I ask this question in sincerity; because I thought it would be an interesting Bible study topic. :)

If it's true that a person can be a true, born again Christian; and yet not be an SDA; then why be a Seventh Day Adventist?

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"We are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets; Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone!" (Eph.2:20).

Your brother in Christ

David T. Battler

Christians, christians everywhere but why be SDA ?

Part-one

John 10:
22 ¶ And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
30 I and my Father are one.

The ministry of Jesus is building toward the crisis of arresting the attention of the world, before calvary. He is earnestly teaching things that will remain on Earth to continue with renewed force after He returns to Heaven. His authority is continually being questioned in order to discredit Him and return to the traditions of the past by people who refuse to trust God .

Instead of defending His authority in a debate, Jesus tells them that the reason they do not believe is because they have not given themselves to God. They are not God’s spiritual children. All the spiritual children of God, also belong to Jesus. He leads them as fast as they can endure to be lead.
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Proverbs 4:
5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

These first nine verses show the hope of the peoples of Earth who are responding internally to the Holy Spirit’s call and yearning, often times for what they know not to be the solution to their yearning. Then in God’s providence they are brought to recognize that in Jesus, they may have a Saviour and Redeemer and continual Lord of their lives.

Often they become so enamored with this accomplishment that they are content to stop in spiritual babyhood. Then having mortal leaders who espouse this creed or that creed, they find one they like or stay with the persons or creeds whereby they found Jesus in the first place and settle down to remain there. The spirit of yearning that is expressed with these words “more of Thee”, seems extinguished or at least no longer active.

But what is the danger of not continuing to follow the advancing truths expressed in the Bible ? Answer : the just and true and righteous are not the only ones walking about in this world. The next six verses express this danger, for it is a danger that is passable from one to another like germs from a contagious illness. Evil is spreadable, and Jesus and His teachings are the only cure. (1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:) When you obey truth, you are obeying Jesus for He is The Truth and the source of it .

14 ¶ Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

The path of the just keeps advancing, in advances closer and closer into harmony with that Celestial society to be revealed upon that perfect day; the day of His appearing and the going home to Heaven with Him of all who have gotten as close to Him in this world as possible.

18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day
20 ¶ My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

Jesus has only one Heaven to take His children to, only one faith that is consistent with all the Bible’s truth, there is only one Jesus Christ. He will not change His plans to suit anyone who decides they want to follow on their terms and not His terms. But all who seek Him, He works to bring them to full surrender to His terms of salvation. Many of these things are unknown to many He calls, so He has to teach and keep reconverting them step by step into each new truth as they can endure it.

John 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

When you ignite a light to pierce dense darkness as a far reaching beacon, it is of necessity set upon the highest possible eminence to spread the light as wide a path as possible, and the closer you get to the center or source of the light; the more concentrated and brighter it becomes. That is also true for spiritual light. Jesus is the Light, the Second coming is the tower - seen by faith in the lessening distance, the eminence that alone is holy enough and tall enough to be worthy to support this is the Holy Scriptures - God’s revealed words.

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Edward F. Sutton

One important fact, however, is that going into a SDA church doesn't make one a Christian anymore than going into a garage makes one a car.

There's more to it than that!

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In His Love, Mercy & Grace

Daryl

Adventists aren't THE true Christians, but the SDA church is the church with the TRUTH!

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The Lord is the strength of my life and my portion forever.

If several groups profess to be Christians, what test or tests does Jesus use to reveal the true verses the phoney ?

Or is their nothing to prove genuineness at all ? If there is such proofs of genuineness, how could anyone including us pass or fail it ?

I have a few things in mind, but want to post them later after more discussion.

Hint one of them is built of the same material as Satan's chain, but it's called by another name.

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Edward F. Sutton

[This message has been edited by Edward F. Sutton (edited November 02, 2000).]

Amen Daryl & Cathy

What you guys said makes sense according to the line of theology in the Bible & SOP which describes this matter in more detail. Brother Ed, I will give your reply an amen too...even though I don't know for sure what you have in mind. One of the texts that makes for good discussion on this matter is Rev.18:4. Who will be the first?

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"We are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets; Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone!" (Eph.2:20).

Your brother in Christ

David T. Battler

Since the verse offered is not posted i will post it here.

Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

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Edward F. Sutton

During the 1000 years on a desolated planet, Satan is bound by a chain made of this material, which even he can not break nor escape from. We even use it is our phraseology in talking with each other.

The material is forged according to the laws of sowing and reaping what is sown.

(Test # 1.)The material is circumstances. One of the tests of a true chriatian is circumstances. Do they imitate Jesus all the time, doing what He teaches during their circumstances? Motives and understanding information and acting upon it, create actions, what eventually shows? Circumstances show what's inside, even if only they & God see or if all the world sees.

Habakkuk 3:
13 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck.

16 ¶ When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.
17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

Zephaniah 1:12 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.

Circumstances are fashioned for self discovery; God allows us to discover in our selves what circumstances uncover, that we may bring ourselves to Jesus the refiner of people. That He may direct us how to co-operate with Him in the process of our redemption.

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Edward F. Sutton

Christians, christians everywhere but why be SDA ?
Part-two
Too often we are content to camp on mere stepping stones the night before a flood of water rains down engulfing our campsite in water and mud. We learn too late it was a series of stepping stones, not a campsite awaiting the Second Coming.

Ideologies and Churches are like that, we learn a little and get so comortable we forget to follow Jesus's onward trail and make present circumstances our final campsite; in violation of the progressive nature of Biblical Truths and Biblical warnings.

1 ¶ Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.[/b]
3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to[b] establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above
7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 ¶ For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

Becoming a born again Christian happens to a person, because they begin & keep on responding and following God's call. He causes the rebirth as they respond and follow.

As they learn that an Ideology only obeys somewhat but disobeys Scripture where it suits them by their Ideological profession, the converted or "born again" individual is forced to follow Jesus further and leave that Ideological company and seek for that Ideology that by profession agrees with Jesus through the Bible's teachings.

They started out to find the Jesus of Scripture, unalloyed with human traditions and devisings and can not rest satisfied till they find Him.

Sabbath is a Divinely ordained cleaver to quickly focus the search in the direction He wants it to go in, with as few diversions as possible.

God had created an Ideology of old that agreed with Him in profession, but destroyed themselves. God has recreated a present day Ideology that in profession agrees with Him and His teachings.

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Edward F. Sutton

Profession is not the end all be all.
There is more to being a born again christian than that.

It involves an action, belief in this context is not verb or adjective, it's a noun, or better yet, a descriptive adjective. It denotes action, 'The devils believe, and tremble...', does this mean they will be saved?

I don't think so.
As Bro. Ed brought out iun his posts, a true believer is growimg, maturing, always looking for more truth and moving on as he/she learns it.
If a living thing quits growing, it dies. That is a simple fact of life.
God's true followers are continually growing.

I said it before, I'll say it again, being a member of a denomination will NOT save you, only Jesus the Christ can do that.

When we get to heaven, we won't be called SDA's, we'll be called the Children Of God, but, while here, we need to be something, something that denotes growth, truth, acceptance of the WHOLE WORD as our guide and stay.

So far, the only denomination I personally have found that fits this description is the SDA church.

My $.02.

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What is popular is not always right.
What is right is not always popular.
Gerry B.