Now to return to the young man who asked the Lord Jesus, "Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" Let us notice what Mr. William Kelly says about this man: "He had not learned the first lesson a Christian knows, what a convicted sinner is learning—that he is LOST. The youth showed that he had never felt his own ruin. He assumed that he was capable of doing good; but the sinner is like the leper in Lev. 13, who could not bring an offering to God, but only remain outside, crying, `Unclean, unclean.' The young man had no sense of sin. He regarded eternal life as the result of a man's doing good. He had been doing the law; and, as far as he knew, he never broke it." The Lord took him up on his own ground and proved that he could not thereby obtain eternal life.
In the other case, that of the lawyer (one who dealt in the ten commandments), he asked, "What shall I DO that I may inherit eternal life?" He had put himself on the ground of the law when he said "do," so the Lord asked him how he read the law. To this he correctly quoted the summary of the commandments. That was the basis of DOING the law. But his great mistake was that he did not know he was spiritually dead; what could he do? The Lord was going to prove to him the utter futility of keeping the law for eternal life. The Lord in His reply said, "This do, and thou shalt live"—note carefully, not have eternal life, but LIVE ON THE EARTH. But he had broken the law, death was his portion. Of what use is it to go to a man condemned to death for murder and tell him, "Keep the law of your state and you will live"? He would rightly ridicule you for your ignorance and stupidity.
Mr. Kelly said of the young man of Matt. 19, that he did not know what sin was. Let us turn aside here for a moment and see if that is not the root matter of the Seventh Day Adventists' legalism.
What is sin? To this the whole body of Adventist writers answer in unison, "Sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:44Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4). Mrs. White wrote that it is "our only definition of sin." This is a proof that they do not know what sin is, for here again the King James Version is defective. Breaking a known law is sin, but sin comprises more than that; it "is lawlessness"—it is the creature's exercise of his own will in independence of his Creator, even when there was no law given. Well may we ask again, Why do not the Adventists quote this verse from the R.S.V. and most other translations? Simply because the verse as found in the King James Version suits their error.
Nor does the correct understanding of this verse depend alone on the translation of the Greek of 1 John 3:44Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4), because the collateral testimony of other scriptures settles the issue. Remember THIS verse, "Where no law is, there is no transgression." You cannot break a law unless you have one, but man may sin against God without breaking any law. God says that the "plowing of the wicked is sin," and "the thought of foolishness is sin." Yet there is no commandment against either. Rom. 5 says, "For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression." vv. 13, 14. From Adam to Moses there was NO LAW. Adam broke a divine command, but no other was given until the time of Moses when the ten commandments were given. But "sin was in the world" during all that time, even though men did not have the ten commandments (regardless of what Seventh-day Adventists say about this, the Word of God is plain); they sinned and they died. Yes, death reigned because of sin. To say that sin is only the breaking of the commandments is grievous and well-nigh fatal error. Those who make such a claim do not know what sin is; therefore their ideas of redemption and what is necessary for eternal life must be wrong, as also what is just retribution for sin.
It is demonstrably clear that the Adventists have never learned the difference between God's dealing with man under the law in Old Testament times to see if he were a recover able sinner (only to prove him hopelessly lost—"without strength," and "dead") and that in the New Testament where God stopped seeking fruit from man in the flesh and gave His beloved Son to be the Savior—to SAVE by His death and blood-shedding, not by His law-keeping. The law served its purpose in condemning man; now God has come out in pure grace. But listen to the Adventists' Mr. Varner J. Johns: "There are those who appropriate the blessings of the new covenant to those alone who have lived since Calvary. Such teaching divides the way of God's dealings with men. It takes grace away from the Old Testament Scriptures and law from the New. It belittles the law and misrepresents the gospel. It takes away the 'law, the prophets and the psalms,' leaving a dissected Bible and a perverted gospel."—Review and Herald, May 9, 1957.
Does anyone need further proof that the Adventists corrupt both the law and the gospel? They try to make an emasculated law without power to destroy, and a gospel with a corrupted grace, be cause law is connected with it and made a part of it. Thus with them law is no more law, and grace is no more grace. This is borne out by a statement to their Bible teachers about being "careful to stress the practical harmony between the law and the gospel."—Review and Herald, June 27, 1957. Thus both the law and the gospel are corrupted. This hybrid system is utterly false and is in principle a denial of the distinctive characters not only of the law and the gospel, but of Judaism and Christianity, of sin and of holiness. This is serious, for the Apostle explains in Rom. 7 that to be under both law and grace is spiritual adultery.
