The Doctrine of the Seventh-day Adventists

hi my name is Tim Martin I am with the Centers for apologetics research and today we're talking about kind of a tricky subject well almost any group that I would talk to you about I feel like I need to start with saying now this group is really different from any other well yeah all of them are different and unique in their own ways however with the seventh-day adventists the way they're kind of different in the challenges that we have with them is that I think of any group that I might cover they are probably more widely accepted by evangelicals than probably pretty much any other group that I'll ever talk about a lot of you probably have come here with your preconceived ideas of who they are or what they believe and a lot of times I'll hear from folks that no I don't think the seventh-day adventists they're not that far off just because they go to church on Saturday instead of Sunday well I've got to agree if that was the only issue I wouldn't be up here talking about him I wouldn't have spend the last several days immersed in this PowerPoint trying to get all my slides right if the only thing was that they went to church on Saturday there's other groups to go to church on Saturday look at this quotation I'll tell you about this the book that I'm quoting us from here and then just a little bit but look at this statement the futility of salvation by works God's Ministry of reconciliation reveals the futility of human endeavors to obtain salvation through works of the law gratitude of those who have experienced forgiveness makes obedience a joy works then are not the ground of salvation but it's fruit egde I hope you don't see any problems with that statement that sounds gospel to me see they can make statements like that and be true to their doctrine and I mean if somebody told you this is what they believed wouldn't you say a will amen welcomed into the family brother because they can make statements like that but you're going to see some statements that you're going to scratch your head and wonder how can they make this statement along with some of these other things that we're going to look at so keep in mind just because somebody can articulate something so beautiful as this still doesn't mean that there's not something else going on underneath and let's look at some of this so our first subject always when looking at a group is well where does their authority come from what is the main thing that they look to to tell them what truth is and for the Seventh day Adventists or first of all let me tell you about the book that I'm quoting here this is a seventh-day Adventist belief believe which is a book published by them this book here is copyrighted the second edition in 2005 by the Ministerial Association of the General Conference of the seventh-day Adventist Church so it's not just written by some theologian putting his own ideas on here this is a book published by their organization that are explaining what they call their twenty-eight fundamentals of belief kind of like we have a doctrinal statement here at this church I don't know how many numbers there are how many we have but they have twenty-eight fundamentals of belief in the seventh-day Adventist Church and this book is published to give explanation to each one of those fundamentals of belief but this is an exposition of the fundamental beliefs of the seventh-day Adventist Church so hopefully if we if we wanted to study what does the organization teach not just as what does it this professor teach or what does this individual down the street say but the organization as a whole that should be the important thing to us for me as I understand seventh-day adventists doctrine is we're going to look at it if a person were to read it if they bypass certain parts of it they might understand the gospel but if you understand their teachings as a whole I think the Gospels is definitely a problem here so under the issue of authority it says one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is prophecy this gift is an identifying mark of the remnant Church and was manifested in the ministry of L&G white now another different thing about seventh-day Adventism they don't have like Mormons where Joseph Smith stands up and I'm going to start this church and he's looked at as the founder or were other groups like this when they started Ellen White was was one main character and we'll see some other characters here in a little bit but she was one of the main characters but she was different from all the rest because she had this thing called the spirit of prophecy as the Lord's messengers her writings are a continuing an authoritative source of truth which provide for the church comfort guidance instruction and correction the things that should jump out at us is this thing here the underlying continuing an authoritative source for truth it's not commentary it's not just a helpful little devotional material continuing an authoritative source of truth I encourage Christians to get commentaries when you read the Bible and do your devotions or quiet times or whatever you you call them use use devotional material like commentaries to help I mean these these theologians that we've have that studied the Bible all their lives in you know deep scholarly ways can really reveal things to us that we just miss that are in the scriptures I encourage that but that's not what they're saying of her when you're saying continuing an authoritative source of truth now you're gone up to another level this is now more than just that it's from God is what she is telling us and that's how it functions in the lives of the seventh-day adventists now she doesn't use a term prophet she never did what she she uses the term she liked the term the Lord's messenger and that's what they'll refer to her as perhaps she has the gift of prophecy she is the Lord's messenger now in our minds that kind of dumps it down a bit okay she's not claiming to be a prophet she's the Lord's messenger doesn't that sound better to say Lord's messenger than prophet but what is the Lord's messenger mean to her is the question and by the way the the