The Variable Facets of Unpardonable Sin
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Dear Reader, There are a number of SDA preachers and members who are sighing
and crying about many of Rome’s abominations and some of them like Walter Veith, Stephen Bohr, Vance Ferrell[R1] and some lay
members like Charles Wheeling and Kirk Weedman sigh
and cry about some of the abominations in the SDA church. This has led some
into wonderment as to who is really standing in the counsel of God at this
time. Can one remain in an apostate church as long as he/she sighs and crys for all the abominations? “Who
are standing in the counsel of God at this time? Is it those who virtually
excuse wrongs among the professed people of God, and murmur in their hearts,
if not openly, against those who would reprove sin? It is those who take
their stand against them, and sympathize with those who commit wrong?--No,
indeed! These, unless they repent, and leave the work of Satan in oppressing
those who have the burden of the work, and in holding up the hands of sinners
in Zion, will never receive the mark of God's sealing approval. They will
fall in the general destruction of all the wicked, represented by the five
men bearing slaughter weapons. 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.” {RH, June 8, 1886
par. 2} In
answer to my own question as to whether or not one can remain in an apostate
church as long as he/she sighs and cries for ALL the abominations IN THE CHURCH, I will answer that IT
IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO SO, for if one told ALL
the truth involving corporate responsibility and all the counsel of Scripture
and Ellen White, he/she would be summarily dismissed from church membership. Let’s
take SDA pastors Stephen Bohr, Vance Ferrell Walter Veith
and lay workers Charles Whelling and Kirk Weedman, as examples. Are they really teaching ALL the
abominations that are done in the SDA church? I answer: Far from it! ·
Do they deal with the principle of corporate responsibility as taught
by Scripture in Joshuah chapters 5 and 7 and by
Ellen White? Not from what I have heard from them! ·
If they taught the Biblical principle of corporate responsibility,
would they not be corporately guilty of the very abominations they decry? ·
Do they deal with what God defines as unpardonable sin in Jeremiah
11:9-15 [KJV]? Not from what I have heard from them! ·
Do they deal with the “strange fire” of the Celebration movement
insofar as strange fire being unpardonable sin? Notice Jer. 11:15—when they
do evil they rejoice. Is that not what SDA’s have done? They have committed
much unpardonable sin evil, the very same things listed in Jer. 11:9-15, in
principle, (and if you don’t know how and why ask me), and then they rejoice
in their Celebration Movement which is straight from the Pentecostal
movement, Vatican II, and Satan! ·
If Walter Veith, Stephen Bohr, Vance
Ferrell, Kirk Weedman, and Charles Wheeling, as
well as a host of other “in house reformers,” dealt faithfully with Jeremiah
11:9-15, they would have to instruct us not to pray for the leaders and a
church that has committed unpardonable sin by committing the very same acts
depicted in those verses of God’s Word. ·
Jeremiah 11:9-15 proves that any generation of God’s professed people
can commit unpardonable sin on a generational basis, because probation had
not closed for Israel in Jeremiah’s day and did not close until the stoning
of Stephen, centuries later. ·
Do Walter Veith, Stephen Bohr, Charles
Wheeling and Vance Ferrell decry the unpardonable sin of embracing the
Trinity Doctrine? Not that I have heard from them! And what if they should do
so? You know the result! Let me rephrase that: You SHOULD KNOW the result! ·
A.T. Jones quoted Martin Luther as saying that any Catholic could say
anything he/she wanted to say against the church as long as they did not
advocate separation from it because of the apostasy. ·
Is sighing and crying for the abominations enough? Is there a duty to
separate from apostasy? Is it absolutely essential for spiritual maturity and
purity? "It is IMPOSSIBLE
for you to unite with those who are corrupt, and still remain pure. (II
Corinthians 6:14-15 quoted). God and Christ and the heavenly host would have
men know that if he unites with the corrupt he will become corrupt." E.
G. White, Review and Herald, Vol.
4, p. 137. "Thorns sprung
up.--The thorns made it impossible for the wheat to mature (see Luke 8:14). In
the same way secular interests prevent the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22,
23) from reaching maturity. Religion is relegated to the subordinate position
of being only one interest among many. For lack of cultivation it withers and
eventually dies. That which the thorny-ground hearers lack is a moral
transformation [E.G. White, Christ's Object Lessons, p. 50]
To them, justification is the sum and substance of religion, and they
fail to realize that the Christian life consists essentially in the process
known as sanctification--the process by which evil traits and tendencies are
replaced by the perfect life-pattern of Jesus Christ." Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol.
5, 405. If thorns make it
IMPOSSIBLE for the wheat to mature, then it is logical to conclude that
thorny-ground hearers are open sinners who should be removed from the camp.
They are different from tares because the wheat and tares dwell together
until the harvest. But the thorns are open, apostate sinners in the personal
life and in the church. They should be removed, but they are not. "Christ has plainly taught
that those who persist in open sin must be separated from the church, but He has not committed to us the
work of judging character and motive.
He knows our nature too well to entrust this work to us. Should we try to uproot from the church
those whom we suppose to be spurious Christians, we should be sure to make
mistakes. Often we regard as hopeless
subjects the very one whom Christ is drawing to Himself,
it would perhaps extinguish their last hope.
Many who think themselves Christians will at last be found
wanting. Many will be in heaven who
their neighbors supposed would never enter there. Man judges from appearance, but God judges
the heart. The tares and the wheat are
to grow together until the harvest; and the harvest is the end of probationary
time." COL 71. One does not have to judge the
motives of an open sinner (thorn). So the tares must not be open sinners for
one would have to judge their motives to remove them. "Sins
exist in the church that God hates, but they are scarcely touched for fear of
making enemies. Opposition has risen
in the church to plain testimony. Some will not bear it. They wish smooth
things spoken unto them. And if the wrongs of individuals are touched, they
complain of severity, and sympathise with those in
the wrong .... When
the church departs from God they despise the plain testimony, and complain of
severity and harshness. It is a sad evidence of the lukewarm state of the
church." Spiritual Gifts, Vol. II, pp. 283-284. “For seven years a man continued to
go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, declaring the woes that were to come
upon the city. By day and by night he chanted the wild dirge: "A voice
from the east! a voice from the west! a voice from the four winds! a
voice against Jerusalem and against the temple! a
voice against the bridegrooms and the brides! a
voice against the whole people!"-- Ibid . This strange being was
imprisoned and scourged, but no complaint escaped his lips. To insult and
abuse he answered only: "Woe, woe to Jerusalem!" "woe, woe to the inhabitants thereof!" His warning cry ceased not until he was
slain in the siege he had foretold.” The
Great Controversy, p. 30. It
was not enough to sigh and cry for all the woes of Jerusalem! (Ezekiel 9:6).
