The Good News William Diehl The Struggles of Seventh-day Adventism Paul is so clear that all have sinned and all continually fall short of the glory of God. The only way to be accepted as righteous before the perfect Law of God is through the imputed righteousness of Christ. This is our only hope even unto the coming of the Lord. How sad it is to see Adventism using the writings of Ellen G. White as equally inspired as the Bible. I personally know of so many former Adventists who when they learned the truth about some of the immature views of the Gospel, prophecy, and daily living that she sometimes held and taught, they completely gave up on all the Bible and turned away from Christ as their Savior. Well, I don't hold it against her if she and the other early Adventists were wrong on some things. I am still grateful that I became an SDA when I was 21 years old. Sure Adventism contains some error, but they are correct in their understanding of the Ten Commandments, creationism, the identity of the Antichrist, and the second coming of Christ. I know that Adventists are immature in their views on the gospel, tea-totalism, unclean meat restrictions, and sinless perfectionism, but I have no regrets at having been an SDA for these past 54 years. The gospel of justification by faith in the sinless life and atoning death of our savior on the cross is making its way throughout the ranks of Adventism and is shaking up this movement as nothing else can. I have attended just about every other Christian denomination and Adventism is still a vibrant Christian movement which has avoided the extreme errors of most of the Protestant sects and denominations—a real paradox, which tells me that God is definitely leading in this movement. If you have read any of my posts before, you will see that you have misjudged me as an ecumenicist and an antinomian. Please re-read my last post and try not to read into it more than I have said. I would be honored if you would look over the web site that I edit, Present Truth Magazine, and you would see that I am as much of a Seventh-day Adventist as you are. However, I don't equate believing in dietary rules and October 22, 1844 with being a Christian. If some Adventists want to follow these things and other unbiblical issues, there is freedom in the Gospel to do so. A problem develops only when those who follow these beliefs insist that other Adventists must adopt them or else they are not Adventists and ultimately will not be saved in Christ's kingdom. The fact is that our Lord did NOT go into a different apartment in the heavenly sanctuary in 1844. The Bible does NOT teach total tea-totalism, no unclean foods for believers, sinless perfectionism, vegetarianism, or justification by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the believer. The great strength of Adventism is its emphasis on forensic justification of all repentant sinners before the holy Law of God through faith in the sinless life and atoning death of Jesus Christ—our high priest in heaven standing in the presence of God for us. This is the essence of the New Testament gospel that the apostles proclaimed. This does not destroy the Law of God or even the Sabbath day commandment, but rather upholds it. This does not destroy sanctification, but rather puts in on a firm foundation of love and gratitude, rather than one's obedience in order secure our acceptance with God. Sanctification is never finished in this life, and thus we can only rest in the imputed righteousness of Christ for our assurance of forgiveness and blessed hope of eternal life. Christ alone lived a sinless, perfect life and then suffered and died in our place upon the cross of Calvary for our sins. This alone can be the basis for our assurance of forgiveness of our sins and eternal salvation. Traditional SDA's view the evangelical movement within Adventism as a threat to the Adventist movement, just as the Jews viewed the Christian message as a threat to Judaism. The fact is though that the gospel of justification by faith fulfills and upholds all that biblical Adventism truly stands for. I use the term "biblical Adventism" for a reason. There is no biblical basis for much of what some consider "pillars of the faith". Evangelical Adventists actually stand by the eternal pillars of the faith, such as the Ten Commandments and the faith of Jesus Christ. These eternal pillars of truth include: literal six day young universe Biblical creationism, Sabbath observance, faith in the blood of Christ as our only hope of justification before the Law of God, moderation in all things, the Papacy as the "man of sin" who has taken away the gospel from the church, the natural mortality of the soul, the soon coming of our Lord in the clouds of heaven to raise the dead and translate the living, the Millenium in heaven followed by the eternal destruction of Satan, his demons, and the unbelieving world, and the creation of a new universe without sin or death. I hope that this helps to allay some of your fears that evangelical Adventists are "ecumenicists". XXXXX, You distort and exaggerate the statements of those who dialogue with you. This is very sad and not the mark of a Christian. This is a common tactic of those who have a very shallow understanding of their own sinfulness and the sinfulness of human nature. Evangelical Christians are not advocating "let us sin that grace may abound". This is exactly what Paul's enemies accused him of. Perfectionists are ever learning and never coming to a knowledge of the truth. They are "wretched, blind, and miserable" and do not know how far short all Christians fall short of the glory of God. Many will come from the east and the west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but those who think that they will gain a seat at the table by their having perfect sinless characters to the point that they have no sin and no further need of forgiveness and the imputed righteousness of Christ will not find a place at that table. I am happy that you have had a great marriage and that your children are wonderful Christians. My children fall short of the glory of God and freely admit it, just as I do. I have no righteousness to tell you about except the righteousness of my Savior who is in heaven presenting me as faultless before the throne of grace by virtue of His sinless life and atoning death. We trust only in the blood of Christ for our acceptance with God. All other ground is shifting sand. Bill