last paragraph is important to throw in here they also make clear that the Bible is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested well they throw in that there and that makes us feel a little bit better okay the Bible is important but still if Ellen White has given her continuing and authoritative instruction on a passage guess what you're gonna believe what you think the passage says or what Ellen White told you the two seventh-day Adventists disagree about a passage and they're arguing about it the seventh-day Adventists who can find and a quote by Ellen White on what that passage really means is the one who wins the case is settled it's done the Lord's messenger has spoken and what is a Lord's messenger the gift of prophecy was active in the Ministry of Ellen White one of the founders of the seventh-day Adventist Church he has given inspired instruction for God's people living during the time of the end again we have our inspired instruction so the things that she's writing shouldn't be regarded as just simply writing imagine us thinking of the letters of the Apostle Paul as well that's just his writing given his opinion no it's inspired from God to instruct people the letters of the Apostle Paul that that we have and that's how these things would function in lives the seventh-day Adventists it's inspired instruction why have I not claimed to be a prophet these are her words because in these days many who boldly claim that they are prophets are a reproach to the cause of Christ because my work includes much more than the words of a prophet signifies to claim to be a prophetess is something that I have never done see so she's the Lord's messenger does that means that she's claiming a lesser title than a prophet no cuz to her the term the messenger is lofty or it's higher and it's almost like she's given a false humility oh you know I don't claim to be a prophetess no because I do much more than that now for us as Christians we look at the Scriptures some things for us to to point out and to remember like Deuteronomy 13 one through three here says if a prophet or a dreamer of dream or rises among you and gives you sign or a wonder and the sign or a wonder comes true concerning what she spoke saying let us go after other gods whom you have not known and let us serve them you shall not listen to the words of that prophet so so if somebody comes up and says I'm some kind of prophet or a Lord's mess and tries to give science and wonders even if those things happen there's so many people today evangelicals not running after seventh-day Adventism but we have the mindset of well this person gave this prophecy or this prediction or impression or whatever they want to call it and it came true I saw healing there for what they're telling me is true just because they can do a miracle doesn't mean they are speaking with the mouthpiece of God many false prophets are supposed to raise up in the last days according to Christ and the Apostles that are trying to deceive just because they can do that the idea is we need to look and see what are they teaching let us follow after other gods now they never really make it that easy though you know you don't get like the Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons knocking on your door and say hi we're of the local cult and we're wondering if you would like to come join you know we are teaching doctrines for the commandments of men and we were wondering if you'd like to come and see what we're doing on Sunday morning you know they don't make it that easy so Deuteronomy 13 excellent as a test for truth however we need to remember they don't make it as easy as just coming up to you and say and let's go after other gods listen through this and see is she asking us to believe in a different God or a different gospel what is it and another thing acts 17 verse 11 this is after Paul had been teaching people in Berea it says now these were more noble minded than those in Thessalonica for they received the word with great eagerness examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so examining the scriptures daily they didn't just say well Paul said it that settles the question it was Paul said it let's go and look and see if this is really what's going on and that's what we need to do as Christians all the time not just say well Ellen White said it or pastor Tony said it or whoever what does the scriptures say we need to use our own minds in our own heart and go to the Lord to find out is this the truth so the first topic I want to talk to you about is the something called the investigative judgment we mentioned it just slightly the other day I wanted to wait till we got the seventh-day adventists to really explore what this doctrine is and this is the doctrine that people don't really know and understand about if they did they wouldn't be so quick to say huh who cares if they worship God on Saturday they're still Christians let's get into this doctrine and see what it's about first of all let me give you the background of where this comes from and you've heard some of this there's this guy named William Miller who's a Baptist back in the early 1800s and he was reading his Bible and putting together a lot of different verses but one key verse is this one here Daniel 8:14 in the new American Standard says and he said in the main four 2300 evenings and morning's than the holy place will be properly restored or the sanctuary would be cleansed the way I think other versions say he takes this as a prophecy that in 2300 years from the decree of rebuilding Jerusalem from 2300 years from there the holy place would probably be restored meaning Jesus would be coming back so he puts this all together and he develops this timeline between March 21st 1843 and 1844 Christ would be coming back based on Daniel 8:14 in and other passages he puts us together and thousands of people jump into what I call Miller stream they agree with him they think he's great what he's teaching is wonderful and they start following what he's teaching well March 21st 1844 comes and goes nothing happens and people are disappointed Miller is still staying strong though even