The man should have separated with Christ and His disciples, Desire of
Ages, 232. But he did not choose to heed that example of Christ and His
followers, so he died in the slaughter he warned against. Will the “in house”
reformers meet the same fate as the man who cried the woes of Jerusalem, but
would not follow Jesus and His followers OUT? "There are fearful woes
for those who preach the truth, but are not sanctified by it, and also for
those who consent to receive and maintain the unsanctified to minister to
them in word and doctrine."
Testimonies, vol. 1, p 261-62. "The plain straight testimony
must live in the church, or the curse of God will rest upon His people as
surely as it did upon ancient Israel because of their sins. God holds His
people, as a body [corporately],
responsible for the sins existing in individuals among them." Testimonies,
vol. 3, p. 269. The incidence of ignorance among all professing Christians
concerning something as serious as corporate responsibility for unpardonable
sin is most alarming. Actually, there
are quite a number of ways and means by which one can commit unpardonable
sin. Most professing Christians seem
quite unaware of more than one or two ways man may commit such serious
sin. With the current popular concept
that all one has to do to be saved is mentally assent to a belief in God, the
concept of unpardonable sin is a remote, if not totally non-understood
knowledge by the majority of professing Christians. For that reason, I have compiled the
following document so that no true reformer will come up short on this
important issue which defines the different ways we may commit unpardonable
sin. 1Jo 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin [which is] not
unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not
unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. Rom 7:13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God
forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which
is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. 1Jo 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not
unto death. If all unrighteousness is sin and there is a sin unto death
that we are not to pray for, it behooves us to understand the standard of all
righteousness and when sin becomes unto death and to the point we are not to
pray for it. Jer 7:16 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift
up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not
hear thee. Jer 11:14 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither
lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear [them] in the time that
they cry unto me for their trouble. Jer 14:11 Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people
for [their] good. Jhn 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for
them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. 4 For it is impossible
for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift,
and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the
good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they
shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing
they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open II—Willful,
Persistent Rebellion After Receiving the Knowledge of Truth 26 For if we sin wilfully after
that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more
sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment
and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that
despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of
how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be
thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted
the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and
hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that hath
said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And
again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into
the hands of the living God. 32 But call to remembrance the former days, in
which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; 33
Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions;
and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. 34 For ye
had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your
goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring
substance. 35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great
recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have
done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little
while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38 Now the just
shall live by faith: but if any man
draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that
believe to the saving of the soul. Hebrews 10:26-39. It is generally understood that the part about sinning
wilfully means persisting in rebellion against God's commands. III—The SDA Church
Leadership Committed Unpardonable Sin in 1930 by Speaking Against the Holy
Ghost Mat 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against
the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against
the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in
this world, neither in the [world] to come. Mar 3:29 But he that shall blaspheme against
the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger
of eternal damnation: Something About the
Sacrifice of the Son Must be Eternal in Nature The Everlasting Covenant or Testament,
is what the Son of God did in order to Atone for sin. The wages of our sin is
eternal death. The Son had to perform a sacrifice that was eternal to meet
man’s penalty. That eternal sacrifice consisted of taking man’s humanity
forever and thereby eternally forfeiting His DIVINE ONLY NATURE OF
BEING—EXISTENCE. Three days and nights in a tomb would not meet the conditions
of the Everlasting Testament (Covenant). There would have been no atonement
had the Saviour not met some form of everlasting death in the heavenly
Sanctuary sacrifice. The Trinity Doctrine of Rome precludes this truth by
teaching that the Holy Spirit was a separate person other than the life and
soul of Christ for eternity. This is why Ellen White prophesied that the
omega of apostasy would involve the Sanctuary and the Atonement GONE. That is
what the Trinity Doctrine achieves: Sanctuary
Gone Atonement Gone -- "In a representation which passed before me, I
saw a certain work being done by medical missionary workers. Our ministering brethren were looking on,
watching what was being done, but they did not seem to understand. The foundation
of our faith, which was established by so much prayer, such earnest searching
of the Scriptures, was being taken down, pillar
by pillar. Our faith was to have nothing to rest upon--the sanctuary was
gone, the atonement was gone." E.G. White, The Upward Look, 152. Is
correct teaching on the personality of God and Christ (the Godhead) a pillar
doctrine? Listen: "Those
who seek to remove the old landmarks are not holding fast they are not
remembering how they have received and heard. Those who try to bring in
theories that would remove the pillars
of our faith concerning the sanctuary
or concerning the personality of God or of Christ, are working as blind
men. They are seeking to bring in uncertainties and to set the people of God adrift without an anchor." {MR760
9.5} One man,
Leroy Froom, brought in the Trinity Doctrine in 1930, 15 years after Ellen
White’s death. That doctrine removes the pillar, landmark, definition of the
Holy Spirit by Ellen G. White, the gift of prophecy to the church. The fact that the Atoning Act had to be of an eternal nature
is verified by the following scripture: Hbr 9:16 For where a testament [is], there must also of
necessity be the death of the testator.
Hbr 9:17 For a testament [is] of force after men are dead:
otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. If Christ did not make any sacrifice of an eternal nature in
the heavenly Sanctuary from the foundation of the earth, then the Testator
Testament (Covenant) would have been void when He rose from the Tomb on day
three, because at that time nothing about His nature would be dead eternally.
He died eternally to His DIVINE ONLY STATE OF BEING to be combined with man
forever. "In taking our
nature, the Saviour has bound Himself to humanity by a tie that is never to
be broken. Through the eternal ages He is linked with us. "God so loved
the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.' He
gave Him not only to bear our sins, and to die as our sacrifice; He gave Him
to the 'fallen race. To assure us of His immutable counsel of peace, God gave
His only-begotten Son to become one of the human family,
forever to retain His human nature. This is the pledge that God will fulfill
His word. "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the
government shall be upon his shoulder." Isa. 9:6. God has adopted human
nature in the person of His Son, and has carried the same into the highest
heaven. . . . Heaven is enshrined in humanity, and humanity is enfolded in
the bosom of Infinite Love." {FLB 45.4} Christ bowed down
in unparalleled humility, that in His exaltation to the throne of God, He
might also exalt those who believe in Him, to a seat with Him upon His
throne." {FLB 45.5} The reason it is unpardonable to speak against the Holy Ghost
is because that is the only medium whereby man may be reconciled and
regenerated back into the image of God.
