|
|
|
|||
| 1. Begins with
man’s need for eternal security. Thus the appeal is self- centered, and remains so throughout. Never gets beyond egocentricity. |
1. Very similar. Appeal is usually to our natural selfishness. Seems difficult for us to conceive any other appeal being effective than the egocentric one. Begins with the sinner’s need. | 1. Begins with the revelation of the love of God at the cross (1 Cor. 2:l5). Appeal is to a higher motivation—love and gratitude. Thus not egocentric. | |||
| 2. The love of God is itself egocentric. Christ was sustained by self-centered concern. He did not die the equivalent of "the second death" but went immediately to Paradise, as the doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul requires. Thus true NT love, agape, is eclipsed and nullified. | 2. Extremely few of our contemporary writers or speakers recognize egocentric nature of love as understood by the popular churches, in contrast with self-emptying NT love (agape). Much confusion on the meaning of love. | 2. True love is absolutely self-emptying even willing to relinquish personal salvation for the good of others. Christ’s love the model. He died the equivalent of the second death. This love, abiding in the heart, banishes egocentricity, the cause of lukewarmness, and will finish the gospel task. | |||
| 3. Faith is "trust" in the sense of a grasping for the assurance of personal security in "salvation". Though there is much talk of "Christ" yet in fact everything centers in self and faith remains the means of satisfying personal insecurity. | 3. Much the same. Faith is almost universally defined in the same terms as the Evangelicals. | 3.
Faith is such a deep heart- appreciation of God’s sacrificial love that the believer is constrained to adopt Heaven’s principle of self-denying love as the motivation of all his acts. (He does right because it is right, not from hope of reward or fear of punishment.) Conquers egocentricity and luke- warmness. |
|||
| 4. Jesus taught
self-love is a virtue— "thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." But they are forced to misunderstand His command. The fundamental error of the natural immortality of the soul throws all their views of righteousness by faith badly out of focus. |
4. Jesus taught that love of self is a virtue, a necessary pre-condition to loving others. Self-love strongly emphasized and extremely popular. Love of self and proper self-respect confused. | 4. Jesus taught that the converted person will love his neighbor as before conversion he found it natural to love self. Only when self is crucified with Christ can men have a true sense of self- worth. This takes place when self-love, the central pillar of Satan’s kingdom, is expelled from the soul by faith. | |||
| 5. God long ago made a provision for your salvation, but Christ does not do anything for you until you "accept" Him. Thus the idea is conveyed that if you are saved it will be due to your own initiative. And if you are lost it is God who will take the initiative in punishing you. | 5. God has made a provision for your salvation but that does you no good until you "accept Christ." Egocentricity distorts and colors all concepts of justification. This is inevitable when the sinner is taught that everything depends on what he does about Gods offer. | 5. Christ has justified all men; the "good news" tells them so. By the Spirit He actively and persistently "draws" all until they beat Him off by persistent rejection. The "good news" is not IF you do your part, but if you truly appreciate what HE has done (have faith). True acceptance is real faith. | |||
| 6. The gospel is "good news" of what God will do for you if you do your part, that is, "accept Christ" and thus change your angry God into a friend. | 6. The gospel is "good news" of what God will do for you if you do your part. All depends on your initiative now. He waits for you to take the first step. | 6. The gospel is "good news" of what God has done and is doing for you now. He has "drawn" you all your life (Jer. 31:3; Jn. 12:32). If you do not resist, you will be saved. The gospel motivates to a true heart surrender, a response of faith. (SC p. 27). | |||
| 7. Gods acceptance of you depends upon your acceptance of Christ. He counts you outside the "family" until you do. |
7. Gods acceptance of you depends upon your acceptance of Christ. Much the same. |
7. God has already accepted you in Christ. Your part is to believe this truth, which is the gospel. Such "faith works," providing full motivation to obedience. | |||
| 8. God will
torture the lost in an ever- burning hell. The doctrine of natural immortality requires this. The egocentric motif thus distorts their view of the character of God. |
8. God will torture and destroy the lost in hell-fire that annihilates. | 8. "God destroys no man; every man who is destroyed will destroy himself." Sin, not God, destroys the wicked. The second death is a merciful thing to end their real misery. | |||
| 9. Forgiveness is Gods "pardon" of sins. No distinction whatever between forgiveness and the blotting out of sins. God virtually excuses sin on the basis of the "finished work of Christ." | 9. Forgiveness is God’s pardon of sins. Little emphasis on the cost involved or the fact that NT forgiveness is the taking away of the sin. | 9. Forgiveness is the taking away of sins. Emphasis is on the cost of the forgiveness—the sacrifice of Christ; "the blotting out of sins" necessary for the cleansing of the sanctuary, and the vindication of Christ. | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Three Contrasting Views | Section One | Section Two | |||||
