Why I Left the Seventh-Day Adventist Church - Part 2/4

In the comment section of my video regarding the Sabbath being a Ceremonial Law, an SDA asked "Why would God put a Ceremonial law within the Ten Commandments, and then expect us to decipher it".
Well, rather than type out a response, I decided to just record it.

[rickhuntling]

It's not that the Sabbath was ceremonial but that it was a sign or a shadow of a better thing to come. The better thing being CHRIST and the CHRIST REST we enter by believing in HIM and the gospel.CHRIST REST is alive and well as we speak and has been since Resurrection morming.

[BDB-ltgd]

Scott my friend...you talked about being a son and daughter of the King and got excited and said now you obey the law out of love!

Well that pretty much encapsulates what a born again Seventh Day Adventist experiences.

We obey God's law not to earn God's favor but to show our loyalty to Him and to honor Him! Because we love Him!

I keep the Sabbath not to gain merit but to show love, loyalty, and honor to Jesus the Lord of the Sabbath!

As someone who is familiar with Adventism you may recall this popular phrase...

You should not teach someone the Sabbath of the Lord until they know the Lord of the Sabbath!

I know the Lord and so the day is a blessing to me!

[lotasullivan]

You are saved by Grace through FAITH. Sin is sin. Doing things without Faith is sin.

[akerjerk]

How can the sabbath be a ceremonial law if the sabbath predates the law?

[thejayperspective]

I pray my Brother that you consider the scriptures again, and most importantly grow in the Love of Christ, God bless you and your family and I hope the truth will make you Free, Maranatha!😊🙏

[danielconstantinescu]

Hose 4:6 says: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because THOU HAST REJECTED KNOWLEDGE, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing THOU HAST FORGOTTEN THE LAW OF THY GOD, I will also forget thy children.

[danielconstantinescu]

Dear Brother Scott,
Part 4.
Possible explanation:

Here’s the point that you may not even be aware of:
Adam’s mistake was that he did not trust God enough to be able to fix the problem. I don’t think he really wanted to rebel against God and disobey His commandment: because he loved God too. The same way, you did not conclude that it is OK to eat pork, just to spite God’s commandment: I sense that you love God a lot.

Adam loved Eve a lot; he loved his sweetheart more than we, fallen men can imagine. He was a perfect man and husband; endowed with extraordinary qualities and abilities like: excellent memory and logic, a man of many talents, with genuine feelings of love and compassion, made in the image of God, fresh from his Maker’s hands. His love for his wife was pure and untainted. So, not wanting to loose her, and blinded by his love for her, he forgot that God already had the solution. Thus he decided to share the fate with his wife: He just couldn’t imagine life without her. How sublime, yet so sad, so wrong, with such serious consequences for disobeying God!

Now, if I read you correctly, you may be in the same situation: Except, that you don’t have to make a choice between obeying God and being with your wife. You can do both. You can be an example for her, and help her understand God instead of ignoring Him.
As I perceive, your wife, whom you apparently love so much, has no problem eating pork. Your conundrum was similar to that of Adam’s: How can I please her and God in the same time?

Part 5.
Wrong conclusion and proof:

Unconscientiously you sought a solution for quite a while; and when you heard Leviticus 11 being read, something “clicked” in your mind. So, that was it: you will “be unclean until the even”! No big deal. Therefore, to quote you “it is no sin to eat pork, (or swine flesh)”!!! Except that, that is not what Lev. 11 verses 39 and 40 read or mean! Here they are: “39 And if any beast, of which ye may eat, (that means a clean animal not swine) die; he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even.
40 And he that eateth of the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that beareth the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.
A. You completely misunderstood these verses, and probably the rest of Ch. 11, because they do not say anything about eating unclean animals. Regarding the unclean animals God commanded “thou shall not to eat them”! Eating them was and still is an abomination, or disgust to Him. And,
B. You are most likely confusing the Health Laws with Ceremonial Laws. Sometimes they do compliment each other but they are not the same.

