Help From Above/Помощь Cвыше

by Dr. Terry Pooler

http://sabbathgracefellowship.org

Yesterday, after enjoying lunch with a Seventh-day Adventist teacher who has a passion for influencing young minds, he asked me to define the core difference between the church I pastor (Sabbath Grace Fellowship) and the typical Seventh-day Adventist church. When I finished my explanation, he shook his head and said, “That is profound! I had never seen it that way before. You need to write an article on this.”

Last night I could barely sleep, thinking about my friend’s suggestion. What follows is both the result of his appeal and my mind’s need for rest!

First, I share some background. I am at least a fourth generation Seventh-day Adventist. (I say `at least” because I’m not sure about my great-great grandmother’s religious persuasion.) My parents and grandparents were considered “conservative.” I attended Adventist schools from first grade through seminary, although my doctoral degree was granted from Andover Newton Theological School in Boston.

A 150-member country church was my first faith community, followed by large suburban churches during my academy years, and college or university churches after that. I have pastored a five-church country district, suburban, academy and college churches. So, I believe I have a fairly broad exposure to the culture of Adventism.

In varying degrees, I have discovered that the spirit of judgmentalism is fairly consistent among most Adventist congregations, especially those who seek to remain “truly unique in our Adventist heritage and beliefs.” Now the last time I checked, judgmentalism is not one of the 28 Fundamental Beliefs¹. Nor are Adventist preachers encouraged to deliver sermons on “How to Become More Judgmental.” In fact, the love of Christ is a common subject in most Adventist communities. So, why the judgmentalism?

Could it be that judgmentalism is part of the bedrock of Adventist theology? Before you toss this aside, please, consider the evidence.

Adventism’s theological roots are in the prophecies of Revelation, especially the Three Angel’s Messages of Chapter 14. Historically, the Seventh-day Adventist church saw itself as “coming out” of other apostate churches and establishing its identity as something other than. Most Adventists would define their church as being more “biblically pure” than other Christian churches.

From its prophetic and historic foundations, with the help of the writings of Ellen White, let’s recall phrases and concepts that are core to both historic and current Adventism:

“We are the remnant.”

“We have the truth.”

“The Catholic Church is the antichrist and Sunday observance is the mark of the Beast.”

“All non-Adventist Sunday keeping churches are ‘apostate Protestants’.'”

“Come out of Babylon my people”² (meaning that Sunday-keeping Christians need to embrace the Sabbath, i.e., become Adventists).

“All non-Adventists are ‘outsiders’³ and non-Adventist books, universities or seminar teaching churches are ‘broken cisterns’⁴”- contaminated sources of truth.

Examples for this type of thinking can be heard in conversations: “An ‘outsider’ gave a presentation in Sabbath School today.” “Why did our pastor go to that seminar at Willow Creek and drink from a broken cistern? All we need to know is in the Bible and the writings of Sister White, if our pastors would just take the time to study them!”

The list can be expanded, but I think you get the point.

Prophetic and historic theology of Adventism clearly teaches that the Adventist denomination is the only true church - the “Remnant.” Adventists believe that although their church is still imperfect, it nevertheless is superior to all other Christian churches. It sits atop the pyramid of Christian denominations with “apostate Protestants” below them and the antichrist Catholics on the bottom.

The result of this bedrock theology of superiority among traditional Adventists has created several sad results. First, by the traditional Sabbath versus Sunday, Revelation prophecies evangelistic outreach approach, Adventism has often attracted converts who tend to be judgmental and argumentative from the beginning. These people have a strange attraction to teachings about subversive elements in government, large churches and world banks. They often are separatists who “always knew” there was something secretly amiss out there, and these eye-opening Adventist prophetic studies have helped to confirm their suspicions. “Be careful; don’t trust anyone who doesn’t believe as you.”

Second, many Adventists hesitate or refuse to visit a non-SDA church. Why? Because this is a “broken cistern” where one could be deceived. The inner fear is: “Perhaps, if I relax and worship or seek to learn from them, then the Devil will subtly lead me into deception.” Yet if you ask these Adventists if they believe that members of a non-SDA church might be in the kingdom, they will probably concede that possibility.

