4. Are You Saved?

Feature, White Washed

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith; and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; not by works, so that no one can boast.” — Ephesians 2:8-9

What you believe about salvation has eternal consequences.

As a follower of Christ, if you cannot now rejoice in the fact that you have already been saved by His grace, then you do not clearly understand the Biblical essentials of salvation. There is only one Gospel that can save you, and that Gospel is revealed through the Word of God. No divinely-inspired prophet was ever mistaken about God’s require-ments for salvation.

Look again at Ellen White’s writings to determine if what she wrote about the Gospel is in harmony with God’s Word. The following questions will help you understand the Biblical essentials of salvation:

1. Does the plan of salvation date back before the creation of this world?

EGW

  • “While Moses was shut in the mount with God, the plan of salvation, dating from the fall of Adam, was revealed to him ….” — Selected Messages, vol. 1, pp. 231, 232, written in 1878.
  • “The kingdom of grace was instituted immediately after the fall of man, when a plan was devised for the redemption of the guilty race. It then existed in the purpose and by the promise of God; and through faith, men could become its subjects.” — Great Controversy, p. 347, written in 1888.

BIBLE

  • “A faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie promised before the beginning of time.” — Titus 1:2.
  • “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world.” — Ephesians 1:4.
  • “You were redeemed … with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.” — 1 Peter 1:18-20.
  • “This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.” — 2 Timothy 1:9.
  • “The Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” — Revelation 13:8.

Ellen White claimed God devised a plan to deal with sin after Adam and Eve had fallen to temptation. But the Gospel of Jesus Christ states God was not unprepared when Adam and Eve sinned. Instead, his loving omniscience had created the plan of salvation even before the beginning of time! In God’s plan, Jesus was “slain” from the creation of this world. Only a God of overwhelming love would set up a plan to pay the penalty for sin long before the first sin occurred.

2. Does the blood of Christ cancel and cleanse away our sins the moment we confess them?

EGW

  • “The blood of Christ, while it was to release the repentant sinner from the condemnation of the law, was not to cancel the sin; it would stand on record in the sanctuary until the final atonement.” — Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 357, written in 1890.
  • “At the time appointed for the judgment — the close of the 2300 days, in 1844 — began the work of investigation and blotting out of sins.” — Great Controversy, p. 486, written in 1888.

BIBLE

  • “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” — Hebrews 8:12.
  • “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” — Hebrews 9:28.
  • “In him we have redemption through his blood; the forgiveness of sins.” — Ephesians 1:7.
  • “He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.” — Colossians 2:13, 14.
  • “And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood.” — Hebrews 13:12.
  • “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” — 1 John 1:7 (KJV).
  • “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” — 1 John 1:9.
  • “He is the One who turns aside God’s wrath, taking away our sins.” — 1 John 2:2 (margin).
  • “He loved us and sent his Son as the one who would turn aside his wrath, taking away our sins.” — 1 John 4:10 (margin).
  • If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness …” – Psalm 130:3-4
  • “I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” — Isaiah 43:25.
  • “… I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” — Jeremiah 31:34.
  • “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” — Psalm 103:12.

According to Ellen White, you are not truly free from your sins when you repent. Instead, your sins are shifted from one heavenly record book to another. They are kept on file to condemn you in the Investigative Judgement if you have not perfectly overcome each sin before your life (or “probation”) closes. The Seventh-day Adventist doctrine of the Investigative Judgment is a false “gospel” which leaves many Seventh-day Adventists uncertain of their salvation, and thus they live in fear. When asked if you have assurance of salvation you may be accustomed to answering “I hope to be saved,” or “Jesus is in the process of saving me.” If that is your understanding of the Gospel, your beliefs about salvation are not Biblical.

The Gospel in God’s Word assures you, that as a professed Christian, having confessed and repented of your sins, you are saved by Jesus Christ right now. You have salvation right now. At this very moment, you stand before God as though you had never sinned. In Jesus Christ you have confidence to stand before God at any moment without fear of punishment. If that is difficult for you to believe, then consider the Good News in God’s Word:

BIBLE

  • “We know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” — 1 John 4:16-18.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is clear: Jesus takes away your sins the moment you confess and ask his forgiveness. He can never bring them up again for he has completely removed them. He “remembers them no more” for He keeps no “record of sins.” Not only is Jesus your High Priest, and his blood your Sacrificial Offering, but he is also your Scapegoat, the Bearer of your sins. He is your Judge, but he is also your Mediator and your Defense Attorney. Every part of your salvation comes from Jesus Christ! That is why God’s Word says:

BIBLE

  • “God … has saved us and called us to a holy life — not because of anything we have done, but because of his own purpose and grace.” — 2 Timothy 1:9.

