CHAPTER
III.
REQUIREMENTS
OF THE MORAL SYSTEM
The
administration of government is a simple, easy, yes, a pleasant matter, where
all the subjects are perfectly obedient. No such Government now exists on this
earth; but every one can picture to himself how happy the State would be where
there was no sin; no violation of the law; no invasion of rights; no denial or
disregard of authority; no discord, but each seeking the peace and happiness of
the other. Who would not pray, “Thy kingdom come,” if its coming will introduce
such a state of things?
(((I (the
blog/study/excerpt poster) need to interject here for a moment. When I read the
above I could imagine A LOT of people do NOT want a perfect, harmonious world.
So many people thrive on chaos and disorder. We've altered the perception of
what would constitute a perfect world and changed it greatly from a
'government' with at 'happy State', without sin, without violation of law, etc.
We've made that kind of world seem dictatorship ruled, communistic,
authoritative. The mere thought of such a world scarcely brings longing to
anyone anymore because it is associated with oppression by the ONE(s) in
charge. The RULER(s) who dictates to people, and such a ruler is deemed evil to
force PEACE upon others. Satan has worked his evil so thoroughly that beyond
doubt- evil is called good and good is called evil. While people may mouth the
words of peace for all mankind, inwardly they want a different kind of
existence where they have little or no boundaries set upon them by anyone. To
them freedom from oppression is freedom from morality. (End of my interjection)
))))
But when
sin enters, everything is changed. New and strange relations are introduced.
New interests spring up. New duties devolve upon both the Government and the
criminal. The governor must then take steps to maintain the integrity of the
law, the honor of the State, and thereby to protect the subjects from the
consequences of wrong-doing. For every violation of the law is an invasion upon
the rights and liberties of the citizens. As we shall notice more particularly
hereafter, two parties then arise; one, pitying the criminal, pleading for
mercy; the other, fearing for the safety of the State and the welfare of its
subjects, pleading for justice. And such are the realities now before us. With
such an unfortunate state of things we have to deal. Such difficulties and
diverse interests are found everywhere upon the face of the earth. While we
consider the requirements of a moral system in such a state of things, we must
bear in mind that there is no moral Government on earth. That is to say, there
is no Government on earth entirely of moral principles, or administered solely
upon a moral basis. And, from the very nature of things, it is impossible that
there shall be in the present state. No human Government is administered with
regard to the intentions of the subjects aside from their actions. No governor, no judge, no jury, has
been able to “discern the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Secret things are
not, and cannot here, be brought into judgement. A moral system, or a moral
Government, can be administered by God alone. All that we have
- 25 - J.
H. Waggoner
said or
shall say respecting a moral system, we say in reference to the rule and
authority of God, who only can
defend moral principles, and bring into judgment the violators of the
spirit of law as well as the violators of its letter. But the principles of
justice and of government we may understand, and are able to discern in regard
to their requirements under various circumstances. According to the measure of
our ability, we are under obligation to maintain these principles; and though
we cannot discern the intents of the hearts of others, we are required to guard
our own hearts, and to respect these principles in our lives. And however much
we might shrink from the strict enforcement of these principles, we must bear
in mind that law not only binds us, but it protects us; and we would have every
reason to dread the results of a failure to uphold and enforce law. We
deprecate tyranny, but it is seldom as blindly cruel as anarchy. We will now
proceed, as briefly as possible, to examine some of the well-known and
well-accepted claims and requirements of government.
(Excerpt
from-) THE ATONEMENT-AN EXAMINATION OF A REMEDIAL SYSTEM IN THE LIGHT OF NATURE
AND REVELATION. (1884)
BY ELDER J. H. WAGGONER
Heb_4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged
sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the
joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
To be
continued….
