20. Alarm Bells—An Evangelical Wake-up Call

Cultic Doctrine of Seventh-day Adventism, Dale Ratzlaff, Feature, Investigative Judgment

Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith.

This important chapter is directed specifically to Christian pastors and leaders. Since the late Walter Martin1 did not declare the Seventh-day Adventist church to be a cult in his Kingdom of Cults,2 the Christian church has often accepted Adventism as a main-stream evangelical church that worships on Saturday. Paul Carden’s3 insightful evaluation should serve as an alarm bell to wake up the evangelical church. 

The time for reassessment among evangelicals is long overdue, because for too many inattentive Christians, Adventism represents a profound danger hidden in plain sight.4

It should be evident to anyone who has carefully read the foregoing chapters5 that the Adventist church has major problems in its theology and ethics. How one labels Adventism is not as important as fully understanding how the mission, methods and message of this organization are designed to infiltrate Christian churches and proselytize believing Christians. Adventists put these “once-free” Christians under bondage of legalism and false doctrine that robs its adherents of the assurance of salvation. Before we evaluate this aspect of Adventism, let us consider pertinent biblical passages. Note the words that I have emphasized.

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. (Jn. 10:1-2).

Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed… (Jude 1:3-4).

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness (2 Cor. 11:13-15 NIV). 

But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage. But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you (Gal. 2:4-5). 

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies (2 Peter 2:1).

In the above references which warn of false teachers there are three common factors. First, the false teachers came into the church under disguise and were therefore unnoticed. Second, the message of these false teachers was to rob the sheep, to undermine the “common salvation” and “the truth of the gospel.” Third, when accepted, the destructive heresies of these false teachers put church members under “bondage.”

In the early church the false teachers were largely the Judaizers promoting the keeping of the old covenant law. According to Galatians the points of dispute were: circumcision,6 the keeping of O.T. food laws,7 and the observance of holy days.8 Paul in Titus 3:9 mentions “disputes about the law.”

There are striking parallels between what was happening in the Gentile churches in New Testament times with the Judaizers and what is being done today in Adventism.

Today the Adventist church has dozens of entities through which it conducts evangelism and proselytizes.9 Many of these organizations do not mention that they are Adventist. They masquerade as evangelicals, holding “Bible lectures” or prophecy seminars.” Often these meetings are held in some neutral place. Then near the end of a series of about 21 meetings, the meetings are moved to an Adventist church. This is not done, however, until after they have discussed the Sabbath as the seal of God and Sunday as the mark of the beast. They are now ready to move to the true, remnant church of Bible prophecy. 

Paul Carden in a recent presentation given at Redlands, California,10 gave an illustration of the way Adventists in Brazil work their way into evangelical churches masquerading as health workers. In Third World countries there is a great need for nutrition and health education. Adventists seize on this opportunity which Ellen White said is the “right arm” of their message.11 They take what otherwise would be a good thing and turn it into an effective method to proselytize evangelicals. They ask to speak at the worship service in evangelical church and are often granted that privilege. They give a good presentation on health. While one person is giving the presentation on health, another is passing out cards for people to enter their name and address for additional information. Any of these people are then sent the book, The Great Controversy, by Ellen White. This book in the most graphic and emotional terms speaks about the coming of the time of trouble, the seventh-day Sabbath as the final test for all Christians and how those who continue to worship on Sunday will receive the mark of the beast. Adventists will visit these evangelicals with the purpose of converting them to the “truths of Adventism.” 

In support of Adventists hiding their true identity in their evangelistic meetings, SDA apologist, Francis Nichol, in this Answers to Objections defends this practice.

Objection: “When Seventh-day Adventist minsters go into a community to hold a series of lectures, they conceal, at the first, their denominational connection. They thus hope to draw into their audience people who would never come if they knew that Seven-day Adventists were conducting the meetings. This is a form of deception. There is something the matter with a religious body that is afraid to identify itself as soon as it begins to carry on any activity in a community.12

Answer: “It has undoubtedly been true in years past [as it is true today] that Adventists could not have gotten a crowd out to hear them in certain cities, at least, if they revealed their identity at the outset. But we think that that proves not the weakness of the Adventist case, but the strength of distorted ideas founded on fanciful myths [teachings of other Christian churches]. The other side of the picture is that many people, after they have attended Adventist meetings for a time, frankly admit that they have changed their ideas about us and are glad that they first came to the meetings not knowing who was conducting them.13 (My comments in brackets).

Even though the SDA church wants to be seen as a main-stream evangelical church, in addition to the many cult characteristics mentioned in previous chapters, there are three additional key indicators that it is not.

First, Adventist members are not to marry outside of the church. While some of the more liberal pastors do not enforce this policy, it is nonetheless the teaching of the church. In this respect other Christians are treated as unbelievers. This practice has led to all kinds of abuse and hurt.14 Paul Carden gives the example of a daughter of a Baptist pastor who wanted to marry an Adventist. The Adventist pastor required the bride to renounce her Baptist beliefs before he would marry this couple.15

Second, when members leave the Adventist church and join a church that worships on Sunday, their membership is dropped and the church clerk writes “apostasy” in the church records even though they continue to be strong Bible-believing Christians.16

Third, as outlined in the previous pages of this book, Adventists still consider churches that worship on Sunday to be part of the “widespread apostasy” from which the true remnant are to be called out.

