ELLEN WHITE VS THE BIBLE

The "investigative judgment"

The following are the rules for todays debate. The moderator will ask a series of questions; both participants will be given an opportunity to answer. We have decided to be gentlemen like, and let the lady, Sister White go first.

[Moderator] Are our sins blotted out when we repent?

ELLEN ANSWERS: [NO] "The work of the investigative judgment and the blotting out of sins [which did not begin until 1844-GC88 485.2] is to be accomplished before the second advent of the Lord. Since the dead are to be judged out of the things written in the books, it is impossible that the sins of men should be blotted out until after the judgment at which their cases are to be investigated. . . . When the investigative judgment closes, Christ will come, and His reward will be with Him to give to every man as his work shall be. {FLB 213.2}

[Moderator] We now pose the same question to the Bible.

THE BIBLE: [YES] Acts 3:19 Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, (RSV)

Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

[Moderator] DOES GOD KEEP RECORDS OF FORGIVEN SINS?

ELLEN: [YES] "All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon entered against their names in the books of heaven; as they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and their characters are found to be in harmony with the law of God, their sins will be [sometime after 1844] blotted out, and they themselves will be accounted worthy of eternal life. . . . {FLB 212.3}

THE BIBLE: Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

[Moderator] ELLEN SINCE YOU BELIEVE THE RECORD OF SIN REMAINS, CAN A PERSON BE PUNISHED FOR FORGIVEN SINS?

ELLEN: [YES] "It should be remembered that the promises and the threatenings of God are alike conditional." {Ev 695.1}

The SDA Church the reprentative of Ellen White adds: "justification by faith, or the pardon we receive while on probation, is a conditional pardon, it is proved by our Saviour's words in Matt. 18:23-35.… "O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me. Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.".. This we say is the Bible view of forgiveness in the gospel, or justification by faith, while we are waiting for the decisions of the Judgment." JHW JHWATCHAPTER XIII. APPENDIX. page 0336 paragraph 1


[Moderator] I will now reply, to make sure that the readers have heard you both correctly. Here is an example of the Seventh Day Adventist Church teaching on this issue. Let us say, a murderer repents of his sins, and comes to God through Christ Jesus, the SDA church tells us pardon is written by each murder he committed. Is this correcte Mrs. White?

Ellen responds {YES} FLB 213

[Moderator] But if a few years down the road, this former murderer backslides, and becomes a drunkard and dies in this condition, then during the ‘investigative judgment’ the ‘pardons’ for his murders will be removed; on Judgment day he will not only face the sins he committed after ‘backsliding’ but he will be judged and punished for the sins of murder he was originally pardoned for.

Ellen White: [Correct]

SDA Church: "backsliders… names will be blotted out of the book of life, and their sins [shall] stand against them" The Close of Probation pg 250

[Moderator] Thus the SDA withholds the blood of Jesus from the repentant’s record until they are found worthy by an ‘investigative judgment’, then they say, the repentant will have it applied to their account. If this doctrine is true the Apostles did not have the blood applied until 1800 years after their conversion.

Ellen White and the SDA Church in Unison: {Exactly!}

[Moderator] Dear bible what do you say of this doctrine?

Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

[Moderator] Will those who believe upon Jesus enter into condemnation (An adverse judgment)?

ELLEN: [YES]"As the books of record are opened in the judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God. Beginning with those who first lived upon the earth, our Advocate presents the cases of each successive generation, and closes with the living. Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected. When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life, and the record of their good deeds will be erased from the book of God's remembrance. . . . {FLB 212.2}

THE BIBLE: [NO] John 5:24 Truly I say to you, The man whose ears are open to my word and who has faith in him who sent me, has eternal life; he will not be judged, but has come from death into life. (bbe)

[Moderator]: DO FALSE DISCIPLES HAVE THEIR NAMES WRITTEN IN THE LAMB’S BOOK OF LIFE?

ELLEN WHITE: [YES]"[Many] names are written in the book of life. But not all … are true disciples. Before the final reward is given, it must be decided who are fitted to share the inheritance of the righteous. This decision must be made prior to the second coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven; for when He comes, His reward is with Him, "to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22:12. Before His coming, then, the character of every man's work will have been determined, and to every one of Christ's followers the reward will have been apportioned according to his deeds. {COL 310.1}

THE BIBLE SAYS: Philippians 4:3 And I in treat thee also, TRUE yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.

[Moderator]: We know that the bible teaches that when we are truly saved, we receive the white linen of Christ’s righteousness… But what do you teach Sister White? Are we clothed with his righteousness or our own works?

ELLEN SAYS: Though all nations are to pass in judgment before God, yet he will examine the case of each individual with as close and searching scrutiny as if there were not another being upon the earth. Every one must be tested, and found without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. {GC88 490.1}

"Our acts, our words, even our most secret motives, all have their weight in deciding our destiny for weal or woe. Though they may be forgotten by us, they will bear their testimony to justify or to condemn…. Every individual has a soul to save or to lose. Each has a case pending at the bar of God. Each must meet the great Judge face to face. {GC88 486.3, 488.2}

[Moderator] SHOULD ANYONE SAY I AM SAVED?

ELLEN WHITE: [NO] "I am saved."... No sanctified tongue will be found uttering these words till Christ shall come… [the Christian] should never dare to say, "I am saved." {NL 43.1}

THE BIBLE: [YES] 1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

2 Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.


1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

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[Moderator] My dear reader, I hope that you see the danger and ludicrousness of this doctrine.

It teaches that Jesus did not begin to apply his blood to the records of his children until after 1844.

"His sins were all repented of, therefore, in the great day of atonement [which begun in 1844], the blood of Jesus Christ can blot them out." 9R&H13 page 0101 paragraph 6

It teaches that we cannot have our sins blotted out by the blood until we are found worthy by passing an investigative judgment.

"The determination of the cases of the righteous in showing that they have perfected the work of overcoming, and that they are worthy to have their sins blotted out, is the final work of our Lord as high priest." JNA JUDGEMENT CHAPTER 4 OFFICES OF CHRIST. page 0040 paragraph 1

It teaches that when God says "your forgiven", he really means, "I’ll forgive you after I investigate your record".

And it teaches that no one is really justified until they pass the inspection of the Investigative Judgment.

"As the object of this final work in the sanctuary is to determine who are worthy of everlasting life, no cases will come before this tribunal except those who have had their names entered in the book of life…. It will determine who have not overcome; and these will have their names blotted from the book of life; and their sins will be retained in the record, to be visited with retribution in the resurrection to damnation. JNA SANCBIB page 0015 paragraph 2

This is a most dreadful, unbiblical doctrine! One the Apostles, nor any saint had ever heard of, until it was birthed during the delusion of 1844! Don’t let the words of a false prophet remove your assurance of Salvation! Don’t let her make you doubt that GOD has forgiven you! When you repent your sins are forgiven, and their records are blotted out then and GOD forgets them, and he promises to never mention them to you again. I ask you to rebuke those who try to teach you such foolishness and learn to trust GOD’S word.