Ellen White says that the Holy Spirit is the life and soul of
Christ. She said that at His
Incarnation, the Son was divested of (emptied Himself of) His Holy Spirit
ONLY existence. She said that Christ
could not be in every place personally while cumbered with humanity. That
means FOREVER—A FOREVER SACRIFICE, because she said that Christ retains His
Humanity—thus, the attributes of His former Holy Spirit state of being are
cumbered forever by His humanity. That is a sacrifice far exceeding the
cross! And the Trinity Doctrine denies that eternal sacrifice—makes it
IMPOSSIBLE by teaching that the Holy Spirit was always a third person, when
that was not true until the sacrifice made at the foundation of the earth
when the Son was slain in the Heavenly Sanctuary for man’s benefit. Thus, the
plan of salvation was made BEFORE man was created. Any doctrine that teaches against the “highest good, crowing
sacrifice that heaven could bestow,” is speaking, teaching, against the Holy
Spirit, and that is unpardonable sin. That is the greatest sin Rome has
committed along with the changing of God’s law, but to teach against the
highest good, crowing sacrifice has to be the greatest abomination. And Rome
brags about that abomination being its central doctrine. Such a teaching
served Rome and even apostate Judaism well, because in not teaching the
people about the highest good, crowning sacrifice of Christ, they did not
appreciate Him as they should have. If the cross is supposed to generate love
and appreciation for our Saviour, what would knowledge of the Heavenly
Sanctuary Sacrifice achieve when that sacrifice on the part of Christ
involves eternity?! Ellen White said that the greatest good, crowning gift, is the gift of Christ’s Holy Spirit as a reconciling
agency and a power that takes away sin.
Without that power, no one can be saved. Nothing could speak more against the Holy Spirit than to deny
the “highest good, crowning sacrifice that heaven can bestow”—namely the gift
of the Divine Nature Holy Spirit of the Son of God for our regeneration and
power to overcome sin. That is what the Trinity Doctrine achieves because it
teaches that the Holy Spirit existed as a third person before the Incarnation
of the Son of Man. Thus, the “highest good, crowning sacrifice of the
Incarnation in the heavenly Sanctuary when the Son was “slain from the
foundation of the earth[R2] , is totally denied
by the Trinity Doctrine, which Rome boasts as its central doctrine. Mrs. White defined the
Holy Spirit as the life and soul of Christ. That means that the Son was the
Holy Spirit before His Incarnation. So both always existed as eternal
dignitaries, but the Son emptied Himself of His Holy Spirit ONLY existence at
His Incarnation and took on our humanity To speak against that
power, that greatest good, crowning sacrificial gift, is unpardonable sin. Also,
she said that to attribute manifestations of the Holy Spirit to Satan, is unpardonable sin. So be careful as to what you brand as being
of Satan. You might thereby be
committing unpardonable sin[RB3] . "Christ declared
that after his ascension, he would send to his church, as his crowning gift, the Comforter, who
was to take his place. This Comforter is the Holy Spirit,--the soul of his life, the efficacy of
his church, the light and life of the world. With his Spirit Christ sends a
reconciling influence and a power that takes away sin. In the gift of the
Spirit [HIS LIFE--THE SOUL OF HIS LIFE], Jesus gave to man the highest good that heaven could
bestow.... It is by the Spirit that
the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of
the divine nature. Christ has given his Spirit as a divine power to overcome
all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress his own
character upon the church." E.G. White, Review and Herald Articles, May 19, 1904, vol. 5, p. 42. “Cumbered with humanity Christ could not be in every place
personally, therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should
leave them to go to His Father and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor
on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity
and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places
by His Holy Spirit.” E.G. White, (Manuscript
Releases Volume 14 (No’s 1081-1135) MR No.1084. IV—Offering Strange
Fire unto the Lord and The SDA Celebration Movement Num 3:4 And Nadab and
Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD,
in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar
ministered in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron their father. Num 26:61 And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange
fire before the LORD. Jud 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them
in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after
strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. The following
dissertation on strange fire is by Ellen G. White, and comes from the
pamphlet entitled Confrontation No sacrifice would
be acceptable to God which was not salted or seasoned with divine fire, which
represented the communication between God and man that was opened through
Jesus Christ alone. The holy fire which was to be put upon the censer was
kept burning perpetually. And while the people of God were without, earnestly
praying, the incense kindled by the holy fire was to arise before God mingled
with their prayers. This incense was an emblem of the mediation of Christ.
{Con 80.2} Aaron's sons took
the common fire, which God did not accept, and they offered insult to the
infinite God by presenting this strange fire before Him. God consumed them by
fire for their positive disregard of His express directions. All their works
were as the offering of Cain. There was no divine Saviour represented. Had
these sons of Aaron been in full command of their reasoning faculties they
would have discerned the difference between the common and sacred fire. The
gratification of appetite debased their faculties and so beclouded their
intellect that their power of discernment was gone. They fully understood the
holy character of the typical service, and the awful solemnity and
responsibility assumed of presenting themselves before God to minister in
sacred service. {Con 81.1} Some may inquire,
How could the sons of Aaron have been accountable when their intellects were
so far paralyzed by intoxication that they were not able to discern the
difference between sacred and common fire? It was when they put the cup to
their lips that they made themselves responsible for all their acts committed
while under the influence of wine. The indulgence of appetite cost those
priests their lives. God expressly forbade the use of wine that would have an
influence to becloud the intellect. {Con 81.2} "And the Lord
spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy
sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye
die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: and that ye
may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;
and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord
hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses." {Con 81.3} The special
injunction of God to the Hebrews in reference to the use of intoxicating
liquors should be regarded in this dispensation. But many who are holding the
highest responsibilities in our country are, in too many cases,
liquor-and-tobacco slaves. {Con 82.1} Jurors in our
courts, by whose verdict the innocence or guilt of their fellow men is
decided, are many of them liquor-drinkers and tobacco-inebriates. And, while
under the influence of these, which becloud the intellect and debase the
soul, judgment is given upon the liberty and life of their fellow men. {Con
82.2} Perverted judgment
in many cases clears from all punishment the greatest criminals, when the
safety of society demands they should receive the full penalty of the law
which they have violated. {Con 82.3} The men who are
legislating, and those who are executing the laws of our government, while
they are violating the laws of their being in debasing appetites, which
stupefy and paralyze the intellect, are not fitted to decide the destiny of
their fellow men. Those only who feel the necessity of keeping soul, body,
and spirit in conformity to natural law, to the end that they may preserve the
right balance of their mental powers, are fitted to decide important
questions in reference to the execution of the law of our land. This was the
mind of God by decrees to the Hebrews that wine should not be used by those
who ministered in holy office. {Con 82.4} Here we have the most plain directions of God, and His reasons for
prohibiting the use of wine; that their power of discrimination and
discernment might be clear, and in no way confused; that their judgment might
be correct, and they be ever able to discern between the clean and unclean.
