An Appeal to the General Conference PresidentIn the
late summer of 1997, a special 48-page document was carefully prepared by
concerned historic believers. On October 14, the final cover letter was
written; and the document, entitled An Appeal to the General Conference
President, was sent to Robert Folkenberg. You can know
that very earnest prayer accompanied this document which consisted of (1)
earnest pleadings for Folkenberg to reconsider his doctrinal positions and
return to historic beliefs and (2) documentary evidence of how far he had
strayed from those beliefs by accepting, as he has publicly admitted, the
teachings of Jack Sequeira. Unfortunately, on February 25, 1998, Folkenberg mailed a six-page reply, in which he rejected that appeal and evidence. In that reply,
Folkenberg defended his position by quoting the Dallas Statement of
Fundamental Beliefs; two sentences from the Spirit of Prophecy, that
man cannot save himself by his unaided works; and deploring as flagrantly
untrue an Our Firm Foundation statement that, when conversion
takes place and the law is written upon the heart, it does become an
instrument of our salvation, with the comment: If I were to accept that statement as gospel truth, I would be betraying my Saviour and the message entrusted by Him to the remnant church. Folkenberg, letter of reply. In his reply,
Folkenberg goes on to state that the 48-page manuscript is (not a
corrective to himself) but an attack on Gods church, and that the book,
Issues, was right in declaring that
independent ministries were troublemakers who were causing
divisions. Thus, this
48-page appeal to our highest level of church leadership to return to our
historic position, that man must obey Gods law by faith in Christ or be
lost, was rejected. The present writer has a complete copy of both papers, and has patiently awaited forthcoming developments. Efforts have since been made by certain General Conference contacts to intercede with Folkenberg, in an effort to help him return to our historic positions. To date, this
effort has been fruitless; and it now appears that a stalling procedure is
in process in the hope that it will block the publication of that
48-page document. However, here
and there, a few attempts have been made to photocopy and share the
document. So it is gradually being given wider exposure. In view of the
present situation, it appears that there is no further need to delay
warning the people of God about the position of one of their most
influential church leaders. This present paper consists of a summary of the entire 48-page document, with the exception of Appendix 2. That item is omitted for three reasons: (1) Lack of space. (2) It is a more general statement. (3) We plan to reprint it in its entirety soon. 1 - The
introductory letters and prefaces: The present writer has taken the time
to summarize the heart of them, the important information in them which
you should have. 2 - Appendices
1 and 3: Here is to be found the quotations from several writers (Ford,
Sequeira, and Folkenberg), plus contrasting Bible and Spirit of Prophecy
statements. Appendix 4 was a single page in length and contained two
additional Spirit of Prophecy quotations, which we included. At this time, there is no certainty that the full 48-page document will ever be released. Due to circumstances apparently beyond the control of its three authors, it is in limbo (which is where one man would like it to be) so it will not be released to the Adventist world. Perhaps someday it will be. Until that
occurs, the paper you now have in hand will nicely do as well. The
summaries and quotations are comprehensive. With the exception of Appendix
2, which we will reprint separately, every quoted statement in this
48-page paper is reprinted here. Let us
now go directly to the document: Page 1:
Title page - An Appeal to the General Conference President. Page 2:
Name of local printing house. Page 3:
A five-line statement, that it is an appeal to the General
Conference President. Pages
4-6: Summary of the First Letter to R.S. Folkenberg Reliable
sources have told me, Elder Folkenberg, that you have several ghost
writers preparing your articles and books. They are obviously very
liberal. It is clear that your administration has been spent in
administration, not in studying our beliefs. I have already
written you three times about the liberal positions appearing in your
published writings. A most startling apostasy will exist at the close of
time (1SM, pp. 197, 205; cf. 5T, pp. 451; 9T, p. 126). Jack
Sequeira's apostasy must be dealt with immediately, and you have a
responsibility to do this. We are told there will be few champions of
truth at the end and the majority of Adventists will reject Gods
message (5T, pp. 136, 75-83). You have a chance to be one of the
few faithful leaders who may remain. Your father was a very godly man and a leader who could defend our message with Scripture and the Spirit of Prophecy. Before his untimely death he asked those around him to pray for my son, for his understanding of our message has been contaminated by some of our teachers and theologians. This statement was told me recently by a man who knew him before his death. An Appeal to the General Conference President, p. 6 [hereafter, this will be cited as Appeal]. This material
is only being shared with a few men, while we await your response. (Signed) Pages
6-10: Summary
of Introduction (written
by a different historic believer) Paul's
counsel to Timothy, concerning the end-time church, is being fulfilled
with chilling accuracy. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. 1 Timothy 4:1. This text,
about the last days and those in it who depart from the true gospel given
by God to His people, specifically applies to Seventh-day Adventists.
