A Response to the Video:
Seventh-day Adventism, the Spirit Behind the Church

by Bob Pickle

Answers to Questions Raised by:
Mark Martin, Sydney Cleveland
Dale Ratzlaff, The White Lie
. . . and Others

Discern Fact from Fiction

Salvation, Grace, and Obedience

#149: "Despite modern Adventist attempts to soften law-keeping, Ellen White's teachings are unmistakable: 'No one is saved who is a transgressor of the law of God...' Advent Review and Sabbath Herald June 17, 1890."—Mark Martin.

#149: Mrs. White said, "No one is saved who is a transgressor." This statement was part of the first article referred to under #142. Let's add just a tad bit of context:

If we are disobedient, our characters are out of harmony with God's moral rule of government, and it is stating a falsehood to say, "I am saved." No one is saved who is a transgressor of the law of God, which is the foundation of his government in heaven and in earth.

That's hard to argue with, given how the Bible defines salvation.

Jesus came to save us from our sins, not in our sins (Mat. 1:21). And what is sin? It's the transgression of the law (1 Jn. 3:4). In other words, part of salvation's work is to bring the sinner into repentance and obedience to all of God's commandments. Continued unrepentance for violations of God's law indicates that there is a sin that the individual refuses to be saved from. How then can one claim to be saved from sin while at the same time refusing to be saved from sin?

It is the clear teaching of the New Testament that we must repent of sin if we want to be saved. Mr. Martin could have just as well said, "Despite modern Adventist attempts to soften law-keeping, . . .

. . . the apostle Paul's teachings are unmistakable: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Cor. 6:9, 10)

. . . the apostle John's teachings are unmistakable: "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1 Jn. 2:3, 4)

. . . the apostle Peter's teachings are unmistakable: "And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him." (Acts 5:32)

. . . the apostle Jude's teachings are unmistakable: "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." (Jude 14, 15)

. . . the apostle James's teachings are unmistakable: "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. . . . So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty." (James 2:10, 11)

. . . Jesus's teachings are unmistakable: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Mat. 5:17-20)

God forbid that any believer or preacher would say such things! Jesus came to save us "from our sins," and we must let Him do it!

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