On a recent SDA chat group, a New Movement SDA Pastor made the following comment:
"No one has ever been reclaimed from a lost position through denunciation."
This is a HALF-TRUTH, indicative of Satan's methodology of ERROR BY OMMISSION (of part of the truth) and constitutes a direct contradiction of the Laodicean Message in Scripture, and as defined by Ellen White. Note her words:
"The message to the church of the Laodiceans is a startling denunciation, and is applicable to the people of God at the present time....
The Lord her shows us that the message to be borne to His people by ministers whom He has called to warn the people IS NOT a peace-and-safety message. It is not merely theoretical, but practical in every particular. The people of God are represented in the message to the Laodiceans as in a position of carnal security. They are at ease, believing themselves to be in an exalted condition of spiritual attainments.. 'Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.'
What greater deception can come upon human minds than a confidence that they are right when they are all wrong! The message of the True Witness finds the people of God in a sad deception, yet honest in that deception. They know not that their condition is deplorable in the sight of God. While those addressed are flattering themselves that they are in an exalted spiritual condition, the message of the True Witness breaks their security by the STARTLING DENUNCIATION of their true condition of spiritual blindness, poverty, and wretchedness. The testimony, so cutting and severe, cannot be a mistake, for it is the True Witness who speaks, and His testimony must be correct.
It is difficult for those who feel secure in their attainments, and who believe themselves to be rich in spiritual knowledge, to receive the message which delcares that they are deceived and in need of every spritual grace. The unsanctified heart is 'deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.' I was shown that many are flattering themselves that they are good Christians, who have not a ray of light from Jesus. They have not a living experience for themselves in the divine life. The need a deep and thorough work of self-abasement before God before they will feel their true need of earnest, persevering effort to secure the precious graces of the Spirit....
Sin prevails among the people of God. The plain message of REBUKE TO THE LAODICEANS is not received." E.G. White, Testimonies, vol. 3, pp. 252, 253.
Granted, the REBUKE must be administered with every loving grace, but REBUKE IS REBUKE, and REBUKE IS DENUNCIATION. So, if God's people will not be REBUKED AND DENUNCIATED for their sins, then they will never repent.
One thing is for certain. The "guardian" leaders of the flock, will NEVER AGAIN, show the house of Jacob their sins. They may express concern over a few things they personally dislike, but they will NEVER AGAIN becry the most serious sins of God's people. Note:
"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, and 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.
"Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew MY PEOPLE their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." Isaiah 58:1.
"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.
We are told in Scripture that God's Law is perfect converting the soul. It is interesting that much of that Law is comprised of "negative" pronouncements, such as "Thou shalt not!" Did God not know how to correct His people? Is His every word to them "sugar coated" and of sentimental love, or does His brand of love include agape love which is principled instruction in all truth and doctrine.
The same minister implied recently that everything looked good in his quarter, because they were heeding all the truth, the health message, etc., and were speaking up about some of the errors of the church. He totally ignores corporate responsibility for grave errors of the church, even to the point of blaiming the SDA hospital administrator of the Porter Hospital in Denver, for bringing the hospital into partnership with the Roman Catholic health facility in the area. We all know that no hospital administrator has such power. The church is very corporately responsible for such an act, and would have to approve such a move before any hospital administrator would work to effect such. This is the kind of "sighing and crying" that is going on in the New Movement, Omega of Apostasy, SDA Church. The blame is merely shifted to some pawn in the church, while the church and its leaders claim immunity for corporate responsibility, in gross violation of the following instructions:
"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, responsible for the sins existing in individuals among them." Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 269.