We are going to start just like we did last time. I will begin by steelmanning the SDA position regarding the objections that this platform has raised. That way, those are made crystal clear. I will be utilizing primary source documentation to do so.
Then we will examine what the gospel actually is in comparison. I will preface by saying this is going to be long. I always say this because we will inevitably get people pointing this out.
Yes, friend, this is heavyweight work, and it requires rigor, focus, and diligence. And in order to clearly highlight the problems, we must examine more deeply than soundbites and proof texts. So with that in mind, let's begin.
I want to remind everyone of a statement made by Seventh-day Adventist theologian Herb Douglas that we looked at in part one. Notice he says, quote, speaking about the great controversy worldview, he writes, How we understand this core theme. directly affects how we grasp the intent of the biblical writers when they used words such as righteousness, salvation, gospel, etc.
The Great Controversy theme helps us to work our way through centuries of theological confusion over the meaning of such realities as justification, sanctification, atonement, obedience, and works. Without the Great Controversy theme, all would remain divided over such subjects as the importance of the Old Testament sanctuary service and the New Testament view of Christ as our high priest mediator, the meaning of faith and grace, the place of obedience in relation to legalism, why Jesus came the first time and why he came the way he did, and when he will return. Close quote.
So remember this tonight. Dr. Douglas was so kind to serve this up. this gold on a silver platter where he shoots it straight. The Great Controversy worldview directly affects how the SDA church defines salvation, gospel, justification, obedience, works, atonement, why Jesus came the first time, why he came the way he did, and so on.
You'll recall that in that same paper, he says that the Great Controversy theme is the central governing theme of SDA theology. This is why, Dr. Lake, you're going to need to go beyond just using Christianese language without explaining more fully what you guys mean by the words. We scale the language barrier here.
And we know what you mean by these words because I know the Great Controversy worldview very well. I've not just studied it, but I lived it. I had it.
But also, coming downstream from the Great Controversy worldview is the belief that the SDA Church has a unique mission and message that only they have a present truth gospel, like we heard from my friend Aaron Cruz there at the beginning. This present truth message is branded as the everlasting gospel, and it is a life or death message for those who hear it. So first notice, fundamental belief, number 12, the church.
In part, it says, quote, the church is the community of believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In continuity with the people of God in Old Testament times, we are called out from the world and we join together for worship, for fellowship, for instruction in the word, for the celebration of the Lord's Supper, for service to humanity, and for the worldwide proclamation of the gospel. The church derives its authority from Christ, who is the incarnate word revealed in the scriptures. The church is God's family, adopted by him as children.
Its members live on the basis of the new covenant. Close quote. So we get lots of Christianese here and modeling after the historic Protestant confessions. They start by defining the church as those who are called out from the world and join together for worship. Well, who's doing that with the SDAs?
Not the Christian church. The Christian church does not gather with the SDAs to worship. We corporately, universally gather on the first day.
Are they doing that with us? Of course not. They don't consider our worship valid.
It's apostate, pagan, Roman, Catholic in origin, etc. The belief also says the church is united in what? The worldwide proclamation of the gospel, by which they mean their present truth only for a special people at the end of time gospel that they and only they have. So the Christian church is not united with them on this either. The point being, the church in Adventism is the SDA church exclusively, and they are marked by having their own unique mission and message.
that no one else has, which is why fundamental belief number 13, regarding the remnant, is connected to this and must also be examined. Notice, quote, the universal church is composed of all who truly believe in Christ, but in the last days, a time of widespread apostasy, A remnant has been called out to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. This remnant announces the arrival of the judgment hour, proclaims salvation through Christ, and heralds the approach of his second advent.
This proclamation is symbolized by the three angels of Revelation 14. It coincides with the work of judgment in heaven and results in a work of repentance and reform on earth. Every believer is called to have a personal part in this worldwide witness. Close quote.
Ah, so the universal church is indeed composed of all those who truly believe in Christ, but in these last days, there's widespread apostasy, so the true church is a remnant of people called out of all of that, a.k.a. the universal church is Babylon. The remnant, the true church, is the SDAs. They're the ones supposedly keeping the commandments of God in accordance with Revelation 12. They're the ones heralding the arrival of the judgment hour, a.k.a. the investigative judgment.
And here we see the insertion of their worldview, or their worldwide proclamation and witness, which is to take their unique message to the world. The church then is the body of people supposedly heralding this special end times message. Now on their website, you can click into each fundamental belief and read a little further explanation, which is essentially information from the Adventist fundamental beliefs book.
