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There is a question that I suspect we may be asked soon. As a Church, as a people, we have as one of our highest priorities the fulfillment of the prayer of Yahshua: “That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.” (John 17:21)
The unity of all genuine believers is necessary for the completion of the Gospel work. As Yahshua Himself says, the opportunity for the world to believe in mankind’s Savior is for all of His people to be united in spirit to the degree that the Father and Son are “one.” To the flesh, this seems impossible. We are all of different cultures, languages, countries of origin, ages, interests, and so on… and yet the Scriptures tell us plainly something very important.
When speaking of the world to come, Adventists will often point to this passage: “‘For as the new Heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before Me,’ saith Yahweh, ‘so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me,’ saith Yahweh.” (Isa 66:22, 23)
However, they don’t often read the prerequisite for this in the verses before it; at least, they do not recognize it as a prerequisite. We read, “‘For I know their works and their thoughts; it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see My glory […] And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites,’ saith Yahweh.” (Isa 66:18, 21)
It is our unity, our gathering-together, that causes Yahweh to draw from us priests. It is our unity, despite our diverse origins, that proves that the Father and Son love all mankind, and that the Cross was the place of sacrifice on behalf of every human being. We are one, because what makes us one is greater than any circumstance of our birth, or any cultivated tendencies. We are one, because the Father has taught us of His love, which is called agape, to bind us together both here and in the world to come.
What does this look like? How is agape expressed? We know of only one way. Paul writes, “Owe no man anything, but to love one another, for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Rom 13:8, 9)
Some have said that since Christ died for us, and since we have received this great love, there is no longer any need for the Law, for the 10 Commandments. And yet, this is not what Paul is saying. He lists the commandments as the means of living by love. He does not say, “Because you have love, you no longer need to obey,” instead, he says, “This is how you obey,” and he starts to quote Exodus 20, specifically those commandments dealing with human interactions. Obedience to the Law is the way that love is revealed. In fact, we may read this in the very next verse: “Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the Law.” (Rom 13:10)
Because love does not do evil, does not permit an evil work, this is the reason why it fulfills the Law. Love, because it prevents us from killing, stealing, committing adultery, and so on, is the fulfilling of the Law, which we receive as a gift by faith in our Savior. Because we believe in Him, He gives us the power to obey, and in obeying, we demonstrate what we call “Righteousness by faith.” It is not complicated, but it can be difficult to understand, because most religions of the world put the works first, and say, “If you can make yourself behave… if you can force yourself to obey… if you can exercise discipline and keep yourself from sinning most of the time, then God will love you, or be pleased with you, and reward you.” We have been taught that this is what “religion” means, but now it is time to discard those errors for the truth.
What we have learned is backwards. Because we, of our own merits, cannot obey, not to the degree that would satisfy a perfect Being, our Father has given us the gift of faith. He has given us perfect obedience as a gift. We accept it, we trust in it, and we undergo something. The Scriptures put it this way, “And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Rom 12:2)
Be transformed. Your very being, your very self, becomes different, because your mind is awakened to righteousness, and living without committing sin becomes as natural to the new-born saint as sin was to the previous, sinful person. It does not require us to sacrifice (on our part) to be righteous; we receive righteousness as our inheritance, and demonstrate it because of our new, transformed nature. There are temptations to meet, of course, because we remain in the world, and in a body of flesh with its desires and instincts, but Paul tells us to believe in a truth that is greater than that observation of the senses. He says, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” (Rom 8:9, 10) “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Gal 5:16)
We believe that, spiritually speaking, our carnal flesh is “dead,” buried with Christ in the ritual of baptism, and raised to a new life, a new birth, that defines our experience now, and forever after.
So far, these are the “basics” of the Gospel; but as I said, Creation Seventh Day Adventists are going to be asked a question about this, and we need to know how to answer it properly.
We believe that perfect, continuous obedience to the Commandments of God are the way that the Christian expresses God’s love. It is evidence, proof, that the Holy Spirit is living within a converted heart. We believe that the Faith of Jesus will drive us to fulfill the prayer of that same Jesus, and seek unity with all those who have the same profession, of having been transformed, of having been born again.
We can know who one another is – we can recognize a fellow saint – through tests that the Scriptures outline. John, for example, says, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world. We are of God; he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.” (1John 4:1, 6) If we can communicate, if we can “speak the same language,” spiritually, we have found brethren.