even a week afterwards he's still thinking that the end is coming the end it's coming close well after this in in August this guy here Samuel snow gives another prediction he says the dates October 22nd 1844 that's going to be the real date when that date happens that comes then Christ is coming back and we know for sure this is gonna happen he announces the state everybody jumps on board okay we have the new date October 22nd comes and goes and nothing Bunz they call this date the great disappointment which you can imagine people are weeping and wailing and falling apart the great disappointment Christ did not come back imagine yourself expecting Christ to come back you would quit your job you would do well what would think what would you do if you thought Christ was coming back in the next week or the next month probably wouldn't be doing laundry right you'd probably quit your job I mean who wants me doing laundry right before Christ comes back you know man I wasted that day or whatever the great disappointment nothing happened now from here as I've shown you before on our talk about Miller ISM there's an explosion of people going off in many different directions we get strains of people who should not that end up being the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Worldwide Church of God with Herbert W Armstrong Church of God of the Abrahamic faith many different groups blow up from here because they're trying a lot of these groups are trying to find what is the real date but some groups did something different what they did is they said the date was right but what we were expecting was wrong and seventh-day Adventist Church is one of them and this is how they did it guy named Hiram Edson after the great disappointment he's walking through his field just utterly shaken up and disappointed that nothing happened and then he has a vision in his vision he sees Christ came into this different places different compartment in heaven to start a new work and that's what happened on October 22nd was Christ started some kind of new work in heaven so they were right on the date but they were wrong on what was supposed to happen according to this vision that he had well he he starts to write about his vision and what he saw this guy here Joseph Bates this is another key founder of the seventh-day Adventist Church in 1847 he starts to to read of Edson's visions and he said this is great this is like the best of anything I've ever seen to explain what happened so he takes this to one of his ministry associates Ellen White Ellen White reads this and she has a vision that endorses Edson's vision and now this becomes one of the hallmarks of seventh-day adventists doctrine the investigative judgment is one of the most distinct beliefs that they have compared to any other groups the investigative judgment so that's the background of where the doctrine came from but what is the doctor what is the investigative judgment so we know from Edison's vision Christ went into this different place in heaven and started something new how is this doctrine developed and what did they believe what about it now they say there is a sanctuary in heaven the true tabernacle which the Lord set up and not man in it Christ ministers on our behalf making available to believers the benefits of his atoning sacrifice offered once for all on the cross he was inaugurated as our great High Priest and begin as a necessery ministry at this time of his ascension so he dies here on earth he begins his after he is sentenced to heaven now he's beginning his intercessory ministry for us that's what happened at this point but now in 1844 they're pointing back to the great disappointment in 1844 at the end of the prophetic period of 2300 days he entered the second and last phase of his atoning ministry it is a work of investigative judgment which is part of the ultimate disposition of all sin typify by the cleansing of the ancient Hebrew sanctuary on the day of atonement no important thing to point out here is it says the last phase of his atoning ministry so in 1844 he enters into this inner sanctuary in heaven and begins the last phase of his atoning ministry now what does that mean for us if he's still working through the atonement the atonements not complete the intones not complete there's no guarantee a forgiveness there's no guarantee of salvation there's no guarantee of where you're going to be after this life because he's still working through the last phase of this atoning ministry and what's he going to do he's his part his work is a out the ultimate disposition of all sin it's not taking care of solely on the cross something else has to be done in this inner sanctuary in heaven and that's what he's working on continuing on with this well first of all III divide this up to help us think through what they're saying this investigative judgment that he's doing accomplishes two things for us or for God or for you'll see for who in a minute the investigative judgment reveals two heavenly intelligences which let me explain right there those are angels okay investigative judgment reveals two angels who among the dead or asleep in Christ and therefore in him are deemed worthy to have part in this first resurrection so the investigative judgment helps angels understand who's going to be resurrected okay good for the angels they can know now and the next part it also makes manifest who among the living are abiding in Christ keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus and in him therefore are ready for translation into the everlasting Kingdom so the first thing it does for us is it helps the angels know who's going to be resurrected and the second thing it helps the angels know who among the living are worthy also and we might think in terms of rapture or whatever translated the words that they use there so this is going to help those angels know isn't that nice the angels get have a way to know why is this needed why why do we need the investigative judgment so the angels can figure this out well you get this for an answer this judgment vindicates the Justice of God in saving those who believe in Jesus it declares that