So let's keep fleshing this out. Under fundamental belief number 13, the remnant on their website. under the heading titled, The End Times Remnant and Who Will Be a Part of It. Pay very close attention. Quote, Then I heard, so they quote from scripture here, Revelation 18, 4-5, Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, Babylon, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues, for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
Those who do not come out of the wickedness of the world will be subject to the same fate as Satan, utter destruction. God refuses to let sin go on forever, and those who hold on to sin will have to account for their deeds. 2 Corinthians 5.10 But God's remnant are not just supposed to hide in holes as they separate themselves from the world.
God has a job for His people to do, a message they will deliver. For many people, this message will make the difference between eternal life with God and the permanent second death. All who hear it, how many? All who hear it will have to make a single vital decision, either to follow God or side with Satan and share his fate.
Close quote. So Christians are lumped in with the wicked world, as we have looked at numerous times. Part of the SDM message and mission includes the call to leave your current church and join them.
Otherwise, you will experience the same fate as Satan. Utter destruction. You are in disobedience, according to them. because they keep and observe Saturday Sabbath and Christians do not. But like we heard from Dr. O last week and previously, Sabbath isn't enough.
You have to have all of the three angels'messages and the spirit of prophecy in Ellen White's writings, which is entirely consistent with what is being put forth here. So remember that next time he gets labeled as a fringe, kook, whatever. After you hear the SDA Church's special present truth message, you have a decision to make. and this is a matter of eternal life or eternal damnation.
Now notice the November 29, 1934 issue of the Review and Herald, which lays out what the everlasting gospel supposedly is. Quote, This movement with which we are connected stands for certain great fundamental truths, the existence of God, the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, salvation alone through the vicarious sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, repentance, regeneration, and the gift of righteousness by faith, the work of the Holy Spirit, the immutability of God's law, the binding claims of the Bible Sabbath, the priestly ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, the investigative judgment now going on, the soon coming of Christ to take His children home, the doctrine of spiritual gifts, the manifestation of the gift of prophecy in the remnant church, life only in Christ, Christian temperance, and other leading important Bible doctrines. These great truths... constitute the everlasting gospel message for this time. Close quote.
All right. So when the SDA church uses the term everlasting gospel, it is referring to their entire framework of theology. All of their theology is nestled underneath this term.
Understand this. And it's because all of the things listed play a role in their understanding of salvation. They aren't just doctrinal positions. They have direct correlation in this system to a person's salvation.
Now notice the same publication. May 5th, 1932, two years prior. The time for this message is very definitively fixed to the present generation.
He who will receive this prophecy as given by Jesus Christ may be just as sure that this is Christ's special message for us today as if Jesus were to appear in person and speak this threefold proclamation with an audible voice. Their present truth message is unique to 1844 onward. Yeah, that isn't a very fact, and this is part of the problem, but it continues. In harmony with this idea that this message is limited to the period between 1844 and the end, we find that no one prior to 1844 had ever claimed to have given this threefold message.
Neither Luther, nor Calvin, nor Knox, Wesley, Alexander, Campbell, or any of the other great lights of those times set up this claim that they were doing this predicated work of Revelation 14, 6-12. If this work had been done by any of them, they would surely have known it. This prophecy of Revelation 14, 6-14 does not and cannot refer to any proclamation of the gospel in the days of the apostles, the early church fathers, or the reformers of the 16th, 17th, or 18th century. It is strictly a last day message applicable to those who live just before the return of Christ. Close quote.
So it was not preached by the apostles. No one prior to 1844 was heralding this life or death message. Yet at the same time, they'll try and tell us that they're the restoration of apostolic Christianity, even though the apostles were not preaching the everlasting gospel.
But now let's look at another write up from Herb Douglas again. Thank you, Dr. Douglas, even though you've passed. His 2001 paper titled, What is the Everlasting Gospel?
Where he is going to go deeper than the Review and Herald articles did. The link to this is in the description box for those who want to follow along. First notice, he says, John the Revelator saw that sometime before the end of the world, before Jesus returned, a movement would arise having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people sang with a loud voice, fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment has come. Revelation 14, 6, and 7. Those who respond to this gospel are described in verse 12 as those that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
This everlasting gospel focuses on, one, God to whom worship and obedience are due, and on, two, a people who give glory to him during the time of his judgment. Why is this emphasis on the everlasting gospel so timely, so important, so necessary? Apparently, there was something about the gospel that had been muted or muddled for some time before the events seen in Revelation 14, requiring this special heavenly intervention to set matters right, especially at this foretold time of his judgment.
Close quote. But perfectly in line with what the Review and Herald said. Apparently, there was something about the gospel that had been muted or muddled for some time before the events seen in Revelation 14, gospel that had been muted sometime before the events of Revelation 14 and needed to be restored by an end times group. There are so many errant assumptions here. The assumption of 1844 being the start of the last days, despite Hebrews 1, the author saying they were in the last days.
The assumption that John had a great controversy worldview. The assumption that John has in focus what the SDA church does and so many others. But he continues.