As Seventh-day Adventists, we also have the privilege of familiarity with the writings of a group of dedicated Bible students who lived in the 1800s, our Adventist “Pioneers,” of which, one has written, “… we regard strict conformity to the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus the only true tests of Christian character.” [James White, Review and Herald, Oct 12, 1876]
I don’t usually quote anything, or anyone, other than the Bible in these weekly Sabbath studies, but this quote is central to what I am discussing. We accept this as a legitimate and proper interpretation of the words of Paul, John and Yahshua, which I have shared before. We believe this to be an accurate statement.
The question, then, that we may soon be asked is this: “Since you believe the above, what is the difference between what you believe as CSDAs and the doctrine of ‘Ecumenism,’ which promotes many varieties of belief as equally valuable?” This is also sometimes called “inter-denominational” or “non-denominational” Christianity.
We reject any test that is not found directly stated in the Word of God. While we believe that other authors have had good things to say, and we accept them as inspired instructions for the way that we live, we do not judge the beliefs of others based on those guidelines.
We have received divinely inspired counsel on food, on health in general, on work, on dress, and a great many other things, and we believe that conforming to any applicable guidance will result in blessings both here and in the world to come. And yet, our religion is based on faith, not on works; thus, if someone does not agree with some aspect of this guidance, and – in good conscience – does otherwise, we cannot say this person is not a Christian, not a born-again believer. Now, I do specify “good conscience,” because if someone genuinely believes that something is wrong, and yet does it, or if someone genuinely believes that something is right, and neglects it, that is not a life that was built on the faith of Christ.
James says exactly this: “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17) This reveals an interesting aspect of the judgment. All the world will be judged by the Law; that is universal… but our individual understanding of the Law is a part of this as well. Paul talks about this in Romans 2. But if this is the case, then, how are we different from Ecumenists, except, perhaps, for the Sabbath that is found in the Commandments? Don’t we need standards? Don’t we need a statement of beliefs? Don’t we need a creed?
Here is the part that is refreshing to some, and frightening to others: We don’t. We never did need a creed.
The Bible has always been enough and, if it had been diligently studied and properly applied, as the 144,000 do, as the last generation of saints do, then we need no other authoritative document. We are eager to obey, to find ways to obey. We find blessings, not rules; we find wisdom, not fence posts, in the writings of our Adventist Pioneers, and in our modern Bible study teachers. The boundaries of righteousness have already been clearly drawn, and they do not change from generation to generation.
And certainly, some have correctly accused the mainstream Adventists of violating this principle. It has been said to them, “You claim to be Bible-only believers, and yet you forbid this, and that, and require us to sign a document of these beliefs before you will baptize anyone.” The traditional SDA response has been, “Each of these fundamental beliefs has been drawn directly from the principles of the Bible, and is merely an expression of the Bible’s teachings for a modern audience.”
Here’s the thing… they are both right, sort of. Adventists are perfectly correct to teach much of what appears in their set of derived fundamentals. Not all are correct, but most of them are, and they are profitable to understand and follow in the common case. However, they are wrong to make it a test of entrance into the Church. They are wrong to require it as evidence of sincerity and conversion when they go beyond the Scriptures.
The typical Adventist would say to that, “But then, how are we to know that they are good and faithful Adventists? If we remove the rules, then how will we establish standards of the Church?”
This was actually the very fear of the Pharisee. In an attempt to keep the Law with their own power, the Pharisees infamously constructed a multitude of other rules and instructions, building a human wall around the divine Commandments. We read of this incident, “Then came to Yahshua scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Why do Thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands [in a certain, ritualistic way] when they eat bread.’ But He answered and said unto them, ‘Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?’” (Mat 15:1-3) He then goes on to explain to them means by which they have found ways around obedience to the 10 Commandments.
Again, we read, “At that time Yahshua went on the Sabbath day through the corn; and His disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto Him, ‘Behold, Thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day.’ But He said unto them, ‘Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungered, and they that were with him, how he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?’” (Mat 12:1-4)
Note how He answered. He did not say that the Sabbath had passed away, or was about to pass away. Instead, He pointed to the actual Law, and the legitimate needs of man, as the binding authority on our behavior. The Scriptures that the Pharisees had did not say anything against what Christ and His disciples were doing. Moses’ Ceremonial Law, but not the Commandments, addressed the actions of King David. The Pharisees had interpreted laws against gathering and preparing grain in ways that seemed good and reasonable to them, but had the effect of creating extra rules that were never intended.
