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day…” Second, Christians sang. Eph. 5:19 says, “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.” Third, they read scriptures (which is sometimes accomplished in sermons). 1Tim. 4:13 commands, “…Give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.” Fourth, saints worshipped by giving. 1 Cor. 16:2 says, “On the first day of every week let each one of you put aside and save, as he may prosper.” Prayer was a fifth act of worship when the church met. 1Tim. 2:8 commands men to pray, “…lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.” Evidence is overwhelming that although the holy kiss, foot washing by God’s son no less, and assembling in homes of generous, wealthy Christians were wonderful actions. They did not make the cut as divinely ordained acts of worship.
Note: Article may be reprinted, completely or in part, in its original, unedited form, and only with the author receiving credit.
What in the World do Adventists Mean by Soul Sleep?
https://youtu.be/zBZleDhukmU
Imagine, if you chose to lead a wicked life, and the only consequence upon your death is to suffer a split second of torment, then cease to exist, wouldn’t that be comforting? The belief, called Soul Sleep, is taught by Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses, with some variations. Mary Fairchild wrote on October 9, 2019 at the Learn Religions site, “…The moment we die, our spirit and soul …[are with] the Lord. But doesn’t this contradict the doctrine known as Soul Sleep?” Obviously it does, Mary. An Adventist booklet, When a Man Dies, declares on page 13, “Death [isn’t] separation from God…loss of divine favor or a state of …misery… [but] an extinction of life itself.” According to the 2013 Christian Research Journal, Adventists believe the lost, “Are not [aware] of anything until the…resurrection when they are destroyed.” Let’s take a break. Please select ‘subscribe,’ the “thumbs up “ icon and the notification bell. Thank you very much for your support.
I studied with an Adventist who knew his religion well. When confronted with Matthew 7:14, “The gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it,” he countered the wicked will be destroyed but “like a television beaten with a hammer; it will never work again.” Let’s dig deeper and consider three ways SDAs misuse scriptures to support the bizarre doctrine.
First, Adventists mistakenly interpret the poetic passage Ecclesiastes 9:7 literally: “For the… dead do not know anything….” Yet other verses clarify the dead are aware of some earthly things. Jesus tells of a wicked rich man and a righteous beggar who die. The rich man entreats the Lord to send the former beggar to his siblings “…to…warn them, lest they also come to this …torment” (Luke 16:27-28). He was aware his brothers were alive and judgment had not yet occurred. Adventists also stretch Ecclesiastes 12:7: “The dust will return to the earth…, and the spirit will return to God who gave it” to teach souls of sinners stop existing and are only in God’s memory.
Psalm 119:160 says, “The sum of thy word is truth.” All scriptures on a subject must be studied for an accurate conclusion. If soul sleep were true, Paul in Philippians 1:21-24 makes no sense. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living…this will mean fruitful labor… I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is…necessary for you that I remain in the body” (Phil. 1:21–24).
Second, Adventists reject eternal punishment because, “Is it really just,” some ask, “to be punished forever when he or she has been…evil for a brief time?” Yet, God’s truth does not come from what we think. Prov. 16:25 says, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is…death.” God is a perfectly fair. Isaiah 30:18 says, “The LORD is a God of justice.” Isaiah 55:9 says, “…My ways higher than your ways….”
Eternal agony awaits transgressors. In Matthew 25:46, goats and sheep represent the disobedient and the dutiful, respectively. Jesus said, “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Both “eternals” are from the same Greek word and mean just that. Punishment and reward have the same duration. If hell is a moment of retribution followed by annihilation, heaven is a moment of bliss followed by annihilation. Revelation 14:11 says the smoke of hell’s torment is “for ever and ever.”
Third “sleep” is often a metaphor for death. Jesus told his closest followers “… Lazarus has fallen asleep…His disciples replied, Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better. Jesus…told them plainly, Lazarus is dead” (John 11:11–14). Failure to grasp the often symbolic use of the word sleep has led to grievous error.