A brief overview of church history for the past 2,000 years highlights the remarkable confusion regarding the gospel that has existed since apostolic days. Where would one go during the Protestant Reformation to find the fullness of the everlasting gospel? With whom should we agree, Luther or Calvin or Zwingli, the Anabaptists or the papacy, when it comes to what is involved in the plan of salvation? In the 19th century, would we agree with Presbyterians or Methodists or Baptists?
Close quote. So notice, 2,000 years of church history highlights confusion regarding the gospel Jesus Christ gave to the apostles. There's the assumption that the gospel disappeared and couldn't be found in the 16th century, and this is because, as we will see momentarily, Dr. Douglas, like Adventists do, distinguishes between the gospel and the everlasting gospel. The assumption being that the gospel fell away and the reformers heralded something that was lost since the time of the apostles. This is their restorationism shining through.
But no, this is not what the reformers were doing. The reformers did not believe that Rome didn't possess the gospel, but that the gospel became crowded out and less central due to doctrinal accretions that crept in over time. Not that it was gone and couldn't be found anywhere.
It was universal. They also didn't distinguish between the gospel and the everlasting gospel as two different things. But even then, he says during the Reformation, you couldn't find the fullness of the everlasting gospel. Again, assuming Revelation 14 is talking about some special end times message relegated to a special group of people in the end that would restore it.
We will explore why this is biblically problematic in a minute, but also notice the assumption that Presbyterians and Baptists, for example, have different gospels. No. We disagree on certain aspects of theology, such as how the local church should be governed.
But that's not a different gospel. Herb is assuming everlasting gospel is referring to an entire system of theology here. And since the Baptist system of theology isn't identical to Presbyterians, well, that means they have different gospels.
No, SDA theologians beg the question by assuming their understanding and then project that onto everyone else. Presbyterians, Baptists, Lutherans, etc. are... all united on taking the same gospel of the same Jesus to the lost world.
We have the same mission and message, which is why when I was out active in street evangelism for a number of years, I was out there with Baptists, a Pentecostal guy, and a Presbyterian, and two non-denominational people. We were all sharing the same gospel of the same Christ. We disagree on secondary doctrinal matters, but not foundational ones, and that's key. But he continues.
Most Protestants and Catholics would agree that Jesus died for our sins, but this common agreement in itself, did not and does not, seem to spell out a common understanding of the gospel. If the gospel includes more than telling the story of Christ's death, what is that something more? And why was an end times correction needed in order for God to get his final message across to seekers of truth before Jesus returns?
The question seems to stare us in the face. What is so helpful? So unambiguous about this everlasting gospel that it tells the truth about God and prepares a people for his coming. Close quote. So notice, if the gospel includes more than the telling of the story of Christ's death, what is that something more?
Well, for starters, who's saying the gospel is only about Christ's death? I know not a single person, Roman Catholic, Protestant, or otherwise, that says the gospel is that Jesus died. But this is supposed to prove an end times correction was needed in order for God to get his final message across.
And what is that final message? It's this everlasting gospel, which supposedly is the truth about God and how to be prepared for his coming. Now, we've looked at this a number of times as well, and it's been a central objection that I've raised.
By this phrase, a prepared people and its variations, victory, a victorious people, these sorts of things. They mean sinless perfectionism. To be prepared for Jesus'return in Adventism is to be adhering to the SDA message and getting to a condition identical to Jesus. That is what your second probation right now is for. We will talk about that a lot more later.
But probation is going to be closing soon, so you need to get busy. Remember Ellen's Angel in 1951 when Jesus was going to return? June 1851 in June, they had less than about six months. He was going to come in October of 1851. Hurry, hurry, hurry. Get busy, get busy, get busy.
Get ready, get ready, get ready. The angel told her. All those people who had just heard the third angel's message, they had a lot of work to do.
If you don't accept and hear their life or death message, you won't be prepared for the second coming. But he continues. This leads to a crucial question.
Is the gospel, the good news, primarily forgiveness, pardon? Or is there more? One of the several ways of defining the everlasting gospel would be to ask three questions. Why did Jesus die?
Why did he come to earth? And what is the purpose or goal of the gospel? Close quote.
And that's the crux of it. So what was one of my central objections from part one that was never addressed? What the SDA Church states is the reason for why Jesus came and had to die.
Like Dr. Douglas said in Ministry Magazine, the Great Controversy worldview informs why Jesus came and what the purpose of the gospel is. This information is also a part of this everlasting gospel. And this is why I'm glad that Dr. Lake and Christ Cernocki started with the great controversy because the gospel is the good news about the person and work of Jesus.
Who he is, why did he come, and what did he accomplish? The person and work of Christ. So yes, these are very central questions, Dr. Douglas.
