In pointing out the cultic doctrines of Adventism, are former Adventists overreacting?
I don't believe so.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church considers Ellen White to be more than a prophet. She is considered to be an infallible interpreter of Holy Scripture.
"It is from the standpoint of the light that has come through the Spirit of Prophecy (Mrs. White’s writings) that the question will be considered, believing as we do that the Spirit of Prophecy is the only infallible interpreter of Bible principles, since it is that Christ, through this agency, giving real meaning of his own words." (from the tract The Mark of the Beast, p. 1, G. A. Irwin, General Conference President)
She is no ordinary person. If an ordinary Seventh-day Adventist told you the following you would (or should) be shocked!
Satan told Christ that he was only to set his feet in the blood-stained path, but not to travel it. Like Abraham he was tested to show his perfect obedience. He also stated that he was the angel that stayed the hand of Abraham as the knife was raised to slay Isaac, and he had now come to save his life; that it was not necessary for him to endure the painful hunger and death from starvation; he would help him bear a part of the work in the plan of salvation. (Review and Herald, August 4, 1874)
Where in the Bible does it say?
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that Satan told Christ that he was only to set his feet in the blood-stained path, but not to travel it?
- that Satan told Christ that, like Abraham, he was being tested to show his perfect obedience?
- that Satan told Christ that he was the angel that stayed the hand of Abraham as the knife was raised to slay Isaac, and he had now come to save his life?
- that Satan told Christ that it was not necessary for him to endure the painful hunger and death from starvation?
- that Satan told Christ that he would help him bear a part of the work in the plan of salvation?
- that Christ had no idea who Satan was?
There is absolutely no evidence in the Bible that Christ, who was God the Son, did not know exactly who Satan was!
There is NO "Great Controversy" between Christ and Satan! Sin has a way of shrinking God down, and puffing us up in our own estimation. We are not here worshipping some teeny, tiny God. We are the ones on a teeny, tiny planet. Though we are tiny and frail we are a miracle. Each of us are incredibly special to God. We are fearfully and wonderfully made.
To pronounce another religious group to be false can seem like a pompous undertaking, especially in a culture that preaches tolerance for everything from homosexuality to a mother's "right" to kill her unborn child. Tolerance is the banner that unites much of our culture, and anyone who points a judging finger at someone or something is often ridiculed.
But Christians are told in the Bible to separate themselves from the sinful practices of man and to expose error. "Examine all things and to hold fast to that which is true" says God's word (1 Thess. 5:21). So we, as former Adventists, do. Having been Adventists most of our lives, we are in a unique position, to understand and identify the differences.
What does it mean to examine if we do not judge what is right and wrong? Jesus judged the Pharisees as hypocrites. Peter judged Ananias and Saphira as liars (Acts 5:3-4). Paul judged the Galatians as fools (Gal. 3:1).
The reason something can be said to be right or wrong is because the Bible has laid out before us a moral and doctrinal standard that is clear. It is wrong to lie. So, we are able to say to someone who lies, "What you are doing is wrong." That is making a judgment.
To make a judgment means that we must recognize that there are absolutes. In a world that worships relativism, absolutes are not welcome and the cults that espouse their demonic doctrines beg tolerance.
As former Adventists, we stand for the truth of God's word, not a compromising collection of beliefs based on the writings of a false prophet. The cults are cults because they deny the true God, add works to salvation, and corrupt a multitude of biblical truths. Their end and the end of all who follow them is damnation. To do anything other than warn people about them would be unloving.
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