*******
(((Including
a "Watchman, What of the Night?" Thought Paper - Seventh-Day Adventists who seek only
truth would be wise to read it. I'm not saying those seeking PERFECTION, all of
us have sinned some greater sins than others. God has used sinners to be His
prophets, His preachers, His teachers, simply because all humans fight the
spiritual battle, the moral battle and there are NONE who are perfect - except
our Savior, Jesus Christ.))))
1979 May -- A QUESTION TO
CONSIDER --
Jesus
asked a question - "When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the
earth?" (Luke 18:8)
There are
two things of interest in regard to this question which Jesus propounded. Both
are revealed in the Greek text. In the Greek sentence is an untranslatable
particle - ara - which marks an inferential question to which a
negative answer is expected. However, it is the second aspect of this question
that I would have you consider. The question literally reads - "When the
Son of man cometh, shall He find the faith
on the earth?"
Jesus was
not suggesting when He comes, the world will be devoid of religion, theology,
or doctrine. He had stated in the Sermon on the Mount that in the final day of
judgment, "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord have we not
prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name
done many wonderful works?" (Matt. 7:22) Paul tells us "the Spirit
speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,
giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." (I Tim. 4:1) In
fact the whole of the final picture in the Book of Revelation indicates that
there will be a deep interest in religious activities. Men will worship - but
it will be the beast, and its image! (Rev. 13:15; 14:9) The world of religion -
symbolized by the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet - will have a great
spiritual revival - "spirits of devils, working miracles." (Rev.
16:14) The question Jesus asked was simply - Would He find THE faith on the
earth? - the faith which He left in trust to His followers.
There will
be a group of people who will "keep. . . the faith of Jesus" (Rev.
14:12); but compared to the vast throngs of humanity who will deny this faith
for "the doctrines of devils" it will seem that the genuine faith
will be nonexistent. The question thus comes to each professor of truth -
"Am I in THE faith?"
But this
is not all of our responsibility. Jude wrote - "Beloved, when I gave all
diligence to write to you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to
write to you, and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for
the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." (vs. 3) In an
hour when every wind of doctrine is blowing, we dare not sit idly by thinking
that because we are in THE faith, that is all that will be required. We must
earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
When God
raised up this Movement in 1844 - and let us keep this fact distinct from
church "organization" which did not come till 1863 - He gave to the
small company "who after the passing of time in 1844, searched for truth
as for hidden
p 2 -- treasure" light which enabled
them "to understand the Scriptures in regard to Christ, His mission, and
His priesthood." It was a "line of truth" that would extend from
that date till we should enter the city of God. (Special Testimonies Series B, No. 2, pp. 56-57)
On this
sure platform of truth, we are to stand, and for this truth we are to contend.
We read: As a people, we are to stand firm
on the platform of eternal truth that has withstood test and trial. We are to
hold to the sure pillars of our faith. The principles of truth that God has
revealed to us are our only true foundation. They have made us what we are. The
lapse of time has not lessened their value. It is the constant effort of the
enemy to remove these truths from their setting, and to put in their place
spurious theories. He will bring in everything that he possibly can to carry
out his deceptive designs. But the Lord will raise up men of keen perception,
who will give these truths their proper place in the plan of God.(Ibid., P. 51)
Not only
is it the constant work of the enemy to remove these truths from their setting,
but God in His mercy has told us when we will have reached the most critical
time in that attempt on the part of the devil and his human mouthpieces. Of
this we read: After the
truth has been proclaimed as a witness to all nations, every conceivable power
of evil will be set in operation, and minds will be confused. . .
Then there will be a removing of the
landmarks, and an attempt to tear down the pillars of our faith. R&H, Dec. 13, 1892 (7BC:985)
We have
limited the scope of our thinking to conclude that when the Sabbath truth has
been proclaimed to all nations (The Greek can be also translated -
"Gentiles") the end that would come would be the very event of the
second coming of Christ in the clouds of glory. (Matt. 24:14) But the servant
of the Lord, says that the "end" has a much larger meaning than we
have previously supposed. It will be the "end time" in which
"the devil is come down having great wrath" (Rev. 12:10) as he seeks
to prepare the world for his appearance as Christ. "Every conceivable
power of evil will be set in operation." "Then there will be a removing of the landmarks, and an
attempt to tear down the pillars of our faith" - the faith delivered to us
in 1844.