Like we saw in part one, according to the great controversy in SDA's everlasting gospel, the reason Jesus came and died was because prior to the creation of the earth, Jesus was exalted to be made equal with the Father. This led to Lucifer being jealous and trying to assume authority that devolved onto Christ alone. With this rebellion came the accusation that God's law, the Ten Commandments, his character, the transcript of his character, is not fair, it can't be kept, and needed to be changed.
This led to a war breaking out in heaven, a great controversy between Christ and his angels against Satan and his angels. Satan and his angels were then banished to the earth, where Satan then tempted man and man fell into sin. Jesus then proposed a plan to the Father that he had to plead three times before he accepted it, and this plan included that Jesus would incarnate to ransom fallen man, taking upon himself the punishment they were due, death.
vindicating the law showing that it can't be changed, keeping that law perfectly in order to silence Satan's accusations in the controversy, which ultimately vindicates God and his law, and demonstrates that the law is immutable, and man can keep it with Jesus'help. Those that do this can also silence Satan's accusations, siding with Jesus in the great controversy, and vindicate God's character. That's what Herb Douglas means by the goal of the gospel. which he also stated in his ministry magazine article.
The goal of the gospel in Adventism is the vindication of God's character from Satan's accusations. This is why I'm constantly hammering this. This is not in the Bible. You will not find that anywhere in the Bible.
You will find that Satan is the accuser, and then they read all sorts of stuff into that. But nothing about this premortal existence. This whole thing, though, centers around God supposedly being on trial and he needs your help, the creature, to vindicate him from the accusations of another creature, the devil.
But that is not what the Bible teaches, folks, about why Jesus came and died or what the goal of the gospel is. And this is nowhere found in the Bible, like I said. And Dr. Douglas admits that as well, because he said that they were given this paradigm from God through Ellen White.
It was not discovered. They were not studying the Bible and found all this stuff in the Bible. And oh, it's just no one else saw this.
No, no, they were given, he said. This is a totally foreign concept and worldview to the Bible that's then brought to the text, read into the story by reading snippets of entire passages from all over the Bible, and latching onto general terminology like that there was war in heaven. Yet, as Herb Douglas admits, this is central to the SDA Church's special end times.
only they have it gospel message. He continues under the section, the purpose of the gospel, quote, the purpose of the gospel is to make plain why Jesus came and why he died. The everlasting gospel in the end times restores the New Testament gospel in its wholeness, in its integrity.
It explains God's plan to save men and women in such a way that their presence in the new earth would not jeopardize again the well-being and security of the universe. Close quote. So catch that.
I have regularly stated that they claim that part of the gospel is that you have to demonstrate while on probation that you can be trusted in the new earth to not let sin enter, which is precisely what Ellen White claimed. That's all he's reiterating here. God has to see that you can be trusted to not jeopardize the universe with sin like Lucifer did.
They want to tell us they believe in the God of Scripture who declares the end from the beginning, knows all things, etc. God's omniscience has always been the thorn in the side of this movement. But it would do them well to read Hebrews 12 and why Christ's kingdom is an unshakable one. Spoiler alert. It's not because God conducted a seven-step sanctuary program to vindicate himself and see who can and cannot be trusted while on probation.
But notice his dichotomy between gospel and the everlasting gospel. He continues by expounding upon this dichotomy. Thus the gospel is not limited to the good news of his pardon and forgiveness.
It presents the ellipse of truth that reveals the integrity of God's grace as including his forgiveness and his power to transform. This gospel ellipse is revealed beautifully in the book of Hebrews as mercy and grace to help. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. John expressed the same good news as forgiveness and cleansing. If we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1.9 Paul sang, For I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it's the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes has faith. Romans 1.16 The everlasting gospel adds much more to limited gospels that focus only on one half of the gospel ellipse. Close quote.
So lots of word association fallacy going on here, with words like cleansing and forgiveness. No, John the Apostle did not have a great controversy worldview. Mr. Douglas already admitted in 2000, a year before this paper, that this whole schema is unique to them. So citing random proof texts that use words that are loaded in SDA theology to try and pour all their, you know, extra stuff into the Bible isn't going to work.
None of these verses cited supported... anything from this pre-earth origin controversy that centers around God the Father having to vindicate himself from Satan. This is also insight into why so many SDAs think if you disagree with them, you don't believe God changes people. This could not be further from the truth. I'm constantly talking about new creation, being made a new creature, the necessity to be born again, regeneration, union with Christ.
Remember, Verily, verily, verily, this platform's objection around obedience and Adventism has been their improper categorization of obedience, making it something it's not. And this is critical. It's not a small issue.
