The author of CREEPING COMPROMISE has now written another book for Seventh-day A dventists only.

Drawing on the insight gained from thirty-seven years of experie nce as pastor, missionary and evangelist, Joe Crews fearlessly exposes the cause s and consequences of the theological crisis in the church today. For many, REAPING THE WHIRLDWIND may be more shocking than CREEPING COMPROMISE, but few will disagree with its conclusions. This book, written by a minister of unquestioned loyalty, honors the remnant chu rch but still dares to tell the painful truth about apostasy in the pulpit. If i t makes you wake up and weep over the tragedy it portrays, let it also direct yo u to the True Witness for the revival and reformation that has been promised. REAPING THE WHIRLWIND Joe Crews Copyright 1985 by Amazing Facts, Inc. Published by Amazing Facts, Inc. P.O. Box 680, Frederick, Maryland 21701 1st printing 1985 10M R.P. Printed in U.S.A. TABLE OF CONTENTS Laodicea--An Unholy Mixture ... 1 Diagnosing Doctrinal Doubts ... 10 The Wedge of Worldly Infiltration ... 18 New Theology and the Sifting ... 22 No Time for Easy Listening ... 25 Apostasy Waiting in the Wings ... 36 The "New Theology" Attacks ... 39 Satan's war Against Perfection ... 44 Facing Our Defects Honestly ... 49 Time for the Straight Testimony ... 57 The Fearful and Careless Shaken Out ... 64 - 1LAODICEA -- AN UNHOLY MIXTURE Have you ever been on the horns of a dilemma? That's where I am right this momen t. For the past thirty-eight years I have been preaching this beautiful message, and calling people into the joys of the family of Christ. No work could be more satisfying or rewarding. The last twenty years have been spent in full-time eva ngelism, and God has graciously given me 200 souls per year for His kingdom, jus t from my public crusades. What a thrill it has been to watch the Spirit of God transform the lives of those whom He has led into the meetings! Thousands of oth ers have been won by the Amazing Facts literature and radio-TV outreach. I expec t to be doing this work until Jesus comes. But let's return to my dilemma. I am puzzled about what to do for those who are members of the remnant church. Most of my ministry has been directed toward publ ic evangelism, and winning new people to the truth. - 2Only one out of the thirty-six books I have authored is directed to Seventh-day Adventists in particular. All the others are especially written to reach the gen eral public with the great doctrinal and prophetic messages which we hold dear. Obviously, in this book I am addressing myself in particular to those who alread y are in the church, and who are committed to it just as I am. My crusade appointments have taken me into hundreds of churches where I have had the opportunity to make friends with many thousands of our faithful people in t he United States and Canada. It has been a heartwarming experience. Naturally, I have also been able to observe firsthand many of the spiritual problems which t he grass-roots membership are struggling to overcome. My heart goes out to them. There are no better people in the world than those who belong to this last-day church of prophecy. Neither is there any group who Satan hates with such intensi

ty. He is angry with the woman and her seed, because they keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus. Even though the book of Revelation identifies our church as the "remnant," it al so applies another name to it in the context of the seven prophetic churches. Th e last one before Christ returns is given the significant title of "Laodicea." W e have never denied our historical relationship to this final manifestation of G od's called-out people. At the same time, we have not been very eager to accept the characterization so vividly depicted by the apostle John. He described this church as a strange mixture of flesh and spirit. Apparently blinded by its compr omising posture, it seems unable to recognize the true nature of its nauseous, L uke warm state. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue th ee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased - 3with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, an d miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tr ied in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest b e clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine e yes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. --(Revelation 3:15-18 KJV) How fortunate we are to have this divine preview of the special snare Satan will use against us in these last days. We have not only been forewarned; we have al so been assured of God's willingness to provide the divine remedy for this poten tially fatal condition. He offers eyesalve to overcome the blindness, white raim ent to overcome the nakedness, and gold to overcome the poverty. In other words, no one really needs to remain lukewarm and Laodicean. Says the True Witness: As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behol d, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. --(Revelation 3:19-20 KJV) The most exciting thing I see in these verses is that God loves Laodicea, even t hough she is self-deceived and divided in her loyalty. He pleads with her to tur n back and accept His solution for all her ills. In plain, simple language He sa ys, "Repent, and open the door for me to come into your heart." Here we find the buying power to obtain all the prescriptions for a total recovery. The person o f Jesus, received into the heart, will bring righteousness, faith, and the Holy Spirit. Those who were wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked now enter into an overcoming experience that leads them at last to sit side by side with the F ather on His throne. What a prospect! Please take note that the Laodicean message is a call - 4to "repent" and "open the door" to Jesus. But what are we to repent of? Obviousl y those who are deep into this paralyzing predicament do not even recognize that they are sinning. They claim to be rich and in need of nothing! Lukewarm water causes one to relax and become lethargic. Laodiceans are oblivious to their desp erate and lost condition. "And knowest not that thou art wretched... and blind, and naked." Revelation 3:17. That's the real problem with Laodicea. She really c an't see. The most tragic thing about the worldly state of the church is that sh e doesn't recognize her own miserable plight. She is comfortable with the way th ings are going. Platitudes and generalizations roll over the ears of Laodiceans without making the tiniest impression. Books and articles have also been written about the need to repent of this loathsome attitude which God detests. Yet, we see the situation almost growing worse. Why? Why hasn't the message been heeded? I've analyzed many of the appeals in our publication, and they are wonderfully

presented. But as I studied deeper, I discovered that almost none of them spelle d out what to repent of. Suddenly it became clear to me why there was little res ponse. Those eloquent appeals to turn from sin bring no response because Laodice ans cannot see. They are incapable of discerning sin. Vague terms like "sin" do not really register with them. They need to have sin defined, described, and del ineated. We have assumed too often that the Holy Spirit will take over and teach the details if we just provide the general appeals. I searched deeper into the Spirit of Prophecy and discovered that Sister White b ought some of the strongest rebukes against those who would not boldly give the straight testimony and call sin by its right name. It was then that I began to r ealize that in these final probationary moments, God is depending on watchmen to blow a trumpet of warning in such clear notes that not - 5even a blind, sleepy Laodicean can fail to get the message. When people are half asleep, it often requires much more stimulation to shake them back to full real ity. Just how serious is the Laodicean condition? And how important is the work of ar ousing the sleeping saints? Sister White wrote: The testimony of the True Witness has not been half heeded. The solemn testimony upon which the destiny of the church hangs has been lightly esteemed, if not en tirely disregarded. This testimony must work deep repentance, and all that truly receive it will obey it and be purified. --Testimonies, Vol. 1, p. 181. {1T 181.2} Surely we need no stronger words than these to impress us with the necessity of properly understanding the message. The urgency of the repeated call to "cry alo ud and spare not" and "call sin by its right name" indicates that a very pointed testimony is to be borne to the church. What does it mean to call sin by its right name? Does it mean to declare boldly that adultery is a sin, stealing is a sin, etc.? If so, then every Adventist pas tor around the world has been faithfully preaching the Laodicean message through out our history. Yet Sister White declared that in her day such pastors were "fe w indeed." --(Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 300) Is it any better in our day? Is the straight tes timony being presented throughout the church? If it is, why hasn't the shaking o ccurred long ago? She said, "Some will rise up against it, and this is what will cause a shaking among God's people." --(Early Writings, p. 270) Let's face it. No one is rising up in the church against ministers who identify adultery as a sin, lying as a sin, and Sabbath-breaking as a sin. No one will do it, either. It is expected by everyone in the church that watchmen will preach against such activities and will label them as evil. Is it not obvious to all of us that the reason for many - 6"rising up" against the straight testimony of the Laodicean message is because i t not only defines sin, but relates sin directly with those in the church who ar e committing it? Wrote the servant of God: "They wish smooth things spoken unto them. And if the wrongs of individuals are touched, they complain of severity, and sympathize with those in the wrong. ..." --{2SG 283.3} "...Let the truth cut. I have been shown that why ministers have not more succes

s is, they are afraid of hurting feelings, fearful of not being courteous, and t hey lower the standard of truth..." --{2SG 284.2} "The true message to Laodicea will boldly declare that sins are being committed by the church members, and even by the institutions of the church. "Unless these evils which bring the displeasure of God are corrected in its members, the whol e church stands accountable for them." --(Review and Herald, December 23, 1890.) "Oh, if ever a temple upon earth needed purifying, the institutions in Battle Cr eek need it now! Will you not seek God most humbly, that you may give the Laodic ean message with clear, distinct utterance? Where are God's watchmen who will se e the peril and give the warning? Be assured that there are messages to come fro m human lips under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 'Cry aloud, spare not, . . . show My people their transgression'" --Testimonies to Ministers, p. 296. "John the Baptist met sin with open rebuke in men of humble occupation and in me n of high degree. He declared the truth to kings and nobles, whether they would hear or reject it. He spoke personally and pointedly. He reproved the Pharisees of the Sanhedrim because their religion consisted in forms and not in righteousn ess of pure, willing obedience. . . . He spoke to Herod in regard to his marriag e with Herodias, saying, It is not lawful for thee to have her." --{2SM 149.4} "The message we bear must be as direct as was the message of John. He rebuked ki ngs for their iniquity. He rebuked the adultery of Herod." --{2SM 150.3} I do not doubt that some will complain that they are - 7not comfortable with this book. No one has ever said that the Laodicean message is to make people comfortable. If it were possible to trim it and refine it unti l all were comfortable with it, it would no longer be the straight testimony to Laodicea. The prophecy is that "some will rise up against it." Does this mean that the true message of God for this time will be divisive? Inde ed, the effect of such a straight testimony will cause a separation among the pr ofessed people of God. Listen to this: "The searching testimony of the Spirit of God 'will separate those from Israel w ho have ever been at war with the means that God has ordained to keep corruption s out of the church. Wrongs must be called wrongs. Grievous sins must be called by their right name.'" But now I am brought back to the horns of my dilemma. How does one speak so bold ly about specific sins in the church without being accused of attacking the chur ch? After all, there are scores of snipers on the outside (and a few on the insi de) who spend all their time fighting the brethren and criticizing the leadershi p. Of course, the true Laodicean message must be given from within the church, n ot from outside. But would it not be resented and rejected by many? No one likes to have his sins pointed out, and churches and people are equally sensitive to personal censure. Could this be the reason that I found so many of the "straight testimony" articles so lacking in straight testimony? The message must be given , the sins must be exposed, and it must be done with love and loyalty. I struggled and prayed over these very real concerns. The more I weighed the mat ter, the more convicted I became. Like any other conscientious minister, I could