What can be clearer than verses 45 to 47? “45 For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
46 This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth:
47 To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.”

Also Deu. 14:7, 8
“7 Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you.
8. And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase.”
Or Isaiah 66:16, 17
“16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many:
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.”

The question of clean and unclean animals goes all the way back to the Flood, long before Sinai. Read Genesis 6 and 7. Verse 7:2 says: “Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female”).

You mention a few times that you studied the Bible “through and through” and that you could not find any evidence in it against eating pork: Really? I suppose you missed these verses and others. But, how is that possible?!
Perhaps, you are blinded by love; just like Adam.

Dear Brother Scott,
Part 6.
Final conclusion:

In regard to your original question: “Is it a sin to eat pork?” the answer is very simple and easy. If you believe the Bible definition of sin in 1John 3:4 “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law”, the answer is a resounding YES. God commanded: “Thou shall not eat”!

Scott, it is the act of defying God and His commandment, insulting Him by our arrogance that gets us in trouble: When God says “I hate that” and we turn around and say, “Lord, I don’t care how you feel about it; it looks good, it taste good, I love it and I will eat it”…

My plea:

Based on what I mentioned above, I hope, you can now determine whether that “epiphany” was true or has a foreign and dubious origin. Please pray about it!
Or, maybe you want to invoke the “Law being nailed on the cross” clause, mentioned in Colossians Ch. 2: Well, if that’s the case we need to review this subject separately. It is perhaps one of the most misunderstood chapters in the New Testament.

But please, stop saying that not eating pork or any unclean animal is not one of God’s commandment, or that it is just an SDA Church “un-biblical teaching”! The SDA Church simply chose to follow the Bible and God’s prescriptions.
Thank you and God bless you.
dfc

[trent]

Careful leading people to a destination that you're unsure of yourself.

[ginettemelody]

Love and principles, consideration and respect for other Beings, and animals, Blessings In plenty.

[kimberlywright]

Thank you I have been in a Pentecostal church going to church on Subday all of my life. I just in the last 2 years I've been thinking why do we not worship on Saturday which is the Sabbath and that is the only thing that bothers me basically I'm concerned about worshiping on the day and resting on the day that the Lord has given me an interesting part about it is that I feel like on the Sabbath day the Bible says rest from all your labor most times when we go to church get the Usher board people ushering people are serving you drive to get the church you fuss with your kids to get them dressed it seems like work even get to church there's work to do when you get to church doesn't seem much like a Sabbath I've had some really good Sabbath days right at home with my children I had time of rest from my work my job and then I fell asleep with my kids in the living room teaching them God's word and telling them with the Sabbath day is that was a good Sabbath then when the Sun goes down on Saturday then I cook a good meal or I cook the day before Friday before sundown I think the sabbath or Shabbat. according to the bible was made for man and not the man made for Sabbath day!

[jessicasimpson]

It sounds like you might be ok with nine of the ten commandments. Why is it that the Sabbath commandment bothers you so much. Do you feel the same way about any other of the ten commandments. Rev 22:14 blessed are they that DO his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life and enter in, through the gates into the city.

[jenrob]

Scott, love the videos! As a 15+ year EX-SDA, I remember how important Sabbath was/is to SDA's. I was often taught. that the Sabbath was to be the "mark" on your head (knowledge of Sabbath) and on your hand (keeping of Sabbath). I don't currently recall if that is something written in "27 (now 28) fundamental beliefs", given by EGW, or just an "unwritten belief of faith". However, when I am approached by current SDA's that like to try to debate you (just like I was guilty of), I usually refer them to Exodus 13. Here, God is talking to Moses, who in turn is talking to the children of Israel about keeping Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread and the exodus from Egypt/bondage. specifically, Exodus 13:9, 16. "So it will be like a sign on your hand, and a reminder between your eyes..." When I point them to that, I then tell them, "I see that God considers keeping Passover as a "sign on your hand/head", now please show me, IN THE BIBLE, where keeping Sabbath does that." Next I will point them to Zechariah 14. There, you will read about after Jesus returns and destroys those who have come against Jerusalem. When you get to verse 16 and beyond, there is another interesting passage that says (paraphrasing) "all the survivors from all the nations that attacked Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship God and "TO CELEBRATE SUKKOT" (festival of booths given in Lev 23). verse 17 further states: "Furthermore, if any of the nations on earth DO NOT go up to Jerusalem to worship Adonai, THEY WILL HAVE NO RAIN." So here, God states that the festival of Sukkot is so important to Him, that in that day, whoever doesn't keep it will be cursed...USING THE BIBLE ONLY, is that same curse given to one who doesn't keep Sabbath?
Blessings brother! and O-H!

