Letter to an SDA Minister

A letter was sent in May, 2002, to the temporary Pastor of a California SDA Church, who had declared that he had no time for "heavy theology." He maintained that all that is necessary for salvation is "belief" in the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour. He was retired after decades as a leader in the youth ministry of the SDA Church. What kind of believers had he shaped during years of his youth minstry?¹ A few years later, the identical sentiments of this former youth leader were expressed by the Pastor of an Oregon SDA Church.

No reply was ever received to the following letter, the text of which is followed by a quotation from a Review and Herald article by Ellen G. White:

May 18, 2002

Elder _____

[Address]

Dear Elder _______:

First as a reminder, since it has been weeks since your visit, this letter is written because you invited me to make submissions, which you promised to consider. I hope that you will take the time to read all of this letter and the enclosures. At the very least, if not persuasive, you should find it all very interesting.

I believe that I started this letter nearly a month ago. I am revising it as I continue with the draft, with unavoidable breaks between. This section was inserted on Sabbath, May 4, after I woke up in the morning with the persistent refrain in my mind of a youth song from the past. You will recall "Give of your best to the Master. Give of the strength of your youth. Put on salvation's full armor. Join in the battle for Truth." If this song is doctrinally sound, if it ever had real meaning, it should have inspired the youth to seek out the Truth as the armor of salvation and go forth into battle , never evading the controversy. I wonder, do they still sing this song today, or only the modern "feel-good" ditties. The song has brought to my mind the words of the apostle Paul in Eph. 6:11-17:

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

In the use of this language of warfare Paul was revealing the spiritual realities. The battle was joined in his time. It is intense in these present times, whether we realize it or not. War has been waged on Truth throughout Christendom, and the stage is set for the final "War with the remnant of her seed" (Rev. 12) who hold fast to the Gospel of Truth. The leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church have hoisted the white flag. The question confronting Seventh-day Adventists today is whether they are going to follow the Church leaders into ignominious defeat or follow Christ to glorious victory after a time of fiery trial. It is a question that cannot be settled by relying on statements in the Writings outside of the context of time and place and of the issues raised by Present Truth. In the Bible, God declared both the permanence of the calling of Israel and a definite time of termination because of her continuous rebellion. The contradictions of prophecy had nothing to do with the unchanging mind of God, and everything to do with the persistent fickleness and disloyalty of His people. Exactly the same applies to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. To ancient Israel God spoke the following words of assurance:

Jer 31:35 Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:

Jer 31:36 If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.

Jer 31:37 Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.

However, this was followed by the prophecy of Dan. 9, which gave a definite time limit for God's forbearance towards Israel:

Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Mesiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut of, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood , and unto the end of the war desolation.

Before the end of the delimited time God gave clear warning of the impending doom by the voice of John the Baptist:

Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Mat 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

Mat 3:9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

Mat 3:10 And now is also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. (Emphasis added.)

In Luke 13:6-9 Jesus spoke the parable of the unfruitful fig tree. Of this parable Ellen G. White wrote:

Christ hearers could not misunderstand the application of His words. David had sung of Israel as the vine brought out of Egypt. Isaiah had written, "The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah His pleasant plant." Isa. 5-7. The generation to whom the Savior had come were represented by the fig tree in the Lord's vineyard-- within the circle of hHis special care and blessing. [COL 214.2]

Later Christ enacted the parable described in Matt. 21:17-20. Of this parable Mrs. White wrote:

The cursing of the fig tree was an acted parable. That barren tree, flaunting its pretentious foliage in the very face of Christ, was a symbol of the Jewish nation. The Saviour desired to make plain to His disciples the cause and the certainty of Israel's doom..... [DA 582.4] The parable of the fig tree, spoken before Christ's visit to Jerusalem, had a direct connection with the lesson He taught in cursing the fruitless tree. For the barren tree of the parable the gardener pleaded, Let it alone this year, until I shall dig about it and dress it; and if it bear fruit, well; but if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. Increased care was to be given the unfruitful tree. It was to have every advantage. But if it remained fruitless, nothing could save it from destruction. In the parable the result of the gardener's work was not foretold. It depended upon that people to whom Christ's words were spoken. They were represented by the fruitless tree, and it rested with them to decide their own destiny. Every advantage that Heaven could bestow was given them, but they did not profit by their increased blessings. By Christ's act in cursing the barren fig tree, the result was shown. They had determined their own destruction. [DA 584.2]

Mrs. White further stated:

The warning is for all time. Christ's act in cursing the tree which His own power had created stands as a warning to all churches and to all Christians..... [DA 584.1] (Emphasis added.)

In an earlier chapter of the book Mrs. White had written:

The Jews had misinterpreted God's promise of eternal favor to Israel: "Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is His name: If those ordinances depart from before Me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before me Forever. Thus saith the Lord; if heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the Lord. Jer. 31:35-37. The Jews regarded their natural descent from Abraham as giving them a claim to this promise. But they overlooked the conditions which God had specified. Before giving the promise, He had said, "I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people... For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." Jer 31:33, 34 [DA106.1]

To a people in whose hearts His law is written, the favor of God is assured. They are one with Him. But the Jews had separated themselves from God. Because of their sins they were suffering under His judgments. This was the cause of their bondage to a heathen nation. Their minds were darkened by transgression, and because in times past the Lord had shown them so great favor, they excused their sins. They flattered themselves that they were better than other men, and entitled to His blessings. [DA 106.2]

These things "are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." 1. Cor. 10:11 ....... [DA106.3] (Emphasis added.)

MORE TO COME...