Hence, the Adventist dilemma: How can God actually be blessing and bringing people to salvation in an apostate church where the Devil is also doing his work of deception? Should I pray for the success of this congregation or pray for its demise? This conflict finds few answers in the “come out of Babylon” theology.

Finally, and in my opinion the saddest result of traditional Adventist thinking, it produces a culture of judgmentalism even amongst its members. A denomination which teaches that all other Christians are less than, not as good as, biblically inferior to, and outside of the truth, will tend to grow members who are not only judgmental and suspicious of other Christians BUT also of each other.

In other words, the denomination’s creation of a judgmental ecclesiastical pecking order with denominations also creates a pecking order culture among its own members, within its own walls.

Many members who worship together, and especially those who work side-by-side in Adventist institutions, learn to live two lives⁵. Their primary life is influenced by “What will the other members think?” It becomes one of pretense and posturing, a hiding of personal weaknesses and struggles. Their second life, often so private that they don’t consciously explore it, is filled with fear and insecurity about their own spirituality and salvation. Or, it can become a secret life of forbidden pleasures. They become experts in pretense - which can lead to comparative and competitive behaviors with other members in an attempt to elevate their own fragile sense of spirituality.

This spiritual insecurity of Adventists has been intensified by the confusing concept that God requires perfection. This has traditionally led to a very conservative, behavior-based religion: “Don’t go to movies or dance or smoke or drink or wear makeup or jewelry. Don’t eat meat or eat out on Sabbath. Study more, hand out literature, give more money, get ready for the latter rain and prepare for the time of trouble!”

Many Adventists have worried that in the ongoing Investigative Judgment that their name will come up before the judgment bar of God at any moment, and woe be to the person who has even one unconfessed sin⁶. This fear is compounded by the thought that perhaps they actually do have unconfessed sin in their heart but are unaware of it⁷ because they have quieted the Spirit’s convicting voice by their lack of commitment. And then, in that terrible time of trouble, they must be so cleansed of all sin that they can stand in the crisis without a mediator.

Indeed, it’s no wonder that Adventist theology has bred a spirit of insecurity and a culture of judgmentalism.

Okay, some readers are thinking, “That’s not the Adventism I believe.” Hopefully not. But I challenge you to speak with those who have Adventist roots as deep as mine. Whether one believes this about Adventism doesn’t deny its existence. Judgmentalism is a foundational cultural reality.

Yes, there are emerging Adventist congregations who are intentionally nonjudgmental by focusing more on grace than behavior. However, there are other more conservative administrators and congregations who fear that the denomination is slipping away from its roots, becoming too much like other apostate churches, too focused on “love and grace” rather than obedience⁸, too willing to compromise standards. They are calling the denomination back to its historic conservative, prophetic roots.

So what is the basic difference between traditional Adventist churches and Sabbath Grace Fellowship? Sabbath Grace teaches that there is no pecking order of denominations and no “outsiders”⁹ in the Christian community. We believe that there is plenty of evidence that both God and Satan are working in all Christian churches¹⁰, including the Adventist denomination. No church has all the truth¹¹. This means that:

Adventists could learn a great deal from other churches about:

- Worshiping in Spirit and truth

- Serious Bible study (Adventists would often be shamed by the intense passion many non-Adventist congregations have for the study of God’s Word)

- Love and fellowship

- Openness and honesty

- Community service for its own sake (That means we serve human needs without always clamoring for public denominational recognition. It even means that Adventists are willing to join forces with other churches to serve a community and even celebrate when those served choose to join a non-Adventist church.)

Adventism offers to other Christian churches concepts like:

- The blessings of the Sabbath, rightly understood from a perspective of grace¹².

- The enhanced perspective about the loving character of God that the concept of soul sleep teaches, in contrast to the concept of the immortal soul wherein God keeps a person alive to suffer eternal torment.

- Insights on healthful living.

- Perspectives on the cosmic battle between Christ and Satan.

Sabbath Grace teaches that all believers in Christ are on a personal journey toward God. Some were on this journey, with His nudging through conscience and circumstance, even before they were aware of God.

Our focus is to provide a safe nonjudgmental environment where each person can more fully connect with God and explore his or her spiritual journey. We are not here to criticize, control or change what we see in another person. We believe that is the work of God’s Spirit. Rather, we are here to support and encourage each other¹³ to stay on the journey with God and to respond positively to His convictions.

