Presenting
the Law and the Sabbath
***
SDA
Leaders Have Agreed to Tone Down Public
Presentations of the Sabbath
"If we would have the
spirit and power of the third angel’s message, we must present the law and
the gospel together, for they go hand in hand."—Gospel Workers, 161 (1915). {Ev 232.1}
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Presenting
the Law and the Sabbath
Our Special Message—The Lord has a special message for His ambassadors to bear. They are to
give the people the warning, calling upon them to repair the breach that has
been made by the Papacy in the law of God. The Sabbath has been made a nonentity, an
unessential requirement, which human authority can set aside. The holy day of
the Lord has been changed to a common working day. Men have torn down God’s
memorial, placing a false rest day in its stead.—Manuscript 35, 1900. {Ev 225.2}
The Last Message to the World—The
last message of warning to the world is to lead men to see the importance
that God attaches to His law. So plainly is the truth to be presented that no transgressor,
hearing it, shall be excusable in failing to discern the importance of
obedience to God’s commands. {Ev 225.3}
I am instructed to say, Gather
from the Scriptures the proofs that God has sanctified the seventh day, and let
these proofs be read before the congregation. Let those who have not heard the
truth be shown that all who turn
aside from a plain “Thus saith the Lord,” must suffer the result of their
course. In all ages the Sabbath has been the test of loyalty to God.
“It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel
forever,” the Lord declares.—Gospel
Workers, 148, 149 (1915). {Ev 226.1}
The Deciding Question for Whole World—The light concerning the binding claims of the law of God is
to be presented everywhere. This is to be a deciding question. It will test and
prove the world.—Special Testimonies, Series A, No. 7, pp. 17, 18. (1874). {Ev
226.2}
The Build-up in New Fields—I have had to
break off writing to have an interview with Brother _____. He is in some
perplexity.... He wished to know how to present the truth in entering new
fields, whether the Sabbath should be presented first. {Ev
226.3}
I told him that the best and wisest plan would
be to dwell upon subjects that would arouse the conscience. He could talk to
them upon practical godliness; devotion and piety; and present the self-denial,
self-sacrificing life of Jesus as our example until they will see the contrast in their
self-indulgent life, and become dissatisfied with their unchristian lives. {Ev 226.4}
Then present to them the prophecies; show them
the purity and binding claims of the Word of God. Not one jot or tittle
of this law is to lose its force, but hold its binding claims on every soul to
the end of time. When the law of God is made void; when the Christian world is
joined to the Catholic and the worldly, in making of none effect the
commandments of God, then God’s chosen people arise to defend the law of
Jehovah. {Ev 226.5}
This is the guile that Paul used; this is the
wisdom of the serpent; the harmlessness of the dove. When we come to a
community that is acquainted with our faith, this cautious course need not to
be pursued, but in every case special efforts should be made to come close
to hearts by personal efforts. Avoid running down the churches; do not let the people receive
the idea that your work is to tear down, but to build up, and to present the
truth as it is in Jesus. Dwell much upon the necessity of vital godliness.—Letter 2,
1885. {Ev 227.1}
Broaching the Sabbath in New Fields—The message of truth is new and startling to the people of
this country [Australia]. The Bible doctrines presented are as a new
revelation, and they really look upon the sentiments advanced as infidelity. In presenting
the Sunday question, or the union of church and state, handle it carefully. It will not answer to present the strong positions
that have been and will of necessity be presented in America. {Ev 227.2}
These subjects must be broached guardedly. We
have not as yet obtained standing place in this country. The enemy of all
righteousness has been and still is working by every device he can invent to
hinder the work that ought to be done in enlightening and educating the people;
his forces are increasing. Delays have been giving Satan advantage of the
situation, and these delays have caused the loss of many souls. The Lord is not
pleased with the retarding of the work. Every delay renders more difficult the work
that must be done, because advantage is given for Satan to preoccupy the field,
and prepare for determined resistance. {Ev 227.3}
The tardy movements of our people in raising
the standard in our large cities are not in harmony with the light given of
God.
A glimmering of light has been shining in the cities, but just enough to make the
false shepherds feel that it is time for them to be actively at work in
presenting fables and falsehoods to turn the people away from the message of
truth. Some little effort has been made, but men and money are not furnished to
do the work. Satan has worked and will work with his lying wonders, and strong
delusions will be accepted where the banner of truth should have been uplifted.