Another reason of weighty importance why they should abstain from anything
which would intoxicate is also given. It would require the full use of
unclouded reason to present to the children of Israel all the statutes which
God had spoken to them. {Con 82.5} Anything in eating
and drinking which disqualifies the mental powers for healthful and active
exercise is an aggravating sin in the sight of God. Especially is this the case
with those who minister in holy things, who should
at all times be examples to the people and be in a condition to properly
instruct them. {Con 83.1} Notwithstanding
they have this striking example before them, some professed Christians will
desecrate the house of God with breaths polluted with the fumes of liquor and
tobacco. And the spittoons are sometimes filled with the ejected spittle and
quids of tobacco. The effluvia is constantly arising from these receptacles,
polluting the atmosphere. Men professing to be Christians bow to worship God,
and dare to pray to Him, with their lips stained by tobacco, while their
half-paralyzed nerves tremble from the exhausting use of this powerful
narcotic. And this is the devotion they offer to a holy and sin-hating God.
Ministers in the sacred desk, with mouth and lips defiled, dare to take the
sacred word of God in their polluted lips. They think God does not notice
their sinful indulgence. "Because sentence against an evil work is not
executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in
them to do evil." God will no more receive a sacrifice from the hands of
those who thus pollute themselves, and offer with their service the incense
of tobacco and liquor, than He would receive the offering of the sons of
Aaron, who offered incense with strange fire. {Con 83.2} God has not changed. He is as particular
and exact in His requirements now as He was in the days of Moses. But in the
sanctuaries of worship in our day, with the songs of praise, the prayers, and
the teaching from the pulpit, there is not merely strange fire but positive
defilement. Instead of truth being
preached with holy unction from God, it is sometimes spoken under the
influence of tobacco and brandy. Strange fire indeed! Bible truth and Bible
holiness are presented to the people, and prayers are offered to God, mingled
with the stench of tobacco! Such incense is most acceptable to Satan! A
terrible deception is this! What an offense in the sight of God! What an
insult to Him who is holy, dwelling in light unapproachable! {Con 84.1} If the faculties of
the mind were in healthful vigor professed Christians would discern the
inconsistency of such worship. Like Nadab and Abihu, their sensibilities are
so blunted that they make no difference between the sacred and common. Holy
and sacred things are brought down upon a level with their tobacconized
breaths, benumbed brains, and their polluted souls, defiled through
indulgence of appetite and passion. Professed Christians eat and drink, smoke
and chew tobacco, and become gluttons and drunkards, to gratify appetite, and
still talk of overcoming as Christ overcame! {Con 84.2} V— Strange Fire and
SDA Celebration, Carnival Type Worship "The things you have
described as taking place in The Holy Spirit never
reveals itself in such methods, in such a bedlam of noise. This is an
invention of Satan to cover up his ingenious methods for making of none effect the pure, sincere, elevating, ennobling,
sanctifying truth for this time. Better never have the worship of God blended
with music than to use musical instruments to do the work which last January
was represented to me would be brought into our camp meetings. The truth for
this time needs nothing of this kind in its work of converting souls. A
bedlam of noise shocks the senses and pervert that which if conducted aright
might be a blessing. The powers of satanic agencies blend with the din and
noise, to have a carnival, and this is termed the Holy Spirits working."
Selected Messages, vol. 2, p. 36. VI—Jeremiah 11:9-15
– Conspiring (Syn. Confederating) With God’s Enemies and Returning to the
Iniquities of our Forefathers The adept will recognize a fulfillment of the following
Scripture within the apostate SDA church: · I realize that most SDA’s do not understand the dangers of
belonging to the World Council of Churches and its subsidiary organizations
such as National Councils of Churches and local Ministerial
Associations. But God, Ellen White, and quite a few reformer SDA's do
understand the implications, some of which are: · We cannot call folk out of Babylon when we are in liaison with
it ourselves. · God says an emphatic "unpardonable sin" NO, in
Isaiah 8:9-16 and Jer. 11:9-15. · The church must agree not to "steal sheep" in order
to be a member of the WCC. · The church has watered down its three angel's message
commission to call out of Babylon. · The church now goes primarily for the "unchurched,"
as the WCC demands. · The Celebration video I have stresses over and over that its
mission is to the unchurched, even though the commission of Rev. 14 is to the
world. · Ellen White said not to even hear their counsel. As
"observers," the church hears their counsel. · The church has NEVER, in over 40 years of ecumenical liaison,
converted one person via its contacts with Babylon via ecumenism. Dr.
B.B. Beach admitted that to me. · The SDA church lost Dr. Earl Hilgert, its first
representative to the ecumenical movement from Andrews. He converted to
become a Babylonian preacher. · The 144,000 bride of Christ is not defiled with
"women," fallen churches, Rev. 14:1-4. · The WCC is controlled by Babylon and Babylon is controlled by
Satan. Would Jesus become a member of Babylon, Satan's Synagogue? Would
He support those who did so? Considering the coarse
of Nehemiah, would Jesus even hear the counsel of Satan?
If I joined and/or supported the Church of Satan, would I be
responsible for either or both? The SDA church pays large sums to
Babylon as annual dues. Those payments are used to support Babylon and
her errors. If the sacred tithe is so used, and it is, is every tithe
payer responsible? These are just a few of the reasons we should not be so
aligned. Is violation of Isaiah 8:9-13 unpardonable sin? Jeremiah 11:9-15 leaves no room for doubt
that it is unpardonable if engaged willfully, knowingly. The penalty is not reconciliation, but
being broken in pieces. Ellen White
said that all who heard and understood the first and second angel’s messages
in 1844, but then or later rejected them, received a “shut door” on
salvation. "Any connection with infidels and UNBELIEVERS which would
identify us with them is FORBIDDEN by the word. We are to come out from them
and be separate. in no case are we to link ourselves
with them in their plans or work." E. G. White, Fundamentals of Christian Education, 482. "I saw that since
the second angel proclaimed the fall of the churches, they have been growing
more and more corrupt. They bear the name of being Christ's followers yet it
is IMPOSSIBLE to distinguish them from ...Satan has taken FULL POSSESSION of
the churches as a body." E.G. White, Early
Writings, 273. If any church should
link itself with unbelievers, we are to come out from them and be separate.
The instruction is clear. Notwithstanding the SDA church’s' links with the
ecumenical movement, it has linked in PARTNERSHIP with the Catholics at their
hospital in VII—Ananias and
Sapphira and Their Unfulfilled Pledge to the Lord Acts 5
VIII—Achan’s
Disobedience to an Express Command of God and Corporate Responsibility "The plain
straight testimony must live in the church, or the curse of God will rest
upon His people as surely as it did upon ancient I asked the Lord to show
me how the above statement could be supported from the Bible. He showed me the story of Achan. The
following verses demonstrate Biblical basis for Ellen White’s above statement
that teaches corporate responsibility for open sin in the church. And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing,
lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and
make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 19 But all the
silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the
LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD. Joshua 6:18, 19. In the following verse, the anger of the Lord is kindled
against the entire camp of Israel because of the sin of one man, Achan. Thirty-six men perished because of Achan’s
sin. His immediate family who knew of
his sin, but did not disclose it to Joshua, also perished with Achan. This demonstrates the principle of
corporate responsibility open sin in the church as clear as anything
could. But Christians in general and
professing Seventh-day Adventists in particular, are not amenable to this
principle of God’s justice. 1 But the children of
Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of
Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the
accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of
Israel. Joshua 7:1 Why would God curse the entire camp because of one man’s
sin? I will tell you why friend. Because God knows better than anyone else
that open sin corrupts and effects the wheat, making
it impossible for the wheat to mature.