We share how God has convicted us and encourage others to consider, explore, pray and listen to God’s application of similar truths upon their heart. If they are convicted differently, we will not condemn nor argue¹⁴ but support and, perhaps, learn from their convictions.

This means that we can freely join hands with churches of different labels who have a common desire to serve people in need. We invite them to preach and worship with us and they, in turn, ask us to do the same. We collect offerings for them to aid in serving their community-and they do the same for us.

In addition, we share our facility, including offices, equipment and receptionist, with a Sunday church and have joint Passion Week communions and are planning a joint lake baptism. More importantly, we celebrate each other’s growth and blessings even as we dialogue about our doctrinal differences in a spirit of learning and growing.

Theologically, Sabbath Grace Fellowship bases our priorities on Jesus’ prayer of

John 17: 17-23:

- Priority #1: Vs. 17- “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” This is the work of God’s Spirit on our individual hearts to transform our mind and attitudes resulting in the growth of the Fruit of the Spirit as defined in Galatians 5:22 “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

- Priority #2: Vs. 20-21- “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one.” Jesus prays that the community of faith will be in loving, graceful, nonjudgmental “oneness.” We realize that the Fruit of the Spirit are primarily relational qualities. These are expressed and grow best when we are in relationship in the faith community. These people should be “one” in the sense that Jesus and the Father are one, i.e. not forced, not a pretense, not controlling but the result of the common growing reality of the Fruit of the Spirit. The importance of this oneness is stressed by Jesus mentioning it four times in His prayer.

- Priority #3: Vs. 21- “May they also be [one] in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” The world believes our evangelistic message when they see the loving people and loving community this message has created. Jesus prays four times that the faith community become “one” and then twice gives the reason, i.e. SO THAT the world may know that He came. Thus, the credibility of the church’s evangelistic outreach will be determined by how successfully their beliefs have created a community of love, support and nonjudgmental¹⁵ fellowship.

Too often the Adventist church has emphasized priorities #1 and #3 to the neglect of #2. A member is repeatedly taught to get his or her life in order, get perfect, change attitudes and behaviors . . . then get some literature and share the Sabbath (and maybe Jesus) with neighbors. This incomplete emphasis fuels the spirit of judgmentalism because it neglects the importance of the second priority, i.e. the community of loving, nonjudgmental oneness. But Jesus clearly shows that this community, its openness, its lack of pretense, its genuineness, its love and its nonjudgmental attitude is the basis for successful evangelism.

We at Sabbath Grace Fellowship also tell people that the Apostle Paul was correct when he said to the Philippian jailer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.”¹⁶ Nothing more. We believe that Jesus by His grace has a wonderful way of changing people’s destructive behavior¹⁷ without our trying to shame, manipulate or control. We teach that spiritual growth measured by “dos and don’ts” is deceptive¹⁸ but marking our spiritual journey by the growth of the Fruit of the Spirit (which is the character of Christ) in our everyday life is genuine.

Since all are on the journey, and none pretend to be superior, it is safe at Sabbath Grace Fellowship to share personal struggles, vices and doubts because one knows that the response will be one of support and encouragement, not condemnation. For example, during each week’s worship service at Sabbath Grace there is a time of sharing testimonies of celebration. It is not uncommon for a worshiper to celebrate their first year of alcohol sobriety or their second week of freedom from Internet pornography. We applaud and hug! Nor does a person hesitate to say, “I’m back to start my rehabilitation again after taking a drink at my birthday party.” We celebrate!

Denominationally wounded people who have not been to church for years have said, “I don’t care what day you worship on, this is the way church ought to be!”

Sabbath Grace Fellowship is not perfect¹⁹ by any means-but we’re glad we don’t have to worry about that. God, who began a good work in us, will be faithful to complete it.

Today I “rest” in Jesus and feel content that our church is a place where He abides and others can grow.

So this is my answer. Thanks for asking.