those who have remained loyal to God shall read those who have remained loyal to God shall receive the kingdom question does God's justice need to be vindicated especially to the Angels it just doesn't even make sense why someone would want to believe that the so if he didn't do the investigative judgment than what the Angels throughout Eternia would be going saying I don't know if that guy really should be here I was just I just I just you know I saw his life man so no he's not we don't need the Justice of God to be vindicated last part here the completion of this ministry of Christ will mark the close of human probation before the second advent so when Jesus is finished with the investigative judgment it's over jesus is coming pack your bags kind of thing you need to be ready to go you don't know when the investigative judgment is going to be over I mean he's going to be investigating the lives of everybody who's ever lived and also the lives of everybody who were living you don't know if your name's already been covered yet he might have already gone through your life it might be too late we are on probation well I'm only going to be quoting from two different sources during the talk on seventh-day adventists oh we the first one their 27th or 28th fundamentals of belief being expounded upon in this one here the great controversy this was written by Ellen White it's one of the most their most popular and esteemed books basically because it teaches the core of seventh-day Adventism if you were to get this book and read it and be convinced of it there would be no reason for you not to join because it has all of their core beliefs and teachings in it Ellen White here says all who have truly repented of sin and by faith claim the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice have had pardon entered against their names in their books of heaven now right there again here's the statement that we can say as we understand these terms yeah all who have truly repented of sins by faith claim the blood of Christ we've had our names written in the books of heaven that's good news right but then the following paragraph after the semicolon here as they have been become partakers of the righteousness of Christ and our characters are found in harmony with the law of God their sins will be blotted out and they themselves will be counted worthy of eternal life so you're not counted worthy of an eternal life until your sins are blotted out and your sins are not blotted out until Jesus does this investigative judgment to see if your life is in a court with the law of God so 78 Venice can say yeah we're Christians you're Christians were all Christians our names are written in in the book of life in heaven and the inner sanctuary that sounds Christian how can the eye can you get away from that until you read the rest of the story of what they're saying it's not back to their explanation of their fundamental truths it says human beings fall into three one of three classes number one would be the wicked who reject God's Authority so those would be those are just absolutely not I don't believe in Jesus they reject God number two genuine believers who trusting in the merits of Christ through faith live in obedience to God's law and this third group would be those who appear to be genuine believers but or not the purpose of the investigative judgment then is to see what group you're in now if your name is written in the inner sanctuary in heaven you know you're not part of number one so our names according to seventh-day adventists belief our names would be written there but any atheist would know not be there the Muslim no it wouldn't be there but for the people who claim the name of Christ and believe in Jesus our name is written there so the purpose of the investigative judgment now is to decide are we number two are we number three which part do we fall into Ellen White said the intercession of Christ and man's behalf in the sanctuary above is as a seneschal to the plan of salvation as was his death on the upon the cross by his death he began that work which after his resurrection he ascended to complete in heaven his work is not complete lastly here the subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God all need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of the great High Priest otherwise it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time to or to occupy the position which God designs them to fill see now not only is it essential that Jesus do this work of investigative judgment it's essential for you to even know about it and believe it and have faith in this work in order for you to be saved so I don't know where you were at the beginning of this class Orthodox not I hope the pendulum has tipped just by reading this much of it and we haven't even gotten into all of it yet so the work of Christ is not finished in your life well it actually might be that he might have gone through your name already so what does Jesus investigate is the question he's there in the inner sanctuary of heaven he is looking at in the books he's looking at every person's name and everything about them what is he looking for to know whether we've made it or not well the first thing that we're gonna look at is baptism at the end of his ministry Christ commanded his disciples and we know this verse very well right the Great Commission go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you whoa that's the Great Commission no no think about what the Great Commission is telling us this is what we're gonna look and see how they define what this means okay I've got the Great Commission in his in this commission Christ made it clear that he required baptism of those who wish to become part of his church his spiritual kingdom is that what we just read no it would command it to baptize but he didn't say anything that this is what makes somebody become part of the church the spiritual Kingdom as a sign of a person's regeneration or new birth well actually let me step back there's a lot of words on here and so let me highlight with the blue boxes here this is talking about the blue boxes are talking about