Although defections have occurred earlier in our history (the Messenger
Party, Dudley M. Canright, Albion F. Ballenger, John H. Kellogg, etc.), it
is in the last two or three decades that we have seen the strongest
fulfillment of the prediction that every wind of doctrine will be
blowing (5T, p. 80). [For
information on Canright, see Canright1-5 [DH201-205], now in
our White Tractbook; for the history of the Kellogg and Ballenger
crisis, see The Alpha of Apostasy 1-16 [DH251-266], now in our
Doctrinal History Tractbook.] From earliest
Christian history, there have been two
main streams of theological apostasy: the pseudo-conservatism,
sin and live, error and liberal paganism. In recent years, Roy
Branson, Raymond Cottrell, Richard Hammill, Lawrence Geraty, and James
Londis have been strong proponents of some of those liberal positions. However, the
primary concern of this document is the Augustinian/Calvinistic position,
as taught among us by such men as Robert Grieve, Edward Heppenstall,
Desmond Ford, Duncan Eva, and Jack Sequeira. This present
document is a comparison of the teachings
of three men (Desmond Ford, Jack Sequeira, and Robert Folkenberg),
as shown in representative quotations published by them. It is presented
as a warning that none dare place confidence in the teachings of men, even
those high in church office. We can only safely trust Gods Written
Word. We have been
warned that there will be a removing of the landmarks. The following
inspired prediction is indeed sobering: After the truth has been proclaimed as a witness to all nations, every conceivable power of evil will be set in operation, and minds will be confused by many voices crying, Lo, here is Christ; lo, He is there. This is the truth. I have the message from God; He has sent me with great light. Then there will be a removing of the landmarks, and an attempt to tear down the pillars of our faith. 7 Bible Commentary, p. 985. Only those who
are daily investigating the Word of God will be able to withstand
Satan's efforts. (Signed) Pages
10-17:
Summary of Preface (by a third historic believer) Three
different theologies are now competing for dominance in our church: (1)
original or historic Adventism, which our pioneers and Ellen White taught.
(2) Liberal Adventism, which greatly increased when we began sending our
young men to outside universities for degrees. (3) Calvinistic theology,
also called Evangelical Adventism, New Theology, etc. These will be found
in standard Protestant systematic theology textbooks, such a Strong,
Berkoff, Berkouwer, Shedd, and others. The liberal
view is that right and wrong cannot with certainty be identified, so
Biblical standards are of little consequence. The Calvinist position
insists that, according to the Bible, it is all right to go on sinning. So
both agree that standards are not important, and both unite in opposition
to the positions and pleadings of historic Adventists. Church
administrators can relate to the present doctrinal crisis in our
denomination in one of two ways: (1) Political, Focus on keeping
everyone happy and in the church. (2) Partisan, Individually study
into the matter and get on the side seen to be right. [A third way, not
mentioned in this document, also exists: (3) Political partisan, Individually
decide which group is the most influential, and get on that side.] Such men as
Leroy E. Froom, Edward Heppenstall, Desmond Ford, and Jack Sequeira have
vigorously urged certain Calvinistic teachings. Froom's
technique for introducing error was to write a long paragraph,
intermingled with snippets of Spirit of Prophecy statements, often only a
few words, to give an air of authority to his remarks. We find this
pattern in his books, Questions on Doctrine and Movement of
Destiny. In each instance, Spirit of Prophecy quotations were terribly
twisted out of context and meaning. Here is an example: He [Christ] did not in the least participate in its sin.EGW as quoted by LEF. In taking upon Himself mans nature in its fallen condition, Christ did not in the least participate in its sin.EGW, Signs June 9, 1898, the actual statement. Froom changed
Christ took our fallen nature to took Adams sinless nature
before the fall. More examples could be cited. There are 1,200 statements
indicating that, prior to 1950, our church believed that Christ took the
nature of fallen man. Of these, 400 are from Ellen White. Even Geoffrey
Paxton, a Calvinistic Anglican, agreed that, prior to 1950, Adventists
taught the fallen nature view (Shaking of Adventism, pp. 88, 113-114). In Edward
Heppenstall's 1975 book, Perfection: The Impossible Possibility
(published through Southern Publishing Assn.), he stated 24 times that it
is impossible, even by the power of God, for Christians to stop sinning.