| 10. It is hard to be saved and easy to be lost, but they have generally not developed the idea as much as some of us. | 10. Most think it is hard to be saved t and easy to be lost. Since few will make it to heaven it must be very hard indeed. Through many means, this idea is ingrained into youth. | 10. It’s easy to be saved and hard to be lost, once one understands and believes the truth of righteousness by faith. The "gospel" is important for what it is—good news." | |||
| 11. The sinner must be pressured into accepting and surrendering to Christ—accepting Christ while he continues to be self-centered and disobedient to God’s law. | 11. Usual evangelistic techniques use various subtle forms (some not subtle) to pressure a sinner to "accept" and "surrender," such as long, high-pressure altar calls based on egocentric motivation, hope of reward or fear of punishment. | 11. Any use of pressure, gimmicks, or fear, betrays the ineffectiveness of the message presented. The 1888 message heralded a new day in evangelism according to Ellen G. White. Once the truth is properly revealed to the truth-seeker, nothing can stop him from responding. | |||
| 12. When the sinner "accepts" he is "justified." | 12. When the sinner "accepts" he is "justified." | 12. In reality, all men were justified when Christ died for all. This is forensic. | |||
| 13. Justification by faith is a judicial act of accounting by God wherein an unrighteous man, still unrighteous, is declared righteous while he continues indulging sinful motivation. Antinomian motif. | 13. Basically the same, with extremely few exceptions. Objective and subjective aspects of justification confused. No change of heart takes place in this "justification by faith." | 13.
When God "declares one to be righteous He does not lie.
Justification by faith goes further than forensic justification and
involves a true change of heart. God counts faith for righteous- ness, and His "declaring" is in reality "reckoning" or recognizing. (See No. 3). |
|||
| 14. Expiation is Christ’s appeasing the Father’s wrath against sin and sinners, securing pardon or condoning sin. At best it is overcoming sin on lower levels, only to have it reappear on higher levels. | 14. In some mysterious way there is an expiation for sin that satisfies God’s wrath against sinners. Who else could the expiation satisfy? Overemphasis of legalistic framework of atonement eclipses power of grace. | 14. Although God truly hates sin, the sacrifice of Christ did not "appease" Him or motivate Him to love sinners, for He already loved them. The propitiation is offered by the Father; it reconciles the believing sinner and the universe. As flesh clothes bones, so grace clothes the legal basis of the atonement. | |||
| 15. Simply but fairly stated, their view of justification and righteousness by faith leads to disobedience of the commandments of God. How else can one explain the continued rejection of the fourth commandment after 125 years? | 15. Our popular view of justification and righteousness by faith for decades has not truly purified the church of immorality, lukewarmness, worldliness, covetousness, pride. | 15. True righteousness by faith leads the believer to a preparation for translation; more important, it leads the corporate body of the church toward that goal, in the same generation that accepts it. Manifested in obedience to God’s commandments, all of them. | |||
| 16. The supreme goal in life is to win eternal security, to be "saved," so if you die today you will go to heaven. | 16. The supreme goal in life is to get ready to enter heaven, to gain eternal security there. Personal "assurance" of security has highest priority. | 16. The supreme goal in life is securing the honor and vindication of Christ in the closing of "the great controversy." Christ must receive His reward. | |||
| 17. Sin is conduct unacceptable to the popular Christian community. Thus it does not include Sunday-keeping or Sabbath-breaking. | 17. Sin is the transgression of the law—the standard SDA definition. Often superficially understood as mere breaking of a moral taboo. Much emphasis is on "known" acts of sin. | 17. "Whatsoever is not faith is sin" or "sin is whatsoever is not of faith." (Remember the NT definition in No. 3). Sin is not the mere breaking of a taboo but a failure to appreciate Gods true character, revealed at the cross. | |||
| 18. Repentance is an unpleasant duty to be performed at the beginning of the Christian life. | 18. We have a hazy concept of repentance. Repentance is considered inconsistent with happiness and happiness is the Christian’s goal. To "fall on the Rock" is ridiculed. Much opposition to the believer’s cross. Ego must be satisfied. | 18. Repentance is a satisfying, happy experience of reality. It deepens throughout life. An ever deepening sorrow for sin means an ever closer relationship to Christ who was "made to be sin for us." One who "glories in the cross" is committed to any sacrifice. | |||
| 19. "Made under the law" (Galatians 4:4) means Christ was "made" under the Jewish ordinances. | 19. "Made under the law" in Gal. 4:4 means Christ was made under the Jewish ceremonial law (cf. commentary on the text, 6BC 966). | 19. "Made under the law" in Gal. 4:4 means under the condemnation of the moral law. Thus Christ was expressly not "exempt" from nothing, but chose not to sin. Both Substitute and Exemplar. | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Three Contrasting Views | Section One | Section Two | |||||