- 8readily see the disturbing, basic problem of lukewarm Laodicea. She was not all the way into the world, or she would have been cold. But neither was she fully i nto Christ, or she would have been hot. There was a mixture--a halfway commitmen t on the part of many which had created an atmosphere of lassitude and unconcern . Should I undertake to write a book that would dare to address the total picture of worldly compromise and the true causes of it? I felt that God had shown me th e major issues and tragic consequences of the phenomenon which many Seventh-day Adventists have come to know as the "new theology" crisis. I involved both layme n and ministers. My greatest anxiety was that my fellow ministers most of them ded icated and loyal might misconstrue my head-on approach as some sort of oblique att ack on them. Neither did I want my beloved church to misinterpret the strong, in cisive language which I felt was needed to strike conviction to a sleeping congr egation. As you open this book to the following chapters, please try to empathize with me in the unsolicited assignment which I believe the Lord has laid on me. I love m y church, its members, and its leaders. It is going through to the kingdom. It i s the apple of God's eye, and the object of His greatest solicitude and love on earth. Nothing I might express in my poor, human way is to be perceived as demea ning or dishonoring it in any manner whatsoever. I pray that after you have read this book, you will hate the sins that would separate her from our loving Savio ur. Although we will be focusing on the aspect of lukewarmness and compromise, there are two facts that must not be overlooked. First: The church is a body, and wha tever affects one part of it, will also affect other parts. - 9Second: We must see the problem of Laodicea as only one portion of Satan's great overall program to subvert the remnant church. There are many interrelated caus es and effects which operate within the delicate, spiritual framework of the chu rch body. In the following chapters, I have sought to analyze the unfolding events within the church in the light of Satan's overall plan and purpose. Why would he try to create certain conditions in one department of the church in order to carry out his design for the full body? What long-range strategies has he developed to br eak down gradually the strong defenses of the citadel of truth? It has been a fa scination, and sometimes terrifying, experience to diagnose the diabolical manip ulation of events and circumstances on the part of Satan to accomplish his ends. There is no question that he has made many inroads, and has succeeded in somewh at diluting the truth, but all the forces of hell cannot prevail against the chu rch of the living God. This is not just another denomination. It is a movement o f prophecy, destined to restore generations of fallen truth, and it cannot and w ill not fail. Even though, in the fierce heat of Satan's final assault, the chur ch may seem about to fall, it does not fall. It will survive and triumph. And al l those who remain faithful through its shaking, testing experience will triumph with it. My prayer is that the exposure of Satan's operating tactics will prepa re us to avoid the terrible pitfalls which have been and will be placed in our p ath. -10DIAGNOSING DOCTRINAL DOUBTS Have you ever wondered why there is so much discussion of doctrinal doubts withi n the remnant church today? Why have so many pastors abandoned the faith after s truggling with theological questions concerning the sanctuary, the law, and the Spirit of Prophecy? A few congregations have been decimated by large groups with

-drawing to organize independent fellowship churches with liberalized standards an d modified beliefs. Others have joined large, popular Sunday-keeping church bodi es where doctrine and standards are almost totally ignored. The arguments that these neo-Adventists present against the great, historic pillar s of Adventism are the same as those which were being used when I graduated from the Seminary in 1947. Repeatedly I had to meet the same stereotyped objections from evangelical opponents who fiercely resisted my public crusade meetings. I w as often challenged openly by Church of Christ pastors to engage in -11a public debate over the issues of the Sabbath, the sanctuary, and Ellen White. Sometimes in my own tent auditorium they would stand up and try to expound their opposing views. Yet I never knew one Seventh-day Adventist, not even the weakes t in the congregation, to become confused by the attacks of those enemies of our faith. There were few apostasies in those days, and almost never because of doubting th e message. For years I never met an ex-Seventh-day Adventist who had joined any other church. I members left the remnant, it was because of the pull of flesh, w orld, or devil, and not because they had lost faith in the doctrines. The great puzzling question is this: Why is there such a stirring today among ou r people over the same tired arguments which upset no one forty years ago? I hav e discovered the answer to that question in an amazing chain of texts. The Bible clearly describes the reasons for doctrinal doubt, and it is confirmed by the S pirit of Prophecy. The beloved John summarized the issue perfectly; They are of t he world; therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. He reby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. --(1 John 4:5,6). These words assure us that those who conform to the world are not able to discer n between truth and error. The delicate ability to discriminate between counterf eit and true depends upon staying apart from the world. Paul affirms the same principle in Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world : but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. The NIV translation says, Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the r enewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is. Please take note that there is a sound rule of Scripture which requires separ ation from the world in order to understand God s will and counsel. To the Corinthians Paul wrote, Now we have received, -12not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. --1Corinthians 2:12 Do you follow the beautiful thread of truth in all those texts? We cannot know t he things of God while receiving the spirit of the world. The two are incompatib le. Jesus added the capstone to this divine principle; If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him....And the world passeth away, and the lus t thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. --1John 2:15-17. No one can miss the fact that John identifies the one who does God s will as the o ne who does not love the world. And Jesus said this is the only kind who can kno w of the doctrine, whether it is true or not.

Is this tremendous cause-and-effect relationship supported by the writings of El len G. White? She wrote: The minds of many have been so darkened and confused by worldly customs, worldly practices, and worldly influences that all power to discriminate between light a nd darkness, truth and error, seems destroyed... --Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 62. These statements take on new significance in the light of current theological de velopments within the church. According to the Bible, two things will always exi st together WORLDLY COMPROMISE and DOCTRINAL UNCERTAINTY. This leads us to some ve ry interesting questions. Have these two factors been observed in the Seventh-da y Adventist church during the recent past? Is there reason to believe that a gra dual leavening process of worldly conformity throughout our ranks might have -13precipitated the present new theology crisis in our midst? No one can deny that there has been a weakening of our traditional posture again st worldliness. Under the deadly influence of television, the Adventist lifestyl e has been seriously breached and compromised. Practices which were once shunned as unacceptable and intolerable within the framework of Adventism are no longer made issues of loyalty to the faith. In most cases the church has offered no of ficial change in its position, but the standards have been lowered and lost by d efault. They have remained in the annals of official beliefs, but the percentage of pastors, administrators, and evangelists who preach on them and hold them be fore the congregations has steadily declined year by year. In dress, diet, tithi ng, movies, coffee drinking, Sabbathkeeping, and divorce there has been an obvio us slacking of conviction. I know the arguments very well which are used to defend the bending and shifting toward the world. Society is changing, they tell us, and we must make adjustments in our own lifestyle in order to reach the people around us. It is very clear tha t tremendous changes have been made in our surrounding culture, and we do need t o adapt our methods of presenting the message. Yet, I know deep inside that some things should never change. I have an uneasy fear that in the name of progress we are yielding up something called truth something God never intended that we sho uld ever modify or surrender. When I see Adventist young people crowd the theaters, and their parents watching risqu television by the hour, when I see the display of artificial adornment and immodest dress in the church; when I hear the beat of Babylon s music from the pu lpit; when I see the divorce rate of Seventh-day Adventists equal that of the wo rld call it what you will, but please don t call it progress. The sad truth is that we, as a church, have been complacently tolerant of forces within the organization -14which have literally sabotaged the Adventist principles we have defended for yea rs. By a failure to monitor the material in our official publications we have so wn some of the seeds of this present doctrinal dilemma. The growing influence of articles and sermons which subtly undermines historic t ruth and present variant beliefs has accelerated creeping compromise into a gall oping problem within the church. Unfortunately, the youth, who are already under considerable pressure to compromise(and who need special encouragement to be fi rm), have been the target of much of the new libertarian influence. But whenever and however it started, it has now permeated every level of church life. And wh at has been the predicted result in the congregation? Cause has been followed qu ickly by the effect. We have sowed the wind and are now reaping the whirlwind. B y an incredible lack of courage to draw lines and hold firm standards, we have w atered down the beautiful principles which once constituted our uniqueness and s

trength. But the most serious consequence of this love affair with the world has been the dulling of our spiritual perceptions. It is now reaping time, and the whirlwind harvest has cut a swath through our beloved church more destructive th an we dare to admit. And the end is not yet. Unless we can muster the courage an d the strength to pull back to where God has drawn the line, the devastation wil l continue. Inspiration has told us that worldly conformity will bring a corresponding inabi lity to recognize truth. This opens the door to doctrinal doubt and uncertainty of faith. Has is happened? We know it has. Some of our churches are just as riddled with t he new theology as they are with worldliness. No one should be surprised to find these two conditions existing side by side in the church right now. And it is going to continue until the shaking takes care of the situation. Over and over again Sister White gave graphic descriptions -15of the incredible falling away after the crunch of persecution develops. If you want to review her assessment of the problem and what produces it, consider the following startling statements and their context. In every one of these best-kno wn quotations she defines the exodus from the church as the result of conforming o the world, or uniting with the world. The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The observance of the false sabbath will be urged upon us. The contest will be between the com mandments of God and the commandments of men. Those who have yielded step by ste p to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will then yield to the pow ers that be, rather than subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened impr isonment, and death. At that time the gold will be separated from the dross. Tru e godliness will be clearly distinguished from the appearance and tinsel of it. Many a star that we have admired for its brilliance will then go out in darkness . Those who have assumed the ornaments of the sanctuary, but are not clothed wit h Christ's righteousness, will then appear in the shame of their own nakedness. --Prophets and Kings, p. 188. In concluding this narrative, I would say that we are living in a most solemn tim e. In the last vision given me, I was shown the startling fact that but a small portion of those who now profess the truth will be sanctified by it and be saved . Many will get above the simplicity of the work. They will conform to the world , cherish idols, and become spiritually dead. --Testimonies Vol. 1, pp. 608, 609. As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third ange l's message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abando n their position, and join the ranks of the opposition. By uniting with the worl d and partaking of its spirit, they have come to view matters in nearly the same light; and when the test is brought, they are prepared to choose the easy, popu lar side. Men of talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in the truth, em ploy their powers to deceive and mislead souls. They become the most bitter enem ies of their former brethren. When Sabbath-keepers are brought before the courts to answer for their faith, these apostates are the -16most efficient agents of Satan to misrepresent and accuse them, and by false rep orts and insinuations to stir up the rulers against them. --The Great Controversy, p.608. The work which the church has failed to do in a time of peace and prosperity she will have to do in a terrible crisis under most discouraging, forbidding circums tances. The warnings that worldly conformity has silenced or withheld must be gi

