Something else that really bugs me with the SDA crowd is their personalization to manipulate others. Really is an unrecognized problem for most folks.A step back? Actually, I'm trying to be among the first to express the heart of what true Adventism believes. Sadly, and unfortunately, most SDA's defend their doctrine on a superficial leve, not understanding just how intricate and massive this theological structure is--it is built on a firm platform of 2000 years of solid hewn bricks.
If you would like to evaluate a full study on the subject of the Seal of God vs. the Mark of the Beast, I wrote an article dealing with it here:
Is The Seal of God the Law or the Holy Spirit?
I made a typo. I meant "do not understand".
That is wishful thinking. People who are saved by grace through faith alone will keep all 10 commandments to prove it. "(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." (Romans 2:13)
Notice that Paul is not saying that the "law justifies". No, the law does not justify. Only Jesus can justify you. Only faith can save you. Yet Paul is dogmatic about the fact that only "doers" of the law will be justified. Doing does not justify, but only doers will be justified. Get the difference?
And this is something you don't want to see listed.
I'm sorry, but I must take these scriptures seriously. You can cling to all the verses that talk about grace and faith, and leave out the ones on works, but that's not my style of Biblical exegesis. My style is to take in the Bible in its totality, and form doctrine from here a little there a little, precept upon precept, line upon line.
Just like it may appear that Paul contradicts itself, in a similar manner, consider the possibility that this may be exactly why SDA's and even Ellen White "contradict" themselves.
True Adventism strives to reflect what the Scriptures teach in its totality, despite the fact that a number of missinformed Adventists fail miserably in performing this balance.
I don't doubt there are false SDA's out there that live by works. That's their problem. But that's not how I judge the foundations of a belief structure. I don't judge the theological structure based on how the people act. I judge it on its own merits, then if it lines up with the Bible, I determine myself to live up to it the right way, despite those who advocate it may be poor representations of it. A decline in numbers in the SDA Church means absolutely nothing to me. In the time of the flood, it narrowed down to only 8 people left.
I've even engaged in debates with them. No need to show me. There are ex-Arminians, ex-Catholics, ex-Baptists, ex-Dispensationalists, ex-Calvinists--and all are throwing anathemas at one another calling eachother cults. I've been out in the real world amongst Christian evangelicals. There are pastors leaving every imaginable church to join the next one--swapping even! And writing books about why their former religion was garbage and built on heresy.
I've seen it all listed.
You need to quit worrying so much about SDA folks, and just focus on the scriptures they have presented. Forget people, focus on what is right--despite the fact that the people advocating it may be terrible representations of it.
If you think that I agree with how many SDA folks go about expressing their religion, then you're wrong. Have you read the sermons of A.T. Jones and Waggoner--powerful SDA pioneers? Their entire focus was on Christ and Him Crucified. Yet they understood the importance of keeping the commandments. But they didn't go around emphasizing this. Those who were converted as a result of understanding the love of God and the great sacrifice of Jesus were automatically convicted to keep God's commandments without having to be urged.
Even Ellen White herself warned the SDA Church of focussing too much on "the law", "the law", "the law". Yes, while it was true that the Adventist Church had the correct understanding of the law, they were presenting it in a wrong light--as if that was the focus.
Ellen White highly emphasized the importance of looking to Christ Jesus and Him Crucified. She talked about how we are to emphasize Christ--as He is a living and walking manifestation of the righteousness of the law. It is a transcript of His character. Why? The law is perfect, converting the soul (Psalms 19:7), and Jesus is perfect.
I'm not sure what you are trying to say here, because John 15:10 seems to support what we've been trying to help you see, so what are you trying to say?
Again, too much focus on individuals and people rather than if the core, historic doctrines line up with Scripture.
Then are you willing to deal with the scriptures that Revelation 14:6-12 has provided?
There are a lot of them that seem to get ignored I noticed.
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