The "Alpha" and the
"Omega"
As a result of rejecting truth in
the 1888 message, we became vulnerable to being deceived by clever
error.92 The pantheism heresy of the early years of this century
was an "iceberg" that almost sank the good ship Zion.93
Inspiration identified it as the "alpha" of Satan’s
long list of deceptions that were to culminate in a future
"omega" error of frightening power."94 In fact, our
constant tendency ever since the "alpha" has been to
seek "light and power" from non-Seventh-day Adventist
sources in understanding and communicating the gospel.95
Inevitably, confusion has followed. Undoubtedly we shall soon face
highly sophisticated temptations to import a "holy
spirit" from the popular churches, whose Pentecostalism is
sweeping the world and enticing our own pastors, conference
leaders, and writers in periodicals with visions of great
"church growth." Ellen White’s counsels make
disturbing reading in the light of this current enthusiasm.96
The truth of Seventh-day Adventist
history does not indicate that the Lord has (or will) cast off His
people. "The church may appear as about to fall, but it does
not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out—the
chaff separated from the precious wheat."97
But the present deadlock cannot go
on forever. Something will have to "give": either the
conviction that "the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our
past history"98 (which this author refuses to surrender); or
that the church has ceased to be the agent which the Lord will
employ in finishing His work on earth99 (again, this author
refuses to accept this solution); or we shall have to surrender
our spiritual pride, and let our "glory" be
laid "in the dust" by accepting the full
truth of the Lord’s "teaching in our past history."
This will be genuine justification
by faith.
Read
Section Two—What Was the 1888 Message?
NOTES:
-
See
RH Sept. 3, 1889; Jan. 9, 1894; Aug. 7, 1894; Special
Testimonies, Series A., No. 1, p. 63, 64; Daniells, Christ
Our Righteousness, p. 89; Ev 593, 594 (MS 16,1890);
RH Dec. 13,1892; TM 229 (1894); Letter 136a,
1898; and 1SM 193-208 and 2SM 13-60. [Return
to text]
-
1SM
205, 206. [Return
to text]
-
1SM
200. [Return
to text]
-
A
long list of deceptive ideas begin with the "alpha"
of pantheism.. There followed the "Victorious Life"
enthusiasm of the 1920’s import from the Sunday School
Times and the Keswick Movement (see Froom, pp. 319, 320);
the "Share Your Faith," concepts from E. Stanley
Jones (see Ministry Magazine, Feb. 1950) and RH
Nov. 9, 1950 article by W.A. Spicer refuting this reliance on
E. Stanley Jones’ concepts and methods borrowed from Campus
Crusade for Christ; and the current "church growth"
enthusiasm as indebted to non-Adventist sources. See EW
55, 56, 260, 261; GC 464, 480; 2SM 16-24, 31-39.
[Return to
text]
-
It
is suggested that the confusion within the SDA church over the
meaning of "justification by faith" is the result of
very widespread ignorance of the actual content of the 1888
message itself. Many have rather naturally assumed that
Lutheran and Calvinist and Evangelical concepts are the
substance of the 1888 message. This cannot be. [Return
to text]
-
2SM
380. [Return
to text]
-
LS
196. [Return
to text]
-
This,
of course, is the conclusion of many zealous offshoot groups,
and which they advocate. [Return
to text]
|