Yahshua could have gone along with the Pharisees. He could have, without controversy, obeyed every additional instruction that the religious leaders had devised to keep them artificially obedient. There is no commandment against obeying “extra rules.” However, it was important for Him to show that the relationship between God and man does not arise in, nor can it survive in, an environment created by other men, regardless of how learned and sincere they may be. As Protestants, as those who reject the arbitrary authority of a Church, we agree with this whole-heartedly, but for a third time I ask, how is this different from Ecumenism?
If we test spirits and not doctrines, if we believe that the Commandments and faith are the only true test, if we avoid any rules other than those plainly stated in the Bible as tests of fellowship, then what is wrong with Ecumenism? What is wrong with the belief that all interpretations, Churches, and denominations, and religious traditions, as long as they claim to be Christian, are all equally valid? What is wrong with accepting the Baptists and Pentecostals and Catholics, and Anglicans as all just one big spiritual family? Isn’t unity the goal? Isn’t that the desire, to fulfill Yahshua’s prayer that we all be one?
If the only differences between these groups were the doctrines, then this would indeed be the answer… open wide the doors, throw away the commentaries and divisive writings, and we just all worship together.
The problem is, the doctrines aren’t the only difference between the Church of Yahshua the Messiah, which He has called the Creation Seventh Day Adventist Church, and all the other churches, and denominations, and ministries, of the world. There is a difference in spirit, a difference, a fundamental difference, in what we believe about ourselves, and the nature of the character of our Creator.
We are told to test spirits, not doctrines, so if something is wrong, if something were to exclude a belief or tradition from being seen as “true,” it is wrong because of its spirit, because of its impact on the soul.
Let’s look at an obvious difference between CSDAs and most other Churches, and see why it is a significant difference.
Because we are genuine Seventh-day Adventists, by definition we observe the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week. Now, why is Sunday-sacredness, observing a holy day on the first day of the week, a matter of division between “right” and “wrong?” It is not because it is just a difference in tradition. It is not because it is a doctrinal dispute. It is because the Scripture says this, “And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” (Gen 2:3) It is because the Scripture says this, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exo 20:8)
In the Sabbath commandment, God is not giving us a rule, an arbitrary test of obedience. No, He is inviting us to receive a blessing… something about the day itself that is “sanctified,” which means “made holy.” The natural senses may not detect it, but this is why the Commandments and the faith are the test for the right spirit. Those who believe Yahweh’s words, and accept His promises, receive something that surpasses natural understanding. They receive a blessing that goes beyond the capacity of words to describe, and it is something that heals the soul, that contributes to its being made complete, healthy, holy. It is something that can only be understood by experiencing it, not hearing or reading about it remotely. Those with the right spirit will delight in the idea that they are sharing, personally participating, in the first blessing of the physical universe.
In Genesis, the first thing blessed are the animals. The second thing blessed is mankind. The Sabbath day is the third thing blessed, and the first to receive a blessing that isn’t a living being. It is the most ancient of blessings that we can share with our God, and it is a part of the soul’s preparation for everlasting life.
Sunday-keeping is wrong, not because it breaks an arbitrary rule, but because it denies the blessing that the Creator has placed on a specific thing, and it deprives the soul of the very thing that connects it intimately with sanctification, and He who sanctifies us. This is the proper approach to teaching the world to keep the Sabbath. It is not to reject Catholicism, although it does do that. It is not because the Bible says to do it, but because of the reason the Bible says to do it. God is not one of those “Because I said so” parents. He gives us enough information to make an informed decision, even when we don’t see the end clearly.
Why is Trinitarianism a wrong belief? Here we see a bit of a difference, because the Sabbath is a part of the Law, and Trinitarianism as a belief really isn’t. In fact, that quote from James White that I shared before, the passage from which that phrase was taken makes it clear that belief in, or rejection of, the Trinity is specifically not a test of Christian fellowship for Adventists. That is one of the errors of the mainstream SDA Church’s set of fundamental beliefs. There are many groups and ministries that are trying very hard to make the Bible include non-Trinitarianism as a test… but they must, like the scribes and Pharisees, add too much to the Word of Yahweh in order to do so.
