| Author | Message | ||
| Patriar Registered user Username: Patriar Post Number: 13 Registered: 3-2005 |
Hi there: I have a question. I was discussing some things about Adventism with a friend yesterday. She is a current SDA and until last night has not wanted to engage in any of the process we've been through in leaving SDAism. She had so many questions and praise God, He gave the answers. But there was one thing I couldn't answer as I've never heard of it. I wondered if any of you have heard of this. She said that she's been asked to be at two different annointings in the past 10 years or so. Two different pastors, two different places and both times she was told she had to be sure to "purify" herself by praying for forgiveness of her sins in order that the prayers over the sick person might not be hindered. Has anyone heard of this?? | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 2097 Registered: 12-2003  |
Yes, I've heard of it. I suspect this idea comes from the Adventist understanding of James 5:16: "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." First, the text says to confess to each other--in other words, make right any wrongs standing between you and your brothers and sisters in Christ. Second, the text is not talking about confessing to God in order to become righteous. When we accept Jesus and surrender our lives to Him, we are counted righteous. We are made new by the new birth by the Spirit, and before God we are completely righteous because we are clothed in Jesus' righteousness. Adventists typically do not believe our righteousness is ALL Jesus. They believe a person is righteous IF his sins are all confessed to date. If any sin remains unconfessed, that sin renders him unworthy and impure. This belief is straight from EGW's sanctuary doctrine teaching that says any unconfessed sin--even a sin we can't remember--remains on our record in the heavenly books, and it will keep us from being saved. Adventists traditionally believed that for a person to be involved in an anointing service, they had to have every sin confessed or they wouldn't be "righteous" people. Praise God for removing the veil and for making His perfect salvation clear and accessible to all of us! Colleen |