The Lord
has not left us in ignorance concerning when this time will be. It is now! When
the truth of the Sabbath - see context of statement in 7BC:985 - has been proclaimed as a
witness to the Gentiles or nations, their time is up - it is then the
"end-time." The prophecy of warning given by Jesus reads -
"Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, till the times of the
Gentiles [nations] be fulfilled." (Luke 21:24) This event was fulfilled in
1967. Thus God has signaled to those who desire truth that we have indeed
reached the "end-time" when the enemy is seeking to tear down the
pillars of our faith. Sadly the vast majority of the professed people of God
are letting this be done without raising a voice in protest, or to contend for
the faith once delivered to the saints.
p 3 -- Some who seem to be upholding
"the faith" deny the fulfillment of this prophecy and declare they
see no significance in it. Thus they are putting out the eyesight of the very
saints they are professing to be helping to understand the message of
righteousness by faith. What a tragedy!
This
tragedy is being compounded in that this very tearing down of the pillars of
our faith is being done not from
without, but from within with the full approval and blessing of the hierarchy.
The leadership appears to be giving lip service to the historic faith through
the pages of the Adventist Review,
but they continue to permit professors from our schools to have full rein to
disseminate their deadly heresies upon the laity of the church. And these same
teachers of religion are placing in the minds of the future ministers of the
church, these same deadly heresies. Well may we cry with the Psalmist -
"Help Lord, for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among
the children of men." (Ps. 12:1)
Somehow,
we seem to have overlooked the prophecy which
reads: Many (not just a few) will stand in
our pulpits with the torch of false prophecy in their hands, kindled from the
hellish torch of Satan. If doubts and unbelief are cherished, the faithful
ministers will be removed from the people who think they know so much. "If
thou hadst known," said Christ, "even thou, at least in this thy day,
the things which belong to thy peace! but now they are hid from thine
eyes." Luke 19:42 (TM, pp. 409-410)
Keep in
mind that today no one can get into the pulpit of our organizational
Seventh-day Adventist Church unless he holds valid, up-to-date credentials from
the hierarchy. (The only exceptions are Catholic priests, and Apostate
Protestant clergy.) Thus this prophecy tells us that the hierarchy will be
responsible for the "false prophecy" which will be pressed upon the
laity from the pulpits of the church they thought was keeping the faith. The
"faithful ministers" will be removed and many of them have been this
is a matter of record.
Today, not
only is Dr. Desmond Ford being given free access to the pulpits of our churches
in many conferences, but he is instructing ministers at Worker's Meetings, and
teaching future ministerial students in one of our schools - Pacific Union
College. Further his damnable heresy of prophetic futurism - which came out of
Jesuitism - is being lauded from the Southern Publishing Association which has
published his book - Daniel.
This publication is being hailed as the greatest work on prophecy in the church
since Uriah Smith's Thoughts on
Daniel. But Ford is not alone; he has cohorts in apostasy in the area of
Justification by Faith and the Incarnation, such as Heppenstall, and others,
both active and retired. Remember the servant of the Lord said this "false
prophecy" would come right from the pulpits of the Church!
Thank God,
the Movement is in His hands, and the firm platform is still solid for the feet
of the saints. May God help the laity to see the difference between the church
organized in 1863, and the Movement of God founded in 1844. Are you in THE
faith? Are you contending for THE faith which was once delivered unto the
saints? When the Son of man cometh, He will come to take "the saints"
who " keep. . . the faith of Jesus."
p 4 -- TRUTH UPHELD IN AUSTRALIA -- Two veteran
ministers of the Adventist Church in Australia Elders J. W. Kent and George
Burnside 1 - have published a
small tract entitled: - Dr. D.