Now
the fact that God’s people that know the truth have failed to do their duty
according to the light given in the Word of God, makes it a necessity for us to be more guarded, lest we offend
unbelievers before they have heard the reasons of our faith in regard to the
Sabbath and Sunday.... {Ev 228.1}
There
is need now to give to the people patient, kind instruction; the
education of a lifetime is not to be readily counteracted; great tact and
patient effort are needed by those who shall present the truth in any manner.—Undated
Manuscript 79. {Ev 228.2}
Defer Its Presentation—You should not feel
it your duty to introduce arguments upon the Sabbath question as you meet the people. If persons
mention the subject, tell them that this is not your burden now. But when they
surrender heart and mind and will to God, they are then prepared candidly to
weigh evidence in regard to these solemn, testing truths.—Letter 77, 1895. {Ev 228.3}
Caution Against Undue Delay—Caution is
needed; but while some of the workers are guarded, and make haste slowly, if
there are not united with them in the work those who see the necessity of
being aggressive, very much will be lost; opportunities will pass, and the
opening providence of God will not be discerned. {Ev 228.4}
When persons who are under conviction are not
brought to make a decision at the earliest period possible, there is danger
that the conviction will gradually wear away.... {Ev 229.1}
Frequently when a congregation is at the very
point where the heart is prepared for the Sabbath question, it is delayed
through fear of the consequences. This has been done, and the result has not
been good.—Letter 31, 1892. {Ev 229.2}
In a Brief Campaign—When you have
a congregation before you for only two weeks, do not defer the presentation of
the Sabbath question until everything else is presented, supposing that you
thus pave the way for it. Lift up the standard, the commandments of God, and
the faith of Jesus. Make this the important theme. Then, by your strong
arguments, make it of still greater force. Dwell more on the Revelation. Read,
explain, and enforce its teaching. {Ev 229.3}
Our warfare is aggressive. Tremendous issues
are before us, yea, and right upon us. Let our prayers ascend to God that the four
angels may still hold the four winds, that they may not blow to injure or
destroy until the last warning has been given to the world. Then let us
work in harmony with our prayers. Let nothing lessen the force of the truth for
this time. The present truth is to be our burden. The
third angel’s message must do its work of separating from the churches a people
who will take their stand on the platform of eternal truth.—Testimonies For The Church 6:61 (1900). {Ev 229.4}
Note: These serious facts of Bible and Spirit
of Prophecy truth might help to keep you humble and kind when presenting the
truth to fallen Babylon and the world:
Because of its abominable apostasy for which
we are to sigh and cry, this separating now includes separation from the
professing new movement, new organization Seventh-day Adventist Synagogue of
Satan. Our very sealing is dependent upon whether we will sigh and cry for all
the abominations done in the church, to wit:
“Mark this point with care; those who receive the
pure mark of truth, wrought in them by the power of the Holy Ghost, represented
by the man in linen, are those "that sigh and cry for all the abominations that are
done" in the church. Their love for purity and the
honor and glory of God is such, and they have so clear
a view of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, that they are represented as being
in an agony, even sighing and crying.” Ezekiel
9 {RH, June 8, 1886 par. 2}
Ezekiel 9 is speaking to Jerusalem (spiritual
Jerusalem in our case). That is where it begins—AT HIS SANCTUARY.
6Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. Ezekiel 9:6.
Begin at My Sanctuary -- "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. End note.
Life and Death Message—We are as a people in danger of giving the third angel’s
message in such an indefinite manner that it does not impress the people.... Our message is a life-and-death message, and we must let this
message appear as it is,—the great power of God. Then the Lord
will make it effectual. We are to present it in all its telling force.—Letter
209, 1899. {Ev 230.1}
Message Not Muffled—Satan has
devised a state of things whereby the proclamation of the third angel’s message
shall be bound about. We must beware of his plans and methods. There must be no toning down of the truth, no muffling of the
message for this time. The third angel’s message must be strengthened and confirmed.
The eighteenth chapter of Revelation reveals the importance of presenting the
truth in no measured terms but with boldness and power.... There has been too
much beating about the bush in the proclamation of the third angel’s message.
The message has not been given as clearly and distinctly as it should have
been.—Manuscript 16, 1900. {Ev 230.2}
Note: The leaders of the ecumenical movement
asked SDA leaders to tone down the issue of the Sabbath, and SDA leaders
complied. This is one of the abominations for which we are to sigh and cry.
