Dear Reader,
There is a great difference between intercessory prayer and prayer for the forgiveness of another's sins.
I believe in intercessory prayer as taught by Ellen White. I do not believe in intercessory prayer as depicted in the following examples from Dennis Kean's book. We cannot pray that the sins of others will be forgiven and they are then forgiven. That is a Catholic doctrine. Dennis is correct in rejecting the teachings by SDA church members as depicted in this document.
What an SDA PREACHER is permitted to teach is of no small significance. Since the financial support of the members supports the ministry on a collective, representative basis, all members as well as leadership, of course, are corporately responsible for what its members teach. The example of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and that of Achan, are cases in point. Open sin is always to be put out of the church. Were this not so, we could belong to any church and just believe what we felt to be truth. If church leadership does not put open sinners out of the church, then we must leave such a church. That is why the Reformers left the Roman church. That is why Adventists left the fallen churches in 1844. That is "apparently" why you are a Seventh-day Adventist.
Indeed, borderline theology has two sides, but only one foot founded in truth. With continuous exercise, sooner or later, both feet end up outside and statements like the following rear their ugly faces. Consider the following teachings by professing Seventh-day Adventists. Carol Zarska, the author of the first comment below, has been promoted in the official publication organ of the church, the Adventist Review. Here is her statement.
Confess sin in their behalf. Ask God what they are doing and why they are in the situation so you may discern what to confess and know how to pray for them. Begin to confess the situation as it is and why they are in this situation. Say "Lord Jesus cover with your blood [forgive], push back the evil angels that have access because of these sins. Transcribed from a cassette tape by Carol Zarska American Cassette Ministries
A very popular Adventist writer goes on to say this:
Now I asked for the mighty power of the Holy Spirit of God to surround everyone with a spiritual atmosphere of light and peace and to restore them to health if it was His will. As you will see in later chapters, I had learned through personal experience that intercessory prayers are most effective when I have made sure that sin is not separating the subjects of my prayers from God. I began my prayers in that intensive care unit by thanking God for the privilege of asking for His divine help for my fellow patients. Pointing to the infinite price He had paid at Calvary, I asked Him to forgive everyone's sins.
For a long time it has been my conviction that as Christians we ought to do for others what they cannot or are unwilling to do for themselves-to deal with the sin in their lives. Jesus set the example for us. As He died on the cross, He asked the Father to forgive the sins of those who crucified Him (Luke 23:34). I cannot explain what happens when we ask God to forgive the sins of another, but I have seen the transformations that begin taking place in his or her life. God never violates the free will of anyone, but when we pray for someone else, it permits Him to work in lives with special power. He unshackles the individual from the chains of sin so that he can use his freedom of choice to choose good. Incredible answers to prayers p. 11-12 by Roger J. Morneau.
And another one echoes this belief.
In the work of intercessory prayer, we claim the promises of God for the person for whom we are praying; we can pray for then in the same way that we pray for ourselves. We can confess the sins that we see in their lives and ask the Lord to remove the results of those sins, which give demons the right to be there and control that person's life. And we can ask, "Lord, put your covering hand over them, push back the demons", because they don't have a choice if they are being forced by demonic powers to submit, do they? Although God doesn't force, Satan does!
Carol Zarska Intercessory Prayer p. 7.
An Adventist preacher introduces us to the idea of praying for other people’s sins with stunning directness.
…but let’s look at one of the most powerful promises in Scriptures, so powerful we don’t even think about this promise much, found in 1 John 5:14-16. Promises to intercessors. In fact we don’t even talk about this in the Adventist church, that it’s possible to pray for someone else and have their sins forgiven. You don’t even know that. Do you? Listen. 1 John 5:14-16. "This is the confidence that we have before him and if we ask anything according to his will he hears us and if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask we know that we have the request which we have asked from him." Now, we’ve already talked about the fact that God wants everyone to be saved, so we know that praying for souls is his will. It’s a blank check he has given us here. From heaven's bank. And then God,... then John gives the application. I stopped reading too soon. Look at the next verse. He’s not talking about praying for lexuses …. He’s talking about praying for people. "If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death". Ok there is a condition. It’s not quite a blank check. "He shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death". Now the author applies only within certain limits we cannot obtain sin…errr… forgiveness for those who have committed the sin unto death. And unfortunately, John does not explain what he means here. Is he talking about the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit? Or is he talking about a certain list of sins known as mortal sins, ah… I’m not going to say. But within that limitation we can actually confess the sins of someone else who does not care enough to pray for themselves and obtain forgiveness for that person. Now, lest that you find that little hard to swallow let’s look at some other text. When Israel rebelled what did Moses do? He prayed "forgive the sin of these people", I’m quoting from Numbers 14 19 and 20. "Forgive the sin of these people just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now", and the Lord replied ‘I have forgiven them just as you asked’". One man obtained forgiveness for the whole congregation. Tim Cosby, The uncanny power of Intercession 1988/ American Cassette Ministries
Now you know how and why the SDA church is guilty of the apostasy of teaching that man can intervene and obtain the forgiveness of sin(s) for others. This is Catholic heresy.
"Worldly policy is taking the place of true piety and wisdom that comes from above, and God will remove His prospering hand from the conference. Shall the ark of the covenant be removed from this people? Shall idols be smuggled in? Shall false principles and false precepts be brought into the sanctuary? Shall antichrist be respected? Shall the true doctrines and principles given us of God, which have made us what we are, be ignored?.... This is directly where the enemy, through blinded, unconsecrated men, is leading us." E. G. White, Manuscript 29, 1890.
"Christ has plainly taught that those who persist in open sin must be separated from the church..." E. G. White, Christ's Object Lessons, 71.
But what do we do when sin will NEVER AGAIN be even pointed out to the House of Jacob by its "dumb dog" leaders?:
"Here we see that the church--the Lord's sanctuary--was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient men, those to whom God had given great light and who had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people, had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we need not look for miracles and the marked manifestation of God's power as in former days. Times have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief, and they say: The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil. He is too merciful to visit His people in judgment. Thus 'Peace and safety" is the cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a trumpet to show God's people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs that would not bark are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended God. Men, maidens, and little children all perish together." E. G. White, Testimonies, Vol. 5, 211.
Ron Beaulieu