Ford Versus E. G. White on the Vital Subject of the Man of Sin. (Short
title -The Man of Sin) The
position of Dr. Desmond Ford is taken from his doctoral dissertation at
Manchester University in 1972, a copy of which is in the Avondale College
Library. The comparison is headed by a statement from Testimonies to Ministers which
reads - "The Lord has called His people. . . to expose the wickedness of
the man of sin." (p. 118) The following references are quoted from the
Spirit of Prophecy: God's Estimate of the Papal Power - By the treatment of His
Word the popes have exalted themselves above the God of heaven. This is the
reason that in prophecy the papal power is specified as the "man of
sin." Satan is the originator of sin. The power that he causes to alter
any one of God's holy precepts, is the man of sin. Under Satan's special
direction the papal power has done this very work.(7BC:911)
The Representative of Satan - There is
one pointed out in prophecy as the man of sin. He is the representative of
Satan. Taking the suggestions of Satan concerning the law of God, which is as
unchangeable as His throne, this man of sin comes in and represents to the
world that he has changed the law, and that the first day of the week instead
of the seventh is now the Sabbath. Professing infallibility, he claims the
right to change the law of God to suit his own purposes. By so doing, he exalts
himself above God. (7BC:910)
The
special characteristic of the beast. . . is the breaking of God's commandments.
Says Daniel of the little horn, the papacy, "He shall think to change the
times and the law." And Paul styled the same power the ''man of sin,"
who was to exalt himself above God. One prophecy is a compliment of the other.
Only by changing God's law could the papacy exalt itself above God; . . . (GC, p.
446)
. . . the
beast itself, - - the papacy. (GC, p. 443) . . . the representative of Satan, -
- the bishop of Rome. (GC, P. 50) The "man of sin," which is
also styled the "mystery of iniquity," the "son of
perdition," and "that wicked," represents the papacy, which as
foretold in prophecy, was to maintain its supremacy for 1260 years. This period
ended in 1798. The coming of Christ could not take place before that time. Paul
covers with his caution the whole of the Christian dispensation down to the
year 1798. It is this side of that time that the message of Christ's second
coming is to be proclaimed. (GC, p. 356)
1 Elder George Burnside before retirement
served as Evangelist and Ministerial Secretary of the Australian Division.
p 5 -- Opposite the quotations which we
have copied on page 4, are given these from Dr. Desmond Ford's
dissertation: We have also noticed that many
things can be said with certainty regarding what the Antichrist is not. He is
not any past personage. He belongs to the future and not to history. (p. 246)
In a
bygone polemical era Protestants assumed this usage in 2 Thessalonians and
thereby found an effective club to batter the papal antichrist. This view,
however, ignored not only the eschatological setting of 2 Thess 2, but also the
truth that the Christian church must cease to be such once the Antichrist
becomes its tenant. (pp. 248-49)
We have
noticed also that the lawless one appears only at the end of' time. (p. 242)
In the
setting of 2 Thess 2, Antichrist is an individual to be manifested at the end
of time. His parousia is a sign that the end has come. Therefore, any
interpretation which applies this passage to an individual of past history, or
to a succession of such, misses the mark.(p.
238)
Then the
conclusion is drawn by Elders Kent and Burnside as
follows: The above statements speak for
themselves. Dr. Ford says the opposite to God's inspired penman.
Dr. Ford
not merely refuses to follow this instruction, but joins with the enemies of
Truth. To him the man of sin is not in "past history" but
"appears only at the end of time." He joins with the futurists the
most bitter opponents of God's Threefold Message. A careful reading of Dr.
Ford's thesis has failed to find one indication that the papacy is the man of
sin. His series of articles in the Signs
of the Times is likewise silent on this vital truth.
Dr. Ford's
strong emphasis on a future antichrist who is to "appear only at the end
of time," who "belongs to the future and not to history" is a
blunt denial and rebuttal to all that has been clearly stated in Great Controversy, Daniel and Revelation and scores
of our other books, as well as Adventist preaching and teaching for over 130
years.