We might add that the Seventh-day Adventists seek to prove that "God's people knew the Ten Commandments and were expected to observe them before Sinai."—Signs of the Times, May, 1957. This is not so. Their contention is based on the fact that in Exod. 16, the people were given instructions about neither receiving nor gathering manna on the Sabbath day. This was just before the giving of the law on Mount Sinai; it is no proof that they had the law before that dreadful day when it was given. But the law was given at Sinai "that the offense might abound"—not that sin might abound, but the offense, "that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful." Man by natural conscience knew it was wrong to steal and murder, etc., but when God expressly forbade it to Israel under the law, it became worse—"exceeding sinful." And the Apostle Paul says the law awakened lust in him, for the very things it forbade, he especially desired to do; therefore, "the strength of sin is the law."
In further evidence of the commandment-keeping character of the Seventh-day Adventist movement, we call on a pamphlet entitled, Marks of the True Church, by Carlyle B. Haynes, published by the Review and Herald Publishing Association in 1951, and still being sold in 1957. It gives "Two Outstanding Marks" which "This true church of the Lord" will have; namely,
"It is to be a commandment keeping church."
"And it is to possess the Testimony of Jesus."
Mr. Haynes adds: "There is only one movement, one body of people, which meets these specifications today." So the Seventh-day Adventists claim to be the only ones who are "commandment-keepers," and they alone have Mrs. White as their prophetess; that is, have "the Spirit of prophecy."
Now all this strange conglomeration about Mrs. White's "Testimony of Jesus" and law-keeping are worked out of Rev. 12, where the nation of Israel is removed and their place usurped by the Seventh-day Adventists. In this chapter it says, "And the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to His throne." vv. 4,5. Now by what method of twisting can the Seventh-day Adventists make out that this woman is the Church? Did the Church bring forth Christ? To even ask such a question is ludicrous. The "woman" from whom Christ was born is Israel, and no one else. This is not only clear to any sober mind, but Isa. 9 proves it conclusively. Let us read: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." The mother here
is the woman mentioned in Rev. 12—Israel—and here she has a child, and it is "a son"—"a man child," as Revelation says. Furthermore, lest there be any mistake as to who this Son is, "... the government shall be upon His [Christ's] shoulder." Does not this fit perfectly with Rev. 12, where this Son is "to rule all nations"? Then in Revelation we learn that He was caught up to God and His throne. (vv. 4, 5.)
But after the Adventists twist this to mean the Church, then they come down to the last verse in the chapter and, calling themselves "The Remnant Church," apply this to themselves: "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." HERE, they say, WE ARE-because we keep the ten commandments and have the Spirit of prophecy—Mrs. White.
And so Mr. Arthur S. Maxwell, editor of the Adventists' Signs of the Times, says of the "Advent Movement" that "Everywhere it has called men and women back to the Bible, back to the Ten Commandments, back to the holy Sabbath, until today, scattered in the larger countries of the world and many islands of the sea, there are nearly a million people,... who 'keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.' "—Christ and Tomorrow, p. 81. And another Adventist writer has said, "There can be no evasion of our duty to obey the Ten Commandments."—Signs of the Times, May, 1957. Mrs. White wrote: "Obedience or disobedience is the question to be decided by the whole world. All men will be called to choose between the law of God and the laws of men. Here the dividing line will be drawn. There will be but two classes. Every character will be fully developed."—The Desire of Ages, p. 763. And the Review and Herald of June 6, 1957 quotes one of their new converts as saying, "/ am determined to cast in my lot with those who keep all of God's commandments." Now regardless of what Seventh-day Adventists or their apologists have said, or may yet say to the contrary, we have honestly sought out the facts, and they are irrefutable. The Adventists bring all who come under their sway under the
law. One of their remarks is, "If you know nothing else but the Ten Commandments, follow the gleam."—Review and Herald, May 30, 1957. We may ask, 'What gleam? So terrible was the sight at the giving of the law that "Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake."
Let us now go back to the early days of Adventism, back to 1846. At this time Mrs. White had one of her notable visions (which "gift," according to statements by others, has the same authority as the prophets' writings of old). She says: "But the Lord gave me a view of the heavenly sanctuary. The temple of God was open in heaven, and I was shown the ark of God covered with the mercy seat. Two angels stood one at either end of the ark, with their wings spread over the mercy seat, and their faces turned toward it. This, my accompanying angel informed me, represented all the heavenly host looking with reverential awe toward the law of God, which had been written by the finger of God.