ven under the fiercest opposition from enemies of the faith. And at that time th e superficial, conservative class, whose influence has steadily retarded the pro gress of the work, will renounce the faith and take their stand with its avowed enemies, toward whom their sympathies have long been tending. These apostates wi ll then manifest the most bitter enmity, doing all in their power to oppress and malign their former brethren and to excite indignation against them. This day i s just before us. --Testimonies, Vol.5,p.463. What are you doing, brethren, in the great work of preparation? Those who are uni ting with the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves befor e God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth these are receiving the hea venly mold and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. --Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 216. Here we see the end result of the program of gradualism which is literally eatin g away the vitals of our church. The words of the prophet indicate that eventual ly the worldly bent and accompanying loss of faith will lead a large class to reno unce their faith completely. What we see now as a trickle will turn into a flood tide of apostasy. Spiritual doubts, doctrinal confusion and apostasy inevitably follow the breaking down of that wall of separation between the church and the w orld. Can we now put together the strong, common theme of repetitive truth which flows through the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy statements? We would have to be blind to miss the point, and these are only a small sampling of hundreds which could b e cited. -17Probably the most shocking element in these inspired statements if the revelatio n about the number of apostasies. A majority of believers will actually abandon the faith, and give up the Sabbath. Amazing, isn t it? And what is the battle plan of Satan for pulling off this kind of deadly coup within the church? -18THE WEDGE OF WORLDLY INFILTRATION The sequence is very clearly spelled out in the counsels of God. Satan began by cleverly introducing borderline compromises among the saints, which easily attra cted those who were not studying for themselves. As these camouflaged deviations became established among the membership, the gap slowly widened to accommodate more collaboration with the world. Said the prophet: The change in her spiritual state has come gradually and almost imperceptibly. A s she began to seek the praise and friendship of the world, her faith diminished , her zeal grew languid, her fervent devotion gave place to dead formality. Ever y advance step toward the world was a step away from God. --Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 240. Because the changes were always marginal, ministers were reluctant to make issue s over them for fear of being -19labeled as legalistic and judgmental. In order to assure the silence of watchmen of the walls, Satan carefully programmed a preparatory campaign to make any pro testing preacher appear as an enemy of righteousness by faith. With great shrewdness, Satan gradually introduced among Sabbathkeepers the subtl e concept that any concern about careful obedience was tied to legalism. Many fa ithful pastors began to feel guilty about preaching sanctification, and a strang e shift of emphasis began to alter the kind of Sabbath sermons being preached in

Adventist churches. Fewer and fewer messages dealt with the responsibility of the Christian in livin g a life of obedience to God s law. Before long the very law which is a transcript of the character of Jesus was coming across as an enemy of righteousness by fai th. Some leading theologians began to deny the Bible definition of sin as the tra nsgression of the law, and declared that sin was not breaking the law, but breakin g a relationship. Such clever play on words, containing partial truth and partial error, led many actually to look with contempt upon that which was holy, just an d good. (Romans 7:12.) Christians who still believed that obedience was both neces sary and possible were chided as being works-oriented, a nice-sounding euphemism f or salvation by works. With all the froth skimmed away, the substance of the sermons preached under thi s liberated theology gave recognition only to justification and the cross never to the corresponding activity of obedience equally demanded by the gospel. Christ did everything for us, including obedience, and our part was only to believe and love. The very condition described by Sister White settled over the Laodicean c hurch. A religious life once presented difficulties and demanded -20self-denial. All is made very easy now. And why is this? The professed people of God have compromised with the power of darkness. {5T 222.2} There must be a rev ival of the strait testimony. The path to heaven is no smoother now than in the days of our Saviour. All our sins must be put away. Every darling indulgence tha t hinders our religious life must be cut off. Such counsel was not compatible with the emphasis on this new righteousness by fa ith. Adventist young people were warned not to think too much about their sins, a nd especially not to try to overcome them. They were made to believe that the more they looked at their shortcomings, the more they might be tempted to rely on th e works of trying to obey the law. It came through very clearly that such a progra m would be a legalistic denial of the true gospel. Is it any wonder that, under this popular, easy-grace intoxication, many pastors were reluctant to preach aga inst the stealthy encroachment of worldly elements in the church? Do you see how the groundwork was laid for the introduction of questionable prac tices into the church? Who wanted to disrupt the influence of what appeared to b e a genuine tool for revival? Many were bearing testimony that they had been tru ly converted for the first time, having escaped from the bonds of legalism. But strangely enough, many of those who rode the emotional high of this new freedom turned more and more critical of those who were concerned about the breakdown of standards. They became the most vocal protesters against any program that invol ved any change of conduct or reformation. To them it smacked too much of works to be concerned over the cut of clothes of the beat of music. And since everyone qu ite agreed that righteousness by faith had been generally neglected in the past, it was easy for the new, exciting emphasis to gain rapid -21acceptance. Anyone who raised a question about the increasing worldliness in the church was instantly silenced by cries of Legalism! A new, tolerant attitude deve loped toward the small changes that were cropping up in the Adventist lifestyle. As the minds of God s people slowly adjusted to the appearance of more and more con trolled television, the wedding ring, moderate makeup, good movies, three-percent caf feine , modest bathing suits and shorts, special divorce cases and unisex dress code s, the predicted doctrinal confusion began to develop. Satan had created the appropriate climate for introducing doubts and questions a bout the great, supporting pillars of the remnant church. Utilizing the intellec

tualism of a few theologians with worldly educations, loyal Seventh-day Adventis t. The attack took many by surprise, because few had anticipated that the major detractor of the faith would be one of our own. Long before his perfidy was reco gnized, Desmond Ford s concepts were being assimilated by hundreds of admiring you ng students who were captivated by his personality an powerful command of words. -22NEW THEOLOGY AND THE SIFTING No class was spared from the desolating influence of the new theology which subtly undermined several basic positions of the historic church. Worldly conformity h ad paved the way for Satan to confuse the minds of thousands whose convictions h ad already been damaged by the spirit of compromise. The confusion and falling a way continues. A serious sifting process is weeding out many whose hearts have n ot been firm for the truth. But the greatest test is still just before us. We ha ve seen nothing compared to that approaching crisis when the majority will forsa ke us. It will seem as though the church might fall and never recover, but the t rue Christians will remain secure and unshaken while the chaff is blown away. Where will the greatest sifting occur? Sister White wrote: Many a star that we have admired for its brilliancy will -23then go out in darkness. Chaff like a cloud will be borne away on the wind, even from places where we see only floors of rich wheat. --Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 81. What a dramatic portrayal of the approaching trauma, and how it challenges every one of us to a deeper commitment! Not a soul among us needs to be in that cloud of chaff. Oh, how we need to hide ourselves in Christ and be consumed with a hu nger for His abiding presence. It is only the Holy Spirit within who can groom u s for that terrible hour of test. Not one of us should depend on any other human being for spiritual strength of doctrinal integrity. We must know the truth for ourselves and be able to put every sermon to the test of God s Word. Furthermore, our personal relationship with Christ must be the source of our daily walk of f aith. Now is the time -and the only time we will have to store our minds with the precious counsels of the Word. All our doctrines and life practices must be based upon w hat we have drawn from personal Bible study, rather than pronouncements of the c hurch. There are many faithful pastors who are sounding the alarm, but some are bending with the Laodicean majority. We have been warned that false doctrine wil l invade the pulpits of our own churches. Consider this inspired statement: Many will stand in our pulpits with the torch of false prophecy in their hands, k indled from the hellish torch of Satan. --Testimonies to Ministers, pp. 409, 410. At the same time such heresies are being boldly proclaimed, God will raise up eq ually bold defenders of the true doctrine. With fearless zeal, these faithful se rvants of Christ will challenge every corruption of truth which appears in high places or low. It is this open, impartial exposure of error, under the powerful ministry of the Holy Spirit, which will cause the shaking. -24Who are those men whom God will use to proclaim the straight testimony which wil l precipitate the separation of wheat and chaff? The answer is given by God s serv ant: Those who have trusted to intellect, genius, or talent will not then stand at the head of rank and file. They did not keep pace with the light... In the last sol emn work few great men will be engaged. They are self-sufficient, independent of

God, and He cannot use them. The Lord has faithful servants, who in the shaking , testing time will be disclosed to view. --Testimonies, Vol. 9, p. 80. He will call men from the plow and from other occupations to give the last note o f warning to perishing souls. --Testimonies, Vol. 9, p. 170. Thus the message of the third angel will be proclaimed. As the time comes for it to be given with greatest power, the Lord will work through humble instruments, leading the minds of those who consecrate themselves to His service. The laborer s will be qualified rather by the unction of His Spirit than by the training of literary institutions. Men of faith and prayer will be constrained to go forth w ith holy zeal, declaring the words which God gives them. The sins of Babylon wil l be laid open. --The Great Controversy, p. 606. He will (132) raise up from among the common people, men and women to do His work , even as of old He called fishermen to be His disciples. --Unabridged Loma Linda Messages, p. 83. There is a reason for the last warning call of God to be designated the Elijah me ssage. The fearless exposure of Satan s final deceptions must be done by the faithf ul survivors of the shaking. Just as the Old Testament Tishbite prophet spoke bo ldly against compromising with pagan sun worship, so the modern Elijah message w ill expose the devious work of Satan s agents to amalgamate the day of the sun wit h Christian worship. Just as John fulfilled the type of Elijah by his courageous preaching against Herod s unlawful marriage alliance, so the remnant will speak o ut against sin in all of its ugly ramifications. -25NO TIME FOR EASY LISTENING I am concerned and troubled over the growing tendency to water down the truth. S ome Adventist evangelists no longer preach on the mark of the beast for fear of upsetting their listeners. The ecumenical attitude against rocking the boat has extended its subtle influence over many who should know better. We have no right to keep silent on the great issues of the final conflict. Love and tact is needed, but the message must be given. Millions must be undeceived b y hearing the truth proclaimed in language that cannot be misconstrued. Sometime s it seems that the more educated we get, the more fearful we become to take sta nds for the right. Is it possible to get too much polish and become too cultured in our attitude? I believe God has given us the answer to this question. Satan has devised a state of things whereby the -26proclamation of the third angel's message shall be bound about. We must beware o f his plans and methods. There must be no toning down of the truth, no muffling of the message for this time. The third angel's message must be strengthened and confirmed. The eighteenth chapter of Revelation reveals the importance of prese nting the truth in no measured terms but with boldness and power.... There has b een too much beating about the bush in the proclamation of the third angel's mes sage. The message has not been given as clearly and distinctly as it should have been." --Manuscript 16, 1900. --Evangelism, p. 230. Men will employ every means to make less prominent the difference between Seventh -day Adventists and observers of the first day of the week. A company was presen ted before me under the name of Seventh-day Adventists, who were advising that t