When Jesus forgives you, he takes away your sin and destroys even its record by nailing it to his cross. In God’s eyes it is as if you had never sinned for your sin has been taken away and God remembers your sin no more (see Jeremiah 31:34 and Psalm 103:12). You are truly saved by God’s grace at this very moment, if you have responded to the grace of Christ and accepted him as your Savior! That is the good news of the Gospel found in God’s Word!

3. Was the atonement for sin completed at the cross?

EGW

  • “Instead of … Daniel 8:14 referring to the purifying of the earth, it was now plain that it pointed to the closing work of our High Priest in heaven, the finishing of the atonement, and the preparing of the people to abide the day of His coming.” — Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 58, written in 1868.
  • “Jesus entered the most holy of the heavenly (sanctuary), at the end of the 2300 days of Daniel 8, in 1844, to make a final atonement for all who could be benefited by His mediation ….” — Early Writings, p. 253, written in 1882. (A similar statement appears in Great Controversy, p. 480).
  • “Now, while our great High Priest is making the atonement for us, we should seek to become perfect in Christ.” — Great Controversy, p. 623, written in 1888.

BIBLE

  • “But now, a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.” — Romans 3:21-25, written in 57 A.D.
  • “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” — Romans 5:9-11, written in 57 A.D.

The gospel of Ellen White makes your atonement an on-going process during which you must work to become perfect. Working to become perfect is an impossible task, for the Bible says:

BIBLE

  • “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” — Isaiah 64:6.

Because you have no righteousness in and of yourself, you can not become perfect – not ever! Your responsibility is to accept Christ’s sacrifice, his righteousness, and his perfection which is then credited to you.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ makes it clear that your reconciliation is not on the basis of your working to become “perfect,” but on the basis of your acceptance of the free gift of Christ’s shed blood and death on the cross. That is why the Bible says:

BIBLE

  • “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” — Ephesians 2:9, 10.

Notice God’s Word states these facts in the past tense, clearly indicating Christ’s atonement for your sins was completed on the cross. Being in Christ, you need never fear the judgment because you have already been judged saved! Now think about this: as a Christian you have already been born again, you have already been adopted into God’s family because you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Does it make any sense to think that you are still on “probation?”

I ask you, would a mother give birth to a child, then wait his entire life to see if he was now “good enough” to become her son? Of course not! A child becomes his mother’s son the moment he is born. A Christian becomes a saved child of God the moment he or she is born again by accepting Jesus as his Savior and Lord. Rejoice with me that our salvation is secure right now.

4. Did Jesus enter the most holy place of the heavenly temple before October 22, 1844?

EGW

  • “I was shown that … the door was opened in the most holy place in the heavenly sanctuary, where the ark is, in which are contained the ten commandments. This door was not opened until the mediation of Jesus was finished in the holy place of the sanctuary in 1844. Then Jesus rose up and shut the door of the holy place, and opened the door into the most holy, and passed within the second veil, where he now stands by the ark.” — Early Writings, p. 42, written in 1849.

BIBLE

  • “We do have such a High Priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.” — Hebrews 8:1, 2, written in A.D. 60.
  • “He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered (past tense) the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained (past tense) eternal redemption.” — Hebrews 9:12, written in A.D. 60.

Ellen White was very certain Jesus did not enter the most holy place until October 22, 1844. Seventh-day Adventists continue to teach this false doctrine even though it contradicts the Bible, contradicts history and contradicts both the Rabbinical and Karaite dates for the Day of Atonement in 1844 (see chapters “The Great Disappointment” and “Karaite Jews and October 22, 1844” which thoroughly investigate the 2,300 days and Seventh-day Adventism’s October 22, 1844 date).

Remember what the Bible said? When Paul wrote Hebrews in A.D. 60, he said Jesus had already entered the most holy place. As a matter of fact, Jesus entered the most holy place immediately after his ascension. Everything Paul wrote about this was written in the past tense: it had already occurred just thirty years after Christ’s resurrection. The Seventh-day Adventist doctrine that Jesus waited two millenniums to begin his ministry in the most holy place of the Heavenly Sanctuary is simply contrary to God’s Word.