God says that it is impossible to unite or be united with the corrupt
and remain pure. If there is anything
“automatic” in the Christian experience, it is this truth. One will be automatically corrupted by
joining with the corrupt. It is a fact
of Biblical principle. We know the
Biblical example of how leaven affects the whole lump of flour. The leaven of open sin in the church does
the same thing to the wheat. "It is IMPOSSIBLE
for you to unite with those who are corrupt, and still remain pure. (II Corinthians 6:14-15 quoted). God
and Christ and the heavenly host would have men know that if he unites with
the corrupt he will become corrupt." E. G. White, Review and Herald, Vol. 4, p. 137. 14 Be ye not unequally
yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with
unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with
darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for
ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them,
and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and
touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 18 And will
be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty. But there is even more
pertinent Bible evidence of the effects of uniting with the corrupt. The thorns (open sin) will choke the wheat
making it impossible to mature. 4 And when much people were gathered together, and were come to
him out of every city, he spake by a parable: 5 A sower went out
to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was
trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. 6 And some
fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because
it lacked moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns
sprang up with it, and choked it.
Luke 8:4-7. "Thorns sprung
up.--The thorns made it impossible for the wheat to mature (see Luke 8:14).
In the same way secular interest prevent the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22,
23) from reaching maturity. Religion is relegated to the subordinate position
of being only one interest among many. For lack of cultivation it withers and
eventually dies. That which the thorny-ground hearers lack is a moral
transformation (COL 50). To them, justification is the sum and substance of
religion, and they fail to realize that the Christian life consists
essentially in the process known as sanctification--the process by which evil
traits and tendencies are replaced by the perfect life-pattern of Jesus
Christ." SDA Bible Commentary,
Vol. 5, 405. Joshua 7 1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the
accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of
Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of
the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel. 2 And Joshua sent men
from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east of Bethel, and
spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and
viewed Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the
people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and
make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. 4 So there
went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before
the men of Ai. 5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men:
for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them
in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as
water. 6 And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face
before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel,
and put dust upon their heads. 7 And Joshua said, Alas, O LORD God, wherefore
hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand
of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had
been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! 8 O LORD, what shall I say,
when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies! 9 For the Canaanites
and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us
round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy
great name? 10 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest
thou thus upon thy face? 11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also
transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of
the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have
put it even among their own stuff. 12 Therefore the children of Israel could
not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies,
because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye
destroy the accursed from among you. 13 Up, sanctify the people, and say,
Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel,
There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not
stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among
you. 14 In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your
tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD taketh shall come
according to the families thereof; and the family which the LORD shall take
shall come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall
come man by man. 15 And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed
thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath
transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in
Israel. 16 So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by
their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: 17 And he brought the family
of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family
of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: 18 And he brought his
household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son
of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. 19 And Joshua said unto Achan, My
son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession
unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. 20 And
Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of
Israel, and thus and thus have I done: 21 When I saw among the spoils a
goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of
gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and,
behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver
under it. 22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and,
behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. 23 And they took
them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all
the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD. 24 And Joshua, and
all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the
garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his
oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and
they brought them unto the valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the
LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and
burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. 26 And they
raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from
the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The
valley of Achor, unto this day. VIX—Ellen White and
the Shut Door of 1844 Ellen White said that all who heard and understood the
Midnight Cry and the first and second angel’s messages in the spring and
summer of 1844, and afterward rejected those messages, had a shut door as far
as their salvation was concerned. Here
is her statement: "I was shown in
vision, and I still believe, that there was a shut door in 1844. All who saw
the light of the first and second angels' messages and rejected that light
were left in darkness. And those who accepted it and received the Holy Spirit
which attended the proclamation of the message from heaven, and who afterward
renounced their faith and pronounced their experience a delusion, thereby
rejected the Spirit of God, and it no longer pleaded with them." {1BIO
260.8} Clearly, it was
unpardonable sin for all who heard and understood, but thereafter rejected
the messages of 1844. That same
principle now applies to the members of the SDA church who KNOWINGLY violate
the same messages by ecumenical liaison with Babylon. I recognize that many do not know of the
church’s involvement in realigning the church with Babylon, in violation of
those messages to come out and be a separate, holy, and peculiar people, but
for those who do, if they remain members, they have a shut-door on
salvation. This is a most serious
warning because Ellen White saw in vision that it is IMPOSSIBLE for them to
get back on the heavenly pathway again: "While
praying at the family altar, the Holy Ghost fell on me, and I seemed to be
rising higher and higher, far above the dark world. I turned to look for the
Advent people in the world, but could not find them--when a voice said to me,
'Look again, and look a little higher.' At this I raised my eyes and saw a
straight and narrow path cast up high above the world. On this path the
Advent people were traveling to the City, which was at the farther end of the
path. They had a bright light set up behind them at the first end of the
path, which an angel told me was the Midnight Cry. This light shone all along
the path, and gave light for their feet so they might not stumble. And if
they kept their eyes fixed on Jesus, who was just before them, leading them
to the City, they were safe. But soon some grew weary, and they said the City
was a great way of, and they expected to have entered it before. Then Jesus
would encourage them by raising his glorious right arm, and from his arm came
a glorious light which waved over the Advent band, and they shouted
Hallelujah! Others rashly denied the light behind them, and said that it was
not God that had led them out so far. The light behind them went out leaving
their feet in perfect darkness, and they stumbled and got their eyes off the
mark and lost sight of Jesus, and fell off the path down in the dark and
wicked world below. It was just as
impossible for them to get on the path again and go to the City, as all the wicked world which God had rejected. They fell all
the way along the path one after another, until we heard the voice of God
like many waters, which gave us the day and hour of Jesus' coming.... By this time the 144,000
were all sealed and perfectly united. On their foreheads was written, God,
New Jerusalem, and a glorious Star containing Jesus' new name." E.G.