The false teachers in New Testament times led Christians away from the freedom of the gospel where “there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus”17 into a perversion of the gospel. This “gospel” placed these once-free Christians under legalistic bondage. Adventism does the same thing. Following are samples of the bondage under which Ellen White and/or the SDA church places adherents.

  • Keep the Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.18
  • Bathe before sundown on Friday evening.19
  • Put all secular papers out of sight before the Sabbath.20
  • Do not cook food on the Sabbath.21
  • Do not allow your children to play indoors or outdoors on the Sabbath.22
  • Rise early on Sabbath morning.23
  • Avoid worldly conversation on the Sabbath.24
  • Observe the Sabbath as the Hebrews did in the O.T.25,26
  • Do not eat unclean meat.27
  • Become a vegetarian if you want to be ready for the coming of Christ.28
  • Do not use mustard, pepper, spices and pickles.29
  • Never should a morsel of food pass the lips between meals.30
  • Your children should not be allowed to eat candies, fruit, nuts or anything in the line of food between their meals.31
  • Two meals a day are better than three.32
  • Feeding eggs to you children will excite their “animal” (sexual) passions.33
  • Cheese is wholly unfit for food.34
  • Wives do not excite the animal (sexual) passions of your husband.35
  • The practice of using liquor, tobacco, tea, and coffee must be overcome.36
  • There is no place for outward adornment in the sanctified heart.37
  • Displaying family photographs is a form of idolatry.38
  • It is a sin to forget.39
  • Do not question the truth shown to Ellen White.40
  • The General Conference is God’s highest authority on earth.41
  • Pay an honest 10% tithe to the SDA church.42
  • Never say you are saved.43
  • Forgotten, unconfessed sins will be held against one in the judgment.44
  • Perfectly reproduce Christ’s character.45
  • Upon the perfection of our character rests our only hope of eternal life.46
  • Prepare to live in the sight of a holy God without an intercessor.47

This list could be extended48 for many pages, but it should be apparent that anyone who seriously believes the writings of Ellen White to be “a continuing and authoritative source of truth” is placing themselves under bondage.

Adventists deal with this bondage in three different ways. First, some do not realize the bondage they are under because they have grown up in it and see it as the normal, sanctified Christian life. This group will, however, have a latent anxiety and uncertainty of their eternal destiny. I have seen this time and again as Adventists face death. They often say something like this. “I have tried to live the best I can.” Often there is no solid assurance based on faith in Christ’s righteousness alone.

Second, there are those who pick and choose what they will follow in the writings of Ellen White. Some will read her “good statements” to “balance” (think reject) her “bad statements.” Others will no longer read her writings at all so they will not be confronted with the condemnation therein.

Third, there are those who rebel at the teachings of Ellen White. They stay in the church mainly for social reasons but still see SDA church as God’s true church because it worships on the seventh day. Once the Sabbath is believed to be the “seal of God” and a necessary ingredient in salvation, and Sunday worship is understood to be the mark of the beast, the Sabbath has tremendous holding power. That is why many who leave Adventism become agnostic—they just won’t visit a church that worships on Sunday.

Strangely, many who have grown up as Adventists do not realize the depth of bondage they are under until they leave. I did not. However, as former Adventists begin to study the Bible without the “inspired commentary” of Ellen White and allow the good news of the grace of Christ to penetrate their souls, layer after layer of error and false guilt fall away. This is often traumatic and it usually takes years for generational Adventists to be “free indeed.”49

In previous pages of this book, it has been demonstrated that Adventists have at worst “another gospel” and at best gospel confusion. Therefore, it seems to this writer that the Adventist church parallels in a striking way the false teachers of the New Testament times.

  • It masquerades under false pretenses hiding its true identity and mission.
  • Its mission is to convert the lost and other Christians to Adventist “truth.” Therefore, proselytizing is central to its evangelistic mission.
  • Its members are placed under the bondage of false doctrine and a heavy load of legalistic rules.

In summary, Christian pastors need to have a thorough understanding of Adventism for the following important reasons:

  • There are approximately 300,000 Adventist members worldwide who leave the SDA church every year50 and they need a good church home.
  • Many Adventists who leave the SDA church become agnostic rather than make the difficult transition to an evangelical church that worships on Sunday. Christian leaders need to implement ways of reaching these people. One successful way is to hold services on Saturday night.51
  • Christian pastors need to have the knowledge and tools to help these people make a successful transition into an evangelical church.52
  • Christian pastors need to resist the proselytizing by-stealth practiced so widely by Adventists among professing Christians. They need to carefully research what church group is behind the “Bible lectures.” “Prophecy Seminars,” mass mailings, internet sites, T.V. and radio programs that often appear to be mainstream but are designed to engage believing Christians with the goal of converting them to “truths” of Adventism.
  • Christian pastors need to realize the subtle strong, emotional and seemingly rational pull of SDA teachings to keep their own members from being caught in the enticing net of Adventist evangelism.