References:

1 - Sabbath Grace Fellowship is a nondenominational, Sabbath honoring, grace oriented, nonjudgmental Christian Church in Orlando, Florida. Its motto is: “A safe place to grow as we journey together with God.” I was asked to pastor this new church plant in 2004 by its founding lay leaders, all of whom have Adventist background. Statement of Faith and Core Values can be found at http://sabbathgracefellowship.com/

2 - Now, one cannot think it strange for Adventist to think of themselves as being the only true church. Many denominations teach such. Other denominations also struggle with a spirit of exclusive judgmentalism. Someone once said, “Every person believes their opinion to be the best, otherwise they would change it.” But how many denominations call themselves the “remnant.”

3 - My prediction is that those Adventist churches seeking to move away from Adventism’s behavioristic, judgmental roots will increasingly be considered compromising and lukewarm by the conservative elements of the denomination. In the end, the conservative elements will control the purse, the administration and the direction of the denomination because the grace oriented churches will choose to function less and less under their control and influence.

4 - I’m not suggesting that the need for loving community is not heard from Adventist preachers and teachers. But in reality its importance, in light of Jesus’ prayer, is not well understood and has not been emphasized as strongly as are priorities #1 and #3, with resulting ill effect.

Русскоязычный вариант перевода данной статьи находится здесь: Размышления адвентиста в 4-м поколении о проблеме духа осуждения

Translation into Russian is available at http://noelrt.com/?p=12
© Copyright 2006 Terry Pooler

Translator’s notes:

1. Notes by translator Tatyana Noel-Tsygulska: Fundamental beliefs [-]
2. Allusion to Revelation 18:4 [-]
3. allusion to Colossians 4:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:12 [-]
4. allusion to Jeremiah 2:13 [-]
5. Christ taught how hypocrisy starts. Mark 7:5-9: ⁵ Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? ⁶ He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. ⁷ Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. ⁸ For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. ⁹ And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. [-]
6. On confession of sins see The Secret Of Confession [-]
7. There is a good news in the Bible about redemption of sins of ignorance. The High Priest makes such a redemption in Day of Atonement: “Hebrews 9:6-7: ⁶ When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. ⁷ But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.” Christ, our High Priest, already offered the Sacrifice. See also Spirit, Flesh and Blood [-]
8. God needs not just obedience, but obedience out of love. 1 Corinthians 13:2-3: «If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.» If God needed just plain obedience, He would immediately after rebellion started have destroyed the fallen angel and his followers. In this case all the rest of created beings would have obeyed Him out of fear. But God is not like that. He is Love. He need our sincere love and loving obedience - Matthew 22:36-39 [-]
9. All Christians, who accepted Christ are one Body of Christ, one Church. Colossians 1:24: «²⁴ Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.» Romans 12:4-6: «⁴ Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.» Ephesians 4:4-6: «⁴ There is one body and one Spirit– just as you were called to one hope when you were called– ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.» Apostle Paul rebuked and called as worldly or carnal the Christians who considered themselves to be followers of different people, not the Christ: 1 Corinthians 1:11-13: «¹¹ My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. ¹² What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” ¹³ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?» ^NIV 1 Corinthians 3:1 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly– mere infants in Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:4-7 ⁴ For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? ⁵ Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? ⁶ I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. ⁷ So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. [-]
10. Satan was present even at the last supper (John 13:21, 26-27). Even the physical presence of Christ in the flesh didn’t remove the fallen angel from a Christian congregation. [-]
11. Human knowledge of the Truth is limited. 1 Corinthians 8:2: «And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.» 1 Corinthians 12:13: «For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.» The Lord foresaw it and proclaimed it through the Apostle Paul, that there has to be heresies among Christians: ^KJV 1 Corinthians 11:19: «For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.» [-]
12. Such perspective is presented in Pastor Ray Pichette’s sermon “Principles How to Keep the Sabbath Holy“ [-]
13. ^NAS 1 Thessalonians 5:14 And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men. “ ^NIV 1 Corinthians 14:3 But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. ^NKJ 1 Corinthians 14:31 For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. [-]
14. ^KJV 1 Corinthians 11:16: “But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.” [-]
15. ^KJV Philemon 1:6: “That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.” [-]
16. Acts 16:31 [-]
17. ^KJV Titus 2:11-12: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” [-]
18. NIV Colossians 2:18-23: “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility… disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connection with the Head…. 20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” [-]
19. Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 3:12: “¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” [-]

Tags: Current Issues Among Seventh Day Adventists

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