“THE BIBLE–THE AUTHORITATIVE SOURCE OF OUR THEOLOGY”
When I think about the subject of this lesson it occurs to me that a short investigation reveals that the doctrines of the SDA church are as biblical as they can be. I have had questions about some of our beliefs and looked in the book “Seventh-day Adventists Believe… 27” (1988 edition) and was surprised to find that they are all defended from the Bible. If you ever have a doubt, I recommend you check it out in that book.
Yet I must confess I have had other doubts fueled by additional studies of the Word.
If you have studied the 1888 Message surely you have had questions as well. Those beliefs are also as biblical as can be found anywhere. This is evident from the fact that at one-point Jones and Waggoner simply read certain passages of scripture to answer their critics. And that is certainly one of the reasons the servant of the Lord wrote:
“Should the Lord’s messengers, after standing manfully for the truth for a time, fall under temptation, and dishonor Him Who has given them their work, will that be proof that the message is not true? No, because the Bible is true.” (Letter 19d, 1892)
Some may have wondered when the church will adopt these principles of the message as official doctrines of the church. And when will the church proclaim them to the world, as she must, before the end can come?
We have been told that it will be proclaimed to every nation, tribe, tongue and people. The time for that proclamation has surely come.
It is time to give the trumpet a “certain” sound. Will the Lord come and find us sleeping?
If the Bible is true. (And we know that it is true.) Therefore, we know that the message given to us by Jones and Waggoner is true. It is high time that we give it to the world. Realizing that the end cannot fully come, and Jesus cannot come, and we cannot go home, and sin and suffering will continue until that most precious message is given to the world.
It is because of that message that we still exist as a people.
It is astonishing to realize that the third angel does not seem to know what constitutes the third angel’s message. When we realize who we are and what hour it is that we are living may the Lord help us to know what Israel ought to do.
To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Isaiah 8:20.
We have all read Romans 5:18.
Therefore, just as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.
We all understand that when Adam sinned, we were all condemned. But Christ came and reversed our status. When He was obedient unto death, we were all justified.
We understand that He was “born of the seed of David” Romans 1:3. This was how He identified with us. And that is what made His sacrifice valid and applicable to each one of us. It implicitly tells us He was tempted like we are tempted. And that is why He is touched with feelings of our weakness.
We know that the old covenant is the promise of the people who all said together at Mt. Sinai, all that the Lord has spoken we will do. And the new covenant is the promise of God. I will put My law in their minds and write it on their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Thus, the new covenant is the promise of God. It matters not whether you lived before the cross or after the cross. Many people are living under the old covenant today. And they believe that cannot be. They do not realize the issue is whether or not we live by faith.
In Matthew 11:30 Jesus said, “My yoke is easy” however, speaking to Saul on the road to Damascus Jesus said, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” It is evident that Jesus was speaking of a person who willingly took His yoke, in Matthew chapter 11 and He is speaking about a person who resists doing what is right in Acts chapter 26.
From theses verses we conclude that it must be easy to be saved and hard to be lost.
In “Thought from the Mount of Blessing” we read, “Yet do not therefore conclude the upward path is the hard and the downward road the easy way. All along the road that leads to death there are pains and penalties, there are sorrows and disappointments, there are warnings not to go on. God’s love has made it hard for the headless and headstrong to destroy themselves.” MB139
Christ has given Himself to us. He has taken the penalty which we deserved and He willingly gives us heaven, which He deserves.
Now He stands before the Father as our high priest, pleading on our behalf. The scriptures say that judgment will be made in favor of the saints of the Most High.
He did all that He could for us 2000 years ago. Now if we will just give ourselves to him, the plan of redemption can finally successfully conclude.
