A recurring theme in Adventist teaching is the idea that a believer’s salvation can be lost.  A person can make a profession of faith in Jesus, persist in the Christian life for a time, but then “fall away” or “apostasize”.  While this idea is by no means limited to Adventism, many within the Adventist church take it one step further by linking Sabbath observance or regular attendance of an Adventist church with true Christian perseverance.  As the reasoning goes, if a person is initially baptized into the Adventist church but then ultimately chooses to leave, he has apostasized from “the truth” and will face eternal consequences for doing so.  By examining the historic teachings of the church, one might rightly conclude that a person who never came into contact with Adventism would be better off than one who walked away from its teachings, since the first person would not be held accountable for knowledge he never possessed while the second would be judged by it.

But what does the Bible say about the believer’s security in Christ?  Is the observance of a particular day of worship or membership in a particular denomination the deciding factor in salvation?  Can Christians who have been born again and who have placed their faith in Jesus have full assurance that they will be found “not guilty” on the day of judgment?  These are the issues we will explore in this series.  Setting the stage for the forthcoming articles, we will look at how some historic Adventist teachings have significantly undermined the confidence of Christian believers, effectively obscuring or destroying the precious promises of Scripture.  Please read on for the entire article.

How can a person who has never come into contact with Adventism be better off than one who has, but has walked away from it?  One need not look further than the teachings of Ellen White on this matter.  In describing a scene from one of her visions, Mrs. White brought the issue of Sabbath observance into sharp focus as the dividing line between Christians who will be saved and those who will be lost:

“Then I was shown a company who were howling in agony. On their garments was written in large characters, ‘Thou art weighed in the balance, and found wanting.’ I asked who this company were. The angel said, ‘These are they who have once kept the Sabbath and have given it up.’ I heard them cry with a loud voice, ‘We have believed in Thy coming, and taught it with energy.’ And while they were speaking, their eyes would fall upon their garments and see the writing, and then they would wail aloud. I saw they had drunk of the deep waters, and fouled the residue with their feet – trodden the Sabbath underfoot – and that was why they were weighed in the balance and found wanting” (Early Writings, pg. 37).

In The Great Controversy, she further explains, “The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty, for it is the point of truth especially controverted. When the final test shall be brought to bear upon men, then the line of distinction will be drawn between those who serve God and those who serve Him not. While the observance of the false Sabbath in compliance with the law of the state, contrary to the fourth commandment, will be an avowal of allegiance to a power that is in opposition to God, the keeping of the true Sabbath, in obedience to God’s law, is an evidence of loyalty to the Creator. While one class, by accepting the sign of submission to earthly powers, receive the mark of the beast, the other choosing the token of allegiance to divine authority, receive the seal of God” (The Great Controversy, pg. 605).

These words leave no middle ground.  Either one hears and accepts the Sabbath truth, or they do not.  Those who do not will, according to Mrs. White, meet a terrible fate in hell, spending the rest of their existence “howling in agony”.

It is no wonder that those who come face to face with Adventist teaching on the Sabbath and who take these quotes from Ellen White seriously have difficulty believing that anyone outside of Adventism can be saved, particularly those who have left the church.

But more specific to the idea of security in Christ, what does Ellen White say to Adventists who are keeping the Sabbath faithfully?  Since these individuals have successfully passed the first test of true faith by carefully guarding the seventh day, aren’t their chances of salvation more secure and shouldn’t they have confidence in it?

Judging by Ellen White’s counsel in Christ Object Lessons, apparently not.  “Those who accept the Saviour, however sincere their conversion, should never be taught to say or to feel that they are saved. This is misleading. Every one should be taught to cherish hope and faith; but even when we give ourselves to Christ and know that He accepts us, we are not beyond the reach of temptation” (Christ Object Lessons, pg. 155).

This lack of confidence in the promises of God, particularly in the face of the judgment stems directly from the old doctrine of the investigative judgment, described by Ellen White in these searing terms:

“Great and small, high and low, rich and poor, are to be judged ‘out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.’ Day after day, passing into eternity, bears its burden of records for the books of Heaven. Words once spoken, deeds once done, can never be recalled. Angels of God have registered both the good and the evil. The mightiest conqueror upon the earth cannot call back the record of even a single day. Our acts, our words, even our most secret motives, all have their weight in deciding our destiny for weal or woe. Though they may be forgotten by us, they will bear their testimony to justify or condemn. They go before us to the Judgment. The use made of every talent will be scrutinized. Have we improved the capital intrusted us of God? Will the Lord at his coming receive his own with usury? No value is attached to the mere profession of faith in Christ; nothing is counted as genuine but that love which is shown by works” (Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, pg. 311).