It is
apparent that Dr. Ford has gone to the ranks of our opponents. It shows how far
on this road he has drifted when F. F. Bruce, a Plymouth Brethren, will write a
foreword to Dr. Ford's book and have his name in clear print on the
cover. [See Daniel by
Dr. Ford published by Southern Publishing Association.]
May God
give every lover of the Advent Message grace to continually lift voice, pen,
means and influence in combating this enemy of
truth. "If God abhors one sin above
another of which His people are guilty, it is
p 6 -- doing nothing in case of an
emergency. Indifference and neutrality is regarded of God as a grievous crime,
and in a religious crisis equal to the very worst type of hostility
against God." (3T:281)
Because
Elders Kent and Burnside sought to warn the professed people of God concerning
"the hellish torch of false prophecy" kindled in the class rooms of
Avondale College, published by the Southern Publishing Association, they were
barred from the pulpits of The Greater Sydney Conference of the church in
Australia. See the letter reproduced on p. 7. As you read this letter, you will
observe that the Conference President, Elder K. J. Bullock, accused these
ministers as producing an "unscholarly, unethical" document which
"seriously misrepresents Dr. Desmond Ford." An evaluation of this
tract has been made by Dr. Colin D. Standish, formerly president of Columbia
Union College, and now Academic Dean of Weimar Institute in California. In a
signed statement, he wrote: I have carefully
examined the section of Dr. Desmond Ford's thesis presented to Manchester
University, 1972, dealing with the man of sin. As one who has served on
graduate theses' committees, it is my opinion that the authors of "Dr. D.
Ford verses E. G. White on the vital subject of the Man of Sin" have used
their sources accurately and in context. I discovered three punctuational
errors from the thesis which have no significance to contextual meaning. Two
are abbreviation stops and one is a missing comma. There is also a
capitalisation and a paging mistake and slight wording error in the references
from Ellen G. White. This involves the reference from Great Controversy given as page
442, which in fact is page 443.
In my
evaluation there is a very careful effort by the author of the thesis to make
his point that the man of sin is not identifiable with the Papacy of the past,
and it is my view that, not only are the conclusions to this effect in the
paper referred to above, consistent with the thesis material, they are the only
possible conclusions than can be made. Dr. Ford's views, as expressed in his
thesis are diametrically opposed to, and irreconcilable with, the inspired
writings of Ellen G. White on this topic of the man of sin.
p 7 -- THE GREATER SYDNEY CONFERENCE OF
THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
84 THE BOULEVARDE.
STRATHFIELD. N.S.W. 2135. TELEPHONE: 747-6465
December
18, 1978.
Dear
Brethren: Considerable anguish has been
caused in the Conference by the circulation of an anonymous document entitled
"The Man of Sin."
Pastor J.
W. Kent claims that he and Pastor Burnside are responsible for the document. It
has apparently been placed in the hands of some retired ministers and possibly
some laymen at Cooranbong who have assisted in its circulation.
The
document is unscholarly, unethical and seriously misrepresents Dr. Desmond
Ford. The conclusions drawn in the document are totally invalid and the spirit
of it is certainly not good.
We
consider that while this document is in circulation Pastors W. Kent and G.
Burnside should not occupy the pulpit in our Conference churches and we are
therefore asking you not to list them for preaching appointments.
