| Author | Message | ||
| Mommyk Registered user Username: Mommyk Post Number: 44 Registered: 4-2007  |
Reflections of a Fourth Generation Adventist Upon the Problem of Judgmentalism http://zhurnal.lib.ru/t/ted_n/judgmentalism.shtml | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 1482 Registered: 9-2006  |
I really agree with him on the Adventist judge mentalist attitude of others and including one another and he finds this wrong as well he should. I have noticed this tendency to Judge each other in my Adventist acquaintances. He explains Adventism very well, he should be able too being a generational Adventist. He says this is what they have to offer other churches. Quote: Adventism offers to other Christian churches concepts like: -- The blessings of the Sabbath, rightly understood from a perspective of grace. -- The enhanced perspective about the loving character of God that the concept of soul sleep teaches, in contrast to the concept of the immortal soul wherein God keeps a person alive to suffer eternal torment. -- Insights on healthful living. -- Perspectives on the cosmic battle between Christ and Satan. My opinion, what they have to offer other churches (Evangelical) is zilch. If these people that advocate this comes to my church you can believe it I will stand for the gospel. He says “Sabbath Grace teaches that all believers are on a personal journey toward God.” Sounds good doesn’t it? But grace teaches that Christ has broken down the middle wall of partition and that Christ is our Sabbath of rest wherein we can rest in his finished work. He says Sabbath grace, that gives it yet another flavor. While I believe he is onto some truths of Christian living, he is trying do it and still hold onto the false doctrine inherent in Adventism and trying to cover the huge gap between normal although varied evangelical beliefs with non-judgmental-ism. It is just another ism, I’m OK your OK just as long as you don’t judge, worship a cow, fine, worship the Sabbath? Fine. Islam? Fine, don’t believe E.G.? Fine, do believe E.G? Fine. Sounds like the flesh to me just trying to put on a spiritual skin. Sounds like the wolf just trying to put on a cover that looks more like a sheep. IMHO. River P.S. His lunch guest may have found it profound, but I just don't see anything profound. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 6818 Registered: 12-2003  |
Even though he calls his church nondenominational, it is still shaped in fundamental ways by Adventism. He has clung to soul sleep and Sabbath, and both of these are the pillars of Adventism that alter the way every other doctrine is understood. While the Investigative Judgment is the only unique doctrine of Adventism, and Pooler has apparently jettisoned that (at least in its traditional form), soul sleep and Sabbath sacredness are the doctrines that twist the rest of the beliefs. First, in his entire essay, Pooler does not mention th cross of Jesus or His sacrifice as having any significant bearing on the church's beliefs. His essay describes an "emergent sounding" congregation where the primarly value is "grace" and acceptance without judgmentalism. The problem is, "grace" cannot be understood apart from the completed atonement secured by Jesus substitutionary death. Grace without a flip side of justice is not grace. Acceptance has no real value if there is nothing God considers unworthy. Without being cleansed, changed, and regenerated because of Jesus' blood and resurrection which defeated death, there is no grace. "Judgmentalism" is truly alive and well within Adventism, but without actually stating it, Pooler is passing judgment on the spiritual reality of inherent sin and the need of all of us to repent before God, surrendering everything we value—including our philosophical desire for "acceptance" without "judgment". Grace is only grace if God gives it to someone undeserving. If we all "deserve" acceptance, then that warm acceptance of all people's understandings isn't grace at all. It's "tolerance". Please don't hear me saying we have a right to criticize everyone we don't agree with. But the Bible is clear that we all come to God in one way: in submission to the Lord Jesus, kneeling before Him at the cross, allowing His blood to wash us clean, His Spirit to awaken our spirits to new life and new identities in Him. THIS is grace. We deserve death; He gives us life because He literally died our death and defeated it. One more thing: we're not all on a journey toward God. We are all dead in our sins, unable to find or rescue ourselves (Eph 2:1-4). God Himself awakens us, calls us to Himself. We become alive when we are repentant before Him, forgiven by His blood, and filled with His Spirit. His essay is truly still "Adventist". It's just an "emergent" expression of it. He still holds onto the unbiblical nature of man that soul sleep requires, and he still can't see that Jesus is the one and only fuflillment of the law, revelation of the Father, prophetic voice to the church, and Lord of Lords. Colleen |
