The Experience of Salvation

On a recent thread, the question was raised as to whether current and former Adventists could agree on the language of Seventh-day Adventist Fundamental Belief #10 - “The Experience of Salvation.” This belief statement summarizes the Adventist position on justification and sanctification, concluding with this very reassuring statement: “Abiding in Him we become partakers of the divine nature and have the assurance of salvation now and in the judgment.” While most Christians would not have any problem with the fundamental belief statement as written, many Adventists might think twice about the promised assurance expressed in the last sentence.  Some will recall the Investigative Judgment and the cautioning words of Ellen White to never affirm one’s salvation (Christ’s Object Lessons, pg. 155), leading them to wonder how Christian assurance can be balanced with the historic teachings of the church.  But is this fundamental belief statement as conclusive as it sounds?  For more explanation, we can learn much by studying the expansion of this belief statement in “Seventh-day Adventists Believe...A Biblical Exposition of Fundamental Doctrines” (online here).  A closer look at this doctrine reveals that those who seek the assurance of salvation will find it–if they stop reading before the end of the chapter–while those who try to reconcile the statement with historic Adventist teachings will also find what they are looking for by reading all the way to the end.

At first glance, we may be tempted to conclude that an undercover Calvinist penned much of the chapter explaining fundamental belief #10.  “Trying, apart from Christ, to develop the good in oneself is counterproductive.  The experience of salvation that reaches deep into the soul comes from God alone” (pg. 120).  “God’s Spirit convicts those who receive Him of the seriousness of sin by bringing them to a sense of God’s righteousness and of their own lost condition” (pg. 120).  “Although repentance precedes forgiveness, the sinner cannot, by repentance, fit himself to secure the blessing of God.  In fact, the sinner cannot even produce from within himself repentance–it is the gift of God (Acts 5:31; cf. Rom. 2:4).  The Holy Spirit draws the sinner to Christ in order that he may find repentance, this heartfelt sorrow for sin” (pg. 121).  “Through faith in Jesus, the heart is filled by His Spirit.  Through this same faith, which is a gift of God’s grace (Rom. 12:3; Eph. 2:8), repentant sinners are justified (Rom. 3:28)” (pg. 121).  “Through justification by faith in Christ, His righteousness is imputed to us.  We are right with God because of Christ our Substitute” (pg. 122).  With these statements, the authors affirm that salvation is completely the work of God, that it is God who calls and draws sinners to Himself, even providing the faith necessary to believe in Him (John 6:35-40, John 10:14-18, Mark 9:24).

The chapter continues by affirming that those who are justified will manifest good works, beginning the process of sanctification which is described in the Bible as both a present and ongoing experience (1 Corinthians 6:11, Titus 3:4-7, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8).  If we stop reading here, we find no disagreement with what the Bible teaches on the doctrines of justification and sanctification.

Where things get a little trickier is in a section entitled “Move on to perfection,” where the opening sentence reads, “What role do we, as believers, play in all this?” (pg. 128).  After reviewing the words of Paul, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,” and quoting Hebrews 10:26-27, the following statements (with references) are made:

These exhortations make it evident that Christians “need more than a purely legal justification or sanctification.  They need holiness of character even though salvation is always by faith.  The title to heaven rests on the righteousness of Christ only.  In addition to justification, God’s plan of salvation provides through this title a fitness for heaven by the indwelling Christ.  This fitness must be revealed in man’s moral character as evidence that salvation ‘has happened.’” -Hans K. LaRondelle, Christ Our Salvation, pg. 77 (pg. 129)

To support this difficult quote, another statement is made that confounds the Reformation doctrine of justification by faith:

All believers who are living the Spirit-filled sanctified life (Christ-possessed) have a continuing need for daily justification (Christ-bestowed).  We need this because of conscious trangressions and because of errors we may commit unwittingly. (pg. 129)

The implication that the sinner requires continual justification is at odds with what the Bible says in describing justification as a one-time event (Rom. 3:21-28, Rom. 5:1, Rom. 8:30. Rom. 10:4, Gal. 2:16, Gal. 3:24).  Further weakening this assertion is the fact that a secondary source (LaRondelle) must be quoted to sustain it.  The historic teaching of Protestant Christianity–that we are declared righteous by receiving Christ’s imputed righteousness–is thus clouded by LaRondelle’s flawed conclusions.

Reading further, we find yet one more reference to LaRondelle:

The scriptural view that in one sense adoption and redemption—or salvation—have “already” been accomplished and that in another sense they have not yet been accomplished has confused some.  A study of the full scope of Christ’s work as Saviour provides the answer.  “Paul related our present salvation to the first coming of Christ.  In the historic cross, resurrection, and heavenly ministry of Christ our justification and sanctification are secured once and for all.  Our future salvation, the glorification of our bodies, Paul related, however to the second coming of Christ.”

“For this reason Paul can say simultatneously: ‘We are saved,’ in view of the cross and resurrection of Christ in the past; and ‘we are not yet saved,’ in view of the future return of Christ to redeem our bodies.” LaRondelle, pg. 89 (pg. 130)

The very next sentence reads: “To emphasize our present salvation to the exclusion of our future salvation creates an incorrect, unfortunate understanding of Christ’s complete salvation” (pg. 130).

A previously clear declaration of God’s salvation and justification by faith is now blurred considerably by mixing the meaning of the believer’s present “salvation” and future “glorification” (see Romans 8:15-17).  This mix-up leaves the reader questioning the security he thought he had in Christ by softening some of the greatest promises in Scripture which show that it is God who saves and sanctifies, being faithful to complete the work He began (Philippians 1:6, Romans 5:8-10, Romans 8:29-30, Ephesians 2:4-8, Titus 3:4-6, 1 Peter 1:2-3, Galatians 2:20-21).

Finally, the authors of this chapter conclude with a fortifying quote from Ellen White:

As long as life shall last, there is need of guarding the affections and the passions with a firm purpose.  There is inward corruption, there are outward temptations, and wherever the work of God shall be advanced, Satan plans so to arrange circumstances that temptation shall come with overpowering force upon the soul.  Not one moment can we be secure only as we are relying upon God, the life hid with Christ in God. -Ellen White, SDA Bible Commentary vol. 2, p. 1032 (pg. 130)

If the reader was not confused before, he is now, because his security has been replaced with trepidation about an overpowering force upon the soul he must contend with.  Instead of knowing the joy of being confident in Jesus’ promises, the reader may be led to believe he cannot possibly know whether he is saved and even if he is, whether his salvation will be at risk with each new attack the “overpowering force” of the devil brings.

Fortunately, the Bible clears up all this confusion in affirming that we can be confident and secure in our justification and in the promises of Jesus:

“If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:31-39 ESV)

Furthermore, we can sing confidently with the Psalmist “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1 ESV).