White, Word to the Little Flock, p. 14. The Midnight Cry of
Matthew 25, gave power to the first and second
angel’s messages that called people out of the fallen churches. All who ever
hear and understand the Midnight Cry, and thereafter take their eyes off the
path lighted by that cry, by re-joining the fallen churches they were called
out of by membership or confederacy in ASSOCIATION, COUNSEL AND/OR COUNCIL,
GIRDING, OR LINKING WITH THEM IN ANY WAY WHICH WOULD IDENTIFY US WITH THEM,
FALL OFF THE PATH AND IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO GET ON THE PATH AGAIN,
WHICH IMPLIES SHUT DOOR UNPARDONABLE SIN! God's Word implies the same
unpardonableness for such offense in Isaiah 8:9-20, and Revelation 14:9, 10.
This is what Ellen White really meant by "shut door!" Those who
have committed this unpardonable sin have grossly perverted her meaning. This
is a most serious consideration every SDA should weigh heavily before he/she
determines to enter ecumenical relationship with and/or join any of the
fallen churches. X—Unrepentent Continuum Violation of God’s Law Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of
ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of
the way, nailing it to his cross; 20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the
world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21 (Touch not; taste not;
handle not; 22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of
men? 23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will
worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the
satisfying of the flesh. The commandments of God
are not after the commandments and doctrines of men. They define sin for all mankind. Rev 12:17 And the dragon
was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed,
which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Rev 14:12 Here is the
patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God,
and the faith of Jesus. 14 Blessed are they that
do his commandments, that they may have right to the
tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For
without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and
idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. 1Jo 3:4 Whosoever
committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of
the law. Psa 32:1 [[[A Psalm] of
David, Maschil.]] Blessed [is he whose] transgression [is] forgiven, [whose]
sin [is] covered. XI—All Who Change the Truth of God Into a Lie Commit
Unpardonable Sin 21 Because that, when
they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but
became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory
of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to
birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave
them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour
their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a
lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is
blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile
affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which
is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of
the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that
which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error
which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their
knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which
are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication,
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate,
deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful,
proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without
understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable,
unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such
things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them
that do them. Romans 1:21-31. XII—All Who Change One Jot or Tittle of the Law Commit
Unpardonable Sin Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till
heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no
wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. At the cross of Jesus Christ, all was finished as far as the
required sacrifices for man’s sins was
concerned. But all is not fulfilled in
the Sanctuary of Heaven, until sin is eradicated from the universe. All who change one jot or one tittle of
God’s ten commandment law and/or do away with it entirely, commit
unpardonable sin and serve the greatest mission of Satan. Satan is the great rebel who contested the
need for God’s law and says that it cannot be kept even with the aid of the
Holy Spirit’s empowerment, just as Christ overcame with all of the weight of
the world’s sin laid upon Him. Without a law or standard defining sin, God would have to
impugn and impute sin after the fact in order to judge man as guilty of
anything. That would be like a judge
giving you a speeding ticket when there was no speed sign defining the speed
limit. Only an unjust God would do
such a thing, and if the law was nailed to the cross, we would have an unjust
God. Satan is the great rebel against
God’s law, and all who teach that the law was done away with at the cross,
are Satan’s agents. W.
W. Prescott on Unpardonable Sin Ellen White
Statements on Unpardonable Sin In rejecting Christ
the Jewish people committed the unpardonable sin; and by refusing the
invitation of mercy, we may commit the same error. We offer insult to the
Prince of life, and put Him to shame before the synagogue of Satan and before
the heavenly universe when we refuse to listen to His delegated messengers,
and instead listen to the agents of Satan, who would draw the soul away from
Christ. So long as one does this, he can find no hope or pardon, and he will
finally lose all desire to be reconciled to God. {DA 324.3} 24-32 (ch. 9:34; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15). Eyes Closed to
Evidence.--They [the Pharisees] attributed to satanic agencies the holy power
of God, manifested in the works of Christ. Thus the Pharisees sinned against
the Holy Ghost. Stubborn, sullen, ironhearted, they determined to close their
eyes to all evidence, and thus they committed the unpardonable sin (RH Jan.
18, 1898). {5BC 1092.4} Did Ellen White say
That the SDA Church Militant Would Commit Unpardonable sin? It has been maintained by some that Ellen White never said that the SDA
Church militant would commit unpardonable sin. The following statement indeed
says just that, and it is written in the past-perfect tense, which goes into
the future and speaks of the future as though it were already fulfilled. The
statement appears in the 1884 Great Controversy, and Vance Ferrell, an SDA
minister who did much research into that book, before deciding to re-publish
it, says that the 1844 edition was written specifically for Seventh-day
Adventist, with the 1884 and 1911 editions being written for the world. Here
is Ellen White statement that clearly implies that the corporate church would
commit unpardonable sin. This does not mean that a remnant would escape out
of it: "Jesus
sends HIS PEOPLE a message of warning to prepare them for his coming. To the
prophet John was made known the closing work in the great plan of man's
redemption. He beheld an angel flying 'in the midst of heaven, having the
everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every
nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear
God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his Judgment is come; and worship
him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters
[Rev. 14:6, 7].
No
wonder the church stopped the publication of the 1884 Great Controversy,
until an Adventist doctor re-published it. The church took him to court, but
the doctor won on the grounds that prophetic material out of copyright dating
is not copyrightable. Some try to maintain that the above statement refers only to the fallen
churches since 1844. That is not correct, and we will prove such. First of
all, the statement begins in the present tense with the words: "Jesus sends
HIS PEOPLE a message of warning to prepare them for his coming. The
statement was written in 1884, so it must apply to God's people since that
time also. However, a more important "greater light" proof that the
above statement is inclusive of the current day professing Seventh-day
Adventist Church is found in Ezekiel 5 and 9. Ellen White said that Ezekiel 9
would have another literal fulfillment involving the entire world, but that
it would "begin at His sanctuary," Testimonies, vol. 5, 211.
Ezekiel chapter 5 is another description of Ezekiel 9, and in verses 1-5 of
Ezekiel 5, we find that only a small remnant is "taken in thy
skirts," and the remaining three-thirds of the church, symbolized by
Ezekiel shaving his head and forming the hairs into three separate parts, is
destroyed. How do we know from the "greater light" of Scripture that
Ezekiel 9 will be literally repeated? We can reasonably conclude such from
Ezekiel 5:9, where God mentions that in connection with the scenario of
Ezekiel 5, He will do the worst thing He has ever done or will ever again do,
and of course that refers to the great time of Jacob's trouble at the
end-time, depicted in Matt. 24:21. If the AD 70 fulfillment of Ezekiel 5 and 9, was the worst thing God has ever done or will ever do
again, then such would not occur at the end-time. So Ezekiel 5 and 9, prove
that Ellen White's 1884 Great Controversy statement is most apropos to the
current day professing Seventh-day Adventist church, and aptly,
prophetically, if you will, describes its ultimate outcome. "Study the 9th chapter of Ezekiel. These words will be literally
fulfilled; yet the time is passing, and the people are asleep. They refuse to
humble their souls and to be converted. Not a great while longer will the
Lord bear with the people who have such great and important truths revealed
to them, but who refuse to bring these truths into their individual
experience. The time is short. God is calling; will YOU hear? Will YOU receive
His message? Will YOU be converted before it is too late? Soon, very soon,
every case will be decided for eternity. Letter 106, 1909, pp. 2, 3, 5, 7.
