SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS - ARE THEY CHRISTIAN?

.    Ellen G. White founded this religion, though she was a follower
of one William Miller of New York, who propounded much of what Mrs.
White later adopted for her religion.  It is interesting to note that
a 7th Day Adventist Physician, Dr. William Russel, wrote in 1869 that
"Mrs. White's visions are the result of a diseased organization or
condition of the brain or nervous system."  While we should feel pity
for Mrs. White, we must point out that her teachings were, and are,
BLASPHEMY AND DIRECTLY OPPOSITE OF WHAT THE VERY WORD OF GOD SAYS!

.    The standard work of Mrs. White is THE GREAT CONTROVERSY BETWEEN
CHRIST AND SATAN which has been published many times.  This is,
perhaps THE most authoritative expose of Adventist teachings.  One of
Mrs. White's counselors and intimates, D.M. Canwright, wrote about Mrs
White, "She often copies her subject matter without credit or sign of
quotation from other authors.  Indeed her last book, THE GREAT
CONTROVERSY, which they laud so highly as her greatest work, is
largely (mainly in the historic parts) a compilation of Andrews'
HISTORY OF THE SABBATH; HISTORY OF THE WALDENSES, by Wylie; LIFE OF
MILLER, by White; THOUGHTS ON REVELATION, by Smith, and other books."
Additional denouncements were made, both by Adventists and other
critics concerning plagerism by Mrs. White, yet the preface to the
current published version still reads: "We believe she has been
empowered by Divine illumination to speak of some past events, which
have been brought to her knowledge with greater minuteness than is set
forth in any existing records, and to read the future with more than
human foresight."

.    Although there are MANY heresies within the Adventist church, we
will deal with six of the areas that the Adventists feel are mandatory
teachings:

(1)  Seventh Day Adventism denies the Biblical Doctrine of the
COMPLETE atoneing Sacrifice of Christ as THE ONLY means of man's
salvation.  This is the most serious of the heresies of the Adventist. 
We quote Mrs. White: "The ministration of the priest throughout the
years in the first apartment of the sanctuary (which sanctuary Mrs.
White places in heaven and not on earth.) ... Represents the work of
ministration upon which Christ entered at His ascension ... For
eighteen centuries this work of ministration continued in the first
apartment of the sanctuary.  The blood of Christ, pleaded in behalf of
penitent believers, secured their pardon and acceptance with the
Father, yet their sins still remained upon the books of record." -THE
GREAT CONTROVERSY-
.    We have yet to obtain an answer from the Adventist to the
question, How are sins pardoned YET kept on the books?

(2)  Seventh Day Adventism denies the FINALITY of the work of Jesus
Christ on the cross of Calvary.  They THUS claim Jesus to be a LIAR in
His statement, "IT IS FINISHED!" Again, we quote Mrs. White: "As in
typical service, there was work for atonement at the close of the
year, so before Christ's work for redemption of men IS COMPLETED,
there is a work of atonement for the removal of sin from the
sanctuary.  This is the service which began when the 2,300 days ended. 
(NOTE: Mrs White taught that this was the year 1844!)  At that time,
as foretold by Daniel the Prophet, our high priest entered the most
Holy to perform the LAST DIVISION of His solemn work to CLEANSE THE
SANCTUARY ... in the new covenant the sins of the repentant are by
faith placed upon Christ, and TRANSFERRED, IN FACT, TO THE HEAVENLY
SANCTUARY ... so the actual cleansing of the heavenly (sanctuary) is
to be accomplished by the removal, or blotting out, of the sins that
are there recorded.  But, BEFORE this can be accomplished, there MUST
BE AN EXAMINATION OF THE BOOKS of record to determine who, through
repentance of sin and faith in Christ, are entitled to the benefits of
His Atonement.  The cleansing of the sanctuary therefore involves a
WORK OF INVESTIGATION - a work of judgement.  Those who followed in
the light of the prophetic word saw that, INSTEAD OF COMING TO THE
EARTH at the termination of the 2,300 days in 1844 (as "prophet"
William Miller had widely proclaimed), Christ entered in to the most
holy place of the heavenly, to PERFORM the CLOSING WORK OF ATONEMENT
preparatory to his coming." -THE GREAT CONTROVERSY-

.    We feel it helpful to outline some history.  William Miller
prophesied that Christ would come (This is where the name 'ADVENTIST'
- One who looks to the ADVENT) in 1844.  We need not ask if this
happened - it was a false prophesy!  Look at what the Bible has to say
about False Prophets. Mrs. White then stepped in with her "higher
revelation" that Christ only went into the "heavenly sanctuary" and,
as shown above, to "COMPLETE" the work that he started here on earth! 
This is what the Adventists refer to as "investigative judgement" -
preparation for His Second coming.
.    We do not find a reference, in the BIBLE, for such an act of
Christ nor do we find reference to a sanctuary in heaven.  We cannot
find reference to sin being in heaven as claimed above in Mrs. White's
book!  It would seem, from the writings, that THE SANCTUARY, in some
manner actually becomes the sin bearer or mediator for believers!

