FALSE TEACHING # 7: MISUSING THE LAW OF MOSES
A foundational error of Seventh-day Adventism is its misuse of the Law of Moses. This is the same heresy that many of the Jews of Paul’s day were guilty of. It is the heresy that he confronted in his epistle to the Galatians.
Four Adventist Errors about the Law
1. According to Adventism, law and grace are not opposing systems, but both work together for man’s salvation.
“The fact that all who are redeemed are saved by grace does not dispense with the law of God any more in the one dispensation than in the other. The law is not against grace, and grace is not against the law” (Charles Everson, Saved By Grace, p. 11).
2. The Law of Moses is the standard by which God shall judge believers.
“The law of God is the standard by which the characters and the lives of men will be tested in the judgment. … Those who in the judgment are ‘accounted worthy’ will have a part in the resurrection of the just” (Ellen White, The Great Controversy, pp. 423-425).
3. The Law of Moses is the believer’s rule of life.
“Instead of being free to ignore and break the law because he is saved by grace, he is now doubly obligated to keep it. … It is very evident, then, that in the new covenant we do not see the law a thing of no consequence, but we find it occupying the center of the covenant” (Charles Everson, Saved By Grace, pp. 23, 36).
“The Ten Commandments are the only perfect rule of conduct in this world today. God gave man the Decalogue as a rule of life” (J.L. Shuler, The Great Judgment Day, pp. 113-114).
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
The following is a summary of every major New Testament passage dealing with the law. The reader is encouraged to look up and study each one of the passages. We are confident the Lord will encourage you in the glorious eternal liberty the believer has in Christ Jesus.
1. The Law of Moses has one main purpose, and that is to lead men to Jesus Christ. A man is saved and justified by faith ALONE through grace ALONE, apart from the law. Because of man’s fallen condition, the law can only condemn him. The law is indeed holy and good, but it can do nothing for sinful man except to reveal his wicked condition and lead him to Christ. See Romans 3:19-20; 5:20; Romans 7:7-13; 1 Corinthians 15:56; 2 Corinthians 5:5-13; Galatians 2:16; 3:9-24; 1 Timothy 1:6-11.
“The law demands strength from one that has none, and curses him if he cannot display it. The Gospel gives strength to one that has none, and blesses him in the exhibition of it. The law proposes life as the end of obedience, the Gospel gives life as the only proper ground of obedience” (C.H. Mackintosh, Notes on the Pentateuch, pp. 232-233).
2. The Law of Moses holds no power over the believer; he is placed in Christ entirely out of the law’s grasp. The law can no more bring condemnation to the believer than it can to Christ Himself, since the believer has been made perfect in Christ. The law has no more power over the believer than the dead husband has over a living wife. The apostles did not teach the Adventist doctrine that the believer is to conform his life to the standard of the law by the power of the resurrected Christ, and that if he fails to do so the law will condemn him in the day of judgment. See Romans 5:1-2, 6-11; 6:3-7; 8:8-10; 10:4; 7:4; Galatians 3:24-29.
3. The Ten Commandments is a covenant of death that is done away with in Christ. Adventist teachers protest that the moral law, represented in the Ten Commandments, was not done away at the cross of Christ and that only the ceremonial law was done away. But the New Testament describes even the Ten Commandments as a covenant of death! The Mosaic Law as a whole had one chief purpose. It was given by God to fallen man in order to show him his sin and his need of the Savior. See 2 Corinthians 3:6-13.
The apostle said that the law written in stone is done away with in Christ, and that refers to the Ten Commandments. Two times the apostle tells us that the Ten Commandments are abolished. Two times he tells us that the Ten Commandments were a ministration of death and condemnation! Words could not be plainer. For the Adventist teacher to come along and point the believer back to the Law of Moses as a rule of life is a great evil.
4. The Law of Moses is not the believer’s rule of life. The believer is told to put on Christ and to follow the Spirit of God. The believer’s objective is not to be conformed to the law, but to be conformed to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). The Holy Spirit molds and transforms the believer’s life into the image of the Lord Jesus. Romans 8:11-14; 8:29; 13:13-14; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:20-24; Colossians 3:9-11.
