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The Loud Cry
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Reply from the Ellen G. White Estate regarding letters I wrote them
Reply from the Voice of Prophecy
What Constitutes Babylon according to Ellen G. White
Babylon and the Remnant Church by Ellen G. White
General
Conference is not Babylon by David M. Curtis
S.D.A Church not Babylon by Ellen G. White
Restlessness and Accusation by Ellen G. White
David M. Curtis & Nicholas Letters about the General Conference
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Will Our Church Survive?
Mark A. Finley
Speaker/Director, It Is Written
What is our church’s calling and its destiny? Will we fulfill them?
There is a subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle struggle raging for the
soul of the Seventh-day Adventist church today. Serious questions are
being raised.
Some members wonder why we exist at all. Is the Seventh-day Adventist
church simply another denomination? Do we have a unique mission and
message? Have we been raised up to perform a specific task? LeRoy Edwin
Froom sums up these questions in his Movement of Destiny: "Just why are
we here today, as an organized entity? Do we assuredly have an
authorized and authentic commission from God—a mission and message
assigned to us that command our respect and demand our all, for the
fulfillment of which we are solemnly accountable to God?"1
Other members are asking questions of an opposite nature. They believe
the Seventh-day Adventist church was providentially raised up by God to
accomplish a specific mission. But they believe that the church has
compromised its integrity and apostatized from doctrinal purity. They
are convinced that God has called them to leave the "organized church."
They see themselves as part of a "remnant of the remnant"—modern
representatives of that select group of "faithful souls" who have
constituted the church in every age. They define the church
as "committed believers," not as an organized institution.
Let’s candidly examine some of these issues together.
A Look at These Questions. Scripture uses a variety of symbols to
describe God’s church. It is "the light of the world," "the body of
Christ," the "bride of Christ" and the "flock of God."2 Christ is its
Head,
its Husband, its Shepherd.
The embryo of the church was formed in Genesis. As sin widened the gap
between Christ’s followers and the followers of the evil one, "Humanity
began to divide in two categories, the sons of God and the sons of
men."3 God established a group of people to preserve His name, His
truth and His worship. "Though His special group receives different
names in the Bible—chosen people, people of God, Christian church—its
main purpose remains the same."4 God’s people represent His loving,
righteous character and communicate His message of truth to the rest of
the world. They are His witnesses in the lives they live and the words
they speak. Their lives of absolute trust, loving obedience and
passionate commitment to truth reveal, to a watching world, His way of
life. The church is Christ’s witness in the world.
God’s Purpose, Our Commission. Our church was providentially raised up
by our Lord to accomplish His purpose. It is not a manmade, human
entity. It is a divine institution established by God. Jesus
stated, "I"—not someone else—"will build my church." Then He declared
that no one will ever destroy it. "The gates of hell shall not prevail
against it"(Mt 16:18). All the powers of evil can never destroy the
church Christ has founded.
Jesus Himself gave the commission to His early disciples. His words
echo down the corridors of time: "All authority in heaven and on earth
has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations"
(Mt 28:19, 20 NIV).
That commission is just as relevant today as when Christ first spoke
it. "The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of men. It
was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to
the world. . . . The church is the repository of the riches of the
grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made
manifest, even to ‘the principalities and powers in heavenly places,’
the final and full display of the love of God. Ephesians 3:10" (The
Acts of the Apostles, p. 9).
Be sure to note that last statement! The Seventh-day Adventist church
has been raised up by God to "manifest . . . the final and full display
of the love of God." Seventh-day Adventists are not just another
denomination. Our doctrinal understanding reveals depths of God’s love
and unique aspects of His character that are often misunderstood by
fellow Christians who embrace doctrinal errors. What are doctrines,
anyway? They are objective statements about the character of God.
Our Doctrines. Recently I discussed the concept of the Seventh-day
Adventist church as a people called out by God to accomplish a special
mission with someone who felt I was quite "narrow" in my thinking.
Their understanding was that Seventh-day Adventists are no more called
by God than any other denomination. This individual, although an
Adventist, sees the Adventist church as merely part of the larger
people of God, the Christian church.
This person’s understanding of our mission is that we should convert
secular people or the unchurched to Christ, and nothing more. I
detected nervousness when I mentioned the concepts of the remnant, the
true church, the three angels’ messages, the mark of the beast and the
fall of Babylon.
During our discussion I asked, "Is it possible for a church to fully
reveal the loving character of God if at the same time it teaches the
doctrine of eternal torment in an ever-burning hell?" Does a person’s
concept of hell say anything about their concept of God?
I also asked my friend, "What about the doctrine of the immortal soul
as opposed to the concept of physical, mental and spiritual wholeness?"
The Greek philosophers separated the soul from the body. This had a
dramatic impact on their ideas about life and death, and I wanted to
know how my friend saw these things.