(To "The churches in Oakland and Berkeley, September 26, 1909.)" E. G. White Manuscript Releases Volume
One, p. 260. And then there is the alarming statement by Ellen White that the
corporate SDA church would be brought down to hell: "And thou, Capernaum [Seventh-day Adventists, who have had great
light], which art exalted unto heaven [in point of privilege], shalt be
brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee,
had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto
you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom IN THE DAY OF
JUDGMENT, than for thee." E.G. White, Review and Herald Articles, vol. 3, p. 69, col. 3. One SDA Pastor, posting on an internet chat group, said that the above
statement was written by Ellen White on a day when she was just discouraged
with the church! Mighty powerful statement for a prophetess to make about the
SDA Church, just because she might have been "discouraged with the
church." And what right would anyone have to interpolate Ellen White's
words? Does the Pastor in mention, propose to read Ellen White's mind? These
statements along with Ellen White's many statements that the SDA church was
and obviously still is following in the tracts of ancient Israel, demonstrate
that her 1884 Great Controversy,
pp. 199-200 statement is applicable to the professing SDA Church today. It is not for us to conclude who has and who has not committed
unpardonable sin. We are to encourage
one another to accept and obey the truth.
However, we cannot ignore clear counsel by the Word of God and Ellen
White concerning what constitutes unpardonable sin. God says that His people perish for a lack of knowledge. Is
there any excuse for that lack? Nay! There is no excuse for men with the
acumen of a Walter Veith, Stephen Bohr, Charles
Wheeling, Vance Ferrell, or Kirk Weedman, an
engineer. God bless, Ron Beaulieu |
[R1]Vance Ferrell was an ordained SDA minister. He said in his auto-biography that he resigned his credentials because he felt he could not abide by principle and still remain a pastor. Then he tells his financing patrons that he is not telling them to leave or stay! Is there something wrong with this picture?
Bible on Yea or Nay 2Cr 1:17 When I therefore was thus minded, did I use
lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose
according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea,
and nay nay?
Mat 26:73 And after a while came unto [him] they that stood by, and
said to Peter, Surely thou also art [one] of them; for thy speech betrayeth thee.
Jam 5:12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by
heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be
yea; and [your] nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
Mat 5:37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for
whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
[R2]And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Rev. 13:8
[RB3]Author Dr. Henry Morris insightfully clarifies the true nature of Pharisees' sin:
"The unforgivable sin of speaking against the Holy Spirit has been interpreted in various ways, but the true meaning cannot contradict other Scripture. It is unequivocally clear that the one unforgivable sin is permanently rejecting Christ (John 3:18; 3:36). Thus, speaking against the Holy Spirit is equivalent to rejecting Christ with such finality that no future repentance is possible. 'My spirit shall not always strive with man,' God said long ago (Genesis 6:3). ...In the context of this particular passage (Matthew 12:22-32), Jesus had performed a great miracle of creation, involving both healing and casting out a demon, but the Pharisees rejected this clear witness of the Holy Spirit. Instead they attributed His powers to Satan, thus demonstrating an attitude permanently resistant to the Spirit, and to the deity and saving Gospel of Christ" [Henry M. Morris, The Defender's Study Bible (Iowa Falls, Iowa: World Bible Publishers, 1995), emphasis added.].
What is the difference between the two types of blasphemy described in Matthew 12? Why is the sacrifice of Christ ineffective as an atonement for the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
Respected Christian theologian Dr. F.F. Bruce writes,
"...Speaking against the Son of man might be due to a failure to recognize Him for what He is. So Paul recalls how in his pre-Christian days he thought it his duty to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. But if, having seen the light on the Damascus road, he had deliberately closed his eyes to it and kicked out against the goad which was directing him into the true path, that would have been the sin against the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit persuades and enables men to accept Christ and enjoy the saving benefits of the gospel [John 16:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12-14; Acts 7:51], but if anyone refuses to submit to the Spirit's gracious constraint, preferring to call good evil and evil good, how can the gospel avail for him? The deliberate refusal of the grace of God is the one sin which by its very nature is irremediable" [F.F. Bruce, Answers to Questions (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1973), pp. 46-47.].
"Anyone who rejects the Holy Spirit's convicting influence and does not repent will not be forgiven, 'neither in this world, neither in the world to come' (Matthew 12:32)" [Ray Comfort, "The Unpardonable Sin," The Evidence Bible (Gainesville, Florida: Bridge-Logo Publishers, 2001).].
"Jesus thus regards blasphemy against the Spirit--permanently rejecting his identity (Matthew 12:18) as attested by the Spirit's works (12:28)--as the worst of sins" [Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary, New Testament (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1993), p. 80.].
The situation was similar at the biblical city of Capernaum, where Jesus Christ performed an extraordinary number of miracles and taught many important public lessons. In the end, most of the people of Capernaum remained unrepentant. Like the Pharisees, they persistently rejected the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit who bore witness to the true identity of Jesus Christ, their Messiah.
They turned away from the abundant light graciously provided to them, and chose to remain forever in their unbelief. They persistently refused to listen to anything the Holy Spirit was telling them. Like the Pharisees, they chose self-imposed blindness. For this reason, they were strongly judged. "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required..." (Luke 12:48). Thus, along with nearby Chorazin and Bethsaida, Capernaum received a very stern warning from Jesus, "It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee" (Matt. 11:21-24).
How can one know whether or not they have committed "the unforgivable sin?"
Bible researcher Larry Richards points out,
"This reference to an unforgivable sin has troubled many unnecessarily. Those who are concerned that they have done something for which Jesus will not forgive them show a very different attitude from the Pharisees, who refused to accept even the most compelling evidence that Jesus was the Son of God. The person who rejects the Spirit's message about Jesus will not be forgiven. Anyone who seeks Jesus' forgiveness certainly has not committed the unforgivable sin" [Larry Richards, 735 Baffling Bible Questions Answered (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Fleming H. Revell, 1993), pp. 241-242.].
Scholars Morris and Clark further explain:
"Persons deeply troubled by a guilty conscience often fear that they have sinned too grievously for God to forgive and save them. Others, dominated by a carnal, calculating attitude, hope to sin to the limit and then come to Christ to escape the consequences. Thus with radically different motives, both ask 'Is it possible to sin beyond the point of being saved?'
God's ability to save is not limited by man's sinfulness. In fact, every person, before he accepts Jesus Christ as Savior, is in total rebellion against God, though sinfulness many not manifest itself with equal intensity in every person. The Apostle John taught believers,
If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the propitiation (satisfaction) for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world' (1 John 2:1-2).