This doesn’t mean it is not important; however. We would agree that the actual belief itself does not necessarily reflect on Character. Some who argue for One True God Only position will say that the light has increased since James White’s day, and now we must reject the unscriptural absurdity of Trinitarianism. I agree the light has increased since then, but it should make us more loving, more sympathetic to those who are genuinely deceived, not more dogmatic, legalistic, or harsh. It makes us more like Christ who, for the sake of truth, was willing to resist the traditions that seemed reasonable to the religious leaders of His day. We understand that there are dangers in error, any error, and so while we would not break fellowship with a Trinitarian, well... those familiar with our studies know that they would be constantly exposed to our statements and sentiments indicating their beliefs are wrong. It is not for the sake of condemnation, but explanation. We believe that accepting the Holy Spirit as a third, co-equal person does some unhealthy things to the spirit, and prevents a perfect understanding of what it means to have Christ abiding in the soul. The Son of Yahweh, by His Spirit, dwells in us, by Himself, not by a third person. There are implications there for righteousness by faith, and so we teach what the Bible says about the nature of the Father, His Son, and Their Spirit.
Here is where Ecumenism fails. It is not a failure of doctrine, but of purpose and of spirit. The Scriptures say this: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent.” (Rev 3:19) In another place we read, “For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” (Heb 12:6-8)
This is the answer to the question. The difference between the Ecumenical Movement and the true Church, is in the spirit and attitude of the believer, and the spirit and attitude that is encouraged by the collective body. Both claim to regard doctrine as secondary. Both accept testimonies and claims as evidence of conversion. Both attempt to minimize differences in an effort to encourage unity. However, the Spirit of Yahweh will not allow error to pass uncorrected, or differences to be disregarded. We do not hold a doctrinal difference to be enough to break the bonds of fellowship, but for agape’s sake, that same agape, we attempt to correct one another, to teach one another all the truth that we know.
This does not mean that we are critical, or that we engage in seeking out one another’s errors. This does not mean that any of us assume authority over the others, and say to them, “Let me tell you all that you are doing wrong.”
That is not the right spirit. Yahshua did not sit His disciples down on day 1 and start listing out their faults. No, He traveled with them. He worked with them, and ministered with them. When the opportunity arose to demonstrate a truth that would cause them to reflect on their characters, He took it, and let the Spirit work with their hearts and consciences to bring about repentance. This ongoing, continuous repentance from sin and error was the sanctification of the Disciples of Christ.
Ecumenism, in seeking a false unity, discourages the very thing that is necessary for the growth of Christ’s followers. In accepting all beliefs as equal, with only cursory attempts to seek a common understanding, it disregards the importance of “truth” altogether. There is no seeking after a common judgment. There is no real desire to correct and chasten. Here is the goal, which Ecumenism either rejects altogether, or places so far in the future that it is of no practical importance: “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Yahshua the Messiah, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1Cor 1:10)
False beliefs lead to imperfect characters and impure spirits. Accepting them without correction – as non-denominationalism often does – leads to a surface-level unity, but permits underlying spiritual divisions that will eventually result in exactly what we have seen in the Christian world – division, disunity, fragmentation. We don’t condemn people for having false ideas; we all grew up on the same corrupted planet… we don’t reject people for being deceived, or living with a certain degree of ignorance; how shall we ever correct them if we reject their presence and their company? We draw near to sinners. We draw near to the deceived. We draw near to the incorrect, and rather than rebuking them in wrath, we minister to them in patience and in love. When you see people, individuals or ministries, saying things like, “If you believe in X, Y or Z, then you are an apostate who worships the devil,” you can know that the Spirit of Christ is not with them, for the Savior never spoke such words to those who had been taught something incorrect. When we have tried to point this out to some of our more zealous counterparts, they have turned on us and attacked us as well, demonstrating that the difference, the real difference there, is also not in doctrine, but in spirit.
We find that there is a ditch on both sides of the Narrow Road here, as in all true things. There is error in uncritically accepting all beliefs as equally true, because this prevents sanctification, and there is an error in roughly rejecting those who differ from us in the things that they sincerely believe, because this just as assuredly prevents sanctification as well.