us this is what we have as the sign of a person's regeneration or new birth in other words we as non seventh-day adventists we can be regenerated by our faith in Christ we can have new birth since it unites the new livre see we are believers in Christ's they'll acknowledge that it arena unites a new believer to Christ it always functions as the door to the church through baptism the Lord adds the new disciples to the body believers his body the church then they are members of God's family so this statement here can tell us we can be regenerated we have new birth we are new believers we are needed new disciples that's the positive side of what it says about us who have faith in Christ but if we don't have our baptism it makes this statement we are not part of Christ give spiritual Kingdom we are not united to Christ we're not added to the body of believers and we are not you know you you're regenerated but you're not in the spiritual Kingdom you're a new disciple but you're not a member of God's family back and forth and back and forth it's like juggling here of what they're saying about us sometimes the discernment looking through passage like this it can get pretty muddy like what are they really trying to say I think they're really espousing a false gospel there's enough truth in some statements isolated that I think a person could read and understand the gospel but there's enough statements like this that I think blur it so much that I have to say according to seventh-day adventists teaching from their organization I don't think the gospel is present as far as baptism goes I love this the Apostle Paul 1st Corinthians 1:17 says for Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel my friends if baptism was required for your salvation Paul would have been preaching baptism and baptizing people I had a friend quite a while ago who used to be part of a oneness Pentecostal Church who they also believed you had to be baptized in order to be saved and he said Tim this is the verse that did it for me I just couldn't get around this verse the baptism is the gospel how what is Paul talking about Paul didn't baptize people because that isn't the gospel it's important it's something we should do but it's not the gospel it's very different so what what does Jesus investigate number one we looked at baptism number two Sabbath observance Jew keep the Lord's Sabbath and when we talk about Sabbath for them we're talking about the historic Sabbath the seventh day Sabbath so sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday that is the Sabbath that they're talking about that's the Jews still keep it according to that route and that is what the Seventh day Adventists do so going to church on Sunday you can't go to church on Sunday and say well yes I observe the Sabbath I went to church on Sunday no oh no no no don't tell them that that's not the Sabbath the Lord Sabbath is on Saturday just as the downtrodden Sabbath was to be restored in Israel so in modern times the divine institution of the Sabbath is to be restored and the breach in the wall of God's law repaired say in the end times God is gonna restore worship the way he meant it to be done worship on God's seventh day Sabbath none of the sunday stuff that the Catholic Church or whoever kind of messed with and you know yeah okay well there's some valid criticisms when give to the Catholics but man that's not their fault that we go to church on Sunday it's not a fall at all it's not a problem we can go to church on Sunday but to them seventh-day Adventists now it's got to be Saturday and God's work in this end time is to restore proper worship on the Sabbath it is the proclamation of the message of Revelation 14 6 through 12 in connection with the everlasting gospel that accomplishes this work of restoring and magnifying the law there Millerites right so they're always looking at the end times talking about the end times and what is supposed to happen at the end time restoring and magnifying the law at the end times that's what's supposed to happen not magnifying Jesus it's magnifying the law don't be a Jesus follower necessarily well you have to do that as part of the law but still restoring the magnifying the la is a work that will happen at the end time and shows us where near the end next paragraph and it is the proclaiming of this message that is the mission of God's church at the time of the second Advent so did you know that it's the mission of God's church restoring and magnifying the law well kashu who's doing that out there today well seventh-day Adventist would say they're the ones doing it I'd say is it important to keep God's law this is one of their opening sales pitches do you believe it's important to obey and God to do what he tells us to and Christians who wouldn't say yes let's do it I was teaching a class on cult at Lancaster Bible College and I have a friend here in the area who was a former seventh-day Adventist pastor and he said now a pastor of a church of a brethren or something like that and Greg comes into the class I invite him in and the students have no idea who this guy is and they know this is Tim's class on cults they have no idea who this guy is and what he's going to say to him I just introduced him as this is my friend Greg I'm not going to tell you where he's from he'll probably fill you in in a little bit but he has some things he'd like it is like you'd like to say to you so I go and I sit down at my desk and just sit back and have fun Greg looks at everybody and opens with do you all believe that it's important to keep God's commandments the students freeze in their class the look of terror and they all look at me like how do we answer because they know a trap is coming because you don't want to say no oh who cares about keeping God's commands but they know once they say yes they're gonna be in the trap and that's the seventh-day adventists rap to say oh yes yes we need to keep God's law well how about the fourth commandment I think Christians we need to be aware of the fourth commandment and what does that mean and how do we support it if you know somebody who's a seventh-day adventists and you might