We were sharing the gospel with people in our congregation in Watsonville and with the people with whom we studying the Bible. Dale prepared and printed about a thousand copies of a little booklet called Life Assurance. The message of this little booklet began by showing we are all sinners and lost until we find Christ. It ended with the assurance in 1 John 5:11- 13.
And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
It then encouraged people to find a church that preached the gospel, had fellowship and kept the commandments of God. Of course these commandments were, we explained, the Ten Commandments of Exodus 20. Dale has since revised this booklet to reflect the teaching of the new covenant.
We had good success with this little booklet in leading many people to Christ. A team from our church went out one evening a week to visit anyone who had visited the church on Sabbath and many of these people came to know Jesus. Our church was growing, and Dale was preaching good, gospel centered sermons.
One day at the women’s Bible study group I was leading in Hollister a lady from the Church of Christ asked if she could have the study at her home the following week. We all agreed to this, and then she asked if we could study the Sabbath. I was delighted. I enjoyed studying the Sabbath topic with people and most came to believe that the seventh day Sabbath was the day required by God to be kept.
When I arrived at her home the next week everyone from our group was there, and she had invited a few more ladies from her church. I had the feeling this was going to be a good session. I had studied this topic thoroughly and felt ready for any objection that might arise. After the usual preliminaries, I began the study. It quickly became clear, however, this was not the intent this lady had by inviting everyone into her home. She had prepared a study on the Sabbath, and she began reading texts to which I did not know how to respond. Not only did I not know how to relate these texts to the Sabbath,
I was appalled when I recognized I was unfamiliar with these verses in Galatians, Colossians and Ephesians. Yes, I had read these texts before, but that day they seemed so new- as if a veil were lifting from my eyes. I sat there stunned as others asked questions I could not answer, but this lady seemed to be able to answer. The troubling thought was that her presentation seemed to make more sense than the one I had prepared. My eyes were seeing texts that my mind didn’t want to admit were there. I had no argument with these texts; I was reading from my own Bible and could read them clearly. I knew what I believed about the Sabbath was true; I just didn’t know how to respond to these texts. The worst part was that somehow I hadn’t seen them before the way I was now seeing them. She kept mentioning something about a new covenant which made the old covenant obsolete. I believed the Bible taught there was only one eternal covenant. I knew the Old Testament had references to a new covenant, but that was the everlasting covenant, I reasoned in my mind. I believed the covenant mentioned in the New Testament was still part of the everlasting covenant. The texts she was reading seemed to be saying something different to me. Texts such as this one in Galatians 3:24–26:
Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
And this text from Colossians 2:14:
Having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Our hostess said this referred to the Ten Commandments. I felt my argument that this was only the ceremonial law, not the Ten Commandments would silence her, but she just ignored me and had us continue looking up texts.
Then there were these texts from 1 Corinthians 11:25 and Hebrews 8:13:
In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.
I had thought these texts referred to the ceremonial law but now felt a little confused.
These verses in Galatians 4:21-31 were making my mind spin.
Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman . But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. For it is written “Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear, break forth and shout, you who are not in labor, for more numerous are the children of the desolate than of the one who has a husband.” And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bond woman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.” So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman.
Cast out the bondwoman? It appeared this allegory was referring to the law. I didn’t like what I was hearing and reading for myself. This was not how it was supposed to be. This is the main distinctive doctrine of the SDA church, and I knew it was true. I had not done my homework well enough, I thought.
I was glad when the study ended, and I excused myself without staying to enjoy the refreshments. I went home determined I needed to study this topic further and much deeper. That evening I asked Dale how to interpret these texts.
Dale was busy with some of his own study and did not give me an answer. He was listening to tapes that had been sent to him of lectures by Dr. Desmond Ford and Walter Rae. He said he was troubled by what he was hearing and wanted me to listen to the tapes also. I told him I was not interested, and he needed to be careful so he did not do anything to cause me to lose my job. I sat at my desk reading and rereading all these texts and more, wondering if somehow there were a chance this lady’s interpretation was true.
I felt sure Dale would know how to defend the Sabbath doctrine and would give me an answer that no one would be able to refute. He was just engrossed in the information he was hearing, I told myself. I felt disappointed by his apparent lack of concern, but believed I would find the answer soon.
The next week was the Central California Conference annual set-up time for camp meeting at the Soquel campground. All conference workers were required to work at the camp the two weeks before camp meeting started. I was amused and somewhat offended when I was asked to drive an old dump truck that was being used to haul garbage up a steep hill to the dump. This was a stick shift truck, which I felt comfortable to drive, but to down shift going up the steep hill required some real coordination and skill to keep that old truck from stalling. A teenage boy was assigned to load and unload the trash; I only had to drive the truck. He seemed impressed with my skill, learned on the years of farm work driving many tractors and old trucks.