he banner, or sign, which makes us a distinct people should not be held out so s trikingly; for they claimed that this was not the best policy in order to secure success to our institutions. --Testimonies Vol. 6, p. 144. Is there a danger that we might become so institutionalized that public relation s will be more important to us than getting the truth to the public? There is ev idence that this is happening right now. The Amazing Facts broadcast was dropped from four Seventh-day Adventists college radio stations because of its straight forward approach in presenting the last warning message. Only two stations cont inued to carry the daily full-message broadcast. Here are actual quotes from tho se college station managers who canceled our contracts: There were numerous reasons behind the decision to cancel you program, but the ov erriding reason related to the program s incompatibility with our easy listening f ormat. We had understood initially that the approach of Amazing Facts would be much more indirect than it is. The very strong doctrinal emphasis with forceful treatment s of -27the Sabbath-Sunday issue seems not to fit the tenor and motivation for our work here at _____. For us to be making a direct attack on the lifetime positions of ou r neighbors and friends through the medium of our station does not seem to us a wise approach. We will no longer be able to carry Amazing Facts on _____. I m sure the program is doing a great deal of good, but it doesn t fit in with the type of outreach that w e re trying to do. We are trying to reach a secular audience. Your program comes on too strong on a religious note. Surely these letters offer dramatic proof that Sister White was correct in warni ng us not to soft-pedal our urgent last-day warning message. This is no time for easy-listening. God has provided the means for us to proclaim the truth for this time, and we are afraid to use them. The stations of Babylon beg us to use their facilities, but Amazing Facts was told it could not buy time at any price on th ose four Seventh-day Adventist-owned and operated stations. If we are afraid to l et our position be known now, what will we do when the death sentence stares us in the face? In comparing the Elijah ministry on John the Baptist with attitude, Sister White wrote: Many of those who profess to believe the truth would say, if they expressed their real sentiments, What need is there of speaking so plainly? They might as well ask, Why need John the Baptist have said to the Pharisees, "O generation of vipe rs, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" [MATT. 3:7.] Why need h e have provoked the anger of Herodias by telling Herod that it was unlawful for him to live with his brother's wife? He lost his life by speaking so plainly. --Gospel Workers, p. 149. In the approaching crisis when the warning swells to a -28loud cry, we have this promise: In the hour of greatest peril the God of Elijah will raise up human instrumentali ties to bear a message that will not be silenced.... The voice of stern rebuke w ill be heard. Boldly will men of God s appointment denounce the union of the churc h with the world. --Prophets and Kings, p. 187.

Do the people of God need to be warned now about the unholy union of the church and the world? We have already discovered that the new theology errors are the dir ect outgrowth of such a union. Some Adventist pastors are fearful that doctrinal subjects, reformatory messages or sanctification topics might be criticized as harsh an unloving. Calling people away from worldly indulgences is very likely t o be labeled as works-oriented. Does God have anything to say to those watchmen wh o are afraid to warn people against the practice on known sin? This goody-goody religion that makes light of sin and that is forever dwelling up on the love of God to the sinner, encourages the sinner to believe that God will save him while he continues in sin and he knows it to be sin. This is the way t hat many are doing who profess to believe present truth.... There must be a stra ining of every nerve and spirit and muscle to leave the world, its customs, its practices, and its fashions. --Selected Messages, Bk. 3, p. 155. Sister White, under the direct influence of the Holy Spirit, wrote hundreds of p ages of the strongest counsel and warning on this very matter of lowering the st andards. She was unafraid of the charges that some would get offended at her str ong words. Said she: An Attempt to Guide Mrs. White. Brother E suggests that it would please the people if I speak less about duty and more in regard to the love of Jesus. But I wish t o speak as the Spirit of the Lord shall impress -29me. The Lord knows best what this people needs. I spoke in the forenoon [Sabbath , October 17] from Isaiah 58. I did not round the corners at all. --Selected Messages, Bk 3, p. 64. The church has received warning after warning. The duties and dangers of God's pe ople have been plainly revealed. But the worldly element has proved too strong f or them. Customs, practices, and fashions which lead the soul away from God have been for years gaining ground in defiance of the warnings and entreaties of the Holy Spirit, until at last their ways have become right in their own eyes, and the Spirit's voice is scarcely heard. --Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 103. Why do we hear so little about this danger today? If the worldly drift was so st rong a hundred years ago, what would the prophet write about the sad state of th ings today ? I can tell you why the silence is deafening on this subject. Satan has generated an opinion, based upon the distant past, that legalism is the big problem in th e Adventist church right now. No one can deny that some is present, but I conten d that it is minor, compared to the problem of permissiveness. Once in a great w hile one meets a genuine legalistic fanatic, but it is hardly possible to visit a church without meeting several proponents of the new, liberal theology. The ne ed today is to counteract the obvious bent toward cheap-grace preaching. There i s no present evidence that our church suffers from too-strong dose of sanctifica tion doctrine. How much material is available which dares to pinpoint the specif ic areas of slackened discipline within the remnant church? There is practically nothing. We have swamped our people with books on faith, justification, love se lf-worth, and forgiveness, and there is nothing at all wrong with those subjects ; they are important. But why haven t we balanced the picture by speaking out on t he sanctifying effect of true justification? -30The answer is twofold. It certainly appears that the majority of our writers and editors have assumed that Adventists are already too works-oriented, and many o thers are afraid they will be branded as legalists. In the meantime, our people perish for want of real Adventist sermons on the subject of victory over sin, an d practical godliness.

How many books have been written primarily to combat the deceptive inroads of wo rldliness into the remnant church? Considering the proportion of the problem, an d the space devoted to it in the Spirit of Prophecy, there should be many books available on the subject. If you want to see the practical results of our neglec t to speak out in warning and counsel, look around at the next large gathering o f Adventists you attend. Camp meeting would be a good place to make your observa tions. What will you see? Even though it is a religious gathering, one will look in vain to discover much difference in the general appearance of these people a nd those thronging the streets of Babylon. At one recent camp meeting, a beautiful Christian mother shared her concern for her teenage daughter who wandered the grounds dressed up in very, very tight jea ns. The mother was a recent convert and her husband was a communist who did not even believe in God. Yet he objected violently to his daughter s provocative attir e. Our convert was puzzled that the spiritual leaders of her new church did not seem to recognize a violation of modesty which her atheist husband could see cle arly. What a commentary on the blindness produced by exposure to the world! And we become more blind as we adjust to a toleration of that which we know to be wr ong. Not so many years ago, the MV Department of the General Conference took a firm p osition against mixed swimming in our sponsored youth activities. Not only has t hat standard been changed for the young people, but -31it is quite a normal practice for churches and even ministerial groups to promot e mixed bathing at their picnics and retreats. Few pastors seem to recognize tho se activities as being unfitting and inconsistent with their holy calling. One w orker did observe that it seemed to be out of harmony with God s command to His pr iests in the Old Testament not to mount the altar by steps lest they expose thei r nakedness in the process. --(Exodus 20:26) I think it is right here that we see the alarming extent of the worldly invasion of our church. We have become so accustomed to the ways of the world that we no longer recognize our departure from true principle. Those who do see if are oft en charged with fanaticism or having an evil mind. It is easy to understand why they would be reluctant to expose themselves to such unsavory charges. Yet the d angers must be exposed by the watchmen who have been assigned that responsibilit y. We are not engaged in a popularity contest. The truth must be told whether it is pleasing of not. As long as we are telling the truth in a constructive manne r to help people find their way back to God s great ideal, we must not be afraid o f what men might say or do. The real problem is that the continuing compromise has rendered many of our peop le incapable of discerning between truth and error. In great sincerity they will oppose the work of reform in the church with the words, I can t see anything wrong with what I m doing. No state is more hopeless than this. Only the Holy Spirit can open the eyes of those who do not even know they are blind. If they could only recognize their need, their sin, and their blindness, they might seek a remedy. But the sad words are heard again and again, I can t see .... I can t see .... The involvement of our people with the things of the world has led to the cancel lation of prayer meeting in many Seventh-day Adventist churches across the land. -32They are too busy with the job, the house, or other material concerns to find ti me for midweek fellowship or prayer. Youth meetings have become a relic of the p ast in large numbers of our churches. Church bulletins are filled with announcem ents about activities of the week, but many of them are social in nature. Alas,

the Bible study and prayer appointments occupy only a portion of the long list o f sponsored functions. But because there is a whirl of exciting activity, the ch urch is rated highly successful. The chief concern seems to be to get everybody involved, but involved in what? Certainly, it s not evangelism or soul winning. A few weeks ago from this writing, I watched night after night as the faithful forty or fifty members joined the l argely non-Adventist crowd in the crusade auditorium. Where were the other 750 m embers of the sponsoring church? I could almost understand why the Wednesday-nig ht prayer meeting had been canceled in that church. Why cannot our people sense the solemnity of living in the time of judgment? The heartsearching attitude of Israel on the day of atonement should be manifest among Sabbathkeepers today. What was that attitude? Deep concern that every sin had been confessed and forsa ken. With intense interest they listened to the bells on the high priest, and fo llowed him in spirit as he moved about in the holy of holies interceding for the m. Just as deeply, we must be aware of the final atonement which is unfolding in the heavenly sanctuary above and follow our blessed High Priest as He ministers for us in the most holy place. Every day we should remind ourselves that we are not just another denomination. This church is on assignment by God to RESTORE the foundations of truth which ha ve been broken down, and to FINISH the great reformation work of ages past. The greatest tragedy which could ever occur would be -33to forget our prophetic mission, and slowly lapse in the familiar pattern of luk ewarmness which has overtaken every other religious movement. It must not happen to us, and yet we see it happening! Hardly one of us is unaware of subtle chang es which have been creeping into our churches and institutions. We have wept ove r it and prayed earnestly that we might not be a part of the problem. Yet we kno w in our heart of hearts that we are. Every time we neglect to study and pray, e very time we refuse an opportunity to witness, we are frustrating God s holy purpo se for us. Every Seventh-day Adventist church should be a swarming beehive of evangelistic activity. We have not been called in this exciting message to relax in a corner. The age-old mysteries of the great controversy have been revealed to us for one purpose that we might share them with others. Each new member of this glorious fa ith is immediately invested with the power of the Spirit to be a witness Men and women alike are to recognize the commission and ordination of God to begin a pe rsonal ministry of reconciliation. The laying on of hands is not necessary. All do not have to engage in the same work, but everyone has a gift which may be use d in soul winning. Nothing will combat the spirit of Laodiceanism more effectively than evangelism, Bible studies, and personal missionary work. Too many of our people are waiting for some special emotional experience as a sign that they are to launch into a witnessing program. But we already have the promise of the Spirit and that is qu ite enough. We receive it by faith, not feeling. Only those who begin acting on God s command by faith will receive the latter rain and have a part in the loud cr y. In many places consecrated men and women may be seen communicating to others the light that has made plain to them the way of salvation through Christ. And as th ey -34continue to let their light shine, as did those who were baptized with the Spiri t on the Day of Pentecost, they receive more and still more of the Spirit's powe r. Thus the earth is to be lightened with the glory of God. The Acts of the Apost

les, p. 54. Please remember that the whole purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is to m ake us witnesses. (Acts 1:8) Paul declares that the promise of the Spirit is rec eived by faith. (Galatians 3:14.) How do we show our faith? Faith without works i s dead. James 2:26. So if we truly believe we have the promised witnessing power, we will begin to act upon it in faith. In other words, we will start doing what we can to share our witness, whether we feel any power in us or not. Sister Whi te wrote that AS that work is launched more and still more of the Spirit s power wil l be lightened with the glory of God. Isn t that a tremendous thought! Those who have had no experience in soul winning would not even know what to do with the power if it came. Only those who are doi ng it already will be qualified to receive the latter rain and participate in th e loud cry, and none will be saved who do not share that sealing experience. No wonder, then, that Satan wants to keep the remnant church occupied with everythi ng else except soul winning. He has perfected a dazzling, numbing array of world ly attractions to keep average church members away from the very work which woul d prepare them to be translated. How painful it is of the saints in imony have become eople outside the to look upon the spiritual paralysis that has immobilized many this critical hour of time. The trumpet tones of straight test more and more muted as the worldly subversion proceeds. Even p church are able to detect the altered emphasis.

