This is the second of three parts taken from Pastor Wilson’s sermon to the General Conference Session on June 11, 2022. In part 1 we acknowledged that regardless of the many obstacles we face, we are to hold fast our belief in God’s Word and His love for His church. We reviewed 10 vital truths from God’s Word that He would have us hold fast. In part 2 we complete the list given in the Sabbath sermon. Watch the full sermon at: https://bit.ly/HoldFastWhatYouHave.
Let’s continue to review several vital truths from God’s Word that He would have us hold fast.
Hold Fast To:
11. Faithfulness to God’s unique Advent movement. Do not compromise by entering into ecumenical activities that take away and distract your understanding and belief in the pure Word of God. Look only to Jesus and His full biblical truth.
12. The core of our salvation and the everlasting gospel—Christ’s righteousness—His justifying righteousness by faith and His sanctifying righteousness by the Holy Spirit working in us. In contrast to self-centered salvation by works, Christ calls us to an understanding that His death on the cross, His current intercession for us in the most holy place of His literal heavenly sanctuary, and the promise of eternal life at His soon second coming are all gifts to us through His grace.
13. All 28 fundamental beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, including our understanding of prophecy culminating with the final announcement of Daniel 8:14 and the 2,300 day/year prophecy ending in 1844 with the beginning of the investigative judgment in heaven, revealing God’s great love for His people as demonstrated in the plan of salvation and sanctuary services. God’s prophecies are rock-solid and true.
14. Daily leaning on the Lord through personal Bible study and prayer. God’s Word will sustain you in all that you face.
15. Simple biblical church worship patterned after Revelation 4, giving glory only to God and not to human beings.
16. Proactive, widescale circulation of heaven-inspired Spirit of Prophecy books. Be part of The Great Controversy Project 2.0, distributing millions of the full version of The Great Controversy. My brothers and sisters, this precious book is not the Bible. We believe in the Bible as our only rule of faith; it’s the foundation. But the Spirit of Prophecy, including The Great Controversy, are messages given to us from God Himself through His servant, Ellen White. I believe the Spirit of Prophecy is one of God’s greatest gifts given to the Seventh-day Adventist Church to point us to the Bible, the written Word, and to Jesus, the living Word. Ellen White said she wished The Great Controversy was circulated more than any other book she had written. Don’t let any church leader, any conference president, any union president, any division president, or even the General Conference president ever tell you not to distribute The Great Controversy. God wants us to deliver truth to people, and this book has brought hundreds of thousands of people to an understanding of the Christian era from beginning to the future. God will bless you and your local church for it.
17. Your firm belief that Jesus is coming soon, and you are to get involved! Share with the world that we can be ready for His coming, can hasten His coming, and can share this hope of salvation through complete dependence on Christ and His justifying and sanctifying righteousness. Total Member Involvement engages everyone in a year-round program of comprehensive evangelistic witnessing and outreach in all its forms.
18. Biblical inspiration, rejecting humanism and popular social culture that attempt to destroy God’s revelation given in His Word.
19. The beauty of the sanctuary and its services, which point to the everlasting gospel—Jesus Christ, the Lamb slain on the cross. “The enemy will bring in false theories, such as the doctrine that there is no sanctuary. This is one of the points on which there will be a departing from the faith.”1
20. The biblical day/year principle of interpreting biblical prophecy, allowing the Bible to interpret itself. The historicist approach shows how history has accurately unfolded according to God’s Word.
21. The historical biblical/ historical grammatical approach to interpreting Scripture. It is the only hermeneutical approach approved by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.2
22. The biblical and Spirit of Prophecy understanding that the shaking of God’s church will take place before Christ returns. “Soon God’s people will be tested by fiery trials, and the great proportion of those who now appear to be genuine and true will prove to be base metal.”3 “The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out—the chaff separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must take place.”4
23. The precious understanding that we are God’s worldwide remnant Seventh-day Adventist Church in more than 200 countries who support each other, avoiding the mission-destroying concept of congregationalism. “The home missionary work will be farther advanced in every way when a more liberal, self-denying, self-sacrificing spirit is manifested for the prosperity of foreign missions; for the prosperity of the home work depends largely, under God, upon the reflex influence of the evangelical work done in countries afar off.”5
24. The wonderful foundation of God’s government based on love—His eternal law, including His Ten Commandments. We do not keep God’s law through our own power, but only as we lean on Christ and His righteousness. “When the religion of Christ is most held in contempt, when His law is most despised, then should our zeal be the warmest and our courage and firmness the most unflinching. To stand in defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord, when champions are few—this will be our test. At this time we must gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their cowardice, and loyalty from their treason.”6
25. God’s special plan of health reform and comprehensive health ministry as you advocate a healthy lifestyle of God’s eight natural remedies—good nutrition, regular exercise, ample use of water, temperance in all things, pure air, adequate sleep and rest, and trust in divine power. God’s health plan rejects alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and improper lifestyles incompatible with biblical and Spirit of Prophecy principles. God’s plan offers the most abundant life possible on this earth. Read and follow God’s counsel for health as part of the third angel’s message.
My brothers and sisters, as we have reviewed these 25 points, and others could be added, stand firm for God’s amazing biblical truth for this time. Do not be distracted, but rather focus fully on God’s Word and Spirit of Prophecy counsel giving us connection to God, hope for the future, and our reason for being Seventh-day Adventists.
To be concluded in next month’s Global View
1 Ellen G. White, Last Day Events (Nampa, Idaho: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1992), p. 177.
2 See official “Methods of Bible Study” document, www.adventist. org/documents/methods-of-bible-study/.
3 E. G. White, Last Day Events, p. 180.
4 Ibid.
5 Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1948), vol. 6, p. 27.
6 E. G. White, Last Day Events, p. 180.