“If the law be indeed the rule of a believer’s life, where are we to find it so presented in the New Testament? The inspired Apostle evidently had no thought of its being the rule when he penned the following words: ‘For in Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and on the Israel of God’ (Gal. 6:15-16). What ‘rule’? The law? No; but the ‘new creation.’ Where shall we find this in Exodus 20? It speaks not a word about ‘new creation.’ On the contrary, it addresses itself to man as he is—in his natural or old-creation state—and puts him to the test as to what he is really able to do. Now if the law were the rule by which believers are to walk, why does the apostle pronounce his benediction on those who walk by another rule altogether? Why does he not say, as many as walk according to rule of the Ten Commandments? Is it not evident, from this one passage, that the Church of God has a higher rule by which to walk?” (C.H. Mackintosh, Notes on the Pentateuch, pp. 232-233).
“I, as a Christian, obey all law that is moral in the Decalogue, not because it is in the Law, but because it is in the Gospel. Worship of God only is enjoined fifty times in the New Testament; idolatry is forbidden twelve times; profanity four times; honor of father and mother is commanded six times; adultery is forbidden twelve; theft six; false witness four; and covetousness, nine times. ‘The Ten Commandments,’ as Luther says, ‘do not apply to us Gentiles and Christians, but only to the Jews.’ So therefore, Paul, in all his fourteen epistles, never once names the Sabbath—except in a single passage where, classing it with the entire law, he declares it has been totally abolished. So the early church held” (William C. Irvine, Heresies Exposed, p. 165).
5. Law and Grace are two different systems that cannot be mixed in salvation. We have already looked at this under the section on the Seventh-day Adventist’s false gospel of grace plus law. See Acts 15:8-11; Romans 3:18-25; 4:4-5; 11:6; Ephesians 2:8-10.
6. To point believers back to the Law of Moses as a rule of life is to place them back under legalistic bondage, bringing a curse upon the one who teaches this heresy as well as upon the one who follows it. The apostles condemned in the strongest language those who tried to get believers to return to the Law of Moses as a rule of life. This refutes the Seventh-day Adventist doctrine that the law is a blessing to the justified man. See Galatians 1:7-9; 2:4; 3:1-9; 4:9-11, 19-21; 5:1-9.
Christ came to redeem men from bondage to the law, to remove their condemnation by paying the price the law demanded for man’s sin. Those who try to bring believers back under the law are deceiving men and pointing them away from the finished work of Christ and true Bible freedom in Him. They themselves are cursed because of their false gospel, and they are leading others away from the truth. The goal of salvation is not to bring the believer to the law, but to present him perfect in Christ!
….and these are The Signs of The Times…………...
This report is excerpted from AVOIDING THE SNARE OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISM. This book has been called the best on the subject by the editor of The Baptist Challenge. Now it has been throughly updated and enlarged. It is diligently researched from official publications of the Seventh-day Adventist organization and proves conclusively that the Seventh-day Adventist gospel is false. The book begins with a chapter entitled “Adventists Wanted Me to Revise This Book,” describing a deceptive attempt by Seventh-day Adventists to have me change the book. The major divisions of the book are: “Adventist History Proves It is Heretical” and “Adventist Doctrine Proves It Is Heretical.” The book analyzes Adventist doctrines such as Sabbath-keeping, Soul-sleep, Annihilation of the wicked, Ellen White as a Prophetess, Investigative Judgment, Misuse of the Mosaic Law, and Vegetarianism. The chapter “Why Some Have Considered Seventh-day Adventism Evangelical” analyzes Walter Martin’s (author of Kingdom of the Cults) faulty view of Adventism. The book includes selections from D.M. Canright’s 1898 book Seventh-day Adventism Renounced. Canright was an early leader in Adventism who left and became a Baptist pastor.
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I cannot deal with every thing you have quoted here, other than the fact that it is a distortion of what Seventh Day Adventists believe. Nowhere do we ever say that a man is justified by the working of the Law. What we do say, is that if we Love Jesus – we keep ALL of the commandments. And its not grievous to do so if we have His Holy Spirit in charge.
“The law of God is the standard by which the characters and the lives of men will be tested in the judgment. … Those who in the judgment are ‘accounted worthy’ will have a part in the resurrection of the just” (Ellen White, The Great Controversy, pp. 423-425)
Firstly, if one doesn’t understand when the Judgment occurs, it is more difficult – though not impossible – to understand how the Law is a measure of character – and that really is what Ellen White is saying. The Law is a measure of Character.
Clearly, it is the Standard, because the Bible says so. Rev 12:17. I have a question. For what purpose are we saved? Is it not to Glorify our blessed redeemer? Were not all things “created by Him and for Him”? Aren’t we to present ourselves “a living sacrifice”? What does all of this mean to you? How can we live for Christ – which is just another way of saying we are a living sacrifice? What standard is there to test this?