With very
best wishes,
Yours
sincerely,
K. J.
Bullock, PRESIDENT.
p 8 -- THE PROBLEM -- The concerned
brethren in Australia are seeking to contend for the faith which has been
committed to us as a people against the inroad of apostasy as represented in
the teachings of Dr. Desmond Ford now of Pacific Union College. But these
brethren have failed to reckon with the "new" official position of
the hierarchy of the Church as stated in the Briefs submitted to the United
States District Court of Northern California in the case of EEOC vs PPPA. In a
Brief filed with the Court on March 3, 1975 by the lawyers for the Pacific
Press, it is stated in a footnote: Although
it is true that there was a period in the life of the Seventh-day Adventist
Church when the denomination took a distinctly anti-Roman Catholic viewpoint,
and the term "hierarchy" was used in a perjorative sense to refer to
the papal form of church governance, that attitude on the Church's part was
nothing more than a manifestation of widespread anti-popery among conservative
protestant denominations in the early part of this century and the latter part
of the last, and which has now been consigned to the historical trash heap so
far as the Seventh-day Adventist Church is concerned. (p. 4, #2)
The
question now arises, how can the officials of the Church and the Brief quoted
above was submitted with their full approval - take sides against Dr. Desmond
Ford, who is merely articulating these same concepts from a slightly different
viewpoint? What the brethren in Australia fail to realize is how deep and dark
the apostasy actually is within the Church. They see only Dr. Desmond Ford, and
do not see that he has cohorts in apostasy within and without the hierarchy of
the Church. Word has come to this desk that the new president of the General
Conference - Elder Neal C. Wilson - is planning to rein in Dr. Ford. But how
can he challenge Dr.. Ford on his position in regard to the "Man of
Sin" when soon after his elevation to the chair of "first
minister" he sought to pay a "courtesy visit" on a Catholic
cardinal? You can read about it in the Adventist
Review. Here is the report: Church
leaders in Britain made contacts with the Archbishop of
Canterbury,
Donald Coggan, and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Basil
(Cardinal) Hume, with a view to Elder Wilson's paying courtesy visits. Unfortunately, the Adventists
were not able to give these religious dignitaries sufficient notice for dialoguesto materialize on this occasion;
however, both archbishops sent greetings and best wishes to the new General
Conference president on his assuming office. (March
22, 1979, p. 19)
We dare
not forget - "It is the rejection of Bible truth which makes men
approach to infidelity. It is a backsliding church that lessens the distance
between itself and the Papacy." (Signs of the Times, Feb. 19, 1894)
"AND
LET IT BE REMEMBERED, IT IS THE BOAST OF ROME THAT SHE NEVER CHANGES." Great Controversy, p. 581
"At a
mass officiated by the Pope at the Palafoxian seminary [during his Mexican
tour], the official guide stated that John Paul II 'fills the place of Christ,
is the greatest human mediator between God and man, and is assisted by the Holy
Spirit and cannot err.' During his appearance in Oaxaca, a priest who later
received a papal blessing led the crowd in shouting, 'For those who have sight,
you, John Paul II, are for us, Christ."'Christianity
Today, March 2, 1979, "News"
++++++
p 9 -- DR. D. FORD'S DANGEROUS DOCTRINES -- This is the
title of, a 20 page booklet published in Australia by the Watchman Press (P. 0.
Box 18, Beecroft, NSW 2119) which covers not only the teaching of Dr. Ford in
regard to the "Man of Sin," but also other doctrines which are at
variance with the historic faith of the Advent Movement. Elder J. W. Kent in
the "Preface" writes: In the early
1970's the senior ministers, and especially the evangelists in our Australian
division faced a serious problem. They found themselves having wide doctrinal
differences with the young interns fresh from Avondale College coming to work
with them. This very different theology was traced back to the Bible
Department, then headed by Dr. D. Ford.
In their
perplexity the senior men, some active and some retired talked amongst
themselves, and ultimately formed a study group to investigate the new
theology. Having studied the new theology, we found it did not harmonize with
the foundation Adventist teaching we had been and were still preaching. As a
group we have consistently opposed the new theology. To date we have endeavored
to confine our approach to the president and officers of the division. Now we
are widening our approach to include senior ministers and elders.
The next
page carries the names of eight ministers in the Australian Division:
J. W. Kent, Herbert White, A. W. Knight, R. N. Heggie, J. E.
Cormack, George Burnside, J. B. Keith, and W. G. Ferris. Over these names, it
is written concerning this publication: This
is the voice of concerned men. As is well known we have given our lives in the
preaching of the Everlasting Gospel - The Three Angels' Messages of Rev.
