A weakness in Adventist preaching nowadays is the lack of balance
in presenting the judgment as good news: yes, the judgment is in
favor of the saints, it is the Gospel of the judgment, we will be
saved, “Alleluia!”…
And yet, Christ says that “He will spew us out of His mouth” Rev 3:16. If the judgment is such good news, why God gave Ellen White the duty to write 100,000 pages full of warnings, exhortations, counsels denouncing the sins and the lukewarmness of God’s people?
Should we rejoice, as Adventist preachers say, or should we “sigh and cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof” (Jerusalem, that is God’s people) as Ezekiel 9:4 says[1]? This lack of balance in presenting the judgment affects our spiritual response to it:
Will it motivate me to search God with all my heart, my strength or not?
Knowing that the judgment is in my favor will surely not motivate me for a revival of primitive godliness…
If the judgment is in my favor I have nothing to worry about, life can continue as usual, I will go to heaven anyway.
This is not my understanding of Seventh-day Adventism and of our duty to prepare Jesus’ Second Coming.
This message of “Good News of the judgment” is a lenient message of “peace and surety” denounced by the Bible (Jer 6:14; 8:11; 1Thess 5:3) and by Ellen White[2]. It adds to the lukewarmness of the church.
And yet, Christ says that “He will spew us out of His mouth” Rev 3:16. If the judgment is such good news, why God gave Ellen White the duty to write 100,000 pages full of warnings, exhortations, counsels denouncing the sins and the lukewarmness of God’s people?
Should we rejoice, as Adventist preachers say, or should we “sigh and cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof” (Jerusalem, that is God’s people) as Ezekiel 9:4 says[1]? This lack of balance in presenting the judgment affects our spiritual response to it:
Will it motivate me to search God with all my heart, my strength or not?
Knowing that the judgment is in my favor will surely not motivate me for a revival of primitive godliness…
If the judgment is in my favor I have nothing to worry about, life can continue as usual, I will go to heaven anyway.
This is not my understanding of Seventh-day Adventism and of our duty to prepare Jesus’ Second Coming.
This message of “Good News of the judgment” is a lenient message of “peace and surety” denounced by the Bible (Jer 6:14; 8:11; 1Thess 5:3) and by Ellen White[2]. It adds to the lukewarmness of the church.
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