end up talking with them know for yourself I've taught a class on the Sabbath and and help me understand where I was and hopefully the class as well but if you mean something they must be prepared to know and how to dialogue about the Sabbath because the this is a commandment that needs to be kept to them and they will draw you in with their trap of saying if you need to keep these Commandments you need to start doing this one - the observance of the false Sabbath that's what they call that's what we do we have this false Sabbath we go to church on Sunday this is the false Sabbath the observance of the false Sabbath in compliance with the law of the state contrary to the fourth commandment we'll be in a vow of allegiance to a power that is in opposition to God in compliance with a state the government even gets involved in this and tells us that we have to go to church on Sunday hmm so we're just going to church on Sunday means that we're now worshipping false gods almost because we're giving it a vow of an allegiance to a power that's against what God has I'm hearing he just died on me so I can't hear any more questions I'm just moving on all right during this final conflict two distinct classes will develop one class will advocate a gospel of human devising Xand will worship the Beast and His image bringing upon themselves the most grievous judgement so not only are we you know following what the government's telling us to do and go into church on Sunday as human devising but we're worshiping the Beast by going to church on Sunday and we're going to bring judgment upon ourselves move on the other class in mark contrast will live by the true gospel and keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus so that's how they're magnifying and restoring the law of God by they have the true gospel they're keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus so what they've taken this to me now is the final issue involves true and false worship the true and false gospel so we have the false gospel it's interesting you can be a disciple a new believer and all these things but we still have a false gospel because we go to church on Sunday we're following human devises and all these other things with the issue thus clearly brought before him whoever shall trample upon God's law to obey human enactment receives the mark of the beast now when they talk about the mark of the beast if you go to church on Sunday you get means you have the mark of the beast it's not a physical mark the mark the mark being on the head is being deceived about the false Sabbath the mark being on the hand I mean someone is going along with it and supports it without necessarily believing it or thinking through it but if you go to church on Sunday that's the mark of the beast I remember sitting in Bible College and my professor of where classes Daniel and revelations and he made a comment about the Seventh day Adventists he said you know what some people say that they're cold I don't know why they would say that they're a cult they're not a cult they you know they have such great scholarship and great this and that's I don't know why people say that they were cold I'm in my seat going like oh yeah what do I say what do I say whatever so I have to put my hand up I can't just sit there and say nothing I raise my hand he says yes to him I said do they still believe that if you go to church on Sunday that that's the mark of the beast I felt so bad for him I thought he was going to swallow his tongue know what I mean I did I did feel bad for him I mean they see these guys been doing such wonderful scholarly work and they conclude how could this be in the category of a cult but when you hear statements like this written from the Lord's messenger herself it's kind of hard to get away from there is a problem with their teaching and backing up this same notion when this issue is clearly brought before the world those who reject God's memorial creatorship the Bible Sabbath choosing to worship an honor Sunday choosing dawa choosing the worship honor who here chooses to worship and honor Sunday we go to church on Sunday we're not worshiping an honoring Sunday now what we would not can we would not try to tell them that oh you're worshiping the sad that's not what they're doing that's just when they're going to church we're not worshipping Sunday they look they'll call us yeah the the false Sabbath the this is the never mind my mind jumped rang so the Bible Sabbath choosing to worship and honor Sunday in the full knowledge that it is not God's appointed day of worship will receive the mark of the beast in full knowledge that it's not God's appointed day so they're implying that we even know that this is not what God wants of us and we're doing it anyway so keep that in the back your mind we have just a couple of minutes here keep that in the back your mind they're saying that you're doing this in full knowledge okay we're worshipping and honoring Sunday and we're doing it into full knowledge next slide every person will have to choose whom to worship either one's choice of righteousness by faith will be revealed as one participates in a form of worship God has endorsed so they're saying if it for the seventh day adventists who worship God on the true Memorial Sabbath they have righteousness by faith well that sounds good we want righteousness by faith but how is that shown by their works yeah or ones effectual choice of righteousness by works will be revealed as one participates in a form of worship God has forbidden but which the Beast and His image command a man-made worship that's what we have where as Colossians chapter 2 verse 16 through 17 tells us therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a fast festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day things which were a mere shadow of what is to come but the substance belongs to Christ okay so so far we've covered what does Jesus investigate he investigates are we baptized and also Sabbath observance we need to be keeping the Sabbath the other thing that he's going to look at is complete obedience it's not just keeping the fourth commandment you