From Adventism to Christ Alone

PAUL AND TERRY MIRRA | Story of Faith |

TERRY: Paul and I both grew up in Adventist homes. As we matured, our lives were spiritually uneventful. We went to church and lived our lives as practicing Seventh-day Adventists. In retrospect, although things seemed to be going along fairly well, there was always a nagging emptiness and longing for something deeper and more meaningful in our lives. Religious discussions rarely focused on Jesus Christ but rather on secondary issues such as diet and acceptable Sabbath behavior. Many Sabbath afternoon discussions centered on end-time events and how we could prepare ourselves for the inevitable persecution. There was an underlying fear and uncertainty on many levels. Would our names come up for judgment when we weren’t 100% ready? Could we lose our salvation? These questions were continually casting doubt and robbing us of real joy.

As adults, we steadily moved away from traditional Adventism. We started shedding some of the beliefs that seemed dated and unbiblical. We tried a few unconventional venues, but they were still under the safe umbrella of Adventism. Internal experimenting seemed safer than looking outside our box into territory forbidden by both the denomination and our families. 

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PAUL: While we were willing to explore the possibility of a better religious experience, we still held onto the Sabbath as an anchor and safeguard against venturing into things that might jeopardize our salvation.

Anxiety was a regular companion to my religious beliefs. How was I going to protect and provide for my family during the end times? Would I be prepared to take a stand for the Sabbath? From where would the strength to endure come once the Mediator had withdrawn?

Going to church was something I did because I was supposed to. I knew that I needed to worship—but what exactly was worship? Was it the act of singing the words to a song in unison with the congregation? Or could it be the simple fact that I was physically there, in church, participating in the service? Was it the giving of tithe? What I had to do in order to worship God remained a mystery to me.

I was never compelled to share Adventism with strangers. Only after sizing up a person and feeling fairly confident that she/he, too, was Adventist, would I reveal my religious identity.

Then there was the matter of Jesus. I knew He had died on the cross. Because of this fact I knew that I might get to heaven some day; His death extended to me this possibility. He did His part, now I needed to do mine. What was He to me, really? I never understood why non-Adventist Christians were so centered on Him.

Then there was the matter of Jesus. I knew He had died on the cross. Because of this fact I knew that I might get to heaven some day; His death extended to me this possibility. He did His part, now I needed to do mine. What was He to me, really? I never understood why non-Adventist Christians were so centered on Him.

We eventually found ourselves church-hopping. Terry would take the kids to one church for the children’s program while I would attend another for the sermons. Saturdays became times of going our separate ways. This separation began taking a toll on the family. Subconsciously, we were spiritually thirsty. Our effort to seek a better religious experience while trying to hold onto the most cherished elements of our Adventist background was failing. Meanwhile, God was orchestrating a series of events that would change our lives.

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TERRY: First, we were invited by our Christian neighbors to attend a local community church for a special series. It was on Sunday and wouldn’t interfere with our regular church schedule, so we agreed. We enjoyed it so much we decided that we would continue attending through the summer. That summer we had our first real exposure to learning about the Covenants. When we learned that the Old Covenant pointed to the new, it made total sense. The whole book of Hebrews drives home the point that Jesus is superior to, and the fulfillment of, the Old Covenant—there’s no need to pick and choose parts of it to keep (Heb. 8:6-8, 13).  It’s either one way or the other. To hang onto the Old Covenant is to say that Jesus’ sacrifice wasn’t complete. 

Second, our teenage daughter was asking questions about Seventh-day Adventist beliefs versus other denominations’ beliefs. She had questions that we felt inadequate to answer. I came to realize that much of what I “knew” and did was based on what others taught or told me; I was merely passing on tradition. I needed to answer in a way that was biblically sound and not built on the weight of a few strategically cited verses. 

Third, about this same time I was handed a small denominational book that focused on Sunday laws, the mark of the beast, and persecution. It made me angry. I was tired of feeling fear and confusion whenever I reviewed my future as a Seventh-day Adventist. I wanted to know, scripturally, exactly why I was identifying with these beliefs. 

These events, along with a few undeniably divine circumstances, launched us into intensive Bible study. Initially, we intended our study to strengthen our Adventist beliefs, but as we searched, it became clear that God was leading us in another direction. 

As the New Testament took on new meaning, it became evident that Jesus’ death had changed everything and was not merely a part of the solution. He wasn’t sent down to earth to give us a head start on the Great Controversy, but He has already won and is seated at the right hand of God (Heb. 10:12). Furthermore, we are secure in Jesus because He has set His seal of ownership on us and has put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come
(2 Cor. 1:22). 

I was stunned! His “seal” on us had nothing to do with our allegiance to the Sabbath…it was an internal security not dependent on what I did! As truth started to become clear, 2 Cor. 3:13-18 made sense. It states that a veil remains when the Old Covenant is read, because only in Christ is it taken away. When anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away; where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. When I realized what this passage meant, I knew I was truly free. 

2 Timothy 3:15-17 states that all Scripture is God-breathed…what I have learned more than anything else during this time of discovery is that God’s Word is reliable and without error. Since I have started relying on the Bible alone, my confusion is gone. My new experience with the Bible has shown me that the best deceptions are the ones closest to the truth, because it only takes a little bit of error to contaminate and distort God’s Word.

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PAUL: As I read the Bible I discovered two key elements that had eluded me in the past: grace and faith. Grace is getting something that I do not deserve. It is a gift, and it is free. This gift is eternal life, and Jesus purchased it on the cross. He is the one who offers this gift to me. So, what do I do about it? Just…take it? 

I had to trust that this gift is truly free and that receiving it really is that simple: I just had to take it.

 I needed faith. Hebrews 11:1 tells us faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. In the past I had hoped that I would make it to heaven. What I finally realized was that my former kind of hope was based in probabilities, like, “I hope I win the lottery.” The hope that the Bible describes is one of absolute expectation of coming good.

Hope is not a matter of maybe, but a matter of when. Once I understood this concept, my life changed. Jesus’ gift of salvation is real; it is a complete package, it is offered to me, and it is certain. All I had to do was accept it by placing faith in Him. Now I know that I am truly His, I am saved, and He has sealed me with the Holy Spirit.

What is the difference in our lives now?

PAUL AND TERRY: Our rest is in Jesus Christ alone, and we have the benefit of it every day of the week.

We know why Christians talk about Jesus so much: He is what the entire volume of the Bible is about—a love letter written in blood just for me and just for you.

Worship is an expression of gratitude, and it comes from the joy inside our hearts. It is not something we have to do; it’s what we get to do.

We’ve become members of a wonderful church where the Bible alone is taught.

Our spiritually parched souls are now refreshed: “But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of living water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14).

Our anxiety has been replaced by anticipation. We eagerly look forward to the return of our Lord Jesus, and we want others to know what we have discovered.

Jesus is very real and personal to us now. We’ve learned that He and His Word are complete and reliable. He’s done it all—all we have to do is to accept and submit. While we are still physically waiting for Christ to take possession of His own, we know He already holds the title deed…we are His! “It is finished” (John 19:30). That’s truly Good News and a future to be excited about! †

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Paul and Terry Mirra originally met as students at Newbury Park Adventist Academy in Newbury Park, California. Terry has a degree in nursing from Loma Linda University, and Paul, a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara, works as a criminalist with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. They and their daughters Megan, Amy and Autumn attend Trinity Church in Redlands, California.

—Republished from Proclamation!, March/April, 2007.