The Law was enlarged in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. He said so – “I am not come to destroy the Law and the prophets – but to fulfill!” Isaiah Said that Jesus would magnify the Law. Jesus kept the Sabbath – he only broke the Pharisees idea of what the Sabbath was. You will not find a single place in the Bible telling you not to keep ALL of the commandments. Not one.
But where in the Bible does it tell us that the Commandments are a clear indicator of who Gods chosen people are?
Rev 12:17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, >>>>> on those who keep the commandments of God <<<<< and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.
You see – it is those who have BOTH the faith of Jesus AND keep His commandments that are His people.
"Rev 14:12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus."
The people of God ENDURE by keeping BOTH their faith in Jesus AND the commandments of God.
This is just a single concept I am dealing with here – there is so much more – but thee isn't room to go on and on. However, there is something that is very fearful that protestants ought to be careful of – if they persecute other Christians that keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus. According to the above verse, Rev 12:17That would make them in league with the devil himself.
Something to think about that speak derogatorily of Gods people, no matter what denomination they are. Websites like yours are a direct attack on the people of God in a world wide forum. I'd consider prayerfully taking it down.
You quote Ellen G White as your authority. I rest my case. What do you do with Galatians 2:16 and verse 21? Why do you believe Ellen G White as authority?
Derogatory remarks? What do you do with John 8:44 and verse 47? What do you do with Matthew chapter 23. Titus 1:10-13 compels me to expose heresy. Thus the reason that SDA is exposed as heresy. One thing that all heresy has in common. (SDA, Mormonism, JW’s, Roman Catholicism, the Ecumenicalism of Southern Baptist), You all ADD TO the Bible!
Wes, you haven’t addressed anything I have said. Blogs like this make blanket accusations, wiothout substance.
Tell you what. Address one false premise laid down by either Adventism, or Ellen White. We’ll go from there. I’ll promise you that I can answer and refute your accusations logically, and or Biblically.
I have already addressed what we believe the 10 commandments reveals. We do NOT claim that the decalogue saves us. So stop with Lying against Children of God, because that is precisely what you are doing.
Go ahead. Give it a shot. Show me where we are apostate, or evil or satanic. I am ready. Bring it Buddy.
BTW – You don’t like this verse very much do You:?
Rev 12:17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those >>>>> who keep the commandments of God <<<<<<>>>> those who keep the commandments of God <<<<<<< [[[[ and ]]]] their faith in Jesus.
Or what about this one:
"If you love me, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS" John 14:15
People who are Saved not only have faith – but they also KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS of God.
I have never heard a rational argument against Adventism. It is either what someone heard someone else say, or someone that got their feelings hurt because they were warned that the Sabbath was part of the ten Commandments and that God wants us to keep them all.
Proverbs 30:5-6. “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” Ellen G White is a liar. Why would you trust what she says? What proof do you have that she can add to the Word of God?
Revelation 12 is obviously speaking of Israel not the Church
“If you love me keep my commandments.” This is not talking about the 10 commandments but all of what Jesus has commanded us to do. including the command that we are no longer under the law. Romans 6:14
You do err not knowing the scriptures.
Again, SDA has in common as the rest of heresy has and that is you add to the Bible. Example: ellen g white
“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” —- Romans 3:28
I grew up as and Adventist and can attest to the fact that I was taught that I was save by the Law. They believed, at least at that time, that Jesus came to save, but also to show us that it was possible for a human to be sinless. Absolutely anti-Biblical. The tricky part about making blanket statements is that the denomination is so fractured today. Some believe in absolute observance to Ellen G. White (classic SDA), while some have begun to shy away from her. Technology has made it so much easier to expose false teachings and false prophecies.
Mark, you quoted the Bible,
Matt 5:17 “I am not come to destroy the Law and the prophets – but to fulfill!”
You used it to try proving that the 10 Commandments are still in effect. There are 3 big problems with this:
1. The verse refers to the law and the profits. This refers to the whole law of the Old Testament. If this verse says what you think it says then you are obliged to follow ALL of the Old Testament law, including ordinances, holidays and judgments. We’re talking stoning of disobedient children, no cooking or travel on Sabbath, sacrifices, a priesthood, the works.
2. Christ said that he came to fulfill these things. When someone fulfills a covenant, it passes away. Can you imagine fulfilling the requirements of a contract, then being told that nothing had changed and you were still bound to that contract? That’s not the way covenants work and the Bible makes this clear in a number of places. Fulfilling is not destroying. Jesus fulfilled the covenant without breaching the contract.