Examples from his writings could be noted, many of which reveal that he
repeatedly contradicted himself. [Ten points are then cited, with 38 page
references.] A classic
example of this attack, on our historic beliefs, was Desmond Fords
October 27, 1979, Adventist Forum lecture at Pacific Union College. In it,
he admitted that he had not believed our Sanctuary Message for years, and
made false statements about the Bible, Spirit of Prophecy, and other
sources. Out of 26 arguments against the Sanctuary in his presentation, 23
were totally fictitious and the other three were half-truths. When a
half-truth is presented as though it were a whole truth, it can have the
effect of an untruth. Froom's book
is a methodological monstrosity and historical fraud; Heppenstall
specialized in self-contradiction throughout his writings; Fords methodology
is a bold and brazen falsification of evidence. Then
we have Jack Sequeira. He uses self-contradiction
with an added twist of his own: He first denies a doctrine, then redefines
its terms with definitions that cannot be found in any dictionary, and
then redefines the doctrine according to his own definition of terms! In Sequeira's book, Beyond Belief, chapter 4, he deals with the doctrine of Christ's substitutionary atonement for sin. He states firmly, four times in this chapter, that such substitution is impossible, claiming the support of Catholic theologians (with no names and no documentation). He then redefines substitution as being a corporate oneness with Christ, by which we died for our own sins rather than having Christ die for us. Then, using his own definitions, he affirms the doctrine of substitution. Appeal, p. 16. The large-scale use of self-contradiction in the writings of these authors (and their followers) contributes to the strange disagreement as to what they really believe and teach. Persons who look at different pages in their writings can come to very different conclusions. Is this done by accident or by design? Is it done deliberately, in dependence upon the principle, that a lie will travel twice around the world while truth is putting on its boots, or are these highly educated men actually not aware that they are contradicting themselves? Perhaps this question is best left to the Lord for judgment. But it does create confusion among the people who read their writings. Appeal, p. 16. In
the past, our men would get together and
openly discuss matters. But a strange, ominous pattern has developed in
recent years, in which church authority is being exercised to mandate
doctrinal unity. Doing so is nonproductive and can be suicidal, as far as
the unity of the church is concerned. (Signed) Pages
17-18:
Summary of the Second Letter to R.S. Folkenberg, dated
October 14, 1997, by the author of the letter on pages 4 to 6. [This date
is significant, for it is the only one dating the release of the document.
Two paragraphs in this letter stand out:] You give every evidence of standing with Sequeira on the issues of salvation and assurance, using your post as General Conference President to advance views very similar to those which led to Fords apostasy. While Sequeira embraces the correct position on the nature of Christ, he attempts to marry this teaching with the wrong position on the nature of sin, which is the basis of the New Theology. Nothing could better suit Satan's purposes as he seeks to lead this church into the very depths of the Omega of Apostasy. The enclosed comparison of Ford, Sequeira, Folkenberg, Ellen White, and Scripture should give you cause for grave concern. There is still time [for you] to repent, and to stand for the great messages of truth that God has given to our beloved church. The Seventh-day Adventist position on the assurance of salvation has been established and taught for well over a century, and is solidly based on Scripture and the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy. Yet, in your book, We Still Believe, you refer to a recent discovery that our assurance is based on Gods grace alone, and not at all on mans response of sanctified obedience. This is an erroneous evangelical teaching which has been kicked around for centuries. Such teaching on your part strongly suggests that the source of your new belief begins with Ford and Sequeira rather than in the counsel of Inspiration. This places you on ground which, as you can see from the enclosed comparisons, challenges [the Inspired Word of] God Himself! Appeal, pp. 17-18. Please give
close attention to the statement in Testimonies to Ministers, p. 362
[TM, p. 362:1, last half is quoted]. (Signed) [Appendices 1
and 3 primarily consist of similar quotations by Ford, Sequeira, and