In the October, 1984 issue of (Christianity Today), a former Seventh-day Adventi st described the changes that -35are transforming what she called the old-style sabbatarian approach which claimed that the Sabbath is the seal of the loving God and that Sunday worship is the mar k of the beast. She said, This is still the official Adventist line.... But is lac ks a little warmth, and nowadays in Adventist circles you are likely to hear qui te a different approach. Then she described two well-known Adventist theologians who were still preaching the Sabbath, but who emphasized the day s quality rather t han the sequence in the week.... and worship, rather than belaboring the fate of those who fail to observe the Sabbath as Adventist do. How interesting it is that this softer line in presenting the Sabbath and mark o f the beast has been clearly recognized even by those who are not members of the church. What Joan Craven is saying, in this very popular Protestant magazine, i s that Adventists are getting less concerned about the particular day of the wee k they observe. Could this be a prelude to the terrible end-time apostasy predic ted by Sister White? To fulfill that prediction, our people will surely have to be programmed to see the claims of the law and the seventh-day Sabbath as less a nd less important. Ms. Craven has observed that our theologians are leading the way in the downplay of the Sabbath. The trend which she described in her unusually candid article is the very same w hich is revealed by our conciliatory attitude toward the papacy, our continuing acceptance of government aid in our institutions, our ongoing dialogue with the World Council of Churches, and dalliance with the ordination of women, and a rad ical de-emphasis of the great Reformation prophecies about the Antichrist. -36APOSTASY WAITING IN THE WINGS

But now let us look more closely at the purpose of Satan's sneak attack on stand ards in the remnant church. We have described his cunning program of gradual inf iltration through borderline issues, and how those tiny loopholes were slowly ex

panded into major departures from our historic principles. The divine cause-andeffect law immediately began to operate, creating doubt and confusion about the true doctrine. And Satan made very certain that a masterpiece of deception was i n both wings waiting to emerge just as soon as enough minds had been sufficientl y dulled by conformity to the world. Desmond Ford and Walter Rea appeared on the stage almost simultaneously, and for the first time the old, stale objections b egan to raise questions in the minds of Seventh-day Adventists. It is only when we look closely at the focus of the "new theology" errors that w e can understand Satan's -37ingenious strategy. Almost all of its attack is aimed at the law of God. Even th ough some Seventh-day Adventists are afraid to say it, the real issue in the age -long controversy is over the subject of God's law and whether it can be kept or not. Satan knows even better than we do that the final clash in the great contest wil l revolve around loyalty and obedience to that law. Anything he can do now to we aken and discredit the law in the eyes of Seventh-day Adventists will be a maste r stroke on his part. He has no problem with the rest of Christendom, because th eir doctrine already belittles the Decalogue, but he needs some incredibly decep tive approach to make Adventist look lightly upon the law. The roots of the law controversy go all the way back to the fallen angel, Lucife r. That rebel angel based his entire attack against God on the premise that Heav en's law was to severe and could not be obeyed. Those false charges were aired b efore the unfallen universe, and one third of the angels were persuaded that Luc ifer was right. From that time to this, the governments of good and evil have be en locked in a titanic struggle to settle those issues raised by Lucifer. The plan of salvation was designed by God to vindicate His justice and honor bef ore the universe, and to clear His name from the lying accusation that His law c ould not be obeyed. The purpose of His 6000-year program has been to produce a p eople who will live without sin. If God's plan is not able to restore man to tha t original position of obedience from which he fell, then Satan's arguments will be upheld. On the other hand, if God is able to exhibit a people who have total ly obeyed Him, under the most adverse conditions Satan can create, His character will be eternally vindicated before the unfallen worlds. The universe will be f orever secure from further disobedience, because, age upon age, the living testi mony -38of the redeemed remnant will be reminder of God's righteousness in dealing with His creatures. Now, can you see how important it must be for Satan to make people sin? And do y ou see why the remnant of the woman --those who keep the commandments and have the Spirit of Prophecy --are the special objects of the dragon's wrath? Whatever Satan does against God 's faithful saints will be aimed at diluting their confidence in the law. Someho w he must prepare them to regard the law so lightly and see sin as so unobjectio nable, that when their lives are on the line, they will choose to disobey rather that perish. Satan sees this as his last opportunity to strike out against God' s plan to bring His people to perfection. Does it begin to make more sense now for Satan to prepare special assaults again st Sabbathkeepers? No wonder he devised the clever plan to slip worldly customs slowly in the church. He knew very will the Bible principle that doctrinal confu sion would quickly follow. And he made careful preparations to introduce his art ful "anti-lawism" through respectable inside spokesmen who would have the widest influence.

-39THE NEW THEOLOGY

ATTACKS

The first basic error of the new theology stemmed from the old Augustinian doctrin e of original sin. By ascribing imputed sin to all of Adam s descendants the assum ption was made that every baby is born not only with accrued guilt, but with suc h an utterly perverse nature that it could never stop sinning short of Paradise. Thus the foundation was laid for rationalizing law-breaking as a problem of irr esponsible genes and hormones. Strike on against God s law! The initial deviation made it necessary to introduce another distortion of truth . If all of Adam s descendants inherit his guilt, then Jesus would also become gui lty as soon as He was born. That would never do, of course. In that case, He cou ld save no one. He would be a sinner Himself. The Catholic church neatly took ca re of the problem by inventing the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, which excluded the Virgin Mary from -40partaking of Adam s imputed guilt. The new theologians simply accepted an ancient Pr otestant version of the Catholic position and declared that Jesus was actually b orn with Adam s unfallen nature instead of with Abraham s, David s or Mary s fallen natu re. Not only did this contradict many specific Bible statements, but it also left ev ery one of Adam s children without any hope of overcoming their sins. It left the human race without one encouraging example of perfect obedience, except in an al ien nature totally unknown to anyone who has been born since Adam sinned. If Jes us dared not face the temptations of fallen man, how could any mortal ever expec t to gain the victory over those temptations? Such a doctrine added fuel to the satanic proposal that God s laws are too difficult to obey anyway. Strike two agai nst the law! (1) --(1) For more on this subject, write for information about the book entitled, --Christ s Human Nature. How did these first two perversions tie in with further new theology attacks again st the law? Strange as it may seem, even though they portrayed Jesus in a nature far removed from needy humanity, these professors of new light asserted that Ch rist was able to impute to sinners all the merits of His holy life, including Hi s obedience, through His atoning death on the cross. That sounds like good theol ogy, but look at is more carefully. They call this imputed merit of Christ righteousness by faith, but sanctification is specifically and deliberately excluded from this package of grace. It is main tained that obedience is entirely separated from the requirements of salvation, and acceptance of the imputed merits of justification alone is the only works requ ired for entrance into God s kingdom. Thus conformity to God s law is assigned an op tional role in the experience of salvation. Strike three against the law! --(2) For more on this subject, write for information about the book entitled, --Satan s Confusing Counterfeits. With the focus on imputed righteousness, the atoning death of Jesus on the cross came to be regarded as the finished work of redemption: He did everything for u s, -41including a perfect obedience, and all is credited to us as we accept it by fait h. Did the death of Christ finish the work of atonement in behalf of the transgress or? No, it did not. It provided a perfect sacrifice. The offering of the unblemi shed Lamb was finished forever, but the final atonement was not completed until the blood had been sprinkled in the most holy place and the record of sins blott ed out. The book of Hebrews proves beyond question that Jesus returned to the he avenly sanctuary to minister His own blood in fulfillment of the types carried o

ut in the two apartments on earth. That work is going on today. What is involved in that work? Why was it needed? How did it excel the work which was carried ou t in the earthly sanctuary? Chiefly in this respect: the earthly services could only provide for the forgive ness of sin, and never for the power to stop sinning. Those offerings of lambs a nd goats could not make anyone perfect. For the law.... can never with those sacr ifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto per fect. --Hebrews 10:1. On the other hand, Paul declared that the true High Priest in the heavenly sanct uary would remove sins and make people perfect. For by one offering he hath perfe cted for ever them that are sanctified. --Hebrews 10:14. Herein is revealed the grand necessity of the high-priestly work of Jesus in hea ven. It was required in order to cleanse sins from the record AND from the lives of the worshipers. The new theology asserts that the atonement was finished at th e cross, and there is no present application of the yearly most holy place minist ry to the work of the heavenly High Priest. This essentially denies both the nee d for any sanctifying of the saints, and the means of ministering that sanctific ation or perfection. By rejecting the two-apartment ministry of -42Christ for us, the new theology turns attention away from the exalted place where the law resides beneath the mercy seat of the ark. Small wonder, then, that it f inds no need for sanctification in the experience of righteousness by faith. The law is minimized in the great scheme of salvation. Strike four against the law! (3) --(3) For more on this subject, write for information about the book entitled, --Blood Behind the Veil. And what about the perfection provided to worshipers from the heavenly sanctuary ? Most new theologians deny the doctrine of total victory over sin in the flesh. T o them sin is synonymous with being born. It is pervasive in every fallen body a nd mind until translation eradicates it at the coming of Christ. With this view, it is easy to see why sanctification has been downplayed. If it is impossible t o overcome all sin, then obviously God will accept that part of sin which it is not possible for man to conquer. But how much and which part is in that category ? Is it left up to each person to decide which sins he cannot overcome in the st rength of Christ? How could one be sure that he was not tolerating a sin that co uld be put away, with a little more faith and effort on his part? The fact is that there is no intimation in the Bible that anyone should stop cer tain sins only, or diminish the amount of other sins he commits. Jesus said to t he woman caught in adultery, Go and sin no more. He did not tell her to cut back o n the amount of adultery she was committing. If I believe some sins are impossib le to overcome, I certainly will not waste any time attempting to put them out o f my life. Can t you see how dangerous it is to conclude that ANY sin cannot be ov ercome in the strength of the Lord? I become tolerant of that sin and deceive my self into believing that God also will accept it. And how easy it will be for my poor human nature to select any sin that I don t want to give up as one of those which cannot be overcome. Does it seem logical to think that God can and will give me the victory over som e sins perhaps those that are not -43too deeply rooted but that He cannot or is not willing to deliver me from the othe rs? The entire concept is foreign to the Word of God. The only thing to be done with sin is to stop doing it, to put it away, to claim victory over it altogethe r. The blatant attitude that God s children must keep on sinning until Jesus comes