(3)  Adventism has declared SATAN to be JOINT SIN BEARER, and the
vicarious substitute of the sinner!  ONCE AGAIN, we quote Mrs. White:
"It was seen also that while the sin-offering pointed to Christ as a
sacrifice, and the high priest represented Christ as the mediator, the
SCAPEGOAT typified SATAN, the author of sin, upon WHOM THE SINS OF THE
TRULY PENITENT WILL FINALLY BE PLACED.  When the high priest by virtue
of the blood of the sin-offering removed the sins from the sanctuary,
he placed them upon the scapegoat.  When Christ, BY VIRTUE OF HIS OWN
BLOOD, REMOVES THE SINS OF HIS PEOPLE FROM THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY AT
THE CLOSE OF HIS MINISTRATION, HE WILL PLACE THEM ON SATAN, who in the
execution of judgement must bear final penalty.  The scapegoat was
sent into a land not inhabited, never to come again into the
congregation of Israel.  So will SATAN be forever banished from the
presence of God and His people and HE WILL BE BLOTTED FROM EXISTENCE
IN THE FINAL DESTRUCTION OF SIN AND THE SINNER." -THE GREAT
CONTROVERSY-

.    Here, we have total elimination of the most loving doctrine of
the Bible - JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH.  And the belief that SATAN is
substitute for the FINISHED WORK on Calvary by CHRIST, is more than
heresy - it is final condemnation to the Lake of Fire as shown in
Revelation.
.    Mrs. White alleged that she found this teaching in Leviticus 23
and the Book of Daniel.  We have asked Adventists to show us this
teaching ANYWHERE in the BIBLE - to date they have not.  (3/15/82). 
Let us look at WHAT THE BIBLE DOES, IN FACT, SAY TO REFUTE THIS LIE BY
MRS. WHITE.

.    "Without shedding of blood there is no remission" (Hebrews 9:22)
"The blood maketh atonement for the soul" (Leviticus 17:11) "Redeemed
by the precious blood of CHRIST" (I Peter 1:19) "Who His own self bare
OUR SINS in HIS OWN BODY on the tree" (I Peter 2:24) "Made peace
through the blood of His cross" (Colossians 1:20) "Made nigh by the
blood of Christ" (Ephesians 2:13) "He that believeth on HIM is not
condemned" (John 3:18) "There is therefore NOW NO CONDEMNATION to them
which are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24) "The blood of JESUS CHRIST
HIS (God's) SON cleanseth us from ALL SIN" (I John 1:7)

(4)  Adventism believes Christ inherited a sinful, fallen nature.  In
the Adventist publication BIBLE READINGS FOR THE HOME CIRCLE, page 115
in the 1915 edition, we read: "In His humanity Christ partook of our
sinful, fallen nature.  If not, then He was not 'made like unto His
brethren," was not 'in all points tempted like as we are," did not
overcome as we have to overcome, and is not, therefore, the complete
and perfect Saviour man needs and must have to be saved." This can be
restated - Believe in what we say OR YOU HAVE NO SAVIOUR!  Continuing:
"The idea that Christ was born of an immaculate or sinless mother
(Note - This is adopted ONLY by the ROMAN church - not evangelical
believers!), inherited no tendencies to sin, and for this reason did
not sin, removes Him from the realm of a fallen world, and from the
very place where help is needed.  On His human side, Christ inherited
just what every child OF ADAM inherits - a sinful nature.  On the
divine side, from His very conception He was begotten and born of the
Spirit.  And all this was done to place mankind on vantage- ground,
and to demonstrate that IN THE SAME WAY everyone who is 'born of the
Spirit' may gain victories over sin in his own sinful flesh.  Thus
each one is to overcome as CHRIST OVERCAME.  (as in Revelation 3:21). 
Without this birth there can be no victory over temptation, and no
salvation from sin, John 3:3-7"

.    We need to investigate the above teaching VERY CAREFULLY.  In the
BIBLE, we are told that we are partakers of God's Holiness (Hebrew
12:10); God and Christ ARE ONE as in John 10:30.  Above, we are told
that Christ partook "OUR SINFUL, FALLEN NATURE." The BIBLE tells us
JESUS was "Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners". 
Adventists would like us to believe that one could be "holy and
undefiled" yet have a "sinful, fallen nature!" If CHRIST INHERITED a
sinful, fallen nature, then HE WAS SUCH FOR HIS WHOLE LIFE!  This
MAKES IT NECESSARY THAT CHRIST, HIMSELF, WOULD NEED A SAVIOR!

