July 2002

Jason, a Seventh-day Adventist, emailed these comments regarding our Watchman Profile on Seventh-day Adventism:

“Watchman, I’m an SDA, and like most people who consider us a cult you’ve missed the mark by a mile…. The Sabbath will be the dividing factor, don’t be naïve…. The Papacy changed the day of worship…. You don’t have any problem with the other commandments, they’re all great, everyone should keep them, but as soon as you mention the 4th, OH NO, we’re not under the law, we’re under grace.”

Is the Sabbath the dividing factor? Yes, but between the SDA and the New Testament.  How does it divide?  First of all the Sabbath is Jewish. No Gentile is taught in the New Testament to observe the Law as a means of achieving anything with God.

“Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant” (Exodus 31:16).

In Acts 15 there is an example of a conflict between the Jewish Christians and the Gentile converts to Christianity. The conflict had to do with the Old Testament law observance as necessary for salvation. If there was a necessity to observe the Law, including the 4th Commandment, this was the time to affirm it.

The judgment of the Apostles in Jerusalem did not affirm the Law but rather laid out a temporary compromise as a means of achieving unity. Temporary because some of the prescriptions are later affirmed as permissible to a mature Christian (see Romans 14:13-23).

Purpose of The Law

“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster” (Galatians 3:24,25).

Without a written statute there could be no offense. The Law was given to show us that our nature was opposed to the nature and will of God.

However, perfect obedience was impossible which necessitated Someone who was perfect to fulfill it for us and apply His perfection to our account. The application of His perfection to our account is by faith just as Abraham was saved by faith 430 years before the Law (see Galatians 3).

Law Disannulled, Canceled

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:14, 15).

“For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God” (Hebrews 7:18, 19).

When a tax law is repealed do you continue to pay the tax? This is the meaning of these two passages. It is the SDA who want us to continue under the jurisdiction of the Law. If we did that we would have to be judged by our obedience to it before God. If you must live under the Law you must keep it perfectly or face the condemnation of failure to do so. That is why Paul said that those who would be justified by the Law are “fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:4).

Don’t Judge Another on Sabbaths

“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is Christ” (Colossians 2:16,17).

“Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind” (Romans 14:1-2,5).

We as Christian should not judge another who would observe one day over another but neither should we allow others to judge us for worshipping on Sunday. The SDA, however, have made Sabbath observance the “dividing factor” between Christians and Adventists. They believe we are lost for rejecting Sabbath observance and that they must keep it to be saved. This, according to Paul in Galatians 1 is “anathema” to the gospel. This is “another gospel” (II Corinthians 11:4).

By David Henke