is not only a denial of the Word, but a favorable vote for Satan s ancient lie. S trike five against God s law! --(4) For more on this subject, write for information about the book entitled, --Is It Possible to Live Without Sinning? -44SATAN'S WAR AGAINST PERFECTION Is Satan happy when Christians resign themselves to a program of continued sin? You can be sure that he is. Does one become more tolerant of a sin that he belie ves is impossible to overcome? Without question! Is there something especially d angerous about Seventh-day Adventists defending Satan's accusation that the law cannot be obeyed? Indeed, it borders on spiritual treason and blasphemy. But let me explain why this doctrine against character perfection is such a dead ly menace to the remnant church. We are repeatedly reminded in the Spirit of Pro phecy that none will sealed except those who survive the shaking and take part i n the loud cry. BUT THE CONDITION FOR RECIEVENG THE LATTER RAIN AND GIVING THE L OUD CRY IS TO OVERCOME EVERY SIN! What a triumph for Satan to be able to lure Seventh-45day Adventists into the fatal delusion that sins cannot be completely conquered. By yielding to that monstrous lie, one would be conceding the impossibility of being saved, because, at that point in time, all who do not receive the latter r ain will be lost. Consider these significant statements: "Those who come up to every point, and stand every test, and overcome, be the pr ice what it may, have heeded the counsel of the True Witness, and they will rece ive the latter rain" --Testimonies, Vol. 1, p. 187. "Today you are to have your vessel purified, that it may be ready for the heaven ly dew, ready for the showers of the latter rain; for the latter rain will come, and the blessing of God will fill every soul that is purified from every defile ment." --Evangelism, p. 702. "Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one s pot or stain upon them. It is left with us to remedy the defects in our characte rs, to cleanse the soul temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fa ll upon us as the early rain fell upon the disciples on the Day of Pentecost." --Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 214. "I was shown that if God's people make no efforts on their part, but wait for th e refreshing to come upon them and remove their wrongs and correct their errors; if they depend upon that to cleanse them from filthiness of the flesh and spiri t, and fit them to engage in the loud cry of the third angel, they will be found wanting. The refreshing or power of God comes only on those who have prepared t hemselves for it by doing the work which God bids them, namely, cleansing themse lves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fea r of God." --Testimonies, Vol. 1, p. 619. In the light of these explicit declarations, how could any Adventist Christian d eny the possibility of over-coming all sin? No one can be sealed who has not -46experienced this perfect process of sanctification in his life. Many overlook the fact that there are two distinct aspects of righteousness by f aith which must be experienced by every successful overcomer. One of them, One o

f them, justification, provides for deliverance from the death penalty through f orgiveness of past sins. This tremendous gift is based solely upon the objective work of Jesus in living a perfect life, assuming our liability of guilt, and dy ing to satisfy the penalty against us. As soon as we exercise faith in Jesus as our personal Saviour, He gives us the c redit for all those things he did in our behalf. He counts us as having lived a perfect life, and looks upon us as though we have never sinned. He imputes to us the merits of His own death on the cross, relieving us of any condemnation or p unishment for our past sins. This transaction of faith lies at the very heart of the great plan of salvation. None can be saved without it, and none can receive it by any other means than faith alone. The Bible says, To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righ teousness. --Romans 4:5. Notice that the one requirement for receiving justification by faith is to be un godly. Those who feel that they need to make themselves less ungodly by their go od works before seeking justification are destroying their only grounds for rece iving it. Furthermore, they hopelessly contradict the Scriptures by seeking to e xtract some personal merit from a totally undeserved gift. The less ungodly a pe rson feels himself to be, the less inclined he will be to cast himself in simple faith upon the promises of God. In the justification experience, there can be n o dividing of credit. It is by faith alone. But the second, and equally important, aspect of righteousness by faith is sanct ification. The dynamic power of the gospel does not deliver us from the guilt of -47sin without also saving us from the sin itself. Adam s fall into sin created two t errible problems for himself. Adam s fall into sin created two terrible problems f or himself and all his descendants. First, it brought the sentence of death upon the human race, and second, it weakened man s moral nature to such a degree that he had no power to stop sinning. Both of these tragic consequences have been rev ersed by the glorious victory of the second Adam. The first problem is remedied by the imputed righteousness of Jesus in justifica tion. By it the death sentence is lifted, and past sins are canceled. But there is still another issue to be resolved. How is the moral nature to be r estored so that sin can be resisted and overcome? The plan of salvation does not provide for only a partial deliverance from the effects of sin. Through sanctif ication, the righteousness of Jesus is imparted to the believer, and total victo ry is made possible over every inherited or cultivated weakness. Faith in the po wer-packed promises of the Bible can break sin s stranglehold and fit the soul for sealing under the latter rain. Only those Adventists who have claimed both justification and sanctification wil l have a part in the loud cry experience. The Seed of the woman has given back t o all of Adam s descendants the power to choose not to sin. There are critics of our church who feel that God s blessing can no longer rest up on it because of its Laodicean condition. Some have withdrawn their membership i n protest of the declining spirituality and loss of standards. I share nothing i n common with such an attitude. Recently, I received a letter from a man who was once an ordained pastor of a large Seventh-day Adventist church. He seemed genu inely concerned that I could bring people into a church that had totally apostati zed from the truth, as he described it, and had reverted to Babylonian darkness. He quoted some -48-

paragraphs from Sister White to the effect that the church was retreating toward Egypt, that they were drifting away to sea, without chart or compass. I was acq uainted with those statements and many others in the same vein. She did portray the sad, Laodicean condition of every level of church organization, rebuking, ap pealing, and weeping over its compromise with the world. BUT SHE DID NOT LEAVE T HE CHURCH, OR SUGGEST THAT IT WAS BABYLON! Even though she spoke shocking words of correction, there was never any intimation that the concerned, faithful ones within the remnant should leave the organization for any reason whatsoever. She did write repeatedly that the weak, worldly, vacillating ones would be shaken ou t, leaving a pure people to finish the work. The searching testimony of the Spirit of God will separate those from Israel who have ever been at war with the means that God has ordained to keep corruptions o ut of the church. Wrongs must be called wrongs. Grievous sins must be called by their right name.... The plain, straight testimony must live in the church, or t he curse of God will rest upon His people as surely as it did upon ancient Israe l because of their sins." --Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 676. -49FACING OUR DEFECTS HONESTLY It would be folly to ignore the sins which have been condoned and embraced by ma ny in the church. It does no good to put our heads in the sand. The voice of war ning must be heard. The cutting truth must be proclaimed, but it must be done in the context of love and concern for those who have been blinded by Satan. There is still a loyal group who will not be moved from the pillars of truth. The leaven of godliness has not entirely lost its power. At the time when the dan ger and depression of the church are greatest, the little company who are standi ng in the light will be sighing and crying for the abominations that are done in the land. But more especially will their prayers arise in behalf of the church because its members are doing after the manner of the world. --Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 209, 210. This statement is typical of many in which Sister White identifies a little compa ny within the remnant which -50refuses to follow the rest of the church whose members are doing after the manner of the world. From such statements it seems clear that there is a remnant within the remnant who will recognize the breakdown of standards and take a strong sta nd against the worldly drift within the church. Today God is looking for those who will set their faces like flint against sin a nd all its allies. What joy there is in placing no limits upon the operation of His marvelous grace! Every one of us has the privilege right now of submitting e very faculty of our being to God and His message. He does not call us to divided service. There is no peace in a half surrender of the heart. What common ground is there between truth and error? God desires His remnant peo ple to give an un-ambiguous witness to every point of true doctrine and experien ce. This church is not the true church just because it fits into a particular hi storical and prophetic framework. It is true, and will remain true, only as it c ontinues to preach and practice in full harmony with the testimonies of God s Spir it. We can feel no assurance of salvation, either, just because we belong to the true church. Our security rests upon a personal relationship with Christ, which produces the obedience of faith. An inordinate spiritual pride destroyed God s Is rael of old, and it could easily be a snare to Seventh-day Adventists today. Several points are made by Sister White concerning the faithful little company wit hin the remnant. They sigh and cry for the abominations done in the land, and the

ir prayers arise in behalf of the church because its members are doing after the manner of the world.... In the time when His wrath shall go forth in judgments, these humble, devoted followers of Christ will distinguished from the rest of t he world by their soul anguish, which is expressed in lamentation and weeping, r eproofs and -51warnings. While others try to throw a cloak over the existing evil, and excuse t he great wickedness everywhere prevalent, those who have a zeal for God s honor an d a love for souls will not hold their peace to obtain favor of any. --Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 210. Oh, what a responsibility rests upon the watchmen on the walls! And how earnestl y we should be studying and praying to be a part of that small group who grieve over the sins of the church. How clearly we see the fulfillment of Sister White s deception as we approach the sealing time. We long to be able to turn back the f loodtide of compromise. Daily we need to plead for the Spirit of God to keep our feet from sliding back and to fortify our minds against the deceptions which su rround us. Who is sufficient for these things? As one watchman on the walls, I will be held responsible to God for the souls of any whom I do not warn against the approaching enemy. My heart mourns as I watc h what is happening and see how little I seem able to do. What can be done to br ing our church back to the pattern so clearly laid down in the inspired counsels ? The medical work has taken a direction against which we were warned years ago. B y taking the administration of our institutions out of the hands of the church a nd placing them under the direction of highly paid health professionals, we have opened a floodgate of compromise. The new arrangement is acceleration the pace of our shameful competition to be the biggest and to attract the largest number of patients. Nowhere have we been encouraged by God to construct such facilities . Over and over we have been warned not to compete with the world in this area. Smaller, rural sanitariums where true health reform principles can be practiced and taught, was the burden of Sister White s message from God. How can we defend t he investment of borrowed millions of dollars in the proliferation of medical-su rgical monoliths which -52defy the great mass of instruction which God has given us? The counsel against drugs has been flaunted. In most of our huge hospitals and m edical centers there is little distinction from the world in the way we treat di sease. My last two crusades were held in large cities where two of our sprawling hospital complexes were located. I often ate in the cafeterias of those metropo litan institutions. Imagine my shock and chagrin to find meat being served in on e of those Seventh-day Adventist hospitals. Each day I had to question the serve rs closely to identify the real meat from the vegetarian entrees. In the other hospital, no meat was served in the cafeteria, but large coffee-dis pensing machines stood in the room. On Sabbaths, the public, as well as the empl oyees, paid for their food at the ringing cash register, just as they did on the weekdays. Even though I had a guest card, it was an uncomfortable experience to watch the business-as-usual. I remembered how, years ago, no one could eat in o ur hospital cafeterias on Sabbath unless he had a meal ticket. No money was exch anged on that day. My heart is sick also when I look at the trends our publishing and educational w ork are following. I know how sensitive our educators have become to the smalles t criticism, but I must refer you to a statement by Dr. Winton Beaven in the Adv entist Review of September 27, 1984, in which he is quoted: Between 40 and 45 per cent of male students at Adventist colleges in North America drink beer, wine of

