Let's Return to the Protestant Reformation, Not REbellion

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Testimony

I have not always been a Seventh-day Adventist. I grew up in a ‘Christian’ cult. It was one where just about everything you did was dictated to you. What you wore, what you did for education, where you worked, whether you could work, who you were married to and the list goes on. If you questioned the leaders you drew immediate and decisive censure. 

To be a part of this cult you needed to be born into it. And as part of the cult you were not to associate with those outside of the cult, in case you were defiled. Consequently, every relative and every friend our family had was in that cult. 

How then did I become a Seventh-day Adventist? It was because my dad prayed for our leader and consequently our family was excommunicated. The prevailing thought was that our leaders were God’s anointed and thus they did not need our prayers, just our obedience. 

The ramifications of that excommunication were brutal to our family. However, the anguish that was caused by the loss of all we knew and held dear God was able to use for good. Twelve years after that life-changing excommunication, God led me to discover the incredible Biblical truths that the Seventh-day Adventist church espouses. Our cult had never really studied the Bible like the Seventh-day Adventists did and it saved my life.

The Wrong Spirit in Leadership

However, today, I am confronted by the same spirit that was seen in that cult. The one that places men in the position of Christ. God has given us a Biblical prescription for leadership, 

“And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.  For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth” (Luke 22:25-27).

What strikes me about the Gentile lordship is that they were called ‘benefactors’ by the gentiles which they ruled so harshly over. A benefactor is someone who does good and provides support to those who are in need. However, it also specifically refers to someone who is a position of authority who does it to be seen of men, and thus receive their praise.

Jesus made it clear He did not aspire to be in a position esteemed by men, but rather He chose to be in the lowly, menial position of a servant (Luke 22:27).

My husband and I, as health professionals, both lost our jobs three years ago due to mandates that our church upheld.  We tried to get a religious exemption but because of the stance of our church clearly articulated in their official statements we were unsuccessful in obtaining those exemptions. Consequently we had to sell our home, and sell or give away much of our belongings. We bought a tent to live in with our two children. Thankfully the Lord abundantly blessed us so that we did end up with a home and despite no income for over 12 months we have never wanted. 

However, we know others who have been severely vaccine injured and still others who have died. It was a Seventh-day Adventist that was the first person that the Australian government officially recognised as having died from the AstraZenica. She worked as an employee for the Seventh-day Adventist church-owned Health food company, Sanitarium, which even today still encourage their staff to take the vaccine with a bribe of $100 gift voucher (https://www.sanitarium.com/nz/vaxhelp/claimlhf).

Our church leadership, through the statements of 2015 and 2021 facilitated the persecution of our people by the state. At the same time they call themselves our shepherds. They are not shepherds when the sheep are left to the ravening wolves by their policies!

The Good Shepherd in Contrast to the Hireling

When men try to replace the Majesty of Heaven, “the Good Shepherd” with the magisterium of men, “the hireling,” you get a popish spirit. Let’s contrast our Good Shepherd with the hireling:

The Good Shepherd will bless, strengthen and help us (Gen 49: 24-25),  but the hireling blesses themselves (Ezek 34:2-3).

The Good Shepherd slays the enemy of His people (1 Sam 17:40-50), but the hireling leaves God’s people to be consumed by the enemy (Ezek 34:5, John 10:12).

The Good Shepherd causes us to not want (Ps 23:1), but the hireling is only interested in their own gain (Is 56:11). 

The Good Shepherd casts out all fear of evil (Ps 23:4), but the hireling howls and cries in fear (Jer 25:34). 

The Good Shepherd feeds His flock (Is 40:11), but the hireling feeds themselves (Ezek 34:2).

The Good Shepherd gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them in His bosom (Is 40:11), but the hireling has no pity (Zec 11:5). 

The Good Shepherd gently leads and is moved with compassion (Is 40:11, Mat 9:36), but the hireling rules over the people with force and cruelty (Ezek 34:4). 

The Good Shepherd causes His people to do God’s pleasure and walk in God’s ways (Is 44:28, Eezk 37:24), but the hireling causes the sheep to go astray (Jer 50:6). 

The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep (John 10:15), but the hireling comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). 

What makes the Majesty of Heaven the Good Shepherd? He was first our Lamb!

