| Author | Message | ||
| U2bsda Registered user Username: U2bsda Post Number: 506 Registered: 11-2004 |
Do you believe it is ever harmful to openly talk about the Gospel of His grace to an SDA? I realize that sounds silly. Why would discussing the Gospel ever be harmful? But then sometimes I wonder if that could make someone dig deeper into Adventism. I occasionally discuss the Gospel of His grace with Adventists on a forum I frequent. Now, I don't expect that anything I say will change anything with them. It has been helpful for me in my journey to discuss with Adventists and get a better idea of the true darkness in Adventism. While it is helpful for me, I don't want to do any harm. In a discussion recently something took me a little by surprise. A young SDA that I was talking with asked what use there is for the ministry of the Spirit if the Bible tells you what is right and wrong. How could someone who is born again say that? I am discovering more and more in my discussions with Adventism that I must have been a "rare bird". I was born again in Adventism. I gave my heart to Jesus, not to the church. Yes, I was stuck in the mud and mire of legalism, but I came to have assurance of my salvation in Adventism. I have been surprised to find out that that is rare. There is only one person in my SDA family that I can talk to about issues related to God. When I do that I must tiptoe very carefully. Every other moment I have to realize that the elephant has made his home in the room. | ||
| Jeremy Registered user Username: Jeremy Post Number: 1925 Registered: 10-2004  |
My initial thoughts are: Yes, I suppose it could be harmful. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't do it--or that it is wrong to do it. It's not our responsibility to worry about what the effects of our sharing the Gospel will be. Our job is to share the Gospel, and leave the results up to God. You could say that it is very harmful to share the Gospel with someone who will reject it--but again, that's not for us to worry about. Jeremy (Message edited by Jeremy on July 09, 2007) | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 6264 Registered: 12-2003  |
Jeremy is right that we must share the gospel. I believe that sometimes, however, when people become resistant, continuing the discussion is counter-productive. I have known Adventists who, after the initial engagement with the concept of the gospel and mutual Q & A and "thinking about it", become mean-spirited and even nasty, trying to draw one into discussion/arguments. I think sometimes Adventists become resistant to the gospel the more they hear it. That doesn't mean we shouldn't tell them, but there comes a time, sometimes, when we have to stop. Jesus stopped directly witnessing to the Pharisees when they accused him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub. He began speaking in parables, so only those with ears to hear would understand. He also said not to cast pearls before swine. We're not in a position to decide who's swine and who isn't, figuratively speaking, but we are, I believe, supposed to be discerning and stop barraging people with truth when it makes them more and more angry. U2bsda, you were, indeed, rare. I believe that probably most Adventists are not born again. It is dark. It is overwhelming, sometimes, to realize how deep is that darkness and how gracious God is to have rescued us from that. The farther I get from Adventism, the more dark I see it to be. Truly, as we are beginning to leave, we can't see the true reality of it even though we see enough to know we must get out. God is faithful. Colleen | ||
| Reb Registered user Username: Reb Post Number: 302 Registered: 5-2007 |
Many Adventists who would not accept the true Gospel think they have the Gospel. All I know is for me it was only the Holy Spirit that could get through to me. When I was an Adventist, I believed EVERY WORD EGW WROTE. And I was TERRIFIED of other Christians believing they were going to have the Sunday Laws instituted and hunt the Adventists down and kill, imprison, an torture them. So it's no surprise that some Adventists would resist what we have to say. | ||
| U2bsda Registered user Username: U2bsda Post Number: 507 Registered: 11-2004 |
Thanks for your responses! I've found that SDAs will listen and seek to "understand" your point of view and want to engage in friendly dialogue UNTIL they discover that either they are not convincing you to their position or until they discover that you are a former SDA. In my experience, the tone changes abruptly when SDAs find they are talking to a former-SDA. Colleen, I am beginning to understand the darkness and it scares me. It scares me because my family resides in that darkness. I had assumed that most SDAs were born again because I knew I was. Sometimes I think I was never a true Adventist. After I left the church I have been surprised many times about what SDAs believed. They believed things I had no idea about. Our jargon may have been the same, but my understanding of many issues was very different. Maybe it helped to never read the review, egw, or sda literature. I always found it boring. The Bible was good enough for me and didn't seem boring. I remember looking through the Review about a year after I left the SDA church and I was shocked to see the article where people said they hoped they would make it to heaven. I had had no idea that SDAs believed that. What rock was I hiding under? I don't know, but all I can do is praise Him! | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 1025 Registered: 9-2006  |