The Sabbath. As our discussion continued, I pointed out that one reason
the Sabbath is important is that it leads us back to our roots. It
speaks of the God who made us, our loving Creator. It is a weekly
reminder that we are more than skin covering bone; we are the creation
of a loving God who cares for us intimately.
The Sabbath connects us in a unique way to the cross, for it is a
symbol of rest, not works.
I suggested to him that, rightly understood, the Sabbath is a symbol of
righteousness by faith. Each Sabbath as we rest from our works we trust
in the completed work of Christ. We cease from our labors to save
ourselves and trust in Jesus’ finished work at Calvary.
To accept Sunday—a manmade substitute—is to accept a day that man, not
God, has decreed for worship. In a sense, this leads subtly to trusting
a human work—the change of God’s day—rather than by faith accepting a
divine command.
In the great controversy being waged in the universe between good and
evil, the Sabbath anchors us in our loving Creator. It leads us, by
faith, to rest in His grace, and it reminds us of the day when God will
create a new heaven and a new earth.
Each doctrine of Scripture, rightly understood, reveals another facet
of God’s loving character. God raised up the Seventh-day Adventist
church to portray fully the magnificence of His character.
Our Picture of God. It is not possible to understand the depth of the
divine character fully and at the same time embrace the doctrinal
errors of modern Christendom. I am not implying that doctrine saves
anyone. There are millions of committed Christians who have embraced
some doctrinal errors but who have accepted Christ’s death on the cross
and will be saved. The gift of salvation is theirs.
But, sadly, they do not have a complete picture of God. Their distorted
view often leaves major gaps in their understanding. Many of these
sincere Christians are groping, seeking to find answers, longing to
understand the significance of the great controversy between good and
evil.
As Seventh-day Adventists, God has raised us up for this hour. We have
a message for both the churched and the unchurched. We have been called
of God, brought into existence at this time, to preach the "eternal
gospel . . . to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people" (Rev
14:6). Ours is a special message for a special time, with a special
calling. Ours is to proclaim the fullness of the truth about God in the
final moments of earth’s history, to prepare a people for the coming of
Jesus.
"We are not here to primarily build churches, schools, medical
institutions, dispensaries, publishing houses, conference headquarters—
except as they are the means to the one end of saving souls. All
material things—corporeal, mundane, earthly things—will be consumed at
the Second Advent, irrespective of their purpose and use. Redeemed
souls alone will leap the abyss separating time from eternity—marked
off by the Second Advent—and abide forever."5
Organization. Some people ask, "What do you mean by the church?" They
presume God’s church has no organization. They assert it consists
of "faithful believers" who must meet in house groups because of the
apostasy of the larger body.
W. D. Frazee dealt with this erroneous idea in a sermon he titled, "The
Church Our Mother."6 Frazee agreed that faithful souls constitute the
church. He showed that Ellen White expresses agreement with this view
in The Acts of the Apostles, page 11. But, he pointed out, there is
nothing in her statement to support the idea that God’s true people
must be unorganized or disorganized in order to constitute the true
church. As that thrilling hymn says, "Like a mighty army moves the
church of God."7 God’s church is not a disorganized mob; it is a well-
organized body. And, concerning the remnant who receive the latter rain
and go forward to give the loud cry, Ellen White wrote, "They moved in
exact order, like a company of soldiers" (Early Writings, p. 271).
Elder Frazee quoted two powerful statements from Ellen White: "Oh, how
Satan would rejoice if he could succeed in his efforts to get in among
this people and disorganize the work at a time when thorough
organization is essential and will be the greatest power to keep out
spurious uprisings and to refute claims not endorsed by the Word of
God" (Testimonies for the Church, 9:257, 258).
A little further on in this same section the prophet declared, "Some
have advanced the thought that, as we near the close of time, every
child of God will act independently of any religious organization. But
I have been instructed by the Lord that in this work there is no such
thing as every man’s being independent" (ibid., p. 258). The Seventh-
day Adventist church "is not to be disorganized or broken up into
independent atoms. There is not the least . . . evidence that such a
thing will be" (Selected Messages, 2:68, 69). "Nothing else in this
world is so dear to God as His church" (Testimonies for the Church,
7:242). "The Majesty of heaven has . . . the concerns of His church, in
His own charge" (ibid., 5:753).
"God has not passed His people by and chosen one solitary man here and
another there as the only ones worthy to be entrusted with His truth"
(ibid., 5:291).
Our Destiny Still Unfulfilled. Many thoughtful Seventh-day Adventist
leaders and lay people openly acknowledge that the church has not yet
fulfilled its destiny. In spite of its marvelous triumphs, its rapid
growth, its worldwide influence, its extensive educational and medical
institutions, it does not yet fully reflect the character of our Lord.