"Jesus raised the cover of the ark, and I beheld the tables 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. Said the angel, 'It is the only one of the ten which defines the living God who created the heavens and the earth and all things that are therein."—Life and Teachings of Ellen G. White, published by Pacific Press Publishing Association in 1953, and sold in 1957. This "testimony" very conveniently backed up the teaching of one of the principle founders of Adventism, Elder Joseph Bates, who had already believed in keeping the Sabbath. Mrs. White's report of a vision given her on April 3, 1847 is much the same - "The fourth commandment shone above them all." Thus, as her apologists state, she did not introduce the doctrine, but notice how she enforces it—by special inspiration. And a new revelation was certainly needed, for she admitted that "The New Testament does not reenact the law of the tithe AS IT DOES NOT THAT OF THE SABBATH [emphasis ours]; for the validity of both is assumed."—Counsels on Stewardship, p. 66, and quoted in Review and Herald, July 4,
1957. It is no longer assumed by them, but enforced as a MUST.
We are told in their writings that the "seal of God" is the keeping of the Sabbath, and that the "mark of the beast" is the enforcement of Sunday observance. And Mr. Arthur S. Maxwell says: "Most important for us is the fact that the hour of decision has come. We have to make up our minds on which side we intend to stand in the closing crisis of the ages. Are we going to give our allegiance to Christ, or Satan? Shall we choose to have the SEAL OF GOD [Sabbath keeping], Or the MARK OF THE BEAST [Sunday keeping]? Today Christ's last threefold message to man is being given to the world. It comes to you now. What will you do with it?" (emphasis ours).—Christ and Tomorrow. This is the issue—either keep the Sabbath or not, the choice is yours, but your destiny hangs on it. As Mrs. White says, "Man's destiny will be determined by his obedience to the whole law."—The Desire of Ages, p. 498. This is Adventism's special message.
To call attention to the centrality of Sabbath-keeping in their gospel (?) message, we shall quote from their Mr. Carlyle B. Haynes: "The reformation began to work, but did not proceed far enough to restore the Sabbath to its rightful place. This was to be done in the final movement and message of the gospel on earth.... The Closing Message of the Gospel [chapter heading]. To bear this message to the world, God had to raise up a new movement and people, separate from the established churches, for they had refused to walk in the advancing light, and had not accepted the Sabbath truth.... Just such a people as are here described as the remnant church have been raised up.... They are called Seventh-day Adventists."—Marks of the True Church, pp. 26, 27. Yes, this is a part of THEIR GOSPEL, but not of the gospel of the grace of God—the gospel that Paul preached and the early church received. Theirs is a perverted gospel, a gospel of works, a gospel that does despite to the Savior and His finished work. The Apostle John said, "No lie is of the truth." 1. John 2:2121But he spake of the temple of his body. (John 2:21).
Let us note a few random quotations from their publications regarding the Sabbath:
"After twenty years, with the Lord's blessing, we had two thousand Sabbath-keepers." "Four of these people have already been baptized, and others are keeping the Sabbath or attending church services." "Cities in North America have been entered, and practically all, if not all, cities with a population of twenty-five thousand or more now have one or more Sabbath-keeping churches."—Review and Herald, June 6, 1957. "1 began to read the fourteenth chapter [of John]. 'Let not your heart be troubled.' How I needed peace! I read on. I came to the fifteenth verse, `If ye love me, keep my commandments.' I longed to know God. I longed to know that He loved me. I longed to know that I might love Him. Here in this verse was love, and a recipe for showing it, 'Keep my commandments.' But I knew that this meant keeping the seventh-day Sabbath. This I had resolved never to do.... Still there was restlessness and frustration, and I again turned to the fourteenth chapter of John... read to the fifteenth verse, and then made my decision. I said, 'Lord, I will obey, whatever the cost may be.' The next Sabbath I attended church, and when the pastor made a call for consecration I stood up in response."—Review and Herald, July 25, 1957, article by Frank H. Yost, Associate Secretary Religious Liberty Department General Conference. (Where is the gospel of the grace of God, or salvation, in the above quotation?) "I think of Sinai. Amidst the thunder and lightning God gave the world His law. At its heart was the solemn command, 'Remember the Sabbath day.'... I am glad there is a people who keep the Sabbath.... I believe in the Sabbath."—Signs of the Times, June, 1957.
Under a title, Literature Wins Souls in the Philippines, we read: "Brother Roque Vitin and Brother Cornelio Castelo sold 'The Great Controversy' and 'Lights for Today' to a certain customer some time last year. This person found the light of truth contained in these books. He began to look for Sabbath-keepers, and as a result three new believers were baptized." Then it tells of two others who sold a book, " 'Judy Steps out,' together with other books. Little did they realize that ten would now be observing the Sabbath as a result of these contacts."—Review and Herald, May 9, 1957.