3. You skipped some very key verses immediately following the one you quoted.
Matt 5:18: “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.”
Adventist also use verse 18, but when they do they seem to drop off the last 4 critical words. Read it carefully. In verse 17 Jesus said he had come to fulfill. Verse 18 says that the law can not be changed UNTIL all be fulfilled. I’m not going to be the one to say that Jesus failed to do what he said he came to do. He succeeded in his mission and fulfilled all that was said about him in the law and prophets. Therefore the covenant was completed and is no longer in effect. My family is still SDA. I asked one of them to read verse, 18. She read it 3 times and every time left off “, till all be fulfilled.” I can’t believe it was a mistake, and I can’t believe it was intentional deception. I think her SDA mind could not bear to admit to itself that her beliefs might be flawed. The Bible should not be twisted to make a man-made denomination seem correct.
Continue reading Matthew, the whole thing. Jesus goes on to magnify the old law like you suggested. And by magnifying it he brought it into the New Testament or New Covenant. Interestingly he doesn’t mention Sabbath except to say that he is the Lord of the Sabbath and will give us rest if we come to him, see chapter 20. So to get a Sabbath rest, we come to Jesus, not on a specific day, but every day. He said He will give us a rest for the soul. The seventh day sabbath can’t give you that. It’s just a physical rest, and only on one day. The early Christians knew this. Martin Luther knew this. Justin in his discussion with Trypho the Jew knew this. The sabbath day is so clearly a shadow pointing to the substance, which is Christ. You’re trying to burden them, and the Bible speaks out against it. The Bible says if you believe that even one of these shadowy observances is still necessary, then you are binding yourself the the entire system of Old Testament Law. Why? Because your faith is in the Law, not Christ.
Read Romans 14, or better yet, the whole thing. It’s super short.
What is your take on these verse? 1 Timothy 1:9. Romans 6:14. Galatians 2:16 and verse 21
Do you believe that works has anything to do with our salvation. With an individual becoming Saved/Born Again?
Do you believe we must maintain the Law or 10 Commandments in order to get to heaven
A man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. That is exactly correct. “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. (Rom.3:31) We establish the law in the fact that we are Saved and Born Again by accepting Christ as our Saviour.
“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. (James 2:17-18). We do good works because we are Saved. We do not do good works to stay Saved. Brother, you are saying that Christ was enough to Save me but not enough to keep me. This is just not the case. Salvation is a free gift and not of works. (Eph.2:8-9) and Romans 4:4 says “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.” If staying Saved is based on works then it is a debt owed to us by God and Salvation is no longer of grace. But we do know that Salvation is of Grace and not of works. “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” (Galatians 2:21)
The sabbath. If we were still under the law I would agree with you about the sabbath. However, the Bible is clear, “we are not under the law but under grace” (Romans 6:14). Whosoever transgresseth the law certainly commits sin but verse five of 1John 3 says “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.”. Romans 14:5 says “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” It is because we are no longer under the law that this verse can be written! because I have accepted Christ as my Saviour I want to maintain good works. I do not maintain good works to stay Saved, because “there is none that doeth good, no not one.” (Romans 3:12). I do good works because I am Saved, and it is Christ thru me that enables me . (James 2:17-20)
Hello Wes, I don’t see what posts you are responding to. All I see is 4 straight posts of you. Maybe you forgot to show the messages of the person or persons you are talking with. Please show so I can see the discussion. Thanks.
The person I was conversing with understands what is going on. I do put all posts with the exception of ranting. ALL questions are welcome, but when questions or comments are toooooo lengthy, I do not post them. It is too confusing to follow. Questions are great, but only when done in order. 50 questions require 50 replies. By the time you get to the end you have lost the whole purpose of the original question. I will gladly put up and answer all questions, one or two at a time. Thanks……
“Don’t let your good be evil spoken of” (Romans 14:16). If someone is teaching false doctrine, then expose it once it’s not longer than your original message and does not contain profanity. Don’t let it seems like you are hiding anything. If someone is ranting, show it to the world and let all see their folly. Love.
Thanks Ken for proving the point of 2 Timothy 2:16. “But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.” That comment was full of as much babbling as I ever heard.
Are you talking about my comment or another comment. By the way, what do u understand by good works? Does it include keeping the commandments?
Which commandments are you referring to Ken?
That’s a good question Ken. Wes, there is only one “the” Commandments in Christianity. Once a person says “the” Commandments it is a reference to the Ten Commandments. What else could it mean? I would be surprised if Ken meant otherwise.