| 20. Christ’s flesh and nature were different from ours—He was exempt from "original sin." | 20. Most of our writers and theologians now teach that Christ took the sinless nature of Adam before the Fall. Thus He had "holy flesh." | 20. Christ "took" the sinful nature of man after the Fall. Thus He was sent "in the likeness of sinful flesh." He was "exempt" from nothing, but chose not to sin. Both Substitute and Exemplar. | |||
| 21. Christ bore our guilt only vicariously, not truly. This is in consequence of the above. | 21. Christ bore our guilt "vicariously" and only so. He could not actually bear the guilt. This is in consequence of a failure to grasp the reality of Christ’s identity with the corporate body of humanity. | 21. Christ bore our guilt actually although He was sinless. Christ truly identified Himself with us completely. His baptism was "unto repentance." (The word "vicarious" never used by EGW, ATJ or EJW). Cf. GCB 1901, p. 36. | |||
| 22. Temptation,
to Christ, was not the real thing we have to meet. His temptations were
only sinless temptations—that, is, He was tempted only to do things
that would not be sinful, some say, or He was tempted only as the
sinless Adam was. (For a good cross- section of Evangelical views, see Douty, Another Look at SDA’s, pp. 58, 59.) |
22. It was "impossible," "useless," and "unnecessary" for Christ to be truly tempted in all points like as we are. Virtually all same as Evangelical views. (These tragic misconceptions result from widespread ignorance of the 1888 message). Above quotes from Ministry Magazine, January 1961. Undoubtedly this view exacerbates immortality and divorce within the church. | 22. Christ was truly and sorely tempted in all points like as we are, identically with us, not merely as was the sinless Adam. He was tempted from within as we are, yet without sin. He knows the full force of any temptation any fallen son or daughter of Adam can feel—there is no one He cannot succor. Heb. 2:18. | |||
| 23. Christ was naturally good. His will was identical to His Father’s will. | 23. Christ was "naturally" good. His own will was identical to His Father’s will. No inner conflict. This view fails to appreciate reality of Christ’s incarnation and temptations as disclosed in Matthew 26:39. | 23. Christ’s righteousness was not "natural" but by faith. He had to deny His own will in order to follow His Father’s will, for His natural will was opposed to His Father’s will. John 5:30; 6:38. | |||
| 24. Specifically, Christ was no "example" or "norm" in the area of sexuality. (For an example of this view, see panel discussion in Christianity Today, July 21,1967.) | 24. There is practically no reference in contemporary SDA literature to Christ’s temptability in the realm of sexuality. It seems shocking to think He was a normal sexual being. | 24. Does not hesitate to present Christ as completely relevant. He truly came "in the flesh." Clear definitions of Christ’s temptability are in the Messianic Psalms. If He is not a complete Saviour, He cannot "succor" us who are so tempted. The message modern Christian’s need. | |||
| 25. Due to a false view of the nature of Christ His "righteousness" is a meaningless term. Calvinistic views limit His righteousness to substitution and ignore the reality of His example to us. | 25. "Christ’s righteousness" is a household term to us, but our confusion on the nature of Christ makes the concept hazy. It is generally assumed that Christ was good because He had a different genetic inheritance from us. It’s our good luck that He is a moral millionaire who can "cover" our moral debts for us. You’ll have to keep sinning, at least unknowingly. Keep your "insurance" paid up by trusting and you’re "covered." | 25. Christ’s righteousness is the norm for each person in his particular circumstance at any moment. In other words, through the surrender to the principle of the cross. Christ met your particular problem as of now by complete victory over sin and self. This is His righteousness—it is something relevant to you. Truly, from this moment Christ has set you free so you need never sin again! The key is true, genuine faith. Christ is both Example and Substitute. | |||
| 26. No concept whatever of the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary as a work parallel to, or consistent with, righteousness by faith. "Have no knowledge of the way into the most Holy, and they cannot be benefited by the intercession of Jesus there" (EW, p. 261). | 26. Most of our people have no concept at all of the cleansing of the sanctuary as a work vital to genuine righteousness by faith, or closely related to it. Reluctance to preach sanctuary truth for fear of identification with "offshoots" or so-called "perfectionism." | 26. It is truly impossible to understand the kind of righteousness by faith that will prepare a people for the coming the Lord apart from a clear grasp of the sanctuary truth in its final phase. Otherwise both "doctrines" are sterile. | |||
| 27. No concept whatever of the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary. | 27. Contemporary presentations of the cleansing of the sanctuary a | 27. The very heart of the 1888 message is the cleansing of the sanctuary. This results in the practical effect of the removal of sin from the heart of believers. The stream of sin that flows into the sanctuary must be stopped at its source—the hearts of God's people. | |||
|
Three
Contrasting Views | Section One | Section
Two |
|||||