U2bsda, As I bored into Advintism over a period of years I was coached by no one, I didn’t realize for a matter of years that there even was a former Adventist and as I bored further and further into this thing I came face to face with the deceiving spirit that drives Adventism, it is ugly and it is demonic, it came to a point where he could no longer hide although I think he desperately wanted to, there are no words to really describe what I saw. I think God allowed me to see this for a purpose; I think the boring into it was to his purpose also although I don’t fully know his purpose is, or what the outcome will be. I know I’m a non-ie and shouldn’t spout off so much, but I want people to know and realize what this is and what they are dealing with, I will testify to this whether it be a former Adventist or Evangelicals. River | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 6266 Registered: 12-2003 |
River and U2bsda, thank you for stating again what you have seen. When we left, I knew one or two people who could actually say there was evil under the whole structure. Richard and I had become deeply convinced it was so, but people really came unglued if we hinted such a thing. I have been praying that God will expose and break the spirit of Adventism and set free those that are in bondage to deception and dishonesty. I believe God is literally revealing the truth to people, and I believe, River, that peole who have never been, such as you, who actually see it play a unique role in all this. You validate and confirm people like U2bsda and the rest of us who are also seeing. When one has grown up or spent years in this "thing", it is hard to see it for what it is. It feels "normal". But it is not normal. It is evil, and we need to know or we are still vulnerable to it. But we do not need to fear. Jesus has already overcome the darkness, and He is awakening thousands to come into the light. All I can say is, I praise God for revealing the truth. Colleen | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 1026 Registered: 9-2006 |
No, no need to fear, one reason people need to know this is so they can use intercessory prayer for their friends and loved ones. Give them the gospel when they will listen, but intercede always, there may be times when you feel it is useless to talk, probably more times than not, but there is no bad time for intersession that I know of. Well, if you are in the middle of Portland traffic a person might stay alert! but you know what I mean. The disciples came back to Jesus at one time and ask why they could,t cast a demon out or some such and Jesus told them "this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting. now don't get all shook up, I didn't say that Adventist have demons, what I am saying is that being aware of what you are up against can make a difference in the way you pray, if your father or mother has come under the power of demonic activity, well, I'll let you fill in the blanks. River | ||
| Stevendi Registered user Username: Stevendi Post Number: 161 Registered: 10-2006 |
To many Adventists I know, "grace" is a code word that tips them off that you are just finding an excuse to "sin". Adventists are scared to death of grace talk because it destroys their religious formula. They talk about the gospel, but are completely blind about the New Covenant. To consider otherwise would destroy their understanding of the Old Covenant, which they revere, even worship as a salvific idol. The only way an Adventist will ever "get it", is the same way as the rest of us. God will allow us opportunities to crash hard enough to have nothing left but Him to turn to. God particularly hates religion, due to it's deceptive nature. steve (Message edited by stevendi on July 09, 2007) | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 25 Registered: 7-2007 |
Oh River, I don't think it's possible to "spout off too much" when it comes to a false religion! U2bsda, I don't think it's harmfull to openly talk about the gospel to Adventists. When I was an Adventist, I knew next to nothing about the Holy Spirit. Maybe it would be good to shower Adventists with Bible verses about the Holy Spirit - Romans 8:9 which says that if a person doesn't have the Spirit, he doesn't belong to Christ; 2nd Corinthians 3:7,8 which contrasts the old covenant, the "ministry of death written and engraved on stones" to the "ministry of the Spirit." Also Ephesians 1:13,14 which shows that the Holy Spirit is the Seal of God (not the Sabbath) and shows that the Holy Spirit is the "guarantee of our inheritance." I'd also show them Galatians 5:14 which says to "Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh." I'd point out that there are only two ways - the Spirit Who is life, or the flesh which leads to death. Dianne |