spirits. Some will surely want to reject that appraisal, but who would be better qualified to make such a judgment? Dr. Beaven has been a recognized authority i n drug research for many years, and he made the statement at the first board mee ting of the Institute of Alcoholism and Drug Dependency at Andrews University. -53I know we have some of the finest Christian educators in the world men and women w ho are really dedicated to the character development of our youth. They are ofte n limited by board rules, parental pressures, and proximity of the unpredictable young people day after day after day. Seventh-day Adventist teachers deserve a great deal of honor and recognition for their commitment to a difficult task. Yet somewhere along the line we have dropped the ball, and along with it, many o f the standards and rules which once safeguarded our educational centers. On the basis of the Review statement, if our colleges still maintained the publi shed standards of the recent past, almost half the male enrollment would qualify for immediate expulsion. Their continuation in the schools provides dramatic pr oof that the most basic Christian standards are not being maintained. If Dr. Bea ven is correct, we are adjusting our rules to meet the Laodicean lifestyle of an indulgent generation, or else our educational leaders do not known what is goin g on right under their noses. Instead of disciplining the drinking students, som e schools are instituting programs of alcohol rehabilitation. This is not to fau lt the good plan for alcoholic reform and recovery, but in the meantime there mu st be a meaningful program to uphold a disciplined lifestyle on every Adventist campus. Does this lenient stance toward drinking bleed over into other areas of Adventis t practice? Look at the divorce rate in the remnant church. It just about equals the worldly average. Consider the rapidly changing attitudes toward movie atten dance, abortion, and homosexuality. Historic Bible positions are being adroitly neutralized by learned dissertations based largely on emotional appeals for fair ness, equality and justice. Emotion we need, but far more, we need to stand on c lear-cut, long-held, inspired principles which have -54served us well for over 125 years. But in spite of some mistaken policies of compromise, this is still God s remnant church, and it is going through to the Kingdom. Many of its members, its ministe rs, and its administrators will be shaken out, but the church of the translation will be pure and uncompromised. Worldly policy and political expedience will be unknown in the ranks of that Spirit-filled remnant who will give the loud cry! But the days of purification of the church are hastening on apace. God will have a people pure and true. In the mighty sifting soon to take place we shall be bet ter able to measure the strength of Israel. The signs reveal that the time is ne ar when the Lord will manifest that His fan is in His hand, and He will thorough ly purge His floor. --Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 80. Satan will work his miracles to deceive; he will set up his power as supreme. The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out... This is a terrible ordeal.... The remnant that purify their souls by obeying the truth gather strength from the trying pr ocess... --Bible Commentary, Vol.7, p.911. I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen and was shown that it would be caus ed by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. This will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver, and wi

ll lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth the straight truth. Some will n ot bear this straight testimony. They will rise up against it, and this is what will cause a shaking among God's people. --Early Writings, p. 270. Are we not entering the shaking time already when the church will be purified in both doctrine and practice? What a responsibility rests upon those who stand at the head of the work in various conferences and institutions! Not one hindrance should be allowed to interpose between our people and the spirit of true reviva l and -55reformation. No segment of the organized work should be permitted to cast stumbl ing blocks in the way of this sanctifying process. Some would urge that it is better to ignore the blatant articles in the youth pa per which run counter to our historic Christian standards. They would keep silen t altogether when our college science teachers publish their views against a 600 0-year earth history. But is that the best policy? Will the message of the True Witness accomplish its work when such a course is followed? A clear break with L aodicea calls for repentance for such grievous sin on the part of the leaders. I t would be wrong for those who make up the church to accept quietly such misrepr esentation of the true Adventist position. To continue the employment of teacher s, pastors, or administrators who do not support the doctrines of the church doe s not encourage revival or reformation. Neither does it inspire confidence in th ose who have been elected to oversee the Lord s business. When men preach contrary to truth, they should no longer be retained as spokesme n for that truth. It just doesn t make sense. Such a course would place the church in conflict with its own best spiritual interests. Listen to the words of two former General Conference presidents as they looked a t the spirit of compromise working in the church in their day; I am troubled by the direction that our educational and training work is definite ly taking. I am concerned by the more and more obvious fact that in the educatio n and training of our workers we are inquiring more and more of the world and le ss of God that formerly. --Elder C. H. Watson, Review and Herald, November 21, 1935. The time has come for a thorough reformation to take place. What we need today is a people revived with new spiritual power, a church reformed and turned away fr om the world ... there has come into the church a listlessness, -56a carelessness that is deplorable. --Elder J. L. McElhany, Review and Herald, December 3, 1936. In the same year the review editor made this earnest appeal for the straight tes timony to be restored in the church; If our hearts become faint and our tongues palsied, and we fail to proclaim the w hole counsel of God, crying out against sin in the church regardless of who may be involved, we shall lose our power, and heaven must raise up others from the r anks to take our places. --Elder F. M. Wilcox, Review and Herald, June 1, 1936. Today such honest confessions from church leaders is almost unknown. Administrat ors, workers, and laymen are discouraged from taking note of such specific short comings among the saints. But it was exactly that kind of strong, direct appeal which stirred the hearts of our members and made them aware of their individual needs. Nothing would more quickly restore and establish confidence in the leader

ship of this movement than their sincere, open admission of obvious failings, an d a public commitment to make things right by God s grace. -57TIME FOR THE STRAIGHT TESTIMONY Surely the time has come for every Seventh-day Adventist to learn about the sins of Laodicea its worldliness, pride, etc. and to join those who will cry out against this nauseating mixture of flesh and spirit. Ministers and members must be will ing to risk criticism in order to preach the Laodicean message. There are a thou sand more pleasant subjects, but the hour is too late to substitute smooth thing s. Neither do the sleeping saints need any more soothing messages. This is the h our for an awakening. If you think John the Baptist was too strong and direct in his preaching, you ma y rise up against the kind of messages God is leading men to proclaim today. Was John too blunt then he called the king into question for being unlawfully marri ed? If so, we must be more blunt. Consider this statement: in this fearful time, just before Christ is to come the second -58time, God s faithful preachers will have to bear a still more pointed testimony th at was borne by John the Baptist. A responsible, important work is before them; and those who speak smooth things, God will not acknowledge as His shepherds. A fearful woe is upon them. --Testimonies, Vol. 1, p. 321. Will the religious leaders of today feel any better about being corrected than t hose in John s day? Surely we can expect the same outrage to be expressed by those who are settled in the comfortable, self-righteous mold of Laodicea. How dare a nyone charge the true church with wrong-doing or apostasy! Anciently, when Elijah was sent with a message from God to the people, they did n ot heed the warning. They thought him unnecessarily severe. They even thought th at he must have lost his senses because he denounced them, the favored people of God, as sinners and their crimes as so aggravated that the judgments of God wou ld awaken against those who bear the message of warning and who reprove sins. Th e unconsecrated will also be united with the adversary of souls to make the work of God s faithful servants as hard as possible. --Testimonies, Vol. 3, p. 261. In these days of separation and testing, the spirit of fear must not mold the mi nistry of responsible pastors and leaders. It is no kindness to comfort those wh o are asleep in Zion. We may be inclined, like Eli, to be very gentle and loving , but don t ever forget how that lack of firmness led to Eli s rejection. Much good can be said about the man, but he was too fearful of taking a strong, uncompromi sing, public stand against sin. Eli was gentle, loving, and kind, and had a true interest in the service of God a nd the prosperity of His cause. He was a man who had power in prayer. He never r ose up in rebellion against the words of God. But he was wanting; he did not -59have firmness of character to reprove sin and execute justice against the sinner so that God could depend upon him to keep Israel pure. He did not add to his fa ith the courage and power to say No at the right time and in the right place. Si n is sin; righteousness is righteousness. The trumpet note of warning must be so unded. We are living in a fearfully wicked age. The worship of God will become c orrupted unless there are wide-awake men at every post of duty. --Testimonies, Vol. 4, p. 517. Will God hold many sweet, gentle pastors responsible for sins they find no heart to expose and rebuke?

"If wrongs are apparent among His people, and if the servants of God pass on ind ifferent to them, they virtually sustain and justify the sinner, and are alike g uilty and will just as surely receive the displeasure of God; for they will be m ade responsible for the sins of the guilty. --Testimonies, Vol. 3, pp. 265,266. If the leaders of the church neglect to diligently search out the sins which brin g the displeasure of God upon the body, they become responsible for these sins. --Testimonies, Vol. 3, p. 269. Those who have too little courage to reprove wrong, or who through indolence or l ack of interest make no earnest effort to purify the family or the church of God , are held accountable for the evil that may result from their neglect of duty. We are just as responsible for evils that we might have checked in others by exe rcise of parental or pastoral authority as if the acts had been our own. --Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 578. In anticipation of his last-ditch effort to make God s special remnant lose confid ence in the law, would it not be logical for Satan to infiltrate the church with uncommitted pastors as well as unconverted members? When viewed in the context of the age-long warfare, it is easy to see how he would attempt such a long-rang e -60tactical ploy. Because we live literally in the final stages of this tremendous drawn-out drama , we become grandstand spectators of Satan s total strategy. Right now he is pulli ng together all the lines of influence which he has manipulated to weaken the co mmandment keepers. We see a converging of many circumstances which could not be understood until now, because they appeared only as distressing side issues. Sud denly we see that they were all tied together and were being masterminded by the great adversary himself. Look once more at the amazing order which the jigsaw puzzle begins to reveal.. T he isolated developments within the church are seen to be small portions of a gi ant pattern which is now approaching completion. It all makes sense in the light of Satan s ultimate objective. What better plan could he have devised than to dil ute the spiritual standards slowly by worldly wedges of compromise that grew big ger and bigger. At the same time, Satan exploited the fears of many against fana ticism and legalism, causing a radical swing toward grace-only, the finished wor k of the cross, and a downplay of sanctification. Some ministers were caught up in the trend, and were conditioned to accept new members for baptism without the fruits of full obedience. Under the influence of these unconverted ones, and a worldly-oriented membership, the church was not prepared to cope with the explos ive impact of the new theology, especially since it filtered through the weekly se rmons of numerous young advocates of the divergent views. My heart goes out to the hundreds of faithful Adventist who have written me abou t their efforts to stem the relentless tide of apostasy. They recognize the snipp ing away of one cherished principle after another, and are seeking support in the ir lonely work of trying to hold the line. My counsel is always the same. Stay i n the -61church, and especially stay close to the Lord Jesus in prayer and Bible study. B e sure that you stand on sound, historic truth, and DON T COMPROMISE! What is the real solution to the problems we face in the church today? The corpo rate answer, of course, is the shaking, but the personal solution is a very deep spiritual relationship with Christ. None of us can ever imagine the nature of t