Here is the link to the following item as quoted by Vance Ferrell, a former
credentialed minister of the SDA church. You should read all
of this article by Vance:
Look for the following statement in the
article at this link: http://omega77.tripod.com/secretinterchurch2.pdf
“The officer then told the layman that, at a secret meeting of
Catholic, Adventist, and Protestant church leaders, it had been agreed that the
Seventh-day Adventist Church would tone down its public presentations of the
Bible Sabbath. The church officer made it clear that this was the one doctrine
which was especially disturbing to other denominational leaders.” End note.
As Christ Presented the Law—Christ
presented the principles of the law of God in a direct, forcible way, showing
His hearers that they had neglected to carry out these principles. His words
were so definite and pointed that the listeners found no opportunity to cavil
or raise objections.—The Review and Herald,
September 13, 1906. {Ev 230.3}
Paul Adapted
His Methods—To the Gentiles, he [Paul] preached Christ as their only hope
of salvation, but did not at first have anything definite to say upon the law. But after
their hearts were warmed with the presentation of Christ as the gift of God to
our world, and what was comprehended in the work of the Redeemer in the costly
sacrifice to manifest the love of God to man, in the most eloquent
simplicity he showed that love for all mankind—Jew and Gentile—that they might
be saved by surrendering their hearts to Him. Thus when, melted and subdued,
they gave themselves to the Lord, he presented the law of God as the test of
their obedience. This was the manner of his working—adapting his methods to win
souls.—Special Testimonies, Series A, No. 6, p. 55. (1895). {Ev 230.4}
First the Fundamental Principles—Do not make
prominent those features of the message which are a condemnation of the customs
and practices of the people, until they have opportunity to know that we are believers
in Christ, that we believe in His divinity and in His pre-existence. Let the
testimony of the world’s Redeemer be dwelt upon.—Testimonies For The Church 6:58 (1900). {Ev 231.1}
We Preach the Gospel—Let the
outsiders understand that we preach the
gospel as well as the law, and they will feast upon these truths, and many will take their
stand for the truth.—Letter 1, 1889. {Ev 231.2}
Will Convict of Sin—The law and the
gospel, revealed in the Word, are to be preached to the people; for the law and the gospel, blended, will
convict of sin. God’s law, while condemning sin, points
to the gospel, revealing Jesus Christ, in whom “dwelleth all the fullness of
the Godhead bodily.” The glory of the gospel reflects light upon the Jewish
age, giving significance to the whole Jewish economy of types and shadows. Thus both the law and the gospel are blended. In no discourse
are they to be divorced.—Manuscript 21, 1891. {Ev
231.3}
The religionist generally has divorced the law
and the gospel, while we have on the other hand almost done the same from
another standpoint. We have not
held up before the people the righteousness of Christ and the full significance
of His great plan of redemption. We have left out Christ
and His matchless love, and brought in the theories and reasonings,
preached arguments.—Manuscript 24, 1890. {Ev 231.4}
They Go Hand in Hand—If we would
have the spirit and power of the third angel’s message, we must present the law
and the gospel together, for they go hand in hand.—Gospel
Workers, 161 (1915). {Ev 232.1}
Reinforce the
Message With Literature—The days in
which we live are times that call for constant vigilance, times in which God’s
people should be awake to do a great work in presenting the light on the
Sabbath question.... This last
warning to the inhabitants of the earth is to make men see the importance God
attaches to His holy law. So plainly is the truth
to be presented that no transgressor, hearing it, shall fail to discern the
importance of obedience to the Sabbath commandment.... {Ev
232.2}
There is work for all to do in order that the
simple truths of the Word of God may be made known. The words of Scripture
should be printed and published just as they read. It would be well if the
nineteenth and the greater portion of the twentieth chapters of Exodus, with
verses twelve to eighteen of the thirty-first chapter, were printed
just as they stand. Crowd these truths into small books and pamphlets, and let
the word of God speak to the people. When a discourse concerning the law is
preached that is right to the point, if you have any means of doing so, get it
into a printed leaflet. Then when those who plead for Sunday laws meet you, place
these leaflets in their hands. Tell them that you have no discussion over the
Sunday question, for you have a plain “Thus saith the Lord” for the keeping of
the seventh day.—The Review and Herald,
March 26, 1908. {Ev 232.3}
Make the Distinguishing Mark Prominent—We are to give
to the world a manifestation of the pure, noble, holy principles that are to
distinguish the people of God from the world. Instead
of the people of God becoming less and less definitely distinguished from those
who do not keep the seventh-day Sabbath, they are to make the observance of the
Sabbath so prominent that the world cannot fail to recognize them as
Seventh-day Adventist.—Manuscript 162, 1903. {Ev 233.1}