In the official book on Adventist doctrine, Seventh-day Adventists Believe..., the insecurity of the professed Christ-follower is further reinforced, again by quoting 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, pg. 1032, quoted in Seventh-day Adventists Believe..., pg. 130)

Certainly Christians must be mindful of living in a way that is consistent with their inward profession of faith.  But with such a fearful picture as painted by the above quotes, it is a wonder that any amount of time can be spent in contemplation of anything other than the believer’s precarious eternal destiny.  One false move, one mental lapse or a weakening of the grip on God and all is eternally lost.

Perhaps this is what was on the current General Conference president Jan Paulsen’s mind when he publicly asserted, “[W]e believe that being Seventh-day Adventists has direct bearing on our salvation; that while a believer can be saved as a Catholic, I would risk my whole spiritual life and salvation were I to leave what I am now and join any other community”.

In summary, we’ve seen that the concept of being secure in Christ is incompatible with the teachings of early Adventists–particularly when it comes to Sabbath observance and the investigative judgment–and leaving Adventism for any other denomination is equivalent to risking one’s eternal destiny.  In our next installment, we’ll turn our attention away from Adventist doctrine and toward the Bible as we further explore whether believers can have confidence in the promises of God and in their eternal status with Him.

Thanks Greg,

It seems that to really profess belief in Ellen White, and to take her seriously, one would have to believe what she wrote on this topic.

It is clearly a works salvation, and this theology falls under the strong condemnation of Paul in Galatians 1:8,9.

The more I read and review what the church of my youth really taught and still teaches, I become more convinced that Adventism in its historical sense is another gospel. This begs the question I brought up on another thread last night “Lesser Light” ‘Where did Ellen get her visions from?’ I am bothered more and more by this question.

The New Testament in no place ever commands any Christian to keep the Sabbath, and it is kind of strange, that suddenly 1800 years after the canon of scripture is closed, that all of a sudden God is making the Sabbath as a final test of loyalty. It just does not add up.

Stan

Stan,

I’ve been struggling with the same things myself, lately.  With quotes that Greg posted like this...:

“Great and small, high and low, rich and poor, are to be judged ‘out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.’ Day after day, passing into eternity, bears its burden of records for the books of Heaven. Words once spoken, deeds once done, can never be recalled. Angels of God have registered both the good and the evil. The mightiest conqueror upon the earth cannot call back the record of even a single day. Our acts, our words, even our most secret motives, all have their weight in deciding our destiny for weal or woe. Though they may be forgotten by us, they will bear their testimony to justify or condemn. They go before us to the Judgment. The use made of every talent will be scrutinized. Have we improved the capital intrusted us of God? Will the Lord at his coming receive his own with usury? No value is attached to the mere profession of faith in Christ; nothing is counted as genuine but that love which is shown by works” (Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, pg. 311).

...I have a hard time seeing this as anything other than a justification by works teaching and thus another gospel.  It’s clearly a judgment of believers by their works for salvation which has been denied on other forums but I just don’t see any other way around it.  I’m also pretty sure that Ellen White wrote somewhere that you must believe in the doctrine in order to pass it but I don’t recall where.

Greg,

Great article.  I’m looking forward to the rest of the series!  Before a couple of years ago I would have scoffed at this notion of eternal security but now it seems so clear and is what gets me out of bed in the morning...at least on some days.

Greg,

Thank-you for this introduction, and I look forward to the rest of the series.

As I read the Ellen White quotes that you noted, I was struck by the fact that although many in adventism say things have changed, or are changing, they really are not.

Even the Adventists that I know continue to have a dificult time truly believing they are saved, largely because of the myriad of EGW quotes like these ones.

I have pointed out several verses in Scripture that give assurance, but there remains an uneasiness and almost guilt when they try and accept Scripture at its word.

It all boils down to the fact that to be a part of the “remnant church”, you acknowledge that Ellen White is “a continuing and authoritative SOURCE of truth”.

Most often when there are contradictions between what she says, and what Scripture says, invariabily she is consideredathoritative and trumps Scripture. This includes everything from diet, to days of worship, to security of salvation. If this was not the case.....she would have been dismissed as teaching ANOTHER GOSPEL long ago. There are just to many contradictions for it to be otherwise.

As you so aptly noted with your quote from Jan Paulsen, there is no change in the fundamental Adventist belief, that being Adventist plays a role in one’s salvation. This is scare tactic theology to the nth degree. I find it incredible that the only people who have challenged him on this are the formers, who just could not stomach such theological arrogance. I understand he has a multi-billion dollar enterprise hinging on the faithful believing it, but he provides absolutely no Scriptural support for such a statement. I still find that whole article that he wrote to be the epitomy of arrogance, and just a continuation of the face-saving that has gone on since the Investigative Judgment was formulated in 1844.