From The Signs of the Times for July, 1957 we read: "In 1886 an American Missionary, John I. Tay, came to the island, and before his departure the entire population was observing the seventh-day as the Sabbath of the Lord. From then on, the Pitcairn Islanders have maintained their adherence to the beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church." The following quotations are again from Review and Herald: "The issue today is a decision on the restoration of the true Sabbath. The right day and its proper observance is the great test of this hour. Our decision is not immaterial to God, and we dare not treat it with indifference." June 27, 1957. In the same issue they ask the question, "What serves as special light in these last days? [Answer] A message to restore the true Sabbath." From a word to Juniors: "Did you know that God's kingdom has a flag? This flag has the name, the title, and the dominion of our ruler Jesus Christ inscribed on it.... He is the Lord who created heaven and earth in six days. The seventh-day Sabbath, Saturday, has been set apart since creation week. Do you wave it with enthusiasm by resting every Sabbath, going to church," etc. "He finally felt he must do something. He took a job as a purser on a ship, feeling that he could arrange his work to have his Sabbaths free. After careful thought and preparation he was baptized."—May 16, 1957.
We have now shown by quotations from current Seventh-day Adventist literature (and these might be multiplied many, many times) that they are under the law, the ten commandments, with their gaze centered on the Sabbath commandment, and that they are obsessed with the idea of bringing as many as they can throughout the world into their same fold of bondage and legalism. But in order to consider that they actually keep the law, they lower its standards; for instance, how can they baldly state that they keep the ten commandments when the tenth commandment says, "Thou shalt not covet." This touches the root, the heart of man, for out of the heart of man proceed evil thoughts, evil doings. If they were honest with themselves, they would feel condemned and guilty before God; for one cannot put himself under the law and not incur its judgment. The scripture says, "As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse," not as many as break the law, but as many as come under it.
The Apostle Paul was brought up under the law, and he says, "I through the law am dead to the law." It killed him. Who ever excelled Paul in outward attainments under Judaism? None! But this model Pharisee found the "good" law was death to him, and any honest mind will find it the same today.
Who gave the Seventh-day Adventists the right to attenuate the law, or mitigate its exactions? For instance, they make their boast of the Sabbath day, but do they keep it as originally required? No. It is written: "Speak thou also UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, saying, Verily My sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you.... Every one that defileth it shall SURELY be put to death; for whosoever doeth ANY work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people." Exod. 31:12-1712And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 13Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. 14Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. 17It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. (Exodus 31:12‑17). The Adventist has no right to kindle a fire, to turn on a gas or electric stove, or start an automobile engine (Exod. 35:33Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day. (Exodus 35:3)), or do ANY work on the Sabbath. In Numb. 15 a man was ordered stoned to death because he gathered some sticks on the Sabbath day. How many Adventists would be left today if all who violated the express commands connected with the Sabbath had been put to death?
Did the Lord give the Adventists some land? We read that God said to those to whom the ten commandments were given: "Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." Exod. 20:1212Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. (Exodus 20:12). Surely they must be able to fill all the requirements of this verse. Where is their God-given land?
Of course they will reason that the Lord Jesus worked on the Sabbath and that He liberalized the day. True, He worked on the Sabbath, and He said, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." He thereby referred to the fact that God's rest in creation was broken by sin, and God had to begin at once to work to clothe guilty Adam and Eve; even so, the Lord Jesus was down here in this defiled place where sin and misery abounded, and He could not cease from work in such a scene. As sin had intruded on God's rest in creation, so the Son could not rest either. But anyone who is under the law must accept the Sabbath commandment as it is with its penal sanctions.
Actually only the Jews were ever under the law. God gave it to that people as a choice sample of the human race to see if man in the flesh could keep it. But alas, they broke it before it came into the camp. God tells us, "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law [the Jews]: that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God." Rom. 3:1919Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. (Romans 3:19). If the choicest sample of the human race failed so miserably, then no one should dare to speak in self-defense. Every mouth should be stopped. But this has not silenced the Adventists. They make their boast of the law.
Plainly Seventh-day Adventism is the modern counterpart of the Galatian heresy. The people in the Galatian assemblies were not Jews, but had come under the spell of Judaising teachers. They had "fallen from grace." And Paul writes very severely to them. He begins his letter without any commendation for anything. He launches immediately into their removal from the GRACE of Christ unto another gospel. He said to them, "Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you." Gal. 4:10, 1110Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. 11I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain. (Galatians 4:10‑11). They were adding the laws and rules of Judaism to the gospel that Paul preached and they had received, and so Paul calls it "another gospel: which is not another." For when ANYTHING is added to the gospel of the grace of God, it is no longer grace, nor gospel. It is a perversion which will ruin souls.
So strongly did the Apostle feel against the Galatians' adding to the gospel that he had preached, that he said, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Gal. 1:88But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:8). And that verse is strong enough and broad enough to encompass any present-day "Spirit of prophecy." If another gospel, it is contrary to the gospel that Paul preached, and the preacher of it is accursed. And whenever did the Apostle tell ONE person to keep the ten commandments? When did he ever put ONE person under the law of the Sabbath? NEVER! "The Message" of the Adventists is not Paul's gospel; it is not "the truth" which makes men free (John 8:3232And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32)), but a falsehood which brings them into bondage.
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