In SDA theology, obedience functions as a barometer for your salvation. Your demonstrated perfect obedience is what vindicates God, silences Satan, demonstrates you can be trusted in the new earth, And you have to get to a sinlessly perfect condition to do that and be found worthy of eternal life. And no, disagreeing with that works-based mess is not then disparaging obedience outright. It's recognizing that obedience is the fruit of already having eternal life and being changed.
But people have good days and bad days. Like Romans 7 clearly articulates. Part of the problem is they don't have a full-orbed view of sin. It's typically way too low such that they think, oh yeah, I'm...
But no, the new man, the inner man that's regenerated, still wars with the old flesh that's yet to be glorified. Yes, even Adventists, they're not immune from being fallen human beings like the rest of us. But notice the tail end.
He cites Romans 1.16, something I'm constantly mentioning in this discussion. The gospel is the power of God to salvation for all that believe it. But then Dr. Douglas states that the everlasting gospel adds much more to limited gospels, which only focus on half of the gospel ellipse. No, see, that's the problem. There's not full and half gospel.
Galatians 1 is clear, like we're going to see. Without question, a five-year-old could grasp it. There's only one gospel, period. Not a full gospel, and a half gospel, and a part gospel, and a limited, whatever you want to call it.
But very clearly, by this standard, the apostles had a limited gospel. Because they didn't have this fully-lips everlasting gospel that's uniquely for the end times. But make sure you catch that. This everlasting gospel is the power of God to salvation for all that believe it.
That's defined as their entire system of theology. This is why I will often ask Adventists, Do I have to accept the health message to be saved? And they'll often say, Huh? What? No.
Well, Ellen White said the health message is a part of the third angel's message. which is part of this everlasting gospel. It's a life or death issue.
And Herb Douglas says the everlasting gospel is the power of God to salvation for all that what? Believe it. So yes, the logical conclusion is that believing the Adventist system of theology is how one is saved. But he continues. And the first part of the quote is him citing Ellen White's Christ Object Lessons.
Quote, The religion of Christ means more than the forgiveness of sins. It means taking away our sins. and filling the vacuum with the graces of the Holy Spirit.
It means a heart emptied of self. The glory, the fullness, the completeness of the gospel plan is fulfilled in the life. Notice Herb Douglas has all these ellipses in there, and you're not going to get SDA saying, oh, you left stuff out, you're twisting it.
Just an observation there. So listening again to Revelation 14, the everlasting gospel will get a fair and full hearing in the end times. Limited gospels that ridicule adherence to God's expressed will, aka the Ten Commandments, as being outside of the gospel, will appear inadequate beside the clear gospel.
clear proclamation of the everlasting gospel. Limited gospels that cry legalism at any attempt to embrace faithful obedience will be seen as contrary to the message of New Testament grace. Close quote. So once again, the everlasting gospel is contrasted over and against what Christians believe, which they label as a limited gospel.
And it's all at the behest of the straw man that Christians are against obedience. He says that the SDA church's message will go to the entire world, like we saw in the fundamental beliefs. This everlasting gospel is what's going to all tribes, tongues, peoples, and nations, not what the Christian church is taking. But he says the SDA church's message will go to the entire world, and it will get a fair hearing in the end times, showing that limited gospels that ridicule obedience to the Ten Commandments as not being a part of the gospel, will be seen as inadequate in light of this everlasting message they have. Which highlights another one of my central objections.
The SDA Church does not understand the law gospel distinction. We looked at this last week regarding Randy Skeet. And here, Herb Douglas showcases this for us once again.
If you don't think that the law plays a role in how a person is saved, you have a limited gospel according to him. which is why it's silly for them to try and claim that they don't teach obedience keeps a person saved and in God's graces. They do. They are covenantal gnomists. You are in by faith, kept by your works.
The obedience that matters when it comes to salvation, though, is Jesus'perfect active and passive obedience. Something else I talked about last week. It is Jesus'perfect obedience that saves.
Zero mention of that here. Not his plus yours if you get to a good enough state. Newsflash, you aren't. And Christians do not seek to obey God to remain in his good graces.
They seek to obey because they've been changed and have new desires. But the Christian life is full of seasons, folks. For anyone that's been a Christian for 20 years, 30 years, sit down and talk to people who've been Christians for a long time.
Yeah, the Christian life has seasons. It's a journey. But that's the issue, not obedience generally speaking.
but the claim that obedience to God maintains one's righteous standing before him. This is a mixing of law and gospel, which results in a false gospel. And it's all coming downstream from the great controversy worldview, which is why the two cannot be separated.
So to recap thus far, the SDA church teaches that they are God's church, they possess the fullness of the gospel restored, and it is a life or death message. They're on a unique mission from God. to take this special message to the world, calling everyone, including and primarily Christians, out of their churches, which are apostates, supposedly.