5. Did Jesus die to give us salvation or to give us a second probation?

EGW

  • “Death entered the world because of transgression. But Christ gave his life that man should have another trial. He did not die on the cross to abolish the law of God, but to secure for man a second probation.” — Testimonies to Ministers, p. 134, (1898).
  • “The blood of Christ, while it was to release the repentant sinner from the condemnation of the law, was not to cancel sin. … It (your sins) will stand in the sanctuary until the final atonement.” — Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 357, written in 1890.

BIBLE

  • “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.” — Colossians 2:13, 14.
  • “You, O LORD, (keep no) record of (forgiven) sins …” – Psalm 130:3-4.
  • “Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house.” — Luke 19:9.
  • “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” — 2 Corinthians 6:2. 
  • “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.” — Ephesians 1:13.
  • “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:9, 10.
  • “How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?” — Hebrews 2:3.
  • “When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” — John 19:30.

Here again Ellen White circumvented the centrality of the cross and the finished work of Christ’s atonement. Her “second probation” contradicts the Biblical fact that you are either saved or you are under the sentence of eternal death. There is no intermediate ground.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is clear. At the cross Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins. As a Christian, through faith in his death, you now have atonement, reconciliation, justification, sanctification, and salvation. You do not have a “second probation.” Jesus’ work on your behalf is always on the basis of his grace and your faith. It is never on the basis of proving yourself to be “safe to save” while on some mythical “probation”!

6. Can we legitimately say “I have ceased to sin”?

EGW

  • “Christ died to make it possible for you to cease to sin, and sin is the transgression of the law.” — The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, vol. 71, no. 35, p. 1, August 28, 1894.
  • “To be redeemed means to cease from sin.” — The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, vol. 77, no. 39, p. 1, September 25, 1900.
  • “Those only who through faith in Christ obey all of God’s commandments will reach the condition of sinlessness in which Adam lived before his transgression. They testify to their love of Christ by obeying all his precepts.” — Manuscript 122, written in 1901, quoted in Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1118.
  • “To every one who surrenders fully to God is given the privilege of living without sin, in obedience to the law of heaven. . . . God requires of us perfect obedience. We are to purify ourselves, even as he is pure. By keeping his commandments, we are to reveal our love for the Supreme Ruler of the universe.” — The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, September 27, 1906, page 8.

BIBLE

  • “The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” — 1 John 1:8, 9.
  • “For it is by grace you have been saved, (past tense) through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” — Ephesians 2:8, 9.

Ellen White often confused God’s grace with human works. She requires you to work for “perfection” in the sense of personal sinlessness — resulting in a check-list religion. Believing that sinlessness is the fruit of obedience rather than God’s gift of grace causes you to concentrate on your sins rather than on your Savior.

While the Gospel of Jesus Christ recognizes and abhors your on-going sinfulness, it encourages you to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. It concentrates on the Solution to your sin problem! The Good News is that your faith in God’s grace enables him to see you as sinless at this very moment. Wrapped in the blood-stained robe of Christ’s righteousness you are accepted by him as though you had never sinned. Your sins are forgiven and taken away never to reappear. Rejoice in the grace of God described by the prophet Isaiah:

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more!” — Isaiah 43:25.

Notice God said He “remembers your sins no more.” That is because forgiveness includes the blotting out of sin (see Hebrews 8:12; 9:28; and Jeremiah 31:34). But Ellen White robs her followers of this freedom by claiming God keeps forgiven sins on record until after the Investigative Judgment (see Patriarchs and Prophets, page 357).

7. As a Christian do I still stand condemned before God?

EGW

  • “At the time the light of health reform dawned upon us, and since that time, the questions have come home every day, ‘Am I practicing true temperance in all things?’ ‘Is my diet such as will bring me in a position where I can accomplish the greatest amount of good?’ If we cannot answer these questions in the affirmative, we stand condemned before God.” — Counsels on Diet and Foods, pp. 19, 20, written in 1880.

BIBLE

  • “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” — Romans 8:1.
  • “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned.” — John 3:17, 18.
  • “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” — John 5:24.

8. Can I be accepted by Christ just the way I am now?

EGW

  • “From what was shown me, there is a great work to be accomplished for you before you can be accepted in the sight of God.” — Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 84, written in 1868.
  • “You have a great work to do. … It is impossible for you to be saved as you are.” — Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 316, written 1869. 
  • “As you are, you would mar all heaven. You are uncultivated, unrefined, and unsanctified. There is no place in heaven for such a character as you now possess. … You are further today from the standard of Christian perfection … than you were a few months after you had received the truth.” — Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 465, written in 1875.