[AcademyApologia]

Thank you for this video explaining the unbiblical teachings of Adventists. I pray it helps Adventists leave this false chruch and become Christians.

Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord, ' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

[barbarataylor]

What did Jesus do on the sabbath? And what did He say about it?

[michaelhodges]

Thank you for I understand what you are critical thinking is key....

[karenstiltner]

I'm checking out the SDA church right now and this is definitely a question that has come up for me. In several places the Bible says if you love God you will keep His commandments, and I took that to mean the 10 commandments, which includes keeping the Sabbath holy. On the other hand, we have Jesus saying that all the law hangs on loving God and loving our neighbors. I want to do God's will and I figured that keeping the Sabbath holy isn't a bad thing so I've been trying to do that, but I've gotten the impression from going to the SDA church that the dietary restrictions and the rest are suggestions, not requirements for SDA members. Is this true?

[rogermetzger]

By the time Sally graduated from high school, she believed (her words) “Churches are places people go to tell other people what to do or to pay the preacher to tell other people what to do.”




As far as she knows, Sally never had any contact with Seventh-day Adventists until a few years later. She had developed her concept of what churches were as a result of attending the services of holiness congregations (a conservative branch of the methodist movement). 




Sally met enough adventists who were NOT that way - i.e. their religion was not about telling people what to do - that she asked an adventist conference officer to baptize her. He did and she joined the Seventh-day Adventist organization. 




Several years after that, she had met enough adventists who DID tell people what to do that she stopped attending worship services regularly.




This is my way of saying that there certainly are professed Christians - Adventists and others - who think Christinity based on what we do or don’t do.




It seems to me that, before you “Left the Seventh-day Adventist Church”, you were a follower of that organization. 




My parents were adventists before I was born. I never got the impression that they were followers of the Seventh-day Adventist organization or its leaders - past or present. Sally and I were never followers of the Seventh-day Adventist organization. Neither of us thought of the organization as “the church”. The conference officer knew that about Sally when he baptized her and he said he agreed with her about that.




There are a couple of sad things about this video. Your references to what you have read and what someone else has said seem to indicate that you have simply jumped from the skillet into the frying pan. You seem to be just as much a follower of other people’s ideas now as when you were a Seventh-day Adventist.




I’ve been an adventist for sixty years and, in that time, I’ve never taught that people are saved by keeping the law. Not everybody who rests on the day the Lord rested does so because of “the law” - no matter what you include in your definition of the law or how you distinguish or fail to distinguish between moral law and ceremonial law.




There were adventists for more than a decade before there was any such thing as a Seventh-day Adventist organization. I suspect there are hundreds or maybe thousands of people who are adventists today without being a member of the Seventh-day Adventist organization. It would be better to NOT be a member than to think of an organization as “the church” or think people are saved by what they do or don’t do. 




P.S. Who ever told you marshmellows have lard in them? And why on Earth did you believe it?

[vuyaki]

You are living by faith! Even so Abraham lived by faith! No body was saved by the law, including Abraham. These anti- commandments people seem to suggest that before jesus salvation was by the law. Never was salvation by the law. Saved people must keep the law.

[danielconstantinescu]

Part 1.
Dear Brother Scott,
Grace and Peace from above!