The Bible is filled with examples of people who receive forgiveness for all manner of wickedness, for 'the Lord's hand is not short that it cannot save' (Isaiah 59:1). God's boundless grace prompted Paul to exclaim, 'When sin increased, grace abounded all the more' (Romans 5:20). And Paul's personal testimony showed God's redemptive purpose and power were not limited by man's sinfulness, thus encouraging those who feared they had sinned too grievously to be saved (1 Timothy 1:15-16).
While God's ability to save is boundless, the Bible clearly shows that there are certain conditions under which He will not save. For instance, God will not save those who neglect or despise Christ's sacrifice in an effort to find an alternate salvation plan.
'For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins' (Hebrews 10:26).
This warning pertains to those who 'trample under foot the Son of God' and regard His blood as unclean (Hebrews 10:29). God the Father has appointed His Son's sacrifice as the sole way of salvation and will not grant salvation to those who seek it by any other means.
The book of Romans contains the most concentrated teaching on the subject of salvation to be found in the New Testament, and it begins with a panorama of man's sin. Those who rejected God's revelation concerning Himself and worshipped idols instead were given over by God to a more severe moral defilement (Romans 1:22-24). Those who worshipped man instead of God received equally severe punishment: 'For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions,' the result being rampant immorality and homosexuality (Romans 1:26-27).
'And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper' (Romans 1:28).
Several conclusions can be drawn from these warnings.
First, God actively punishes unconfessed sin not only after the sinner's death, but also during that person's life.
Also, moral degradation is a punishment of God upon willful spiritual ignorance.
Further, when God gives one over to a depraved mind, that person's sensitivity to sin is deadened and his chances for repentance thereby lessened.
Yet, God does not violate man's freedom, forcing man to sin and then judging him for it. Rather, men in this state welcome more extreme degradation and actively embrace it: 'who being past feeling, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness' (Ephesians 4:19).
Consequently, Scripture states both that Pharaoh hardened his heart against God, and that God hardened Pharaoh's heart (Exodus 8:32; 9:12).
The Holy Spirit convicts men of their sin and draws them to the Savior (John 16:8-11; 3:5-6). Yet, at least once in history, God has punished iniquity by withdrawing His Spirit. Prior to the world-wide flood, God said, 'My Spirit will not strive with man forever,' and then He appointed 120 years during which repentance could be made (Genesis 6:3). Instead of repenting, man used God's longsuffering as an occasion for further sin, and only Noah and his family were spared.
God has further declared that He will not forgive blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31).
...If one's conscience is bothering him to the point that he feels he is too guilty for God to forgive, he has the assurance of God's Word that forgiveness is possible. The very fact that he is bothered by his sinfulness shows that the Holy Spirit has not abandoned him nor has God given him over to a depraved mind.
The real danger arises, however, when one can continually violate God's law and never feel the slightest remorse over his rebellion. The Bible's warning should jolt the spiritually flippant out of their complacency:"
"It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31).
"Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:6).
[Henry M. Morris and Martin E. Clark, The Bible Has the Answer, Revised and Expanded (Green Forest, Arkansas: Master Books, 1976), pp. 244-246, emphasis added.]
George Standison and staff further clarify,
" With this exception [the unforgivable sin], there is nothing in the category of human offenses that is beyond the reach of divine forgiveness. 'Although your sins be like scarlet, they shall be white as snow.' is the ancient promise given by God to men; 'though they be like crimson, they shall be as wool' [Isaiah 1:18].
This is not to be interpreted, however, as an encouragement to sin, but rather as an inducement to repentance. If the sinner truly repents, imploring God's forgiveness for Jesus' sake; if he accepts him as Saviour and endeavors, with divine help, to live thereafter a Christian life, he will not only be forgiven, but will be kept from falling back into sin. This is the teaching of the Gospel, and it is exemplified in innumerable cases today. We have many instances everywhere of great sinners who have forsaken their evil ways and who are now living the new life, sustained by divine power.
'There's a wideness in God's mercy
Like the wideness of the sea.'
We have the Saviour's distinct assurance, 'Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out' [John 6:37]. There is no punishment for sins that are forgiven. 'Jesus paid it all'" [Bible Answers for 1000 Difficult Questions (Iowa Falls: World Bible Publishers)].
If you, dear reader, have not yet truly repented of your sins and asked our Lord Jesus Christ for the total forgiveness and salvation that only his precious blood can provide, we urge you to do so immediately. It is the wisest decision you can ever make!
Can a Christian commit "the unpardonable sin?"
Authorities agree that the answer is no. Here's why.
"If we refuse to accept the testimony given to us by the Holy Spirit, fight off His conviction of our sin, and never accept the truth, we will never come to Christ for salvation. In Christ, all our sins are forgiven. Therefore, no Christian can commit the unpardonable sin. Only an unregenerate person who refuses to come to Christ will die in his or her sins" [Freedom in Christ (Knoxville, Tennessee: FICM.org, 2002).].
"...once you accept Jesus, that part of the Holy Spirit's job is complete, thus you can't blaspheme His work. Naturally, He continues to work with you, and you can be stubborn and resist Him as a Christian, but you can't blaspheme Him. Live unproductively, carnal and unspiritual, possible. But commit the unpardonable sin? It's just not possible for a true Christian. Remember what Paul said: [Darrin Yeager (DYeager.org, 2002).]
"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus..." (Romans 8:1).
A true Christian cannot commit a sin for which there is no forgiveness. We are protected by the power of God (1 Peter 1:5). Although we can certainly grieve the Holy Spirit, he still seals us for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). The Apostle Paul was confident "that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6, NKJV).
Bear in mind, however, if someone who claims to be a Christian is responding to the Holy Spirit and Christ in a way very similar to that of the Pharisees, despite the strong witness of the Holy Spirit and abundant exposure to the truth of God's Word, it is highly doubtful that the person was ever saved. Only God knows for sure. The evidence clearly points to an unregenerate heart.
"...for a tree is known by its fruit. ...For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:33-34, NKJV).
“The Pharisees had long observed the sinless Jesus Christ. They observed him doing undeniable and powerful miracles that were, at the very least, clear evidence of power supplied by God. These impressive miracles were freely given in pure kindness and love to release people from obvious suffering and the oppression of horrible evil.
However, the Pharisees had so firmly set their hearts against accepting Jesus as the Messiah that they rejected the obvious truth before them and perversely twisted it to influence the crowds. They publicly credited the most ultimately evil being in the universe with these precious, godly miracles. In other words, they called the precious and holy Spirit of God, the unclean spirit of Satan. In effect, they charged Jesus Christ with sorcery; one who is in league with Satan. These charges are not only appalling and extremely serious, but clearly absurd.
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