One day I was assigned to do some clean-up work with another Bible worker. I shared with this lady my concern about the Bible study on the Sabbath that I had with the ladies in Hollister. I told her the lady kept mentioning that there were two covenants: one covenant was old and obsolete and no longer binding, and one was new. This Bible worker said she had all the answers and was giving a talk at one of the afternoon meetings on the covenants. She assured me that if I attended I would no longer have any questions.
I was unable to attend this meeting; however, I purchased a copy of the tape. A few days later as I was getting dinner I was listening to this lecture. I had my Bible on the kitchen counter, and would interrupt my cooking, stop the tape recorder, and read every text she mentioned. She started with the Old Testament using texts on the everlasting covenant. I would listen a while and then tum off the tape and read the Bible text. I cannot remember everything she was proclaiming, but as I read the texts I do remember clearly that they did not say to me what she was claiming they said. I clearly remember that her bottom line was that there is no such thing as a new covenant. She repeated this several times. I had been hoping for clear teaching on the covenants that would help me understand how they relate to the Sabbath. However, I did not get it from her lecture.
I had a basic knowledge of the 1844 investigative judgment doctrine, and as I was going over the standard study guide with some people one day the man looked at me and said, “So where did you get all of this?”
I tried to explain that the doctrine was based on Daniel 8:14 and was interpreted as the predicted coming of Christ which was to take place first in 1843. When Christ did not come, the date was changed to 1844, but still Christ did not return. Then the interpretation was changed to the investigative judgment, which meant Christ was going over the records of the saints, which did not start until Jesus passed from the Holy to the Most Holy compartment in heaven on October 22, 1844. I was jumping from text to text following the study guide and feeling the lesson guide must have omitted some of the texts I knew would have helped me. These people looked so confused and bewildered.
Dale had been sharing with me that he was learning there were major problems with the investigative judgment doctrine. He wanted me to listen to the tapes he had listened to and begin reading some of the material that been had been filling our mailbox almost daily. I had not been interested. Deep theological discussions were best left to the theologians, I thought. I would just stick with the doctrines in the study guides I was assigned by the pastors to teach. However, now I thought it was time to do some investigation of my own.
That night I decided that since doctrine comes from Scripture, I would not start by reading the plethora of material Dale had been reading. What I was teaching must only come from my Bible. I took my concordance, a long roll of white shelf paper, and my Bible. There were no computers in those days! I laid the shelf paper on the family room floor along with the concordance and my Bible. I began at Genesis and wrote down every text that had anything to do with judgment. This took many nights of study and when I was nearing the end of the list in the concordance, I had already concluded that the judgment of punishment was for the wicked. The righteous did not come into judgment as understood by Adventists. The text in John 5:24 was the clincher for me.
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
Then when I read Hebrews 6:19 and 20, I knew Jesus did not wait until 1844 to enter the Most Holy Place; He entered it at the ascension.
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
The idea of an investigative judgment starting in 1844 was something I could no longer believe. I had done enough so that I was satisfied that believers are judged when they accept Christ as their Savior. Jesus took the judgment of our sins for us on the cross. My paper was now about twelve feet long, and I realized this conclusion was different from the SDA teaching on judgment. I decided I would not include this study in my curriculum any longer, as it was contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture and the truth of the gospel.
Today I feel sad when I think about my experience with those people. I wish I had shared the good news about Jesus with them, that when we believe in Him, we do not come into judgment but have passed from death into life (John 5:24). I was no longer invited into this home for Bible studies. I do recall, though, of sharing the good news of this verse with other people while I was still giving Bible studies.
As the information was coming to us showing the problems with Ellen White and the investigative judgment doctrine, Dale was preaching good gospel sermons from the book of Romans. One Sabbath his sermon was from Romans 6 with emphasis on verse 11. “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” It was a good sermon and filled me with hope and courage, as his sermons usually did.
I was driving to a Bible study on Monday when the truth of this verse struck home with me. Suddenly, I realized that since God looks at me, as if I am dead to sin, who am I to argue with Him? My thoughts that morning moved me to tears, and I had to pull the car over for a few minutes. I thanked God for showing me that He wanted me to see myself as covered by the perfection of Christ. This new perspective did not mean that I was suddenly perfect. It did mean that God looks at me, the filthy rag that I am, but sees only the perfect life of Christ because of my faith and trust in Jesus. If the Judge has acquitted me, why should I condemn myself?
I continued on to my Bible study that moming with a clearer view of and a renewed joy in the good news of the gospel. I could hardly wait to share this with others!
My Cup Overflows. Copyright © 2009 by Carolyn Ratzlaff. All Scripture quotations—except where otherwise noted—are from The New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1979, 1994 by the Lockman Foundation, used by permission. All rights reserved. Life Assurance Ministries, Inc.
Carolyn has always been a positive person enjoying life and outdoor activities such as hiking and gardening, and she and her husband currently raise a good portion of their own food in small grow boxes. She also reads many health journals and is often surprised at the contrast between what was taught through the writings of Ellen White on forbidden items of diet and health, and the beneficial evidence of these same items which is supported by a plethora of scientific studies.
She and her husband Dale Ratzlaff have two married sons and four grandchildren.
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