Conclusion
Everlasting agony awaits heaven’s antagonists. 2 Thessalonians 1: 7-9 says, “…Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and…who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus…These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.”
Note: Article may be reprinted, completely or in part, in its original, unedited form, and only with the author receiving credit.
The Sabbath & The SDA Church
https://youtu.be/IrvYZsEO6nI
A cult is a religious body that strictly adheres to its founders’ views. Jehovah’s Witnesses are bonded to the interpretations of Charles T. Russell and J.F. Rutherford. Christian Science follows Mary Baker Eddy. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is influenced by supposed prophetess Ellen G. White. Because the church contains elements of Seventh Day Baptists, it is a half cult. SDAs came out of a 19th American revival, the “Great Awakening.” When William Miller predicted Christ would return October 22, 1844. Jesus didn’t come, earning it the moniker, “The Great Disappointment.” Millerites divided into three groups; one became the Seventh-day Adventist church, which followed Ellen Gould Harmon, soon to marry influential Adventist, James White. Followers officially became Seventh-day Adventists in 1863.
Adventists believe the commandment to observe the Sabbath is the greatest. Life Sketches of Ellen G. White records one of her visions:
… I saw the ten commandments written…with the finger of God….The fourth, the Sabbath commandment, shone above them all…the holy Sabbath looked glorious—a halo of glory was all around it…. I saw that the holy Sabbath is…the separating wall between…true Israel of God and unbelievers.
White taught the ten commandments were given in the Garden of Eden. An SDA correspondence course declares, “…Obey all the [Ten] Commandments of the Lord.”
But what does the Bible teach? First, the sabbath commandment is not the greatest. Consider Mark 12:28-3i:
And one of the scribes…asked… “What commandment is the foremost of all?”
Jesus answered, “THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ “The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Second, White claimed the ten commandments were given in Eden, a doctrine completely without Bible support. Exodus 34:28-29 indicates they were revealed to Moses: “…[Moses] was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights… And he wrote on the tablets (of stone) the Ten Commandments,” and they ceased being law when Jesus died. Eph. 2:15 says Christ abolished “… in His flesh…the Law of commandments contained in ordinances….” Before we continue, please select subscribe, the “thumbs up” icon and the notification bell. Your support is more appreciated than you can possibly know.
Third, Adventists claim Catholics changed the worship day to Sunday in the early 4th century, the time of the Nicene Creed, an impossible doctrine for two reasons. First, let’s assume for a moment Sabbath observance is the greatest commandment. Believers, obeying lesser commands, were burned to death, killed by wild animals exiled, and willingly lost all property in Roman persecutions. The one Saturday the minister announces, “Beginning next week, all Christians will always meet on Sunday and disregard the Sabbath.” It makes no sense the Sabbath, believed to be an unhanging part of God’s law for all time would suddenly be suddenly changed without resistance. Second, accounts before the Nicene counsel, prove Sunday is the day of worship. Ignatius wrote in AD 110, (Converted Jews were) “no longer observing the Sabbath but [live] according to the Lord’s day.” Barnabas wrote in AD 135, “We keep the eighth day for joy, on which also Jesus arose from the dead and when he appeared, ascended into heaven.” Justin Martyr wrote in AD 150, “And on…Sunday there is a gathering together….”
Fourth, followers of the Ten Commandments followers subject Jesus to Moses. Yet John 1:17 says, “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” Moses’ law had no provision for grace. James 2:10 says, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” Attempting law salvation is deadly to the soul. Galatian Christians, like Adventists, tried to follow Moses. Galatians 5:4 declares, “You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.”
Conclusion
Jesus, being God in the flesh, is greater than Moses. Hebrews 3:3 says, For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. While Christians worship on the day Jesus rose, awaiting us is the Sabbath rest of eternal life, Hebrew . 4:9 says, “ There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God.”
Note: Article may be reprinted, completely or in part, in its original, unedited form, and only with the author receiving credit.