The Adventist gospel message is their entire framework and system of theology, including the Seventh-day Sabbath, the health message, conditional immortality, young earth creationism, the spirit of prophecy and the writings of Ellen G. White, sinless perfectionism, aka a prepared people, and countless other things. That's what will have you... prepared for Jesus'return. And it could happen at any moment.
So chop, chop. Once you hear this message, you then have a choice to make. Join them and get on the pathway to salvation, like Ellen White's first vision, the path vision, and being prepared for Jesus'return, or experience the same fate that Satan will. Utter destruction. This everlasting gospel message is primarily founded on the objections I raised back in part one.
regarding who Jesus is, why he came, and why he had to die. As Herb Douglas rightly admits, is the central crux of all of this. And it is, because the gospel is the person and work of Jesus. Why did he come? What did he come to accomplish?
That has to do with the work of Christ. Now notice Galatians 1, 6-12. I'm astonished that you were so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. Not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel or three angels from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preach to you, let him be accursed, as we've said before.
So now I say again. If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one that you received, let him be damned. For am I now seeking the approval of man or of God?
Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. For I'd have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel.
For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. And that's the reading of God's holy word. There is only one gospel, not two, not three, not a limited one and a full one.
You either have it or you don't. And like Herb recognized in Romans 1 16, the gospel is the power of God to salvation for all that believe it. which means whatever that message is, you have to believe it to be saved. Anyone preaching a different gospel than this one is under a curse from God, a double curse. Paul says it again, anathema, strongest way that Paul could say, you're damned, you're lost.
These Judaizers Paul was speaking about only added one thing to the gospel, circumcision. They affirmed that Jesus came, died, buried, resurrected, ascended, etc. But they said if you wanted to be right with God, it wasn't strictly on the basis of Christ's work alone.
But you also had to be circumcised. It was Christ's work plus circumcision. Does the Bible talk about circumcision? Is there a theology around circumcision? Of course.
It's not the gospel though. Just because it's theological doesn't make it the gospel. And this is precisely what the SDA church has done, but multifold. They've added all sorts of doctrines to the gospel that aren't.
If you want to come to the true God, you have to do so through the seventh-day Sabbath. But Paul continues by saying that the true gospel came from Jesus Christ himself and was given to the apostles. It was never lost and needed to be restored.
It's the means by which God's been building his church from the beginning. The gospel goes out, transforms hearts, God uses it to regenerate a person, seals them with the Holy Spirit, makes them a new creature in Christ, and they're set free to do good works that are pleasing in His sight as stewards of His kingdom that is advancing and growing every day and has been since Christ established His church. Christ the head, ruling and reigning with all authority on His throne as a prophet, priest, and king. The everlasting gospel in Revelation 14 is not some other gospel different from what the apostles preached and received from Jesus. Just because the word everlasting is there is not like, oh, now it's some everlasting gospel.
Yeah, it's the same gospel. There's only one. Jesus didn't give the apostles the gospel and then give a cursed one to John in Revelation that's talking about some special end times, more full gospel. And this is the catch 22. Either the SDA church has a different gospel than what the apostles preached, as their source document plainly stated. This everlasting gospel was never preached by the apostles, which means they have a false cursed gospel according to Galatians 1. Or they have to try and claim that their everlasting gospel was indeed preached by the apostles, but disappeared and needed restored by them, which would mean the Review and Herald was wrong and it isn't a special unique gospel only for the end times.
Which would also mean that while this gospel had disappeared, people were not being saved because the gospel is the power of God to salvation for all that believe it. It would mean that God wasn't building his church the entire time this gospel was lost. The entire problem on this stems from the dichotomy between the gospel and the everlasting gospel, a distinction they have to have for this entire framework to stay standing. You can't have it both ways. So what is the gospel?
Well, as Dr. Douglas alluded to, the true gospel is the good news about the person and work of Jesus and the message of forgiveness of sins because of his person and work. Who Jesus is, that's his person. Is he just a prophet? Is he just a man? These sorts of things.
and what Jesus did and accomplished, his work. That's why you can't be off on this. This is foundational to the faith. You don't get to come along in the 19th century and just say, oh, we have this special insight as to why Jesus really came.
Yeah, no, it doesn't work that way. But notice, Paul, back to Bible basics. 1 Corinthians 15, then we'll look at Ephesians 1. 1 Corinthians 15, one through eight.
Now I'd remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you. Hold fast, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
Then he appeared to more than 500 brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, last of all as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. Thus the reading of God's holy word. So the gospel that Paul preached to the churches at Corinth is the same gospel he mentions in Galatians 1. And here he says, it is this gospel that saves.
So hold fast to what he preached. Just like he told the churches in Galatia, don't pivot off of what we gave you. Nothing about there being some future present truth, more full gospel.