In 1935 Elder C. H. Watson, at that time president of the General
Conference, wrote, "There is setting in on this people a tide of
worldliness to which we are surrendering."8
Elder J. L. McElhaney, who followed Elder Watson as president of the
General Conference, gave expression to his deep concern over worldly
trends in the church in these words: "Our greatest danger today is the
attitude taken by so many of our people of accepting with apparent
satisfaction their present low spiritual condition, and not being very
much concerned about it. . . . ‘The time has come for a thorough
reformation to take place.’ . . . There has come into the church a
listlessness, a carelessness that is deplorable."9
Ellen White concurs with the observation of these two godly
leaders. "God calls for a spiritual revival and a spiritual
reformation. Unless this takes place, those who are lukewarm will
continue to grow more abhorrent to the Lord, until He will refuse to
acknowledge them as His children. A revival and a reformation must take
place, under the ministration of the Holy Spirit" (Review and Herald,
Feb. 25, 1902).
Will this revival occur within the Adventist church today? Will there
be a thorough reformation? Or, on the other hand, will God eventually
refuse to call us His children? Will the church which calls people out
of Babylon become a part of Babylon?
The promises of Scripture clearly teach that God’s church will be
revived, not discarded. Revelation 18:1 describes a time when the earth
will be lightened with the glory of God. God’s glory is His character.
(See Ex 33:18, 19.)
According to Song of Solomon 6:10, our God will appear as glorious as
the morning, radiant with the magnificence of His character: "Fair as
the moon, clear as the sun and awesome as an army with banners" (NKJV).
The apostle Paul affirms this truth in Ephesians 5:25-27: "Christ also
loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and
cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present
it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any
such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
God will not fail His people. His promises will be fulfilled in His
church. For, as "enfeebled and defective as it may appear, the church
is the one object upon which God bestows in a special sense His supreme
regard" (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 12).
"The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It
remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out" (Selected
Messages, 2:380).
God has a church on earth who are uplifting the downtrodden law, and
presenting to the people the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the
world. The church is the depository of the wealth of the riches of the
grace of Christ, and through the church eventually will be manifested
the final and full display of God’s love. The world will be lightened
with its glory. The prayer of Christ, that His church might be one with
Him as He is one with His Father, will finally be answered. Take time
to read Testimonies to Ministers, pages 32-62, and notice that the
prophet of God unequivocally denies that the Seventh-day Adventist
church ever was, is now, or ever will be Babylon. Her statements are
too plain to be misunderstood.
"For years I have borne my testimony to the effect that when any arise
claiming to have great light, and yet advocating the tearing down of
that which the Lord through His human agents has been building up, they
are greatly deceived, and are not working along the lines where Christ
is working. Those who assert that the Seventh-day Adventist churches
constitute Babylon, or any part of Babylon, might better stay at home"
(Testimonies to Ministers, pp. 36, 37).
Victory Assured! God’s church will fulfill its destiny.
It will complete its mission.
It will accomplish its purpose.
A revived church with members filled with the Holy Spirit will carry
the gospel to the world. The promised latter rain will fall from heaven
on a praying church. The wind of the Spirit will blow. Sins will be
confessed. The chains of evil habits will be severed. The spell of
worldliness will be broken. The hypnotic enchantment of earthly
pleasure will be replaced by the pure joy of sharing Christ with the
lost.
"Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and shining with holy
consecration, will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message
from heaven. By thousands of voices, all over the earth, the warning
will be given. Miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and
signs and wonders will follow the believers. . . . The message will be
carried not so much by argument as by the deep conviction of the Spirit
of God" (The Great Controversy, p. 612).
The work of God on earth will be finished.
God’s purpose will triumph.
His church will be victorious!
Along with you, I long for that day. Would you like to commit yourself
to Jesus to be part of His glorious, triumphant church in earth’s final
hours?
NOTES
1 LeRoy Edwin Froom, Movement of Destiny (Washington, D.C.: Review and
Herald Publishing Association, 1971), p. 629.
2 Mt 5:14; 1 Cor 12:12, 13; Eph 5:27; Ezek 34:29-31.
3 Fernando Chaij, The Impending Drama (Nashville: Southern Publishing
Association, 1979), p. 15.
4 Ibid.
5 Froom, Movement of Destiny, p. 654.
6 W. D. Frazee, "The Church Our Mother," Adventists Affirm 7/1 (Spring
1993), pp. 18-25.
7 Sabine Baring-Gould, "Onward, Christian Soldiers," No. 612 in Seventh-
day Adventist Hymnal.
8 C. H. Watson, "Separation from the World," Review and Herald, Nov.
21, 1935, p. 6.
9 J. L. McElhany, "Dangers Threatening the Church," Review and Herald,
Dec. 3, 1936, p. 4.