Folkenberg on several doctrinal points, and contrasting Bible and Spirit
of Prophecy statements. The fact that Sequeira and Folkenberg should sound
alike in print need come as no surprise. Folkenberg has arranged for
Sequeira to pastor the nearby Capital Memorial Church, in northern
Washington, D.C. (very close to Takoma Park and Silver Spring, MD), so
they can work closely on publishing assignments and Sequeira can help
prepare Folkenberg's written materials and speeches. The present writer
has rearranged this section somewhat, in order to reduce duplicated
quotations. Spirit of Prophecy statements have been placed at the end of
the section.] The
basis of our salvation: Ford, The
justification imputed to us is a righteousness which is one hundred
percent, but it is not internal. It is an alien righteousness, that
is, outside of us . . The righteousness of sanctification, however, is
internal. It is the fruit of our cooperation with the Holy Spirit. But it
is not one hundred percent. Thus we are dependent upon . . justification
for our standing with God. The Only Two Religions in the
World, Good News for Adventists (Auburn, CA: Good News Unlimited,
1985), p. 15. Sequeira, The
righteousness God obtained for all humanity in Christ (justification) is
full of merit. It is this alone that qualifies us for heaven, now and in
the judgment. The righteousness God produces in us, on the other hand, has
no saving value. It is never complete in this life. Jack Sequeira,
Beyond Belief: The promise, the Power, and the Reality of the Everlasting
Gospel (Boise: Pacific Press, 1993), p. 170. Folkenberg, Whatever
change God brings about in us, our salvation must always be based upon
what He has done for us. Robert Folkenberg, Will the Real
Evangelical Adventist Please Stand Up? Adventist Review, April 1997, p.
17. Scholars state
that, in the writings of Paul, the righteousness of God includes both
justification and sanctification [quotations then given from A.T.
Robertson's Word Studies, Shrenk in Gerhard Kittel's Theological
Dictionary, and Lange's Commentary on theological positions
in church history]. Universal justification through the second Adam: Ford, We
were ruined by our first representative [Adam] and we had nothing to do
with that. The good news of the gospel is that we have been redeemed by
our second representative [Jesus] and we had nothing to do with that
either. Ford, Good News for Adventists, p. 14 [brackets not ours]. Sequeira, If
the downside of the idea of corporate oneness is that we all fell in the
one man, Adam, the glorious upside of the idea is that God likewise has
redeemed all of us in the one man, Jesus Christ, who is the second
Adam. Sequeira, Beyond Belief, p. 34. Folkenberg, According
to the Bible, two individuals, Adam and Christsum up and comprehend
all those who have ever lived on earth . . We are all in Adam by reason of
our birth, in him in sin and death. But the glorious truth of the gospel
is that Jesus died for us all, and we were in Him on the cross! Folkenberg,
Called in Christ (Pacific Press, 1993), p. v. The unconditional good news of the gospel is unconditional (we can be saved apart from any of our actions): Ford,
Justify never means righteous. Deuteronomy 25:1; Exodus 23:7. Down
though the centuries false religion has made justify mean make
righteous in the sense of becoming more righteous. Ford, Good
News for Adventists, p. 15. Sequeira, The
gospel is the unconditional good news of salvation for all
mankind. Sequeira, Beyond Belief, p. 36. Folkenberg, That
is why the gospel is unconditional good news. Our assurance of salvation
is based, not on our behavior, but on Christ's. Our assurance of
salvation is based, not on reaching some level of character development,
but on our relationship with Jesus. Folkenberg, We Still Believe
(Pacific Press, 1994), p. 41. Folkenberg, Such
people [legalists], carrying an anti-cheap grace banner, back
themselves into the other extreme, falling into the ditch of
conditional justification and sacrificing the peace of mind that is
born of assurance in Christ. Op. cit., p. 42 [brackets not ours]. Our relationship with God and salvation continues unbroken by sins we may commit: Ford, As
soon as the sinner exercises faith in the atonement of the cross, he or
she is declared righteous, perfect, and without condemnation. These
blessings are retained as long as he or she believes, despite personal
mistakes and failures. Note it well, justification does not cover only our
past, but all our days. Ford, Good News for Adventists, p. 15. Sequeira, Stumbling
under grace, falling into sin, does not deprive us of justification.
Neither does it bring condemnation. Sequeira, Beyond Belief, p.