The Five Principles of the Protestant Reformation have Been Laid Aside

Because we have accepted the hirelings instead of the Good Shepherd, the five principles of the Protestant reformation have been laid aside by our church leadership and laity alike. 

They are Sola Scriptura (the Scripture alone), Solus Christus (salvation is found in Christ alone), Sola fide (by faith alone), Sola gratia (our salvation is through grace alone) and Soli Deo gloria (the work of salvation is for the glory of God). 

How so, you might ask, have we laid all five of these principles aside? 

Sola Scriptura was laid aside when we started introducing another ‘word’ (peer-reviewed scientific literature) as a source of truth when it does not abide by the teachings of “the law and the testimony” (Isaiah 8:20).  We continue to lay it aside when we personally do nothing to reject the statements that do this; or when we do not make prayerful studying of the Bible our greatest work and obedience to it as an unquenchable desire.

Solus Christus was laid aside when we became unquestioning or mute followers of our church leaders, too afraid to rebuke them in a Biblical, Christ-like manner. We also laid it aside when we were too afraid to let God rather than government funds look after our institutions and thus bowed to mandates. We lay it aside when we continue to let unbiblical leaders go unchecked and remain passive church members loyal to the institution rather than to Christ.

Sola fide was laid aside when we thought we needed men and the wisdom of men to give us health, knowledge, pleasure, entertainment, money, or ministry or work opportunities. It was laid aside when we wrote statements that indicated men have the answer to saving the world or our institutions from imminent disaster. We lay it aside when we do not believe that God can use us as laity to finish the work on this earth, in this generation.

Sola gratia was laid aside when we believed that the power of men in positions of authority was more powerful than the Holy Spirit. We lay it aside when we believe that the Holy Spirit cannot use the uncredentialled nobodies in our church to become the Elijah’s of this generation.

Soli Deo gloria was laid aside when we gloried in our institutional kingdom, seeking to expand its bounds by forming leagues with government and non-government agencies. We lay it aside when we worry what people will think of us or what the world will think of our church if we were to stand for Sola Scriptura and Solus Christus.

God doesn't Want or Need Complainers

Now I do not share this merely to add another voice to the complainers. The children of Israel repeatedly complained to Moses (Exodus 15:24, 16:2, 17:3) rather than turning to the Lord with all their heart and looking to follow His ways. 

I write because it is time we do something using the Lord’s method. This is not just about standing up for ourselves, but standing for Christ, His Word, and His work. 

We Need to be Filled with Holy Zeal

We need to be filled with the holy zeal of the Lord (2 Kings 19:31) for the sake of the Lord!

We are on the borders of Canaan again. We will not be given another chance to wander in the wilderness. We are about to cross the Jordan. To borrow Joshua’s words, “Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.” (Joshua 24:14)

The SDAPEARL Initative

If you have not heard of the education initiative run by SDAPEARL, I strongly suggest that you get in touch. They are helping the laity across the world to use their congregational business meetings to reject the ADCOM statements that have provided the impetus to our current crises. 

The SDAPEARL initiative is  where the laity stand for Sola Scriptura, Solus Christus, Sola fide, Sola gratia, and Soli Deo Gloria. They do this by voting to reject the statements as congregations because they have introduced Peer-review science as a basis of our beliefs (as these statements are listed under ‘beliefs’ on Adventist.org). After a majority vote has been achieved at the business meeting to stand for Sola Scriptura, letters are sent to every level of the church hierarchy to inform them of their rejection of the statements and why.

It is leading to a revival and reformation like nothing else in our church ever has. And it is causing the hierarchy to listen. Already two conference executive committees have rejected these statements, and one union has debated it and agreed science should not be in the statements of our church.

Do we have enough vital Protestantism in the Seventh-day Adventist church left today? 

We are NOT to Embark on a Rebellion

We are not to embark on a rebellion, but on a principled Protestant Reformation. Join the movement that is nailing the Theses to the door of our church once again. 

Please be in touch: sdapearl@yahoo.com or through facebook.com/sdapearl/

Want to learn more about SDAPEARL? You can view the following recordings available that talk about this initiative. See below:

https://www.youtube.com/live/83RWnpEGafM?si=_con3hKWMHiaaUjm

https://youtu.be/vvc-u4ve04Q?si=zHoo7Z51RDDrbqn4

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcXNTpYZRrMy4XiOZbGM0qpjcoFy6RQKv