14:6-12. This is God's last appeal to a sin-doomed world, reaching from 1844 to
the coming of our Saviour as King of kings. This message is a line of truth
that stretches from 1844 to the End. Not a pin or a pillar is to be removed.
This is the instruction of Inspiration. We gladly write in its defense.
Every
Adventist who is awakened from his Laodicean nap can say "Amen" to
the concern of these men. In the booklet they list the dangerous doctrines of
Dr. Desmond Ford as follows:
1) Dr. D. Ford denies there is a
Two Apartment Sanctuary in Heaven.
2) Dr. Ford claims that Heaven Is
the Sanctuary.
3) Denies the Papacy is the
Man of Sin.
4) The Bible is not unerring.
[The Bible contains errors.]
5) The Age of the Earth is much
older than the Bible or Spirit of Prophecy indicates.
6) The Apostle Paul did not write
the Book of Hebrews. (Also held at Andrews University.)
p 10 -- 7) Christ expected the
END in His generation
8) The four methods of prophetic
interpretation Historicism, Preterism, Futurism, and Idealism - all contain
aspects of truth. [The same thing is taught in his book - Daniel - published by SPA. See
pp. 68-69. Preterism and Futurism were methods invented by Jesuits.]
9) Dr. Ford teaches "The
Finished Work of Christ" on the Cross. (So also Dr. Heppenstall, and
the books, Questions on Doctrine and Movement of Destiny.)
10) Dr. Ford down-grades the
imparted righteousness of Christ.
These men
are to be commended on the stand they are now taking. However, there remains
some gnawing questions. Where were these men some twenty-five plus years ago
when all of this apostasy started in the Church? Are they so naive as to
believe this all began with Dr. Desmond Ford? What stand did these men take
when the book - Questions on
Doctrine - was published? How did they respond to Elder Andreasen's Letters to the Churches? Where
were they when the book - Movement
of Destiny - was presented to the Church with Pierson's and
Wilson's imprimatur? Both - Questions
on Doctrine and Movement
of Destiny teach some of the same doctrines these men now consider
dangerous. Were their voices raised then to earnestly contend for the faith
which was once delivered unto the saints?
This
booklet contains another major problem in regard to the truth. No where in its
20 pages does it score Dr. Desmond Ford in regard to his false theory
concerning the Incarnation. On this subject there is a strange silence. Yet,
Dr. Ford through his wife, Gillian, presented an unequivocal challenge that
what one believed in regard to the Incarnation effected what one believed in
regard to Righteousness by Faith. (See The
Soteriological Implications of the Human Nature of Christ, p. 2) While
these venerable men challenge Ford in the area of the imparted righteousness of
Christ (See point #10 above), they say nothing in regard to the Incarnation,
and the historic position of the Church on this subject. We need to keep in
mind that the recent Sabbath School lessons on this topic received open
opposition at high levels in Australia. Where did these men stand at that time?
Since
these brethren are now "widening" their approach "to include
senior ministers and elders" let us pray that they will not only give
truth, but the whole truth as it is in Jesus. And when they write - "On
these truths we dare not compromise" (p. 18), may they have the courage to
include "the most marvelous thing that ever took place in earth or heaven
- the incarnation of the Son of God." (Ms. 76,
1903: 7BC:904)
WHITE MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER BEING MORTGAGED?
-- On the next page is a copy of an advertising letter received by
a Catholic family in Wisconsin, -- who turned it over to his Adventist neighbor
who did not receive one. All underscoring in the reproduced letter was done by
the B. C. Ziegler and Company. With the letter was a colored sheet picturing
the $8,000,000 White Memorial Medical Center. This sheet notes that
"holders of the bonds due March 1 , 1994 have the option to have such
bonds mature on March 1, 1989."
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