We got mail…

Holding Truth In Tension

I thought [that being] this far out of Adventism I could watch the link someone sent me (a Youtube sermon on keeping the law) with a different view and not be affected by it. To some extent this was true, but I also found the sermon heavy and twisted, and it took my peace for a few days. It is easy to feel obligated to watch what is sent, but I didn’t find it helpful. I am being much more careful of what I watch in the future. 

I had very recently come across the term new covenant theology. While I don’t need the labels to define myself, it does help in navigating my way around this bigger Christian world. For example, I heard the term “antinomianism” and thought it was a good thing until I realized it was a negative way to describe someone. I soon realized that it was used to describe someone who lives without law of any kind and isn’t letting the Holy Spirit work in them. 

For a while I had just assumed that Life Assurance Ministries was into covenant theology and Calvinism. I probably made this assumption based on having learned similar things to what you say in regards to salvation being entirely a work of God. I have heard these same things from my Reformed local friends. (At that point I didn’t know about new covenant theology, either.) Then, when my local friend didn’t agree with me about the law being fulfilled and obsolete, I was semi-confused for a bit. I have since heard and seen you post on how the truth doesn’t fit any of the “isms” and that we hold everything the Bible says to be true, even if we have to hold its statements in tension. I like this approach. 

Appreciate you and your ministry. 

—VIA EMAIL

 

Where Do Adventists Think the Holy Spirit Indwells Us?

I listen to your podcast, and during your discussion you said that the Seventh-day Adventists believe that the Holy Spirit indwells the believer’s mind. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, so I emailed Amazing Facts and asked this question: “Where does the Holy Spirit indwell the believer? Is it in our spirit or our mind? 

This is their response: “When a person accepts Christ, this is through the prompting of the Holy Spirit on their spirit. After that there can be direct communication between His Spirit and your spirit. The unconverted mind will not submit to Jesus nor can it (Romans 8:7). It is only the converted spirit of ours that exercises control over our mind to help it make better or best choices. You can think of your conscience as your spirit which is surrendered to Jesus.” 

Can you please tell me what you think of this reply?  To be honest I still don’t understand their reply. Is the conscience truly a part of the spirit of man?

—VIA EMAIL

RESPONSE: Thank you for writing. They have given you a deliberately confusing answer. Adventists believe humans are purely physical; they have bodies that breathe, but they do not have immaterial spirits that separate from the body at death. They teach that the spirit of a man is his BREATH, the literal air he is breathing. They also use “spirit” to refer to one’s emotions and thoughts which affect his behavior. They sometimes use it a bit like the idea that we have a “negative spirit” or a “positive spirit”—like an “affect” that flows from one’s personality and attitudes. 

This letter from Amazing Facts reveals that they do not separate “spirit” from “mind”. They may attempt to describe the functions of each in separate terms, but their belief that “spirit” does NOT mean we are spirit beings with bodies is reflected in their equating “spirit” with “conscience”. Conscience is not our spirit. Our spirit is our identity which Paul describes as leaving the body when we die (2 Cor. 5:1–9) and being present with the Lord. “Conscience” is a trainable part of ourselves, the part of our consciousness that convicts us of right and wrong according to the worldview we have. 

In typical Adventist form, Amazing Facts will not reveal that they do not believe in a human spirit. They will use the word in vague ways, but they will not identify what Scripture says about our true identities that live within our bodies. Adventism teaches that they need to follow the health message so they will be healthy and able to perceive the Spirit in their minds. In fact, Ted Wilson made a statement several years ago at a conference in Europe that healthful eating was necessary in order to keep the mind able to perceive the Holy Spirit in the neurons of the frontal lobe of the brain. 

Adventists will attempt to hide this confusing fact of their physical worldview, but it absolutely IS their belief. People don’t have immaterial spirits, in their belief system, so all their spiritual sensibilities are the work of the brain. 

 

Responding To Mark Finley’s Sabbath Arguments

You haven’t heard of me before. I listen to you frequently and follow your podcast. I’m grateful that the Lord has given you time and space to help spread his Truth against distortions. Please continue serving our Lord faithfully. 

I recently saw on YouTube a sermon from one Pastor Mark Finley captioned, “Why You Should Keep the Sabbath: Every non-Sabbath keeper needs to see this; your Sabbath arguments answered.” 

This caught my attention. I went into it briefly, but it was just the same stuff with Ellen G. White silhouetted! I posted my responses online. The Lord bless you both.

—VIA EMAIL

Response: Oh, my—you encountered Mark Finley! His arguments are slick and fast-paced so people can’t take the time to check his references and see what they say in context. Thank you for sharing your responses in these online posts. You are very clear about the role of the Sabbath! It is not for us today. It’s encouraging to know that there are people pushing back against the Adventist arguments.