(5)  The Final Heresy is the dogma of "SOUL SLEEP" based on the
teaching, found in many of the Adventist pamphlets, etc: "upon the
fundamental error of 'natural immortality' rest the doctrine of
consciousness in death, a doctrine like eternal torment, opposed to
the teaching of the Scriptures, to the dictates of reason and to our
feelings of humanity.  The theory of 'eternal punishment' is one of
the false doctrines that constitute the wine of the abominations of
Babylon...They received it from Rome, as they received the false
Sabbath."

.    This teaching ignores Paul's statement "Absent from the Body,
PRESENT WITH THE LORD" or "To be WITH CHRIST, which is FAR better."
We, also, cannot find ANY explanation of the term "NATURAL
IMMORTALITY" - especially when we see epitaphs in the newspaper EVERY
day!  God is not the God of confusion and, we feel these teachings are
illogical, and contrary to the expressed Word of God.

(6)   Adventists DEMAND believers to come back under the LAW and away
from GRACE, in their demand that the SABBATH is to be followed WITHOUT
QUESTION.  Mrs White wrote of a vision, thusly: "I was taken into
Heaven and shown the sanctuary and its appointments.  Jesus raised the
cover of the ark, and I beheld the tablets of stone on which the ten
commandments were written.  I was amazed as I saw the Fourth
Commandment in the very center of the ten precepts, with a soft halo
of light encircling it."

.    The Adventists claim that the Council of Laodicia in 364 A.D.
changed the Sabbath to Sunday.  Additionally, they claim that
Christians are still under the Law of Moses and are bound to keep the
"least of its precepts" - therefore keep the Sabbath.  Let us review
these issues in full:

.    The Sabbath was given as a "sign" and perpetual covenant between
Jehovah and Israel, as shown in Exodus 31:12-18.  The Ten
Commandments, of which the law of the Sabbath is the fourth, were
written by the finger of God on tablets of stone.  These commandments
are called the "ministrations of death" and the "ministration of
condemnation," "written and engraven in stone" (Corinthians 3:7,9),
which ministration, the HOLY SPIRIT tells us, is "done away" and
"abolished" (verses 11,13), and in its place we have the
"ministrations of the Spirit" and "the ministration of righteousness"
(verses 8,9).  Thus we read "Let no man therefore judge you .. of a
Sabbath day" (Colossians 2:16 - also Romans 14:5,6).
.    WE also read that the "handwriting of ordinances" was "blotted
out" and "nailed" to Christ's cross (as of old, bills were nailed to
the doorpost when paid), for Christ has FULFILLED the law on our
behalf, met it EVERY claim.
.    Look also to Romans 6:14) where we are placed in a POSITION of
FREEDOM from the Law, "Ye are not under the law, but under GRACE" (See
also Romans 7:4,6 and Galatians 5:18).  The ENTIRE book of Galatians
is directed at this main issue.  The rebuke is given by Paul to those
who sought to bring the Gentile converts under the yoke of the law as
given in ACTS 15.  We feel it is still applicable to the Adventists:
"Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the
disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?" (Verse
10)
.    If the SABBATH was to be a MANDATORY precept to be followed OR
LOSS OF SALVATION occurred, then WHY does the BIBLE not make this
evident, especially in the discourse of the Council of Jerusalem in
ACTS 15.  Why did the APOSTLES, instead refer to those who were
teaching this heresy as "those who troubled you with words and
subverting your souls?" If this precept were mandatory, why is there
not ONE single verse demanding compliance in the NEW TESTAMENT?
.    The sad part is that EVEN the ADVENTISTS do not follow the
SABBATH laws as mandated in the OLD TESTAMENT.  Look at Leviticus
23:32, where the Sabbath was to be kept from SUNSET to SUNSET, or
Jeremiah 17:21, where it states that NO BURDEN could be carried within
24 hours, or Exodus 35:3, where no fire could be kindled and Exodus
16:23, where NO COOKING could be done.  What THIS means is that EVERY
ADVENTIST IS CONDEMNED BY THEIR OWN STANDARD.

.    We pray for the release from this bondage by Adventists.  We ask
that you check out this teaching, if you are Adventist or have
Adventist friends or relatives.  Show them the Love of God that
provided Christ to pay for their sins.  A Christ (Messiah) that by the
BIBLE had to be PURE and without BLEMISH!  Jesus Christ, the ONLY son
of God, was AND IS that - "The Lamb of God that taketh away the sins
OF THE WORLD" as John the Baptist recognized, even then.  Jesus loved
you enough to die in YOUR place.  Jesus LOVES you, now to provide for
TOTAL release from the yoke you now live under.  Come to JESUS.

Computers For Christ - San Jose