That's not what the apostles were preaching. No, hold fast to what they deposited, which is what we have in scripture today. That's the apostolic deposit.
The work of Christ on behalf of sinners. That Jesus Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures. He was buried and raised on the third day, which he also foretold in the scriptures.
Now, as it pertains to why Jesus came, why he had to die, this is expounded upon elsewhere all throughout the scriptures, both Old and New Testaments. But the point being, the gospel is the message of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for the forgiveness of sins that is the power of God to salvation. This is what the apostles were sent out by Christ after the resurrection to preach. One example from Luke 24, 44-48.
These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures and said to them, Thus it is written that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.
Thus the reading of God's holy word. Nothing about Jesus coming to silence accusations from Satan that started before the earth was created and exposing Satan's tactics and schemes with all this extra information. That all of humanity is caught in a great controversy between Jesus and Satan, so God needs you to help vindicate his character before the watching universe by coming to Jesus. who can enable you to keep the law and demonstrate that you're safe to save and can be trusted in heaven to not let sin enter again, yada yada. No, it was prophesied that the Messiah would come as the suffering servant, the blemish-free, antitypical Passover lamb, that would bear the sins of the world, die, be buried, and rise on the third day for the justification of his people, to then ascend back to his rightful estate, to then intercede on their behalf, before the Father, presenting his once-for-all sacrifice, after having accomplished the redemption of all things.
The disciples were told by Christ to take this and the message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins to all nations, not the unique SDA message. Now notice what Paul says in Ephesians 1, 11-14, which fits like a glove with what we just saw, but it also tells us the goal of the gospel. In him, we have obtained an inheritance, have obtained an inheritance.
Ah, being in Christ, obtaining the inheritance, praise of his glory. Remember that. In him, you also, when you...
heard the word of truth, what is that? The gospel of your salvation and believed in him were sealed with. Adventists, with, with, with, not just by, with, sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it to the praise of his glory.
Thus the reading of God's holy word. The apostles were tasked with taking the message of the death, burial, and resurrection, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins to the world. When a person hears this message, which is the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation, believes that gospel, they're sealed with the Holy Spirit who is a down payment, a guarantee of the inheritance that a person acquires by being in Christ.
It's like the earnest money. It is a down payment from God that seals the person unto the day of redemption, he goes on to say in chapter 4. All this talk of in him is language around union with Christ. This is central to the gospel.
Union with Christ is everything. And it's not abiding in Christ like the SDA church, the terminology they try to borrow from scripture, which means something totally different. When a person is born again, they're united to Christ. They're sealed, made a new creature in Christ, freed from the condemnation of sin, promised resurrection, promised that God remembers their sins no more, and countless other glorious promises that the New Testament lays out regarding those who are united to him. And this is...
all to the praise of God's glory. That's the goal of the gospel, friends. Not God vindicating himself against Satan in a cosmic fairy tale. The goal of the gospel is the glory of God demonstrated because God wants to do it.
Not because he had to come up with a plan to respond to Satan, a creature who threw him for a loop with his rebellion, so he had to hold a council meeting to figure out a plan after the fact, after man falls. No, this is plan A. God's plan from eternity past, the glorification of himself through the gracious salvation of some and the just condemnation of others. Yes, the SDA church does not like this, but that's what scripture teaches.
God is even glorified in the just execution and condemnation against the wicked. Because God's not only gracious, merciful, and loving. He's also just and holy and righteous and angry with the wicked.
This, in my opinion, is part of the problem. I don't think SDAs actually understand you deserve condemnation. You are deserving of that.
You're not deserving of grace. You're not deserving a chance at, no. But the gospel is very simple. The Adventist church can poo-poo all they want on this and call it a limited gospel all they want.
Doesn't change the facts. That's the gospel. The good news about the person and work of Jesus Christ.
And it's not some special message that only Baptists have or Presbyterians or Anglicans or Lutherans, whatever. It's not every jot and tittle of theology like they claim regarding their everlasting gospel. No, the death, burial, resurrection of Christ for the forgiveness of sins is the everlasting gospel that goes to all tribes, tongues, peoples, and nations.
And of course, there's more to theology than just the person and work of Christ. But those things are not the power of God to salvation for all that believe them. You can believe all of the SDA church's everlasting gospel doctrines and still end up in hell.
Believing young earth creationism will not save you. Believing you're the remnant will not save you. Seventh-day Sabbath will not save you. because none of that's the gospel.
Now, there are many more problems than this, but these have been my primary ones as it pertains to the false gospel of Adventism. One, the SDA church falsely distinguishes between the gospel and the everlasting gospel, which results in two gospels, despite scripture saying there's only one and any other is cursed by God. Two.