166. Folkenberg, We
obtain salvation through agreeing to enter a relationship of trust in
Jesus, and occasional good deeds and misdeeds neither make nor break that
relationship. Folkenberg, Called in Christ, p. 22. Folkenberg, Finally,
I discovered that our assurance of salvation is based on Gods grace by
faith, and not on our behavior or character development. Each sin we may
commit does not turn off salvation in our lives. Folkenberg, We
Still Believe, p. 40. We can have assurance that we will be saved, in spite of the sins we do not put away: Folkenberg, There
are two aspects of Christ's work, that which He did for us which brings
complete acceptance with God for every believer, and the work He does in
us, which has nothing to do with our acceptance by God. Ford,
The Good News, paper presented at Lilydale Academy, Melbourne,
Australia, April 1976. Folkenberg, We
can have assurance, not because we keep the commandments of God, but
because we have the faith of Jesus, which is total trust in God. We have
assurance of salvation, not because of what we can accomplish, but because
we grasp by faith that which Christ accomplished for us. Folkenberg,
Satan's Ditches and Dog-Faced Baboons (Pacific Press, 1995), p. 70. I will be saved, not because of any actions on my part, but because I died with Christ on the cross: Folkenberg, I've
been preaching a lot about assurance recently, but I really haven't
talked too much about my own personal pilgrimage, as you called it. I've
been in the ministry for many years. I had been in conference, union,
division leadership and I was still having my own personal struggle in
terms of the peace. And then a dear
friend of mine, Elder Sequeira, began to preach a series where I
was listening. And he dealt with the concepts in Scripture of the You
Are There principle that we see in many instances in the Old Testament.
And throughout the New Testament, particularly in the Pauline writings,
you find this reference to mean in Christ. And it finally helped me
to take the gospel from theory to the understanding that when Christ died
on the cross, I was in Him. Demands of the law I had met, not because I
was good, not because I was perfect, but because I was in Him. Folkenberg,
Statement made on Three Angels Broadcasting Network, quoted in Those Who
Do Not Remember the Past, (Hope, 1995), pp. 123-124. Folkenberg, Finally,
I discovered that our assurance of salvation is based on Gods grace by
faith, not on our behavior or character development. Each sin we may
commit does not turn off salvation in our lives. We Still Believe,
p. 40. THE BIBLE Jesus came
into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The
time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and
believe the gospel. Mark 1:14-15. Whosoever
abideth in Him sinneth not; whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither
know Him . . Whosoever
is born of God doth not commit sin, for His seed remaineth in him, and he
cannot sin, because he is born of God. 1 John 3:6, 9. He that
covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh
them shall have mercy. Proverbs 28:13. And behold,
one came and said unto Him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that
I may have eternal life? And He said unto him . . If thou wilt enter into
life, keep the commandments. Matthew 19:16-17. And,
behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted Him, saying, Master, what
shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in
the law? How readest thou? and he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And He said
unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. Luke
10:25-28. To them who
by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and
immortality, eternal life: but unto them that are contentious, and do not
obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, . . For
not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law
shall be justified. Romans 2:7-8, 13. And being
made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that
obey Him. Hebrews 5:9. 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. Revelation
22:14. What then?
Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God
forbid! Romans 6:15. THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY Our only
ground of hope is in the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and in
that wrought by His Spirit working in and through us. Steps to
Christ, p. 63. The
work of gaining salvation is one of co-partnership, a joint operation . .
