For those who would use the FBs (or any other …

Comment on A little-known history about Belief 6 by Ray Dickinson.

For those who would use the FBs (or any other thing) to separate brethren, advocating, in its purest form, disfellowshipping those who do not believe given doctrines, what do you have to say regarding these scriptures?

(Mouse over each to view the text.)

Matthew 13:24-30, NKJV
(Note: the tares were allowed to grow with the wheat until the harvest. Matthew 13:30, NKJV)
Matthew 13:37-42, NKJV
(Note: the angels are the ones who gather out those who offend. Matthew 13:40-41, NKJV)
Matthew 13:47-50, NKJV
(Note: the separation happens at the end of the age. Matthew 13:49, NKJV)

Ray Dickinson Also Commented

A little-known history about Belief 6
Good points Sean. Thank you.


A little-known history about Belief 6

Do you think that this article, which advocates for a revision to FB6 because it is missing 3 Adventist Historical Landmarks, is an appeal to “tradition” in the codifying of belief?  

Yes! Hence my disapproval of it. Because we have distilled our study of Scripture into nice bits of truth, we feel justified in holding those bits of truth as the standard, in essence transferring our loyalty from God’s spoken word to our diligent study of that which was written, which was to lead us to Him.

But in making this transfer, we hold man’s authority as the standard. Some claim that because Ellen White said that the voice of God is heard in the GC session, that apparently anything that they vote is then infallible. Yet they fail to note the spirit of her statement. She indicated that she had not confidence in certain individuals of authority in the church to reveal the will of God, but that, in a greater assembly, she would be confident. Yet the principle remains: if the leaders are not setting their own ambitions and motives aside, God’s will will not be accurately revealed through them, whether few or many.

To make the church’s voted statements while in GC session an infallible revelation of God’s will, is eerily reminiscent of papal infallibility. The only difference being the number of individuals involved.

Let us use the Bible as our creed, and yes, hold our educators accountable to it. We should not be teaching Evolution as fact, not because it conflicts with the voted “Belief #6,” but because it is contrary to the teaching of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Why do we need the authority of the church to define our beliefs, when we have Jesus’ authority?! The authority of the church is in the pay stub, and they thus have the right to specify that the professors teach according to the teaching of Scripture, just as my employer has the right to specify the nature of what I am to do for them.

It is clear from the Scripture that God created in six literal days, as has been brought out in this forum. This should be the standard for our professors, not “Belief #6,” as endorsed by the church.


A little-known history about Belief 6

Why then do they also choose to burden themselves by staying in the Adventist church which has officially voted so many beliefs (28)?

But one thing we do applaud our evolutionist brethren for – is transparently and openly “going after” the voted doctrines of the Seventh-DAY Adventist church as in the following [see above]

Bob,

Why do you lump me in with “our evolutionist brethren”? I clearly stated at the beginning of my post that I believe in a literal six-day creation. Your words are very sharp against me, and I find it difficult to harmonize the spirit of your comments with the statement on your signature line. If we should meet in heaven, as I pray is the case, will you still be bitter toward me? Will you still speak like the piercings of a sword?

Am I a burden to you or my church (whom I love, else I would not be here discussing this issue) because I don’t believe our Savior commanded us to write down our doctrines and enforce them for membership? It is no burden for me to remain an Adventist. No, and I seek to lighten the burdens that we have brought on ourselves, which Christ did not burden us with. Shall I leave the people I love because I don’t agree with all of them? Does everyone who agrees on the 28 fundamentals agree on every other point? Why then don’t we make those into big issues, and add them to the 28? If you take this reasoning to its logical end, you may find yourself the only member of the “true church”!

I do not doubt God’s leading in the development of these beliefs, but I fear they are more of a limitation than an edification. Instead of studying the Bible for myself, I grew up “knowing” the truths of the church. Why do we need to write them down and teach doctrines instead of leading our children to the living Word, who will Himself teach them His doctrine through His Spirit? That is my question. Let us live what we believe rather than enforce legalistic obedience to words! I am not casting doubt on the validity of the principles the doctrines convey. I simply believe we must graduate from written law to the Spiritual law of faith, written in our hearts (though there is no disagreement between the two).

Ray,
I can’t understand how you could feel that our origins are not important or how they are separate from our belief in Christ and our salvation. … Whether you realize it or not, you are actually allying yourself with the enemy when you belittle the importance of our origins and take away the glory due to Christ for His wonderful creative powers.

Faith,

My point was simply that salvation is about Christ and Christ alone. I personally find great awe and worship in the praise of God for His creation, which is far beyond anything man even yet conceives! Far be it from me to take away His glory! But what if He receives even greater glory from the salvation of a soul than from all His creative work? I recognize the interrelationship between salvation and creation, but I also believe that many will be saved who, though they believed many falsehoods, including an evolutionary concept of origins, yet whom God was leading on their journey. Who am I to tell God that He must correct one’s erroneous beliefs before He may save them?

Do you honestly believe this church, my beloved Seventh-day Adventist church, has or even can espouse a set of beliefs that define truth 100% accurately and completely? Did not Christ say, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”? And can we define Christ with words? The whole heavens cannot contain Him, much less a feeble set of doctrines!

If you don’t fully believe that our church has the right doctrines, you err, and you had best look to your own salvation, my brother. This is the remnant church, and we have been instructed by God that it will go through to the end.

My dear sister, your view of the church sounds more like a legal structure than a people. God’s bride is the church, not any earthly organization. The boundaries of God’s church do not follow any denominational lines! Many within this blessed body of believers will be weeping and gnashing their teeth. Many Hindus, Muslims, Sunday-keepers, and yes, even some evolutionists, though not blessed with the light we have been blessed with, will enter in before us, because they, unlike we, have lived in their little light through faith, while we, in our great light, have sought to walk according to mere doctrine, rather than faith in the Doctrine-Giver.

I believe this church will yet be saved, but not without a terrible shaking, the results of which will not be what we expect. If we do not hold onto the living Christ alone by faith, but rather choose to trust in written doctrines to save us, we will be shaken out. And many from other religions will be shaken in, because they are following a living Savior, though they may not have known it. Salvation is not a subscription, it is a relationship!

My contention is not with doctrine, it is that we exalt doctrine over Christ. Should we not let Christ work out the doctrinal errors for each individual as only the Holy Spirit can? Must we do His work for Him? He will not do a poor-quality work! It may not be in our time or in our order, but He will do it and do it well. Many Seventh-day Adventists, including myself, will be corrected, because we misunderstood certain points of Scripture.

The pioneers believed probation had closed, but they were corrected. Why then should we think ourselves beyond correction? Have we arrived? Are we in heaven? No, but what does Jesus say? “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.” We are not beyond correction, my sister! Job thought he was without fault before God, but thankfully, God corrected him, and to His delight, he repented.

I love my church dearly, but I fear for her. I fear that she has become so heady in her knowledge of truth that she has forgotten her First Love, her Savior, her Creator. She has brought the glory of salvation, which shall be sung throughout eternity, to the dust by reducing it to a mere subscription to a set of beliefs, truthful though they be. She believes Christ is her Creator, yet she has forgotten that He is alive and well; perfectly able to give appropriate instruction to the seeking soul. God is not dependent on the doctrines He has given us to save His people, any more than He is dependent on extra wheat to multiply bread.

“He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8, NKJV

Any mention of origins? No. Why? Because He will take care of those details (false beliefs) in His own time and way if we walk humbly with Him.

May that be the rule of our lives always.
Sincerely,
Ray