he full-blown opposition program of Satan against the saints. He will literally throw everything in his arsenal of evil at those who stand in his way. Everythin g that can be shaken will be shaken. The large cities will be centers of violence and dangers. There will be no safe place there for Sabbathkeepers. We have received warning after warning to leave the great metropolitan areas and secure small places in the country. Money and p roperty will become a snare and threat to those who waited too long to put them into the work of God. The real deceitfulness of riches will be exposed when mill ions of Adventist dollars are swept away in the approaching economic collapse. For those who have placed their lives and possessions upon the altar, there will be no fear of the final events. By daily heart-searching prayer and Bible study , they have prepared themselves for the maelstrom of Armageddon. When the great controversy rises to its final stages, each person becomes the subject of a ragi ng battle between Christ and Satan. There will be security only for those who ha ve prepared in advance. The ones who have developed a conciliatory attitude towa rd the world cannot meet the test. God s call to Laodicea is to repent and lay hold of faith, love, the righteousness of Christ, and the Holy Spirit. There is hope and promise for every soul who wi ll cooperate with the agencies God provides for our sanctification. Like Daniel of old, we must be faithful in little things before we are prepared to face the death -62sentence. By developing unswerving loyalty in every circumstance, the soul is fo rtified, and victory is assured. How is it with you today? Are you waiting for more signs that the end is upon us ? Ask yourself what work of grace still needs to be done in your life in prepara tion for Christ s coming. If you are not spending at least an hour a day in study and prayer, how do you justify your neglect? We find time for what we really wan t to do. Satan s favorite deception is to create a false security in those who hav e only a nominal experience. Seek the Lord now while He may be found. Adjust your daily program to reserve ch oice prayer and study time in the early morning or evening. By consistent and de liberate decisions to make God first in your life, an amazing discipline of spir it will result. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brou ght into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness. --Christ s Object Lessons, p. 312. What an exciting possibility! The habitual yielding of the entire being to God r esults in an actual union with Him. When we hunger for that experience more than for anything else in the world, we shall receive it. And the desire grows as we spend time in His presence. The fragrance of such a relationship will fill any life with joy unspeakable. As you give priority, quality time for feeding on God s Word, there will be spiritua l revival also just as surely as growth follows the rain. If we keep the Lord ever before us, allowing our hearts to go out in thanksgiving and praise to Him, we shall have a continual freshness in our religious life. O ur prayers will take the form of a conversation with God as we would talk with a friend. He will speak His mysteries to us personally. -63-

Often there will come to us a sweet joyful sense of the presence of Jesus. Often our hearts will burn within us as He draws nigh to commune with us as He did wi th Enoch. --Christ s Object Lessons, p. 129. -64THE FEARFUL AND CARELESS SHAKEN OUT The experience of Gideon proves that God does not need great numbers to accompli sh His work. The army of 32,000 was practically wiped out then all the frightene d ones were invited to go home. Gideon must have been devastated as he watched 2 2,000 soldiers leave the ranks and run for home. He saw no way of routing the en emy with the remaining 10,000 men. But God saw that there were still too many, s o He ordered another test to be applied. On the way to battle every man paused a t the river to get a drink of water. All but three hundred of the soldiers carel essly dot down on their knees to sip water from the flowing river, making it imp ossible to keep their eyes on the enemy. The elite three hundred did not drop on their knees, but quickly scooped water into their hands, and lapped it with the ir tongues. The Lord said: By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and -65deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every ma n unto his place. --Judges 7:7. We know the story of God s great victory that day which He wrought through a small company of Israelites. With lamps and pitchers, and trumpets they shattered the mighty strength of the Midianite army. What is the lesson for us today as we face out final war of deliverance? There i s a beautiful parallel with Gideon s experience. We shall be, literally, a remnant of the remnant, just like the sifted and shaken residue of Gideon s forces. The l esson is that God cannot use COWARDS, and He cannot use CARELESS ones in the cru cial battle just before us. We have presented incontestable evidence in this boo k that God requires bold, courageous followers who will deal with sin in the spi rit of Elijah and John the Baptist. Those who give the loud cry under the latter rain, will not fear what man can do to them. They will lay bare the sins of Bab ylon, and also preach the straight testimony to the slumbering Laodicean church. They will give the trumpet a certain sound. Can careless ones be a part of the sealed saints in the day of battle? All the e vidence says no. Our enemy is not the Midianites; our enemy is the world. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is e nmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy o f God. --James 4:4. Have we found it at all possible to accommodate the world and still be sealed du ring the loud cry? None whatsoever. Those who are carelessly compromising with t he world will fall prey to false teaching, because their ability to discern trut h and error has been destroyed. Right now the test of Gideon is being applied to the -66remnant church, and the exodus is beginning to take place. The cowards and carel ess are being forced to show their hand as the straight testimony of the True Wi tness begins to be heard throughout the Seventh-day Adventist Church. This messa ge will not be sounded by those outside the church, but by those within who are sighing and crying for the abominations which exist among the members.

Never forget that the victorious three hundred in Gideon s day did not win by virt ue of numbers of equipment. They were armed with two things only a lamp in a pitch er and a trumpet. Here is the scenario of victory for the little remnant. The la mp with its oil represent the Holy Spirit in the latter rain which falls only up on the fully obedient, sealed ones. The trumpet symbolizes the bold sounding of the warning against Laodicean worldliness and compromise. Perhaps the comparison of 300 to 32,000 may be significant as to the small portion who were described by Sister White. They were the only ones who did not give up the Sabbath and join the opposition. --(Testimonies, Vol. 1, p. 608.) Will the organized church be receptive to the call to repent and renounce the ap ostasy which has been allowed to develop? In 1888 she was not willing to receive the same message which was described as the beginning of the latter rain. It wi ll never be easy to pull back up to a higher standard. Every lesson of our past teaches us that the downward cascade will continue. But this time the normal, pr edictable pattern will be broken and changed. It will be a terrible and traumati c decision because it will seem to threaten the entire structure and fabric of t he church. All will appear ready to fall and disintegrate, but the church does n ot fall. The Spirit of God provides the power for a clean break. No one can pred ict how painful this experience will be. As we have seen, God will raise up many of the common people to replace the brightest -67lights who will go out. The work will then be finished quickly by those who are ready to depend upon divine power rather than the training of literary institutio ns. --(The Great Controversy, p. 606.) The solemn question which faces each one of us right now is whether we will be i n that special little group who will accept the Laodicean message of repentance and reformation. Even though many rejected the message when it came in 1888, are we more humble and receptive now to such a call? Do we recognize the breakdown of standards, and grieve over the worldly drift of the church? What about your o wn heart? Does it welcome the call to a deeper cleansing and consecration of lif e? If the professed people of God find their hearts opposed to this straight work, i t should convince them that they have a work to do to overcome, if they would no t be spewed out Those who come up to every point, and stand every test, and overcome, be the pri ce what it may, have heeded the counsel of the True Witness, and they will recei ve the latter rain. --Testimonies, Vol. 1, p. 187. The church is in the Laodicean state. The presence of God is not in her midst... What a terrible thing it is to exclude Christ from His own temple! What a loss t o the church! Our Redeemer sends His messengers to bear a testimony to His peopl e... But many refuse to receive Him, because they fear that He will be an expens ive guest... they fear that He will require something from them. And so Jesus of Nazareth passes by. He longs to bestow on them His rich blessings and gifts of grace, but they refuse to accept them. --Brown Leaflet Series, Education, No. 6, 1898. the Laodicean message is full of encouragement; for the backslidden church may ye t buy the gold of faith and love, may yet have the white robe of the righteousne ss of Christ, that the shame of their nakedness need not appear. Purity of heart , purity of motive, may yet characterize those who are halfhearted and who are s triving to serve God and mammon. -68-

They may yet wash their robes of character and make them white in the blood of t he Lamb --Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, p. 966. The sin of ancient Israel was in disregarding the expressed will of God and follo wing their own way according to the leadings of unsanctified hearts. Modern Isra el are fast following in their footsteps, and the displeasure of the Lord is as surely resting upon them. --Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 94. Remind yourself often that there is a tremendous parallel between ancient Israel and modern Israel. We have been warned of the terrible danger of following the course pursued by the Jewish nation, which culminated in their rejection as God s people. All that happened to them was for our admonition, upon whom the ends of t he world are come. (1 Corinthians 10:11.) God pleaded with them often to separate from the nations around them, and reject any compromise with Baal worship. Said He: My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, th ey have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place. --Jeremiah 50:6. The prophet portrays the grief of God over His poor people who find no place to rest. They are led away by their own pastors into strange paths. Then comes God s call again through the prophet Jeremiah: Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, wh ere is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. Bu t they said, We will not walk therein. --Jeremiah 6:16. Until God s Israel today returns to the landmarks of truth and restores the old pa ths the good way they -69will never find that resting place for their souls. In summary, we can say that the doctrinal confusion in our church is largely the result of worldly compromise. The compromise was generated by a Laodicean lukew armness which was spawned by the neglect of a personal relationship with Christ. Every link in the chain of apostasy leads right back to the great, basic proble m of not taking time to pray, study, and give Jesus first place in the life. Thu s the true remedy for Laodicea is announced to be gold, white raiment and eyesal ve, representing the elements of true personal religion. Faith, the Holy Spirit, and the righteousness of Christ will generate such individual revival that it w ill make a clean sweep of Laodicea, purging and purifying from top to bottom. What a prospect! God will have a people who reflect the image of Jesus fully. Th is message will close on a glorious note of triumph. All the powers of hell will not be able to prevail against the church which is built upon the Rock of endur ing truth. Out of the crucible of loneliness, betrayal, and persecution God will bring forth a residue of faithful ones who will vindicate His character before the universe. They will be the ones who gathered strength from the defections of others. They will be the faithful group who looked to Christ rather than men, and would not a lter their convictions to please the crowd. These are the loyalists who did not leave the ship because it shook and trembled. True as a needle to the pole their consciences would not bow to the blowing winds of compromise or smooth doctrine . Do you see yourself, by faith, standing with that shining company upon the sea o

f glass? God grant that we shall be a part of that precious remnant. -70-