The SDA church, like the Judaizers, calls things the gospel that are not the gospel. Three, the Bible does not teach that the good news, the gospel, is that Jesus came to silence accusations from Satan, demonstrating the law can be kept, vindicating God's character from Satan's charges, and evidencing that you can too with Jesus'help. Now, we primarily looked at this in depth in part one, but Dr. Douglas mentioned it in his paper under the section titled The Purpose of the Gospel.
This is the central aspect of their unique message. It isn't just that they label doctrine as the gospel, that isn't, like the Judaizers, but that they have an entirely different framework for why Jesus came, what he came to do, which distorts both the person and work of Christ. And then four, a person in SDA theology does not have peace with God strictly on the basis of the person and work of Christ. alone.
You have peace with God through Christ, making something a possibility coming to him. and then developing a perfectly righteous character that mirrors Christ and demonstrates you can be trusted in the new earth to not let sin enter again. This is to say your perfect obedience will be rewarded with eternal life, which I will show my receipts on in a bit. So let me just make sure I am crystal clear here regarding these objections.
The gospel and Adventism is their whole system of theology. The SDM message of good news specifically, though, is that the Adventist Jesus came to show you that the law can be kept, it cannot change, that Satan is a liar. So the Adventist Jesus kept the law perfectly to silence Satan's accusations regarding the law and to show you, the sinner, that with his help, you can be empowered to keep the law, side with Jesus in the controversy, and silence Satan also.
The goal of all of this being God's character being vindicated. from Satan. The law points you to Jesus, showing your need of his help. You need a savior.
And he points you back to the law by bearing the crucifixion marks, showing that the law can be kept. Because remember this gem from Ellen White. Review and Herald, May 28, 1901. God will test all, even as he tested Adam and Eve, to see whether they will be obedient. Our loyalty or disloyalty will decide our destiny.
Since the fall of Adam, men in every age have excused themselves for sinning, charging God with their sin, saying that they could not keep his commandments. This is the insinuation Satan cast at God in heaven. But the plea, I cannot keep the commandments, need never be presented to God. For before him stands the Savior, the marks of the crucifixion upon his body, a living witness that the law can be kept. It's not that men cannot keep the law, but that they will not.
That's how you can have peace with God, by getting to a totally sinless state of perfect law keeping to silence Satan and demonstrate that you can be trusted in the new earth to not let sin enter again. You're on probation, like Adam and Eve were in Eden, and are being tested to see how loyal you truly are. True loyalty is demonstrated by perfect law keeping. especially the truth, especially controverted, the observance of the seventh day Sabbath, which is the seal of the law.
And for all the Adventists that say, no, no, no, it's trying your best. No, what does she tell you? It's not that you cannot keep the law, it's that you will not. That is ultimately what being prepared for Jesus'second coming is about in Adventism. all the other stuff gets supplemented in, such as the health message.
Following the health message is the right arm of the Adventist gospel because Ellen White said meat, tea, and coffee, etc. prevent a person from being able to understand and embrace the truth. It blunts their moral sensibilities. But also, because in the new earth, the diet will be vegetarian.
So you have to demonstrate right now that you can adhere to that. All of their doctrines are what undergird and support their larger claims. about why Jesus came, why he had to die, and the goal of the gospel, which is exactly what Herb said. Those are the big three questions, which is why they classify their entire system and framework as the everlasting gospel.
It all centers around getting to a sinlessly perfect condition to silence Satan, vindicate God, something the Bible knows nothing of. Their special end times message is not that through the perfect and finished work of Christ, you can have peace with God right now. Now, be sealed with the Holy Spirit, have an intercessor before the Father that will always live to intercede for you, never leaving you or forsaking you as the author and finisher of your faith, that you are seen as totally righteous in God's sight right now on the basis of Jesus Christ, have peace with God, and in order for anything to condemn you, it would have to be able to condemn Jesus since you are in Him. Now, this is disparaged as a limited gospel, because you're not saying that people's... obedience to the law maintains their right standing before God because that's how God's going to transform people.
So then you don't believe that God transforms people and all the other nonsense. But no, obedience does not maintain your right standing before God. But instead, you need to recognize like the father in Mark 9, 23 through 5, who wanted his son healed from a demon and cried out, Lord, I believe, but help my unbelief.
He had faith, but it wasn't unwavering and perfect. because he's a fallen creature. It's Jesus's perfect work, which includes his perfect obedience, which is the basis of my peace with God.
Not Jesus plus anything. Will obedience come as a result of being born again? Absolutely.
But not as something that then supplements Jesus'work with the ultimate deciding factor in your destiny being your efforts and doings. Now, we will look at some of my other objections as we get into listening to Dr. Lake. But understand, these have been my objections for a long time. I was a student of Dr. Lake's with these same objections.
They've not changed. Let's see if he addresses these specifics or continues doing the real vague Christian word salad thing.