Until the Adventist Church can admit to theological error regarding the IJ doctrine, and the problems regarding the legitimacy of Ellen White as a SOURCE of truth, there will never be the chance for open and honest discussion on the true meaning of the Gospel as it pertains to our salvation.

The Bible is quite clear on what the requirements of salvation are, and they certainly have nothing to do with being a member of the Adventist Church, or believing in the Investigative Judgment, or Ellen White’s prophetic gift(?).

I am looking forward to your next installment Greg

[quote author="Greg"]Judging by Ellen White’s counsel in Christ Object Lessons, apparently not.

“Those who accept the Saviour, however sincere their conversion, should never be taught to say or to feel that they are saved. This is misleading. Every one should be taught to cherish hope and faith; but even when we give ourselves to Christ and know that He accepts us, we are not beyond the reach of temptation” (Christ Object Lessons, pg. 155).

Two books I picked up at the ABC recently address this topic broadly, and this EGW quote particularly. I hope to come back with a post later on revealing the responses to this dilemma.

I was just reading John 17 in my morning devotionals today, and there is even more evidence for the absolute security of the believer. This is a prayer that Jesus prayed to His Father on behalf of all who would come to faith in Christ.

John 17:1,2:

1When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.”

This compares to John 6:37-39 quite well:

37"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.”

So in John 17 Jesus is praying to the Father regarding the same topic of the keeping of His elect.

John 17:11:

“I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”

Again Jesus is praying for the keeping.

Then again in John 17:24 we read:

24"Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”

Paul re-affirms what Jesus was saying here in Ephesians 1:3ff:

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9making known[c] to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”

Thanks everyone for your comments.

I was particularly troubled by Ellen White’s vision regarding those souls who would be found in hell with giant letters written on their garments about how they had been weighed in the balance and found “wanting” because they once accepted the Sabbath but had later “trodden” upon it.  The content of this vision tells us Ellen White was convinced that the final destiny of sinners rested not on whether their faith was in Jesus, but in whether or not they embraced the Sabbath.  Perhaps this is not precisely the point–perhaps she believed that only those who accepted the Sabbath were the ones who really had true faith in Jesus.

As Randy said, the Adventist Fundamental Beliefs endorse Ellen White as a “continuing and authoritative source of truth”.  Some will say that not every word she wrote is authoritative, restricting her authority to clear-cut “I was shown” references or anything related to a vision.  In the passage quoted above, Ellen White does not merely offer an opinion or her studied belief, she records a vision that she claims came directly from God.  Knowing this, we must ask ourselves whether the content of this vision is supported by the Bible.  My conclusion is that it is not.

The function of prophets is to point people to Christ–the Law and the Prophets testify about Him (Luke 24:27, Luke 24:44, John 1:45, John 5:39-40, Acts 28:23).  Must we now accept a new prophecy that creates a new requirement for heaven (Sabbath-keeping) finding no support in the prophecies of the Old Testament prophets or in the teachings of the apostles?

I wonder how Graeme Bradford would explain this.

What do others think?

Greg

Here is an excellent sermon by Charles Spurgeon at this link, and there are some interesting comments that follow:

http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2007/04/relishing-in-believers-security-in.html#links

Spurgeon’s text for this sermon was John 10:27-30 and here is a short excerpt:

“They are safe ...by outer injuries being prevented. “Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” Many will pluck at them, but none shall pluck them away. The devil will give many a horrible pluck and pull, to get them away; but out of the great Shepherd’s hand he shall never take them. Their old companions, and the memory of their old sins will come, and pluck at them very hard, and very cunningly; but the Savior says, “None shall pluck them out of my hand.” So, first, here is their security: they are in his hand; that is, in his possession, and he grasps them, as a man holds a thing in his hand, and says, “It is mine.” Neither shall any take them away from being under his protection. Never shall they be plucked away from Christ. When he says this, he pledges his honor to preserve them, for if it could be that one were plucked out of his hand, then would the devils in hell rejoice, and say, “He could not keep them. He said that he would, but he could not. We have managed to pluck this one, or that one, out of the pierced hand of their Redeemer.” But such a horrible exultation shall never be heard throughout the ages of eternity. “They shall never perish; neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.”

Some one wickedly said, “They may get out of his hand themselves.” But how can this be true, when the first sentence is, “They shall never perish”? Treat Scripture honestly and candidly, and you will admit that the promise “they shall never perish” shuts out the idea of perishing by going out of the Lord’s hand by their own act and deed. “They shall never perish; neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.” Who is to loosen the clasp of that hand which was pierced with the nail for me? My Lord Jesus bought me too dearly ever to let me go. He loves me so well that his whole omnipotence will work with that hand, and unless there is something greater than Godhead, I cannot be plucked away from that dear, fastholding grip.

Amen!
---------------------------------------------------------

This seems like irrefutable logic. For those on here who believe that you can lose your salvation, is there anything in the text of John 10:27-30 that would give you a loophole around the text? Does Spurgeon’s logic make sense to you?

