It Is Finished!

BEVERLY QUINN BESSADA | Story of Faith

Beverly shared this faith story on Friday afternoon, February 13, 2026 at the Former Adventist Fellowship Conference at Redeemer Fellowship in Loma Linda, California.

I was a third generation Seventh-day Adventist, but today I stand before you by the grace of Almighty God as a first generation born-again believer in Jesus Christ!

My father was a theology major and graduate of EMC [Emmanuel Missionary College] or Andrews University as it is known today. I was a preacher’s kid, and my indoctrination into Adventism continued from first grade through twelfth and into two years of college. I was a Pathfinder and participated in Ingathering. I was baptized into the Adventist church at age 11 by my father.

I spent a good portion of my adult life working in the Adventist medical community of St. Helena Hospital, Glendale Adventist Medical Center, White Memorial Medical Center, and a small clinic in Switzerland. I served the church as a wedding coordinator, told the children’s story in church services, and played the piano for both Sabbath School and church worship. I was fully immersed and indoctrinated in the Adventist culture.

However, whether born into an Adventist environment, a Catholic environment, a Muslim environment, an atheist environment, or yes, even a true Bible believing environment.—we are all individually born dead in sin. 

Zeal Without Knowledge

My particular Adventist environment was shaped by distinctively Adventist doctrines having little to no basis in the Word of God. The memorization of doctrinal proof texts without contextual reference promoted the vain pride of what the Bible calls zeal without knowledge. The emphasis on works and the claim to being the remnant church promoted damning self-righteousness. 

While I was morally obedient, I was spiritually lacking. As I matured I struggled with the inconsistencies and hypocrisies I witnessed in the Adventist teaching versus the living. As a child I had asked too many questions that were left unanswered.  I was ridiculed. My mother reminded me often  that I was just a bad person. The truth is that she was right. And that is the bad news. 

The problem was that I was never given the good news. I was just guilt-ridden with no hope. I was shamed, and I despaired because even when I looked good to others, I remained aware that God knew my heart and my thoughts. Yet, in my ignorance, I compared myself to others. I could not see how I could be so much worse than those who claimed righteousness but at the very least, bore no fruit. Nothing made sense because I was unable to Biblically justify what I was taught. I gave up and just stopped reading my Bible. 

Because everything was filtered through the writings of Ellen G White, I began to read and devour her books that were abundant in my home.

Because everything was filtered through the writings of Ellen G White, I began to read and devour her books that were abundant in my home. I thought this would make my parents love me, but it only served to alienate me further as my doubts and questions increased. 

Even though I had never read my Bible completely through as an Adventist—and probably not even an entire book—I discovered that the works-oriented regulations regarding diet, apparel, jewelry, recreation, and many other nonsense rules had no origin or support in Scripture. The more I read the Ellen books, the crazier she sounded, and the more confused I became. I eventually threw away all my Ellen books and became an “I no longer believe in Ellen G. White” Adventist. 

It took me many years to realize that my entire belief system took its roots from Ellen G White—that my understanding of God’s Holy Word had been adulterated by beliefs emanating from a false and, dare I say, demonic prophet. And I still was not reading my Bible.

Born Again!

Throughout the years I was in and out of the church—never settling, never satisfied. I alternated between a life immersed in worldly, immoral living and a return to the pseudo-Christian life in the Adventist community. The Sabbath issue had a strong and fearful pull. I remained a sinner without hope.

In the early 2000’s I met a godly woman who had a profound influence on me. I don’t recall that she ever gave me the gospel, but she certainly lived it—and she went to church on Sunday. She became my sounding board and my emotional/spiritual support. In 2003 she moved away, and I lost my support.

The thought then occurred to me that being associated with a Christian was not the same as being a Christian. It was at that point that I sought Biblical counseling—not secular counseling, not even Christian counseling, but counseling that centered on the Bible and the Bible alone. I had heard that my friend’s Sunday church had Biblical counseling, and I sought it out.

I heard the bad news and the first truth: yes, I was, indeed, a bad person. But this time I was given the second and final truth, the good news of the gospel of forgiveness, redemption, and salvation in Jesus.

My appointment was on an evening in December, 2003, in the prayer room at the church. Three hours later with a box of tissue, the Bible, my counselor, the Holy Spirit, and many shed tears, I finally heard. I heard the bad news and the first truth: yes, I was, indeed, a bad person. But this time I was given the second and final truth, the good news of the gospel of forgiveness, redemption, and salvation in Jesus. I heard it for the first time, and I was no longer dead in spirit but alive as a born-again believer. I now understood what Jesus told Nicodemus because the Holy Spirit was gently calling me as well.

Eternal Family

I was baptized on Resurrection Sunday, 2004. This time it was real. It was the physical testimony of the spiritual reality. The most important part of my baptismal testimony as a former Adventist was my gratitude for a God who loves me and sees me not as I am but as He is. That is what Jesus did for me when He lived the perfect, obedient life I cannot live and died the death I deserve, then rose from the grave as victorious proof.

I began reading my Bible through annually and diving into topical studies to clear my head and search for truth. Many of my false beliefs were dispelled quickly and given up easily. Soul sleep and the investigative judgment were discarded. Dietary rules had long been tossed. 

But the Sabbath issue as I had understood it as an Adventist always made sense, and the “what if” question was debilitating. So I focused on understanding the Sabbath from a strictly Biblical perspective. There were a number of really good books on the subject, but honestly, for me, it took many years of reading the Bible through chronologically and studying the covenants carefully to obtain understanding and clarity. That was a profound and enlightening relief.

As a Christian, I now have a family in this life that extends into the next. I love my Christian family, but I am partial to my Former Adventist family within the Christian community. They know the struggle. They identify with my past. They understand what so many Christians without our background do not—that Adventism is much more deeply and insidiously rooted than just going to church on Saturday and eating a vegetarian diet.

We celebrate this weekend that the truth of the work of Christ on the cross has become the reality of our Living Hope seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. It is a done deal. Yes, it is finished. †