Whom God loves, He rebukes and chastens. His people, as His representatives, His priests, have a hand in that process. So, while there is no test of fellowship regarding doctrine, it does not mean that some doctrines aren’t wrong, and dangerously wrong. But if someone, holding a false doctrine, commits with all they know to the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus, we know they are sincere and willing to learn, and this is the reason – the only reason, really – why we test the spirits, seeking those who will hear us.
Zealotry fails because it attempts to correct those who are not prepared to receive the light, and have no covenant with them for mutual sanctification. Ecumenism fails because it does not significantly correct at all, and never presents the light. It is not interested in eliminating errors, because it does not want to weed out the tares. Ecumenism will never result in the gathering of the 144,000 because it does not require anyone to follow the Lamb, step by step, in perfect unison. There is a true unity, and there is the false, surface-level unity of Ecumenism. It is important we understand this as we gather the wheat, because the question will be asked of us, “What is the difference?” The difference is, the voice of Yahweh is here. The Spirit of Prophecy is here, which brings us meat in due season, light and at the proper time, and we have learned much since the days of the apostles and our Adventist Pioneers. We are more cautious to be clear, to avoid the accusations of legalism and formalism. But this does not mean we are not holding out to the world the perfect standard of the character of Christ. In fact, that character holds out grace, undeserved favor, a chance to repent, to the whole world, and that is a big difference from Ecumenism. There is no need to repent of errors if all beliefs are accepted as valid, but the Spirit of Christ has given to us a life of repentance. A life of repentance is not a life of sorrow for the wrongs that we do or have done, but a life of being blessedly protected from falling, a life filled with divine wisdom, that guides us away from danger, and keeps us always in the joy of our Father’s salvation.
Here is the matter, summed up: We accept all people, but we reject false beliefs. Ecumenism accepts all beliefs, but it does not accept all people. Ecumenism rejects genuine messengers of Heaven that seek to call men to knowledge, genuine and sanctifying knowledge, of the divine. It rejects those who would say that truth does matter beyond a very basic understanding of “truth,” and that there is a correct way to understand the Word of God which reveals other ways as falsehoods. In the name of “tolerance,” it rejects those who will not tolerate error forever, and who seek, with agape love, to genuinely help to prepare a people to stand in the judgment of God, and inherit everlasting life. Christ said, “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Mat 7:14) Because of His mercy, He has appointed guides; He has recruited priests and guides to show the signs, to point out the narrow way so that those few who are willing, truly willing to give all for the truth, will find a secure passageway to the everlasting inheritance.
Let us be wise in how we answer the world, and our fellow seekers of truth. Let us be wise in how we answer those who oppose us in both doctrine and spirit. Let us show agape, true love, to all who reveal to us that they are in need of that love. We are witnesses of our Father’s patience, and kindness, and goodness, and holiness. Because we have witnessed it, we have been changed, and we are called now to guide others to that very same and transforming vision.
David.
An Enduring Witness
“Not by painful struggles or wearisome toil, not by gift or sacrifice, is righteousness obtained; but it is freely given to every soul who hungers and thirsts to receive it.” [Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 18]
“True sanctification comes through the working out of the principle of love. ‘God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.’ 1 John 4:16. The life of him in whose heart Christ abides, will reveal practical godliness. The character will be purified, elevated, ennobled, and glorified. Pure doctrine will blend with works of righteousness; heavenly precepts will mingle with holy practices.” [The Acts of the Apostles, p. 560]
“I saw that the nominal churches have fallen; that coldness and death reign in their midst. If they would follow the Word of God, it would humble them. But they get above the work of the Lord. It is too humiliating for them to repeat the same simple story of God’s goodness when they meet together, and they study to get something new, something great, and to have their words exact to the ear and pleasing to man, and God’s Spirit leaves them. When we follow the humble Bible way, we shall have the movings of the Spirit of God. All will be in sweet harmony if we follow the humble channel of truth, depending wholly upon God, and there will be no danger of being affected by the evil angels. It is when souls get above the Spirit of God, moving in their own strength, that the angels cease watching over them, and they are left to the buffetings of Satan.” [Early Writings, p. 116]