Our Denominational History and the
Laodicean Message
Chapter 6 (Continued — part 5)
Note the very clear import of the conclusion of
the book:
Through the years since 1901 and before,
Seventh-day Adventists have published numerous tracts on righteousness by
faith, and from time to time this theme has been covered in Sabbath School
lessons. The various phases of salvation through faith in Christ have been
taught with power and clarity over the radio for a number of years and
more recently on television. This subject has been made prominent in
different courses of Bible correspondence lessons. Adventist pastors and
evangelists have announced this vital truth from church pulpits and public
platforms, with hearts aflame with love for Christ And through the monthly
journal, The Ministry. Seventh-day Adventist preachers and
writers have constantly been urged to make Jesus Christ and His
righteousness as the Saviour the center of all their teaching.
This emphasis has not been more prominent
than the importance of the subject merits. If anything, it has not been so
great as this precious theme deserves. (Ibid., p. 237; new edition, p.
243).
Then why hasn’t the work been finished
if this precious truth has been so "taught with power and clarity …
with hearts aflame" by Adventist pastors and
evangelists? The lay members haven’t
listened as they should, The latter have held up the finishing of the work
Note the conclusion, possible only through a misunderstanding of the
Laodicean message:
Many Seventh-day Adventists still seem
ignorant of this all-important doctrine. Much of this lack of awareness
results from their failure to read Adventist books and periodicals
presenting the gospel in clear, forceful language.
…
We fear that to many church members the
message of righteousness by faith has become a dry theory instead of a
living reality in their daily experience.
They have neglected the light that God in
His love and mercy has caused to shine upon them They have failed to
exchange the worthless garments of their own self-righteousness for the
spotless robe of Christ’s righteousness. In the sight of God their poor
souls are naked and destitute. (Ibid., pp. 237-239; new edition, pp.
243-247).
If our Lord’s message is true, here we
have the cart before the horse. Our Lord addresses His message "unto the
angel of the church". The emphasis in the Spirit of Prophecy is
crystal clear: had the ministerial leadership of the church truly accepted
the 1888 message, the church would have cooperated and the work would have
been finished (cf. 1 SM 234,235). "Thy people shall be willing in the
day of Thy power", the Psalmist assures us (Ps. 110:3). A laity
continually resisting leadership is a discouraging prospect for the
future! It is not true.
What our author cannot see is that all
this "emphasis" he finds so encouraging is in reality a
different message from the 1888 message, and this is the reason "the
message of righteousness by faith has become a dry theory" " to
many church members". They are bored by it so that there is a
"lack of awareness … from their failure to read
Adventist books and periodicals". Surely they have tried to read
them; but the clear, cogent concepts of the 1888 message being lacking,
the message seems dull to them. And they don’t know why. But "the
angel of the church" feels he has done his duty, at least quite
largely so and commendably so.
What is said here is said with deep
respect for all our historians, whose devotion to the cause was
unquestionable. The "thou knowest not" of our Lord explains the
problem. And they merely articulate the nearly universal pride of many who
still uphold this view in the matter of righteousness by faith (cf. Movement
of Destiny, pp. 610-612). Nothing said here is to be understood as
critical of any of our past writers. It is said simply from the
realization that our Lord’s message in Revelation 3:14-21 is still
"present truth", and clearly demonstrated to be so from our own
denominational history, past and current.
In this recent work (republished 1978)
practically every prominent spokesman for the church is quoted as
supporting the theme of 1888 "enrichment" (a few are notably
absent, such as S. N. Haskell, Meade MacGuire, and Taylor G. Bunch). The
list of names quoted (pp. 681-686, 1971 ed.) is very impressive indeed. If
truth can be settled by a majority vote, then it seems certain that Ellen
White was sadly mistaken in her repeated statements to the effect that the
1888 message was "in a great measure" and "in a great
degree" "shut away from our people" and "kept away
from the world" "by the action of our own [leading]
brethren". Not one of these dedicated men cited would want to
contradict the True Witness knowingly. But could it be that our Lord’s
words "thou knowest not" apply to all of us?
We
are forced to reconsider the significance of our history.
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