Preface:

First of all, I would like to apologize if my perceptions about certain persons or events are wrong!!! I do not claim to be a prophet nor a psychiatrist. I can only speak as I feel, as a Bible student, a brother in Christ and a sojourner toward God’s Kingdom.
Please read this and do not rush to a conclusion before you read the whole thing and prayed about it! I watched your first presentation, and then read some of the comments. I must’ve spent more than two hours “to see what all was about”. I can’t say it shocked me, because you are not alone: there are quite a few former SDA’s, and even fewer who decided “to make it public”. Something though drew my attention: but it was not what you’ve been accused of trying to do...

At one point you almost broke down in tears; I felt your pain, and I took it as a sign of sincerity, not acting. So, I decided to write to you in the hope that your heart and mind are still open to reason. I am your brother in Christ trying to reach to you, who need help. It is not that I can change your mind, because I can’t; but the Holy Spirit can. The only thing I can do is to point you to facts and truths in God’s word: the Bible, both Old and New Testament; and also pray for you and your family.

But you must be honest with yourself and remember that being sincere alone does not mean you are right. Your conviction must match the teachings of the Scriptures. Only the truth of God’s word will make you right, or righteous. I also believe in the Sola Scriptura principle.
I myself have been reading and studying the Bible for more years than you lived on this planet. (Just so you know).

Dear Brother Scott,
Part 2.
Introduction:

Misunderstanding God’s Law may cost us our life here on Earth and Eternal life; and the same holds true for misunderstanding the relationship between Law, Grace and Works. Now, let’s consider the following:
a. Adam and Eve got in trouble for eating what God commanded not to eat.
b. Esau got in trouble for “selling” his birthright for a bowl of soup, though there was no law against it.
c. In the Old Testament the people of Israel got in so much trouble for ignoring God’s Health and Moral Laws. They angered God, and the result was idolatry and foreign captivity: sickness and destruction. (Read all Major and Minor Prophets.)
d. Today people get sick; get cancers, heart diseases, trichinosis, gout, poisoning themselves, etc. for eating what God commanded not to eat: It is a scientific fact confirmed by doctors and the Bible. (Read the Bible and all related scientific statistics and reports)
e. Now, S. R. is in trouble for eating what God commanded not to eat, and denying God’s commandment: “Thou shall not eat”. (Read the Bible and your heart).
Do you see any similarities? I have no doubt that you agree with the first four statements mentioned above: but what about point “e”?
Of course they all had their reason(s) why: And, in every case there was a rationalization of their act(s). Perhaps yours is not much different from that of Adam and Eve. Here’s what I mean:

Part 3.
The process of being cheated:

Before having that “epiphany”, you probably struggled with the thought (that eating pork is not a sin) for sometime; just like Eve struggled with the question: “To eat or not to eat” of the fruit? She probably went around that “Tree of the knowledge of good and evil” a few times before she actually came close enough to have the conversation with the Serpent. Then she got convinced (“beguiled” the proper word) that what God said was not exactly true, and that He must’ve had other reasons for not letting them eat the fruit of that tree. She may have rationalized her actions this way:
1. God is not going to kill me just for eating a fruit; how can He do that? God is Love! He loves me! God did not mean that I would die.
2. What parent would kill his/her own child for eating a fruit, how ever forbidden that might be?
3. And then, knowing good and evil it’s a good thing; it will make me wiser.
4. “Hm, here I am, a mature woman, born free and I am supposed to live ‘in bondage of the law’? I think the Serpent is right: I want my freedom!”
5. After all, God said: “have dominion over all the earth” (Gen 1:26), I am the rightful owner of the Garden of Eden.
6. I’m going to be like God!
7. Eve “saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes” (so, she decided to eat of it). Gen. 3:6
Then she gave Adam to eat of the fruit, and he did eat of it too.
Of course, with the exception of points 5 and 7 you won’t find these ideas in Genesis; but it’s very easy to imagine, because we follow the same logic today, as an excuse not to follow God’s instructions and commandments.

[maryduncan]

I'm feeling that u have been deceived. And that u r ensnared and being pulled away from the truth. It's incomprehensible and causes confusion. That's not of God. Just saying.