Stan

Stan, thank you for posting this.  I am always amazed by Spurgeon’s eloquence and logic.

Something he said bears repeating: Treat Scripture honestly and candidly, and you will admit that the promise “they shall never perish” shuts out the idea of perishing by going out of the Lord’s hand by their own act and deed.

Treating the Scriptures “honestly and candidly” is is perhaps the hardest thing for Christians to do, particularly when there are so many voices and ideas competing for our attention.

Greg

I love this statement from Spurgeon:

“Who is to loosen the clasp of that hand which was pierced with the nail for me? My Lord Jesus bought me too dearly ever to let me go. He loves me so well that his whole omnipotence will work with that hand, and unless there is something greater than Godhead, I cannot be plucked away from that dear, fastholding grip.”
-------------------------------------------------------

Our salvation in Christ is just as secure as Christ’s position in the Godhead. In John 10, Jesus affirms that He and the Father are united as one, and no one can pluck us out of these hands. Any idea of an Investigative Judgment where you can lose your salvation due to one unconfessed sin is entirely foreign to the gospel, and in fact, according to the words of Jesus Himself, Adventism and the IJ stands judged by the gospel as being found to be on a false foundation. The gospel is too important to mince words on this issue.

Stan

Posted anonymously by: Barbara

I am not a believer in Ellen White but I think there are those in Adventism who are changing in their view towards her.  I am, frankly, surprised that the church still prints the book “Early Writings” and continues to promote it in their sale papers.  I think it, along with “Great Controversy,” is some of her most damaging material.  Many people point to other statements in her works about the grace of God.  Scholars like Alden Thompson (this is according to a niece of mine who attended one of his classes) are promoting the idea that she changed her style of writing at one point and became more grace oriented.  They say she struggled with her salvation, never thinking she could have it.  When she understood the concept of grace, her writings changed.

Anyway, it’s not hard to find damaging quotes from her and if she truly was a prophet, all her writings should square with scripture.  I, myself, still being in Adventism and in an aging church, still find it hard to hear, “We are told...” Scripture often is not quoted.  She is put above the Bible.  The idea promoted is that we have a corner on the truth.  I think this is reflected in the above article by Jan Paulsen.

Hi Barbara,

The church has indeed taken steps in the past to change certain passages or phrases of Ellen White.  One that comes to mind is the “Shut Door Vision” where she was shown by God that the way of salvation was closed to those who did not believe in the 1844 message.  As I recall, the church actively tried to suppress this publication, but D.M. Canright and others called them on it.  His research can be found here and there’s an overview of the whole thing here.

Many years later when Ellen White was asked about the shut door doctrine, she said, “For a time after the disappointment in 1844, I did hold, in common with the advent body, that the door of mercy was then forever closed to the world. This position was taken before my first vision was given me. It was the light given me of God that corrected our error, and enabled us to see the true position.” Notice how she downplays her role in establishing the doctrine here, asserting that she was just going with the flow and it all happened before her first vision.  But the original account written in her own hand makes it clear that she claimed God showed her the door was shut in vision!  A retired photographer for the Adventist church, Skip Baker, ran across a document written by Ellen White where she recounts this vision, and his story about the experience is well worth reading.

You mentioned Early Writings. I don’t know if you knew this or not, but the book has apparently already undergone revision (see here).

As we get further and further away from 1844, the writings and predictions of Ellen White are going to begin to show their age (and error) even more.

Greg

Posted anonymously by: Barbara

I just came across this webpage and as a former Adventist, I found it very interesting. I finally have a relationship with God and I have this through another denomination that does not observe Saturday as the sabbath. You know what? I am saved by Christ’s death on calvary and I am a child of God and that is not dependent on what day I observe but on my relationship with my Heavenly Father. I thank Him everyday that I am not bound by religiousity. I thank Him for the freedom I find in His love. I know my Father in a way I was never to access as an Adventist. I am glad that I am no longer worry about whether I am right with God. Gone are the nights laying awake wondering if I might have forgotten to confess a sin and might die in my sleep and go to hell!

Barbara,

Welcome to 4TG (For the Gospel) and thank you for sharing your thoughts with us!  As you said so well, salvation is not, has not, and will never be about a day, but about a Person–our Lord Jesus Christ.

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

“He who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it.” (Philippians 1:6)

There is no amount of man-made guilt that Adventism or any religion can produce to overturn God’s promises, if only we will have the eyes to see them and the faith to believe.

John Wesley penned these words shortly after his conversion, and it is so appropriate to repeat them here considering what you’ve shared with us:

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
my chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
and clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
and claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Barbara, thanks for joining us and I pray that God will use you to reach others for Christ and his gospel.

Greg