Where is the chapter and verse for such a thing as the ten commandments in Exodus being the only commandments? What about 1 Peter 1:15? John 14:15? There are many more.
I have a desire to not break any commandment because I have been Born Again. I do not have to strive to keep them to stay Saved, but rather, I strive because I am Saved. Romans 3:28 “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” You see friend, it is all because of HIM that I am Saved , Safe, and Secure. It is because of HIM that I want to do right by HIM and follow HIM. The Bible does not teach that a person can become Saved and do what they want. That type of salvation is a “sorrow of the world that worketh death.” (2Cor.7:10)
Wes, here is the answer, “And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.” (Exodus 34:28). Adventists tend to think that wherever the word commandments appear in the bible it is talking about the ten commandments. This is not true. I was wondering though, what commandments Jesus was talking about in John 14: 15 when he says, “if ye love me, keep my commandments.”
These are peculiarly “his,” as distinct from, though not in opposition to, or to the exclusion of, his Father’s commands; ie, the Ten Commandments. If it meant only the Ten Commandments, What of the commandment of Baptism, observing the Lord’s Supper which are commands of Jesus Christ the Head of the Church? Would it not include all these? While the apostles were not aware of these commands at the time, the thought carries that “if you love me, keep MY commandments.”
I could not agree more with your last comment, Wes. Pure crystal truth! However, for clarification on your second to last comment: I did not say we keep the commandments to remain saved. What I said was, “keeping the Commandments cannot get you into heaven but not keeping them can get you out of heaven.” Obviously, making a habit out of breaking the commandments after receiving Christ (e.g. practicing prostitution or idol worship) is a sign that a person has rejected Christ or renounced their faith. It is Christ we obey when we keep the Commandments. Likewise, it is Christ we reject when we make a habit out of breaking them. So then, we do not keep the commandments to remain saved but WE OBEY CHRIST TO REMAIN IN HIM (which includes keeping the ten commandments as you said in your last comment). John 15:6 says, “If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”
Question: We know that no one has ever been saved by keeping the commandments (Romans 4: 1-3 highlights the case of Abraham). However, Jesus said in the bible to a rich young man “If you want to enter life, obey the [ten] commandments… then come follow me” (Matthew 19: 17 – 21). Do you thing Jesus was talking to all the people in his day as well as to us?
Re; Matthew 19:17-21.
Keep the commandments; that is, perfectly: he must do not only one good thing, but all the good things the law requires; ( as was required by the law Deut.6:25) he must not be deficient in any single action, in anyone work of the law, either as to matter, or manner of performance; everything must be done, and that just as the Lord in his law has commanded it. Our Lord answers according to the tenor of the covenant of works, under which this man was; and according to the law of God, which requires perfect obedience to it, as a righteousness, BUT dear friend, we are no longer under the law but under Grace (Rom.6:14). That young man could not keep the commandments no more than you or I can. Jesus is teaching the lesson to this young man and trying unhinge this man from off the legal foundation on which he was, that he might drop all his dependencies on doing good things, and come to him for righteousness and life. THAT WAS THE MESSAGE THEN AND IT IS THE MESSAGE TODAY. “It is by grace thru faith that we are Saved and not by works. —-Ephesians 2:8-9
You mentioned a covenant of works. Was there ever a covenant of works with fallen mankind? Give examples of people who were saved under it? Since Adam all have sinned. How was it possible TO REMOVE those sins through a covenant of works? Hopefully you will see that the covenant was always by grace through faith. In the old testament it was faith in the promise to come ratified by the blood of animals (which represented Christ) but in the new testament it is faith in Christ who has come ratified by his blood. Both were a convenant based on faith in Christ, the lamp of God. And both include keeping the ten commandments. “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make A NEW covenant with the house of Israel…This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put MY LAW in their minds and write it on their hearts.” (Jeremiah 31: 31-33, see also Hebrews 8:10).
Fabian, Fabian. You insist that one must keep the commandments as a part of our Salvation. You said “, “Both were a convenant based on faith in Christ, the lamp of God. And both include keeping the ten commandments. “ You cannot keep the ten commandments, it’s impossible. Are you therefore lost or Saved? Are you lost one day and Saved the next? You all have (unknowingly) proven my point in mt writings. The Seventh Day Adventist misuse of the Mosaic Law.
Galatians 5:21 “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” ‘Frustrating” the Grace of God is exactly what Seventh Day Doctrine does.