Human effort of itself is not sufficient. Without the aid of diving power
it avails nothing. God works and man works. Acts of the Apostles,
p. 482. Every
transgression brings the soul into condemnation, and provokes the divine
displeasure. 4 Testimonies, p. 623. When man
transgresses, he is under the condemnation of the law, and it becomes to
him a yoke of bondage. Whatever his profession may be he is not
justified. My Life Today, p. 250. The Lord
will receive the sinner when he repents and forsakes his sins so that God
can work with his efforts in seeking perfection of character . . The whole
purpose in giving His Son for the sins of the world is that man may be
saved, not in transgression and unrighteousness, but in forsaking sin,
washing his robes of character, and making them white in the blood of the
Lamb. He proposes to remove from man the offensive thing that He hates;
but man must cooperate with God in the work. Sin must be given up, hated,
and the righteousness of Christ must be accepted by faith. Thus will the
Divine cooperate with the human. 5 Testimonies, pp. 631-632. There is no
way back to innocence and life except through repentance for having
transgressed Gods law, and faith in the merits of the Divine Sacrifice,
who has suffered for your transgressions of the past; and you are accepted
in the Beloved on condition of obedience to the commandments of your
Creator. Signs, December 15, 1887. Through
Jesus, there is divine sympathy between God and the human beings who,
through obedience, are accepted in the Beloved. Review, May 3,
1898. The gospel
of Christ is the law exemplified in character. Maranatha, p. 18. When
temperance is presented as a part of the gospel, many will see their need
of reform. 7 Testimonies, p. 75. The Lord
has given instruction that the gospel is to be carried forward; and the
gospel includes health reform in all its phases. Medical Ministry,
p. 159. God
requires the entire surrender of the heart, before justification can take
place. 1 Selected Messages, p. 366. His [the
Christians] daily obedience to the law of God obtains for him a
character that assures him eternal life in the kingdom of God. Sons
and Daughters of God, p. 42. The gospel
that is to be preached to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples
presents the truth in clear lines, showing that obedience is the condition
of gaining eternal life. 7 Bible Commentary, p. 972. When the
lawyer came to Christ, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit
eternal life? the Saviour did not say, Believe, only believe, and you
will be saved. What is written in the law He said, how readest
thou? . . Here the false doctrine that man has nothing to do but
believe is swept away. Eternal life is given to us on the condition that
we obey the commandments of God. Review, June 26, 1900. The keeping
of these [Ten] commandments comprises the whole duty of man, and presents
the conditions of eternal life. Now the question is, Will man comply with
the requirements? Will he love God supremely and his neighbor as Himself?
There is no possible way for man to do this in his own strength. The
divine power of Christ must be added to the effort of humanity. Signs,
November 24, 1887. Those who
enlist in the army of Christ must in all things submit to His authority
and consult His will. Implicit obedience is the condition of salvation.
Gods law must be obeyed in every particular. It is our salvation to
make His law our rule, His life our pattern, His glory our chief
aim. Signs, November 15, 1899. We cannot
have the assurance and perfect confiding trust in Christ as our Saviour
until we acknowledge Him as our King and are obedient to His
commandments. Faith and Works, p. 16. His [the
believers] life, cleansed from vanity and selfishness, is filled with
the love of God. His daily obedience to the law of God obtains for him a
character that assures him eternal life in the kingdom of God. Sons
and Daughters of God, p. 42. Let none
imagine that without earnest effort on their part they can obtain the
assurance of Gods love. Messages to Young People, p. 113. To obey the
commandments of God is the only way to obtain His favor. 4
Testimonies, p. 28. There is no
safety nor repose nor justification in transgression of the law. Man
cannot hope to stand innocent before God, and at peace with Him through
the merits of Christ while he continues in sin. He must cease to
transgress and become loyal and true. 1 Selected Messages, p. 213. Pages
41-46:
APPENDIX 3 [Here are the
quoted statements from Appendix 3 of the 48-page document. They provide
supporting statements to those quoted, just above.] SEQUEIRA I believe
that God actually and unconditionally saved all humanity at the cross, so
that we are justified and reconciled to God by that act. Beyond
Belief, p. 8 [cf. pp. 30, 34, 36, 61, 91, 170]. I believe
that the only reason anyone will be lost is because he or she willfully
and persistently rejects Gods gift of salvation. Op. cit., p.
8. Justification
means all of Christ's righteousness that He provided for us, so that
nothing more is required of us to qualify for heaven. Beyond
Belief, p. 103 (cf. pp. 32-33, 36, 170). The devil
has deceived many Christians into believing that justification by faith
does not fully qualify them for heaven, that something more is necessary,
that they must keep the law and do good works. Beyond Belief, p.
104. The idea
that I have to be good or I'm not good enough to qualify for
heaven, is one of the great stumbling blocks hindering Gods people
today from experiencing genuine faith. Beyond Belief, p. 91. Justification
is the work of a moment, although it remains effective all our believing
lives. Beyond Belief, p. 103. Stumbling
under grace, falling into sin, does not deprive us of justification.
Neither does it bring condemnation. Beyond Belief, p. 166. FOLKENBERG Lord, thank
you for the assurance. Thank you for the promise that if I claim your name
and look up to the cross of Jesus, my name is written in the book of life.