know the seventh-day adventists what we'll love to challenge with you with well are do you think it's important to keep the commandments of God and we say well yeah well what about the fourth commandment I've got to ask them well what about the other nine because they believe you have to keep all the commandments of God in order to make it through this investigative judgment it's not just that one commandment you have to keep it's all of them that you must keep in the great controversy this is what Ellen White said she says opposite each name in the books of heaven is entered with terrible exactness isn't that interesting way to word it terrible exactness every wrong word every selfish act every unfulfilled duty and every secret sin with every artful dissembling could you imagine a book somewhere written with all this detail about you every thought every deed every word heaven sent warnings or reproofs neglected wasted moments unimproved opportunities the influence exerted for good or for evil with its far-reaching and results are all chronicled by the recording angel so this recording angel is the one who wrote all this stuff down and now Jesus is in the inner sanctuary looking at everything about you every thought every deed every time an angel want to warn you about doing the right thing and you neglected it it was all written down by the recording angel now there's a problem here if you remember what we talked about earlier what was one of the purposes of the investigative judgment it was to vindicate the Justice of God before who the angels well the angels are the ones that wrote it down they know what's what's written there so why does Jesus have to go in there and do the investigative judgment if the angels are the ones who wrote it down and now Jesus needs to vindicate his justice by doing the investigative judgment when they already know what's written there it doesn't quite make sense but anyway so the recording angel writes everything down now Jesus has to read through this the law of God is the standard by which the characters and the lives of men will be tested in the judgement it's not whether you have faith in Christ that's not the standard in the Last Judgement remember that was dealt with before the names are written in the book of life if if you didn't have faith in Christ well your name didn't even get written in the book now it's the law of God that's what we're supposed to magnify that's what we're supposed to be doing following what God has commanded us to be doing does the investigative judgment jeopardize the salvation of those who believe in in Jesus Christ have a show of hands here who here thinks that this would jeopardize your salvation only you only one or two huh just a few of you so it's one of those questions like well yes your name gets into heaven but you're not going to get into heaven unless you do everything that you're supposed to do everything that God has commanded to you to be done you have to do it in order to get there but they say well not at all genuine believers live in union with Christ trusting in him as their intercessor so they would say this doesn't jeopardize well this this actually caused causes a lot of angst for those who are seventh-day Adventists from what I hear from a friend of mine who was a former seventh-day adventists says you know as a seven day Venice you live in fear you don't even know if your time has passed you know Jesus might have already looked at your name you know he started this in 1844 and he's going to start with people who are already dead in Christ see how they did did they keep the commandments did they observe the Sabbath that they do everything else and he's working he could be working on living people right now your time might already pass you know when we share the gospel with folks we say things like well you know when you were but when you die it's too late you know we want to urge them to think about and consider Christ now well as a Seventh day Adventists it might already be too late yourself your salvation or damnation might already be sealed because of this investigative judgment he might have already gone past you Christ's work as a high priest is nearing its completion the years of human probation are slipping away remember there they are Millerites they're Adventists looking for the end the end is coming no one knows just when God's voice will proclaim it as finished take heed Christ said watch and pray for you do not know when the time is so the time is coming to the end and we don't know when the enough's and it might be too late for you but there's a there's a verse in Scripture that III think is just very helpful with the subject Titus chapter in the entitle here starting at verse 3 here we have at one time we too were foolish look how it describes what we were like here we were foolish we were disobedient deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures we lived in malice and envy being hated and hating one another just this sounds like somebody who would pass the investigative judgment not not at all no but look how it continues but when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared he saved us not because of any righteous things we had done but because of his mercy he saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal of the holy s--t by the Holy Spirit by whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior so even though we were disobedient deceived and enslaved we had malice and envy and hating he saved us in our sins he didn't wait until we stop sinning before he saved us he saved us even though we're in this unrighteous state amen but what happens after Jesus does is this investigative judgment if you fail and this even has implications if you pass actually if you if you fail and you don't pass the investigative judgment what's gonna happen here in there seventh-day Adventists believe book says to understand what happens to a person in death one must understand what makes up his or her nature the Bible portrays a person as an organic unity at times it uses the word soul to refer to the whole person and at other times to the affections and emotions but it