Email to a YouTube testimony commenter

Hi ______

My name is David and I read your comment and hope to encourage you. I could be all wrong, but your comment sounded like it came from a Seventh-day Adventist. If that wasn’t the case, please forgive my indiscretion.

The two things that made me believe you are an Adventist was your reference to “losing your first love”, and also “righteousness by faith” in the context of the ten commandments. I am an Adventist and those two phrases have been commonly used in our subculture. If I am correct about your Adventist experience, I would also like to encourage you.

I have been an Adventist for 50 years (except or a 13 year sabbatical from the church). I’ve probably seen all that modern Adventism has to offer. I grew up in what might be correctly called a Seventh-day Methodist church (very lukewarm), I went to Shenandoah Valley Academy my senior year (so I got a taste of Adventist Christian education), I went to Mountain Missionary Institute in New Hampshire (so I got a taste of self-supported schools), I’ve been to many campmeetings, prayer meetings, Sabbath Schools and AYs. So, I have a pretty rounded education for measuring up to being a “good Adventist”. But, it all made me very empty. And I write this because if all that I listed, and if all that Jesus has to offer, is human fellowship, then no one can be saved. No one can keep their first love for Him. And I fear that human fellowship is all most SDAs know today. Multitudes have never known the merciful hand of Jesus. (Jer. 17:5-8).

Ellen White (who did know Jesus) wrote about a dream that is very significant.

“...Then I saw an exceeding bright light come from the Father to the Son, and from the Son it waved over the people before the throne. But few would receive this great light. Many came out from under it and immediately resisted it; others were careless and did not cherish the light, and it moved off from them. Some cherished it, and went and bowed down with the little praying company. This company all received the light and rejoiced in it, and their countenances shone with its glory.

        I saw the Father rise from the throne, and in a flaming chariot go into the holy of holies within the veil, and sit down. Then Jesus rose up from the throne, and the most of those who were bowed down arose with Him. I did not see one ray of light pass from Jesus to the careless multitude after He arose, and they were left in perfect darkness. Those who arose when Jesus did, kept their eyes fixed on Him as He left the throne and led them out a little way. Then He raised His right arm, and we heard His lovely voice saying, ‘Wait here; I am going to My Father to receive the kingdom; keep your garments spotless, and in a little while I will return from the wedding and receive you to Myself.’ Then a cloudy chariot, with wheels like flaming fire, surrounded by angels, came to where Jesus was. He stepped into the chariot and was borne to the holiest, where the Father sat. There I beheld Jesus, a great High Priest, standing before the Father. On the hem of His garment was a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate. Those who rose up with Jesus would send up their faith to Him in the holiest, and pray, ‘My Father, give us Thy Spirit.’ Then Jesus would breathe upon them the Holy Ghost. In that breath was light, power, and much love, joy, and peace.” Early Writings, p. 54,55.

Notice the phrases, “Then I saw an exceeding bright light come from the Father to the Son, and from the Son it waved over the people before the throne. But few would receive this great light. Many came out from under it and immediately resisted it; others were careless and did not cherish the light, and it moved off from them.”

And,

“I did not see one ray of light pass from Jesus to the careless multitude after He arose, and they were left in perfect darkness. Those who arose when Jesus did, kept their eyes fixed on Him as He left the throne and led them out a little way.”

If your yearning is to have that first love again, and your fear is to not be among the lost, then you are still under the bright light from the Father. Otherwise, you would be resisting it or carelessly not cherishing what you used to have. I’ve been through something similar.

Ellen White’s counsel for this is:

“There are those who have known the pardoning love of Christ and who really desire to be children of God, yet they realize that their character is imperfect, their life faulty, and they are ready to doubt whether their hearts have been renewed by the Holy Spirit. To such I would say, Do not draw back in despair. We shall often have to bow down and weep at the feet of Jesus because of our shortcomings and mistakes, but we are not to be discouraged. Even if we are overcome by the enemy, we are not cast off, not forsaken and rejected of God. No; Christ is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Said the beloved John, “These things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” 1 John 2:1. And do not forget the words of Christ, “The Father Himself loveth you.” John 16:27. He desires to restore you to Himself, to see His own purity and holiness reflected in you. And if you will but yield yourself to Him, He that hath begun a good work in you will carry it forward to the day of Jesus Christ. Pray more fervently; believe more fully. As we come to distrust our own power, let us trust the power of our Redeemer, and we shall praise Him who is the health of our countenance.” Steps to Christ, p. 64.

Sister _____, more and more I am understanding the cause of losing the first love. And here it is:

“Ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him:

For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.

If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not?

But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees.” (Heb. 12:5-12).

Only children are happy. But if we don’t let our Father spank us for our sins, then we can’t be His children, and we forfeit His joy and peace. We are illegitimate; children of the same mother (church), but of another father (the adversary).

“As the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him.

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.

Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear Him.” (Ps. 103:11-13).

A Father who punishes us and reproves us is a God of love. Every other false religion never lets God reprove them. And although the Evangelicals might be celebrating and acting happy, they are miserable. They have become like the far eastern world religions. And to be honest, every SDA, who doesn’t let the Bible and especially the Spirit of Prophecy rebuke their sins, is equally miserable because they have not allowed God to show them their true condition, which would lead them to repentance—and to joy and peace with Him. No one can repent who doesn’t let the Law of God scourge them for being a horrific sinner.

Many YouTube testifiers are powerful because, in their misery, the Spirit of God let their sinfulness reveal to them just how bad they were. Non-SDAs are being converted even though their Evangelical denominations abrogated the Law of God and the Spirit of Prophecy, which left them all without the scourging that is the prerequisite for God to receive them. But, in the mercy of God, He has allowed the consequences for transgression to help them be scourged. “Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee.” (Jer. 2:19).

All who have surrendered to the scourging consequences to breaking the Law of God have been obeying the science of salvation. For the Evangelical testifiers, as much as for the Adventists who haven’t abrogated the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy counsels and got their scourging that way, “The Law was [their] schoolmaster to bring [them] unto Christ, that [they] might be justified by faith.” (Gal. 3:24).

No one needs to leave the Advent movement to find God and have the peace and joy of His Spirit. What they need to do is trust God enough to stand before His scourging Law and His scorching presence! Nothing else will give us all a need for a merciful Saviour!

The Law of God and His merciful provision in His only begotten Son Jesus is the strait gate that leads to life, joy, peace with God, and the beautiful first love. But, “few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:14). Don’t let that be you, Sister ­­­­­­­______! Go read the Testimonies for the church in the light of Zechariah 4:6, Deuteronomy 32:17, Isaiah 27:5; 26:3; 30:15-18! Surrender to the scourging, and then surrender to the cross of Christ. Suck the honey from the stumbling Stone, and olive oil from the humbling Flint. “The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek Him: your heart shall live for ever.” (Ps. 22:26).

David