It is my prayer that this book will in some small way help Christian pastors to better understand Adventism so they can be more effective in helping SDAs who may visit their churches and keep their own members from being caught up in this cultic organization.

You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free… So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:32, 36)

To God be the glory!

Endnotes:

  1. Walter Martin died June 26,1989.
  2. First published in 1965.
  3. Paul Carden is the Executive Director, Center for Apologetics Research. He spent 15 years working with Walter Martin in Christian Research International, co-hosted the radio Bible Answer Man for about six years, and served as a missionary in Brazil and Africa.
  4. Ratzlaff,Truth About Adventist “Truth,” p. 11.
  5. Including numerous quotations in the footnotes.
  6. Gal. 5:2,3.
  7. Gal. 2:11-21.
  8. Gal. 4:10,11.
  9. The Voice of Prophecy, It Is Written, Faith for Today, The Quiet Hour, Amazing Facts, 3ABN, Maranatha International, The Carter Report, Amazing Facts, Light Bearers, Outpost Centers International, The Voice of Youth, Connecting With Jesus and many, many others.
  10. Feb. 13, 2009, download this at: www.formeradventist.com/weekends/fafweekend2009.html.
  11. “The medical missionary work is as the right arm to the third angel’s message.” Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p. 229.
  12. Francis Nichol, Answers to Objections, p. 209.
  13. Ibid.
  14. I have counseled with hundreds of transitioning Seventh-day Adventists after leaving Adventism. I have seen the abuse, time and time again. Here is an anonymous letter: “I fell in love with a man nearly 13 years ago, he told me he was raised as an SDA but had not gone to church in a while. We eventually moved in together and started a family and now have four beautiful children together. Last year he started going to church every Saturday and was talking about getting baptized but never did until we finally decided to get married and found out I was pregnant with my 4th child. He was baptized right before we were to have our nuptials. After he was baptized, he was then told that he could not marry me because I am not an SDA, and he was told he could no longer live with me and his children. Since the move he hardly comes to see the children and when he does, he always tries to have sex with me. I try to turn him down but sometimes it is so hard because I miss him. My question is: Is it right that he was made to leave me and his children in order to be baptized and be part of the SDA church?
  15. Feb. 13, 2009. http//formeradventist.com/downloads/Carden2009.mp3
  16. This was the policy when I was an SDA pastor and based upon a phone call to the Arizona Conference of Seventh-day Adventists on March 24, 2009, it is still the policy. The Church clerk has only four options when names are dropped from active church membership: “transfer” to another SDA church, “missing member” if the church is unable to contact them, “deceased” or “apostasy.”
  17. Romans 8:1.
  18. Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, Fol. 1, p. 531. See also SDA Fundamental Beliefs, No. 20.
  19. Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol.8, p. 355.
  20. Ibid., Vol. 8, p. 355.
  21. Ibid.
  22. Ellen G. White, Review & Herald, 1854-09-19.
  23. Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p. 357.
  24. Ibid., Vol. 8, p. 360.
  25. Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 296.
  26. For a list of O.T. Sabbath prohibitions and requirements see, Ratzlaff, Sabbath in Christ, the chapter, “Shadows of Hope.”
  27. Ellen G. White, Ministry of Healing, p. 313.
  28. Ellen G. White, Child Guidance, p. 383.
  29. Ellen G. White, Ministry of Healing, p. 25.
  30. Ibid., p. 313.
  31. Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, p. 502.
  32. Ibid.
  33. Ibid., Vol. 2, p. 361.
  34. Ellen G. White, Ministry of Healing, p. 303.
  35. Ellen G. White, Solemn Appeal, p. 178.
  36. Ellen G. White, Gospel Health, p. 1897-11-01.
  37. Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, p. 162.
  38. Ellen G. White, Messages to Young People, p. 316, 317.
  39. Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 358.
  40. Ellen G. White, Loma Linda Manuscript, No. 150.
  41. Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 3. p. 492.
  42. Ibid., Vol. 9, p. 250.
  43. Ellen G. White, Review & Herald, 1890-06-17.
  44. Ellen G. White, Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 4. p. 315.
  45. Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 69.
  46. Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases, Vol. 15, p. 36.
  47. Ellen G. White, Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 1, p. 198.
  48. See http://www.nonsda.org/study12.shtml for a larger list.
  49. “So, if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).
  50. Based upon the 1.5 million members who left the SDA church between 2000 and 2005 as reported at the last General Conference. See http://news.adventist.org/data/2005/06/11210249432/index.html.en
  51. Many former SDAs state that Saturday night services in an evangelical church were instrumental in their transition.
  52. See the resources in the back of this book including the many web sites, books and former Adventist forum that have helped thousands discover the simple new covenant gospel and leave the errors of Adventism.

 

Dale Ratzlaff
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