It has nothing to do with how good I am, or how I live, or anything
else. From a prayer offered at a 1991 camp meeting at Hope,
British Columbia. SPIRIT OF PROPHECY When man
transgresses he is under the condemnation of the law, and it becomes to
him a yoke of bondage. Whatever his profession may be he is not
justified. My Life Today, p. 250. The
unconditional pardon of sin never has been, and never will be. Patriarchs
and Prophets, p. 522. There is no
salvation without repentance. 1 Selected Messages, p. 365. There must
be repentance before there is pardon. That I May Know Him, p. 109. God sends
message after message to men, entreating them to repentance, so that He
may forgive, and write pardon against their names. 1 Selected
Messages, p. 323. There can
be no true repentance without conviction of sin. 4 Spirit of
Prophecy, p. 297. Christ
pardons none but the penitent. 1 Selected Messages, pp. 393-394. God
requires the entire surrender of the heart, before justification can take
place. 1 Selected Messages, p. 366. Repentance
includes sorrow for sin and a turning away from it. Steps to
Christ, p. 3. Pardon and
justification are one and the same thing. 6 Bible Commentary, p.
1070. The
opposite and no less dangerous error is that belief in Christ releases men
from keeping the law of God; that since by faith alone we become partakers
of the grace of Christ, our works have nothing to do with our
redemption. Steps to Christ, p. 60. It is a
pleasing fable that is presented to us in this age, that if we only
believe in Christ, that is all that is required; that works have nothing
to do with our acceptance with God. Bible Echo, January 15, 1889. Some
ministers are dangerously misleading the people. They would have them
accept the fatal sophistry of Satan that simple belief in Christ is
sufficient for their salvation; that good works have nothing to do with
it. Signs, Augusts 22, 1878. [It is a
solemn fact that our highest-placed church leaders have it in their power
to curtail and eliminate the publication of these articles and books
downgrading the importance of obedience to the law of God. Seventh-day
Adventists were called to proclaim obedience to that law (Revelation
14:12); instead, the focus is to convince workers and members that
they can safely ignore it! Near the end of Appendix 3, we find this
statement by its author:] This brings us to the greatest crisis in the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The office of the General Conference President is being prostituted in the promotion of a false theology, a theology that will certainly bring damnation upon thousands of Gods remnant people. It is impossible to overstate the enormity of this crisis. The power and influence of the Presidents office enables him to keep a stream of articles appearing in our church papers, together with books issued from our publishing houses, promoting this deadly theology. This paper trail from the Presidents pen reached a shameful climax in an Adventist Review article of 1997, entitled, Will the Real Evangelical Adventist Please Stand Up? In this article the President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists attacked the Adventist people, alleging that thousands, maybe even millions, of our church members are trapped in a deadly, legalistic religion because they have not accepted, as he has, the irrational theology of Jack Sequeira. Our enemies are presently making capital of this accusation. This is
a prostitution of the Office of Presidency. An office that should be
promoting the purity of our message is being used instead to pervert it.
If the members of the General Conference Committee permit this to
continue, they will be derelict in their duty and will surely be held
accountable by the God of heaven for their failure to act. I earnestly appeal to every member of that committee to take whatever steps are necessary to terminate this evil. The Presidency of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists must not be used to promote a false theology, nor should church papers be employed to attack those refusing to accept these falsehoods in place of our pure faith. Appeal, Appendix 3, pp. 45-46. [This one-page
article, entitled What is Perfection? contains two nice
quotations:] SPIRIT OF PROPHECY In the day
of judgment, the course of the man who has retained the frailty and
imperfection of humanity will not be vindicated. For him there will be no
place in heaven. He could not enjoy the perfection of the saints in light.
He who has not sufficient faith in Christ to believe that He can keep him
from sinning, has not the faith that will give him an entrance into the
kingdom of God. 3
Selected Messages, p. 360. He came to
this world and lived a sinless life, that in His power His people might
also live lives of sinlessness. Review, April 1, 1902. Page 48:
On
the last page of this document is an excellent Spirit of Prophecy passage
which we do not have room to reprint: 5 Testimonies, p. 540:0-3. You
will want to read it. Surely, we
live in a time when earnest prayer is needed! But we can know that God
will lead His commandment-keeping people into safe paths, and will guide
them to the Holy City. Its
objective: to investigate
the theology of the men who
authored the Appeal to the GC President, with the possibility of
disfellowshipping them! So our president has turned an appeal to him
into a major attack on those who pled with him.
Does this man intend to turn the church into a desolated wilderness of servile yes men? |