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RenewingMinds
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Seventh Day Adventism
The following is an excerpt from Miles J. Stanford's Tri-S #8. It is by not meant to represent even a basic critique of Adventists beliefs. Prior to the mid-'50's, Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) teachings were clearly understood to lie outside of realm of evangelical Christianity. Their heretical views on the peccability of Christ consigned the group to cult status. The following is an account of how the SDA was able to improve their level of acceptance--first on the American scene, then throughout the world. The SDA has subsequently spawned other cults, like the Urantia and David Koresh's Branch Davidians. Beware!
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISM ACCEPTED -- It was in 1956 that Dr. Barnhouse's ecumenical love-stance included cultic compromise. At that time he and Dr. Walter Martin entered into "sweet fellowship" with masters of deceit--the leaders of Seventh-Day Adventism! As a result there appeared an astounding series of articles in Eternity, beginning in September, 1956.
While not agreeing with some of their "screwy doctrines," of as Barnhouse put it, he insisted that "they are as orthodox on the great fundamentals of the Person and work of Christ as anybody in the world could be." (I for one, then, am out of this world!) In these fateful and disquieting disquisitions Dr. Barnhouse went all out in an effort to convince Christians that Seventh-Day Adventists were safe and sound evangelicals and should be accepted into full fellowship.
This irresponsible sponsorship brought forth a storm of protest all over the world, with thousands writing in repudiation of the sheep-stealing and doctrinally deviant cult. Dr. Barnhouse was untouched. As a friend of his used to say of him, "He was dogmatic about any subject even when he was totally wrong."
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISM ACCEPTS -- The wily Adventists were quick to take advantage of Dr. Barnhouse and his pandoric patronage. As early as October 2, 1956, the Adventist monthly, Signs of the Times, came forth with an editorial entitled, "Adventists Vindicated." "Vindicated" before the vindication was even published!
Their statement contained this telling sentence: "As to the effect of Dr. Barnhouse's courageous reappraisal of Seventh-Day Adventism, we are convinced that it will not only create a sensation in evangelical circles, but it will lead thousands to restudy the 'message' which Seventh-Day Adventists feel called to give to the world in these last days."
QUESTIONABLE "QUESTIONS ON DOCTRINE" -- Just a few months later, early in 1957, the SDA denomination published an official 700-page volume entitled, Seventh-Day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine (now back in print). The primary purpose of this tome was to convince evangelicals, hand-in-hand with Dr. Barnhouse and Dr. Walter Martin, that theirs was an evangelical body.
A "QUESTIONABLE" GIFT! -- Well do I remember the day when two officials from the Illinois Conference of SDA in Brookfield, Illinois, came to my home near Wheaton and presented me with a gift copy of the book. The ink was barely dry! I recall that an interesting "discussion" ensued as to the believer's relationship to the law. At least I thought it was interesting!
In quoting from the official gift, we find that it cannot pass the evangelical and biblical test of the impeccability of the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Christ took humanity, with all its liabilities. He took the nature of man, with the possibility of yielding to temptation (Questions on Doctrine, P. 655).
- God permitted His Son to come, a helpless babe, subject to the weaknesses of humanity. He permitted Him to fight the battle as every child of humanity must fight it, at the risk of failure and eternal loss (Ibid., P. 656).
- Christ took human nature, and bore the infirmities and degeneracy of the race. Christ took our nature and its deteriorated condition (Ibid., pp. 656, 657).
However, the Lord Jesus made an opposite claim: "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me" (John 14:30).
It was Dr. C.I. Scofield who declared: "Were the teaching of the Seventh Day Adventists true, we would have a monstrosity--deity inheriting a fallen nature. If this could have been so, there could have been no sinless sacrifice, no hope for sinners, no Savior."
HIDDEN HOOK -- What makes this SDA-Barnhouse-Martin triangle especially intolerable is that the cult was spawned, and is maintained, by deceit--deceit cunning enough to "deceive the very elect," such as these two brilliant Neo-evangelical leaders. At the time, the denomination had a membership of one million, most of whom had been lured from other churches. Being parasitic and unable to produce, Seventh-Day Adventism must seduce. [Also popular are seminars on end times prophecy and debates on whether Saturday or Sunday is the 'official' Sabbath. Editor]
ANONYMOUS AND ANOMALOUS -- The cult's method is to hide its identity, and to bait its hook with a modicum of truth. This deceit is designed to draw unsuspecting and unindoctrinated Christians into their errors of enslavement. This sophistry has been extremely successful in its use of the unidentified radio broadcast of "Frank and Ernest" fame. The movement has also gained thousands of members by means of its free correspondence course which gives no clue as to its SDA source until Lesson Twelve. By that time it is usually too late, for the well-hidden hook has been swallowed.
A CULT, NOTWITHSTANDING -- Despite the New Testament in general, and the Epistle to the Galatians in particular, Dr. Barnhouse exhorted evangelicals to fellowship with this anti-security, law-enslaving cult whose heretical doctrines include:
the sanctuary-investigative-judgment
Christ's assumption of a sinful nature
Sabbath-keeping
Old Testament dietary restrictions
partial atonement at Calvary
conditional immortality
soul sleep
annihilation of the lost
To sum up, our brother has confronted us with the impossible task of giving credence to a grace-plus-law-plus-Sabbath-keeping Jewish system in Christian dress. In 1962, Dr. Norman Douty put the whole shameful matter in its place with his book, Another Look at Seventh-Day Adventism. It is a masterful refutation of SDA's Questions on Doctrine, leaving no question as to the anti-evangelical character of the cult.
Norman Douty Accurately Sums Up Seventh-Day Adventism.
This, then is Adventism’s doctrine of salvation. It teaches that we are pardoned by grace alone, but presently reveals that the pardon is only provisional, being contingent on our subsequent right conduct – which is [the error of] Galatianism. It teaches that we have eternal life the instant we repent and believe, but soon discloses that we have it only in promise, not in actuality – which is [the error of] Russellism. It also teaches that the redeeming work of the incarnate Son has put us back where Adam was before he fell, and further declares that our eternal glory hinges upon the formation of perfect character, for which we are responsible – which is [the error of] Romanism. Thus, Adventism’s [humanistic] soteriology is a mixture of Galatianism, Russellism, and Romanism.
- SEATED
- ASCENDED
- RAISED
- BURIED
- CRUCIFIED
