Why the Seventh Day Adventist church must re look its message

We hold it to be true and not without evidence that at an appointed time in the future when the remnant of God’s people are ready, the Holy spirit will descend a second time in His gracious power to amplify the work of the church in spreading the gospel to the whole world. (Joel 2:23)

Time and again the church has convinced itself of the possible occurrence of this end time event commonly understood as the latter rain. As was in the former rain when the apostles prayed for 10 days at Pentecost, members have given themselves to earnest prayers severally with the hope, blessed hope that the time finally is. However, every time the expectations have been unmet to the disappointment of some and relief of many. Why?

Could it be that the message we have for the world is the wrong message and the Holy Spirit is uninterested in amplifying it? Could it be that we swim in the same emergency we were in as the history of the church unfolded. Unfortunately this is the case.

For decades now we have unearthed and accumulated infinite treasures of truth and given them to the world with a zeal emphasizing on the need for obedience to the law. We have built ourselves in the idea that we have the truth and are finishing the work of the great commission by teaching of these treasures.

The truth however, is that we are deluded. We have broken down beautiful truths into packets of knowledge and mentally assented to doctrines which are true in their basic data yet are presented devoid of Christ. We have developed a reputation for preaching the law, and judgment and focused on vilifying our “opponents” with massive evidence on our side to prove our case

The law has been dwelled upon to the diminishing of Christ and Him crucified. We have asserted the law, sought to prove the Sabbath is still binding, that health reform is a question of life and death so much that the very message that should be entering wedges have become the wedges that divide even the very elect.

As pointed out by the prophetess in the early history of the church, we have a crisis in our hands. God has a controversy with his people. We, as it stands are a true depiction of the Laodicean church painted in revelation 3.14.  We are under the impression that we are rich and increased in goods and are in need of nothing: The true witness says we are wretched and miserable and poor, blind and naked.

We have left out the very band of the gospel. We have left out Christ and his matchless love for the world and put up in place theoretical knowledge and argumentative discourses that often times has people in church but separated from Christ and the experience of salvation. We have substituted Christ for truths about Christ.

In the end as earth’s history come to a close, the subject that must be given much importance is the message of the righteousness of Christ. His righteousness imputed in the penitent sinner who by faith reaches to the treasures of grace. (Romans 3: 21-25)

God has designed that his people should be a conduit not only of theoretical knowledge but also a revelation of his love and grace. The subject of righteousness by faith is the message of Love expressed through Grace. If any do not receive it, it will forever remain a mystery of mysteries to them. {RH, December 23, 1890 par. 3}

We are to invite people to receive of the righteousness of which is made manifest in the obedience of God’s commandments. We are to direct souls to the sin pardoning redeemer and his unchanging love and grace that are manifested in his righteousness that he imputes freely.

It is this interest that shall prevail. It is the subject that will swallow all others: Christ our righteousness

L. E. Froom sums it up in this manner in Movement of Destiny: "Righteousness by Faith is not a mere segment or aspect of the Faith. It is the Faith in its entirety—the full faith of Jesus. Ponder its scope. It takes in the entire sweep of salvation. It constitutes the heart of re deeming grace, the essence of the Everlasting Gospel. ... It is the master key that unlocks heaven. ... It is the spring of all true service, the joy of all Christian life and effective witness." —Page 668.

This is the third angel’s message that must be preached to all nations’ tongues and kindred and when it becomes pervasive and central to all teachings then shall the latter rain fall, then shall the end come.