does not teach that man comprises two separate parts body and soul only exists together they form an indivisible union so what they're saying is you don't have this soul or spirit that survives death you are just this composite whole and when you die you're gone completely now the they mask it by taught by calling it soul sleep well it's not soul sleep at all you're gone there's not something that continues after you die your soul is gone your your body decays and goes away page 391 here it says the soul has no conscious existence apart from the body and no scripture indicates that a death the soul survives as a conscious entity now this is the same kind of idea that we saw with Jehovah's Witnesses right when you die you're gone completely so if you pass the investigative judgment you would get resurrected but it's not that you have a spirit that is out there with God perhaps or in a what they call a soul sleep maybe or anything it's gone God has to then recreate that exactly the way it was here in this world and as in this life now that's that's kind of a problem for one thing it says that there's no scriptures that indicates this we're going to look at a couple in a minute but but first of all just a practical implications of what this doctrine does for us let's say that you did some you you were became a seventh-day adventists and you did everything you were supposed to you started keeping the Bible Sabbath you honored your parents you didn't have any kind of greed and everything you did was right if we don't think that's possible but let's just say for example that happens and then you die you're gone what comes back is it you who gets the benefit of you living this perfect coming to the point of never having send life and then you get brought back is that you or is that somebody else I'd have to say that it sounds like it's somebody else let's say that if this happened in this life instead of waiting until after we die that God remakes somebody who looks exactly like this that remembers everything that we know if he were to do that somehow he made an accident in and he recreate recreated me and I were to stand up here beside myself I'm standing here beside myself up here in front of you right you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between us in fact we wouldn't be able to tell the difference between us we both have all the exact memories we both remember getting in the car driving here today we look exactly the same my wife my children wouldn't know who which one was which but the question is are both of these guys me no only one of them is me so if I die and go away and God creates something that looks like me that thinks it's me then somebody else is enjoying the benefits of eternity based on what I did now what he did he thinks he did it but it's not me see that's why it's important to understand that we have to have something that survives death otherwise we don't know is it really us that comes back they can do all the the the arguments and the word twisting and different things that I've seen them try to come up with to say that that is you that comes back but it's not you really it's somebody else gets the benefits of eternity based on what you have done so even even if even if that weren't a problem their statement here is not accurate there's no scripture that indicates that a death the soul survives well let's look let's look at just a few Philippians after one the Apostle Paul says a very curious statement he says for me to live is Christ and to die is gain well how could death be gain if once you die you're gone you're worm food and your soul is gone and everything well he says it's gain for him to die because of what he says in verse 23 I desire to depart death I desire to depart and be with Christ which is far better by far he understands he has some kind of component to him that's going to survive death and be with Christ after he dies so there is some kind of assurance we will continue on that is going to be us and then again revelation 6 9 through 11 says I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain these these are people who are dead now and the Apostle John sees this revelation and sees these souls and they cried out with a loud voice saying how long O Lord holy and true will you refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth there's souls who survive death and they're crying out to God for vengeance against those who killed them so if you don't survive the investigative judgment you don't pass well it's not you you're gone forever you know the year you might exist in the memory of people who did make it if any do make this investigative judgment and pass it but even for those who do pass the investigative judgment there's this important implication that they're not even going to have eternal life they don't give you eternal life either somebody else gets that instead of them so but that ends my section on seventh-day adventists and we did not go into any depth in in a in a biblical look I mean we looked at some snapshots of verses to show kind of a problem with their system but I'm hoping that this will at least open your mind to that there is so much more to the seventh-day Adventists than what they will let onto and that we need to realize if you know seventh-day adventists if you know people in the workplace or in neighborhood or would ever love them in the truth and if anything I can do to be as supportive to you in that and let me know because this is what we do we want to help support and encourage and equip the church to know the difference between the counterfeits and the true Christians I mean the question is when you see these different groups walking down the street you need to fellowship with them or to witness to them and we want to help you make that distinction in your ministry thank you

Channel: Tim Martin

Views: 169,268

Rating: 3.4127479 out of 5

Keywords: Tim Martin, Seventh-day Adventism, Jesus, God, Bible, Investigative Judgment, Baptism, Sunday, Saturday, Sabbath, Adventism, Adventist, Ellen White, EGW, Ellen G. White

Id: 6LA67Vf5jWw

Length: 53min 35sec (3215 seconds)

Published: Thu Sep 27 2018