Adventist Apostasy or Not?
“In the balances of the sanctuary the Seventh-day Adventist church is to be weighed. She will be judged by the privileges and advantages that she has had. If her spiritual experience does not correspond to the advantages that Christ, at infinite cost, has bestowed on her, if the blessings conferred have not qualified her to do the work entrusted to her, on her will be pronounced the sentence: “Found wanting.” By the light bestowed, the opportunities given, will she be judged.” {8T, p 247}.
Alpha and Omega of Apostasy by Moses Mason
“If the church refuses to hear the voice of the Heavenly Merchant man, refuses to open the door, then Christ will pass on, and it will be left destitute of His presence, destitute of true riches, but saying in self-righteousness, ‘I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing’ Revelation 3:17.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 11, 291.
“Will the churches heed the Laodicean message? Will they repent, or will they, notwithstanding that the most solemn message of truth—the third angel’s message—is being proclaimed to the world, go on in sin? This is the last message of mercy, the last warning to a fallen world. If the church of God becomes lukewarm, it does not stand in favor with God any more than do the churches that are represented as having fallen and become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird. .” Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, 176.
“A sin-hating God calls upon those who claim to keep His law to depart from all iniquity. A neglect to repent and to render willing obedience will bring upon men and women today as serious consequences as came upon ancient Israel. There is a limit beyond which the judgments of Jehovah can no longer be delayed. The desolation of Jerusalem in the days of Jeremiah is a solemn warning to modern Israel, that the counsels and admonitions given them through chosen instrumentalities cannot be disregarded with impunity.” Prophets and Kings, 416, 417.
“I have been shown that the spirit of the world is fast leavening the church. You are following the same path as did ancient Israel. There is the same falling away from your holy calling as God’s peculiar people. You are having fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. Your concord with unbelievers has provoked the Lord’s displeasure. You know not the things that belong to your peace, and they are fast being hid from your eyes. Your neglect to follow the light will place you in a more unfavorable position than the Jews upon whom Christ pronounced a woe.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 75, 76.
“The enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day Adventists, and that this reformation would consist in giving up the doctrines which stand as the pillars of our faith, and engaging in a process of reorganization. Were this reformation to take place, what would be the result?–The principles of truth that God in His wisdom has given to the remnant church would be discarded. Our religion would be changed. The fundamental principles that have sustained the work for the last fifty years would be accounted as error. A new organization would be established.” Selected Messages, book 1, p 204-205.
The world must not be introduced into the church and married to the church. Through union with the world the church will become corrupt,—“a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” The customs of the world must not have a place; for they will be open doors through which the prince of darkness will find access, and the line of demarkation will become indistinguishable between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. Jesus presented a parable to his followers concerning a field in which it was supposed there was nothing sown but good wheat. But those to whom the field had been intrusted looked upon it with disappointment, for with the wheat came up also a crop of tares. They inquired of the owner, “Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?” The owner of the field replied, “An enemy hath done this.” RH February 26, 1895, par. 4
“Of those who boast of their light, and yet fail to walk in it, Christ says, ‘but I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum [Seventh-day Adventists, who have had great light], which art exalted unto heaven [in point of privilege], shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the Day of Judgment, than for thee.’ {RH, August 1, 1893}. [THE BRACKETED COMMENTS ARE BY ELLEN WHITE].
“Who can truthfully say: “Our gold is tried in the fire; our garments are unspotted by the world”? I saw our Instructor pointing to the garments of so-called righteousness. Stripping them off, He laid bare the defilement beneath. Then He said to me: “can you not see how they have pretentiously covered up their defilement and rottenness of character?’ How is the faithful city become an harlot!’ My Father’s house is made a house of merchandise, a place whence the divine presence and glory have departed! For this cause there is weakness, and strength is lacking.” {8T, p 250}.
Adventist Apostasy?
That Ellen White never excluded from her writings the possibility of the SDA church falling and becoming part of fallen Babylon is further evidenced in the following quote:
“We must as a people arouse and cleanse the camp of Israel. Licentiousness, unlawful intimacy, and unholy practices are coming in among us in a large degree; and ministers who are handling sacred things are guilty of sin in this respect. They are coveting their neighbors’ wives, and the seventh commandment is broken. We are in danger of becoming a sister to fallen Babylon, of allowing our churches to become corrupted, and filled with every foul spirit, a cage for every unclean and hateful bird; and will we be clear unless we make decided movements to cure the existing evil?” {21MR, p 380, 1886}.
“That night I dreamed that I was in Battle Creek looking out from the side glass at the door and saw a company marching up to the house, two and two. They looked stern and determined. I knew them well and turned to open the parlor door to receive them, but thought I would look again. The scene was changed. The company now presented the appearance of a Catholic procession. One bore in his hand a cross, another a reed. And as they approached, the one carrying a reed made a circle around the house, saying three times: ‘This house is proscribed. The goods must be confiscated. They have spoken against our holy order.” (E.White, Testimonies for the Church, Volume 1, p.578)
“The warning is given in the Word, “Some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.” We now repeat, Parents, keep your children away from Battle Creek. Some of our medical missionary workers are becoming leavened with infidelity. Specious heresy has been taking hold of minds, and its threads have been woven into the pattern of the figure. Who is responsible for giving young men and women an education that has left a seducing influence upon their minds? One father writes that of his two children, who were sent to Battle Creek, one is now an infidel and the other has given up the truth.” {20 MS, p 67}. Letter 208, June 29, 1906.
“I am charged to tell our people that do not realize, that the devil has device after device, and he carries them out in ways that they do not expect. Satan’s agencies will invent ways to make sinners out of saints. ‘I tell you now, that when I am laid to rest, great changes will take place. I do not know when I shall be taken; and I desire to warn all against the devices of the devil. I want the people to know that I warned them fully before my death. I do not know especially what changes will take place; but they should watch every conceivable sin that Satan will try to immortalize.’ ” {1MS, p1,1915}.
Adventist Apostasy?
Is the Seventh-day Adventist church an apostate church or is it that there is apostasy within the church? What constitutes the church? Is it the building? Is it the conference organisation? Please consider the following quote by Ellen G White,
God has a church. It is not the great cathedral, neither is it the national establishment, neither is it the various denominations; it is the people who love God and keep His commandments. “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). Where Christ is even among the humble few, this is Christ’s church, for the presence of the High and Holy One who inhabiteth eternity can alone constitute a church. UL 315.5
The fact is that God loves his church and will soon shake and sift her. Dear reader, what do you think?