BIBLE

  • “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” — Romans 15:7.
  • “God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them (the Gentile converts) by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.” — Acts 15:8, 9.
  • “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.” — Ephesians 2:4, 5.

Your acceptance by God is not on the basis of your perfect character. You come to God both to be saved and to permit his work of cleansing in your life — he accepts you just the way you are. The Bible consistently indicates Ellen White is wrong in claiming there is a level of perfection you must attain before you can be accepted by God.

9. Can I legitimately say “I am saved now by Christ’s grace”?

EGW

  • “Those who accept the Saviour, however sincere their conversion, should never be taught to say or to feel that they are saved. This is misleading. Everyone should be taught to cherish hope and faith; but even when we give ourselves to Christ and know that he accepts us, we are not beyond the reach of temptation. … Those who accept Christ, and in their first confidence say, I am saved, are in danger of trusting to themselves.” — Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 155, written in 1900.

Here again Ellen White completely contradicted the Bible. She robbed believers of one of the most beautiful testimonies a Christian can share: “I’ve been saved by the grace of Jesus Christ!” Your Savior wants you to have that assurance. Read what the Bible has to say about being confident of your salvation in Christ:

BIBLE

  • “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” — 1 John 5:13.
  • “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” — John 5:24
  • “I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.” — John 6:47
  • “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” — John 6:54
  • “We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” — Acts 15:11
  • “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’“ — Romans 10:10, 11
  • “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” — 1 Corinthians 15:2
  • “It is by grace you have been saved.” — Ephesians 2:5
  • “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” — Ephesians 2:8
  • “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation — if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.” — Colossians 1:21-23
  • “God who has saved us and called us to a holy life — not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.” — 2 Timothy 1:9
  • “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” — Titus 3:5.

Part of the problem Ellen White had with the assurance of salvation is she repeatedly confused temptation with sin. According to her, your salvation depends on your ability to resist temptation and thus successfully overcome sin. So if you should gratefully express your gratitude that Jesus had saved you, then Ellen White claimed you were trusting in yourself! She taught your salvation must always remain an uncertainty because you could always be tempted into sin.

But the Gospel of Jesus Christ makes it plain that you are saved the moment you accept Christ. Your salvation does not depend on your good works, but on God’s grace. God calls you and saves you and empowers you to do good works — but never on your own merits. On your own merits you will always be a sinner. From your viewpoint you will always be less than perfect.

The Good News is that through God’s grace, you are now a forgiven, saved sinner. From God’s viewpoint, looking through the shed blood of Jesus, you stand perfect before him. You are blameless and acceptable in his sight right now. Trust Jesus with your salvation now!

10. Can the faith of believing parents save their infants?

EGW

  • “I know that some questioned whether the little children of even believing parents should be saved, because they have had no test of character and all must be tested and their character determined by trial. The question is asked, ‘How can little children have this test and trial?” I answer that the faith of the believing parents covers the children, as when God sent his judgments upon the first-born of the Egyptians. … The parents evidenced their faith in implicitly obeying the directions given them, and the faith of the parents covered themselves and their children. … This is a symbol to show that the faith of the parents extends to their children and covers them from the destroying angel.” — Selected Messages, vol. 3, pp. 313, 314, written in 1885.

BIBLE

  • “If I bring a sword against that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass throughout the land,’ and I kill its men and their animals, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men (Noah, Daniel and Job) were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved. Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out My wrath upon it through bloodshed, killing its men and their animals, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.” — Ezekiel 14:17-20.
  • “The soul who sins is the one who will die.” — Ezekiel 18:4.
  • “The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him.” — Ezekiel 18:20.
  • “I will judge each of you according to his own ways.” — Ezekiel 33:20.

In trying to give parents some assurance that their little children could be saved, Ellen White stated that since little children have not had the opportunity to prove their character by their good works, they would be saved under their parent’s merits. Perhaps this sounds encouraging at first, but Ellen White’s solution is a complete contradiction of Scripture. As a matter of fact, it is the basis of the Roman Catholic doctrine that the merits of the saints can be transferred to deficient Christians. Isn’t it strange that God would inspire Ellen White to write such an non-Biblical teaching!

The Gospel of Jesus Christ recognizes that neither your moral sin nor your obedience to God’s Law can be inherited by someone else. By definition, sin is a personal, conscious decision to disobey God’s revealed will, while obedience is a personal conscious decision to obey God’s revealed will. Unconfessed, unforgiven sin excludes a person from the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore, until a child reaches the age where he has the ability and the full knowledge to choose for or against God, Divine grace covers him just as it covered Adam and Eve before they chose to sin.

Remember, under the tenth plague, Israelite children were saved because they chose to remain in the place of safety, and not because the good works of their parents were transferred to their account! According to Bible principles, any Israelite child who chose not to remain in the house would have died the way the Egyptian children did.

11. Will the sins of the slave be transferred to the slave master?

EGW

  • “I saw that the slave master will have to answer for the soul of his slave whom he has kept in ignorance; and the sins of the slave will be visited upon (transferred to) the master.” — Early Writings, p. 276, written in 1849.

BIBLE

  • “The soul who sins is the one who will die.” — Ezekiel 18:4.
  • “The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him.” — Ezekiel 18:20.
  • “I will judge each of you according to his own ways.” — Ezekiel 33:20.

Ellen White first contradicted the Bible by teaching the Roman Catholic doctrine that the good deeds of parents could be transferred to their children and thus save them. She contradicted the Bible again by teaching that the sins of slaves could be transferred to slave masters. Would God have inspired Ellen White to be so wrong about such simple aspects of salvation which are clearly presented in His Word?

12. Will obeying the commandments earn me God’s favor?

EGW

  • “To obey the commandments of God is the only way to obtain (earn) his favor.” — Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 28, written in 1876.

BIBLE

  • “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” — Matthew 5:20.
  • “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” — Isaiah 64:6.
  • “Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, ‘The righteous will live by faith.’“ — Galatians 3:11.
  • “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” — Romans 5:19.

Again Ellen White contradicted the Bible by suggesting that good works earn us something in salvation. However the Bible is clear that good works are the fruit of salvation, not the method of earning God’s favor or earning our salvation. This concept is what distinguishes Christianity from paganism. Could Ellen White be Divinely-inspired and miss the important Biblical concept that salvation is a gift of God’s grace?

13. Does our obedience and faith reconcile us to God?

EGW

  • “Man, who has defaced the image of God in his soul by a corrupt life, cannot, by mere human effort, effect a radical change in himself. He must accept the provisions of the gospel; he must be reconciled to God through obedience to his law and faith in Jesus Christ.” — Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 294, written in 1879.

BIBLE

  • “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement (reconciliation), through faith in his blood.”—Romans 3:23-25.
  • “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” — Romans 3:21-22.
  • “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”—Romans 5:1.
  • “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” — Ephesians 2:8, 9.
  • “How from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” — 2 Timothy 3:15.
  • “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” — Colossians 1:21, 22.

Again Ellen White contradicted God’s Word by claiming your reconciliation requires a combination of good works (obedience to God’s law) and faith.

The Biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ is very clear: reconciliation and salvation are both gifts of God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Obedience to God’s will is a by-product of the gift of salvation and occurs as Jesus Christ works within us to grow us in his grace. But good works, even obedience, never save us in any way whatsoever.

14. Is there ever a time when Christians will stand before God without Christ as their priestly mediator?

EGW

“Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession (High Priestly ministry) of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator.” — Great Controversy, p. 425, written in 1888.

BIBLE

  • “For it is declared: ‘You (Jesus) are a priest forever, …” — Hebrews 7:17.
  • “But he (Jesus) became a priest with an oath when God said to him: ‘The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever.”‘“ — Hebrews 7:21.
  • “Because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” — Hebrews 7:24-25.

Ellen White’s false doctrine about standing before God without a mediator strikes fear in the hearts of many Seventh-day Adventists. It generates confusion and destroys confidence in the Gospel. Worse, it is a direct contradiction of what God’s Word proclaims about the eternal priesthood of Jesus Christ and our calm assurance of salvation through faith in him.

Ellen White’s false doctrine is what Seventh-day Adventists teach as the “full Gospel.” Evangelist Dwight Nelson stated during Net 98, “Martin Luther only had half the Gospel; we Seventh-day Adventists have completed the Reformation and have the full Gospel.” When the “full Gospel” of Seventh-day Adventism is compared to the pure Gospel of the Bible one discovers it is no “gospel” at all!

The pure Gospel of Jesus Christ is so important to God that he issued a strong warning to all who would pervert it:

BIBLE

  • “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the Gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” — Galatians 1:6-9. 

 

White Washed. Copyright © 2011 by Sydney Cleveland. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2011. Revised and enlarged 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2011. All Scripture quotations—except where otherwise noted—are from Holy Bible, New International Version, © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved. Life Assurance Ministries, Inc.

Sydney Cleveland
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