At The Crossroads: Adventist vs. Christian Conversion

Hey there. Thank you for being here and welcome whenever and wherever you might be watching, especially if this is your first time with us, Adventist or otherwise. So, I’m going to start tonight with a question for you all. What does the Bible teach is the way by which a person comes to faith. What does the Bible teach is the way by which a person comes to faith. I was reminded of this vital question. Um, well, lots of things do, but here recently when I came across the testimony of prominent 7th Day Adventist Clifford Goldstein, which was shared on the Adventist

Church’s official YouTube channel. For those that do not know, Clifford Goldstein is the editor of the Seventh Day Adventist Church’s Sabbath School Quarterly. has been for shoot almost as long as I’ve been alive 30 some years I think. But nevertheless, we’re going to be listening to his short presentation after we do a little bit of biblical groundwork. But before diving in, if you like what we’re doing here and you want to support us, consider becoming a member for about the price of a cup of coffee. Each month you can join our growing crew, gain

Access to our growing membersonly content library, uh, including membersonly live streams. And it’s through your generous support, the viewer, that we are able to fulfill our mission to equip as many Christians as possible to reach as many 7th Day Adventists as possible. I tell you guys this frequently, and I’m going to continue um, stating that that this is a team effort. is not just me. It is not just the people on the back end that are powering this thing as well, but it is you, the viewer. And our members really make reaching more Adventists a bigger

Possibility. So, for those of you that are members, thank you. We appreciate you. And if you want to join, uh, you can click the little join button down below this video. If you don’t see that because you might be on mobile, the link is also in the description box down below. If that fails, you can go to the channel homepage, which is what was just up on the screen, and you will see the join button in two places there as well. So, like I said, before we get into Cliff’s story, I want to do some biblical examination in the book of Romans specifically,

It is important that we remember the overarching theme of the book versus simply citing a handful of proof texts. So, for those of you that do not like reading, I’m sorry. um we’re just we don’t do that here. Um so we’re going to walk through some larger sections of the epistle to really grasp or seek to grasp um what God is intending to communicate because this is an important question. Little fun fact. No, I didn’t uh invent this. I didn’t originate this idea. This is just um sound hermeneutics. There is only one correct interpretation of any

Given passage but there are multiple potential applications. Now a big argument in the reformation that the reformers were making to the uh well the magisterial reformers regarding scripture was really that question. Can a person understand what God intended to communicate? because that’s the only correct interpretation that then may have varying applications. So what we’re going to do here with Romans is seek to draw out what God intends to communicate. Romans gives us Paul’s probably most comprehensive presentation of the gospel. The most succinct being 1

Corinthians 15, but the book of Romans being a systematic presentation or representation of the gospel. um the gospel that he claims he received from Jesus Christ himself. Galatians 1:12, the book is broken up into three parts. Okay, chapters one, well, his his sign on is 1 through 17 and then 18 through to chapter 3, uh well to the end of chapter 3 as we’re going to see um 1 through 320 deals with sin. 3:21- 11 all the way through chapter 11 deals with salvation and then 12- 16 the end of the book deals with service. Okay, three parts. Chapters 1 through 3 sin 3-

11 roughly salvation 12- 16 service. So after you hear the bad news, the sin problem, you then hear the solution to that sin problem. And then as you’re getting to the end of those chapters around, well, even into the middle, um you get Paul transitioning to so now, how should we live now that we have this salvation? So I’m saying service, but it encompasses kind of all of those things. But this book is a perfect example of something that I’ve talked about quite regularly as well, and that is the law. Gospel distinction. Not going to get into that heavy

Tonight. We have done so elsewhere. So you can go and check that out. But the law gospel distinction has to do with uh it is an interpretation principle or uh an aspect of hermeneutics. It is not just referring to the ten commandments uh over and against you know something else. It’s something that has to do with interpreting scripture. But after the prologue in 11 to 117, like I said, the book is structured by two principles. Law and gospel. Law being do this and live. Anything in scripture, command, do this and you’ll live. Do that and you’ll

Die. Anything like that is law. Gospel, for God so loved the world, mercy, grace, reconciliation, peace, etc. That all comes through the gospel. The law brings death. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3, because all of us have transgressed it, etc. makes no provisions for mercy, grace, goodness, which is why the gospel is the solution to the sin problem. But this then leads to a progressive sanctification essentially is what Paul lays out when he gets into chapters six and seven. But the crux of the hinge or the crux or hinge uh is Paul’s explanation of of

Righteous, the righteousness of God being revealed ultimately in the person and work of Jesus Christ. So after the uh opening of the epistle with his credentials, he starts by telling us in 116-1 17 that we cite this a lot around here. The gospel is the power of God to salvation for all who believe it. Both the Jew and Gentile alike, all tribes, tongues, peoples, nations. The apostle then proceeds to tell us about the predicament that both Jews and Gentiles alike face. They are sinners without excuse before a holy God. That is Romans chapter 1. He goes to great lengths to

Describe this condition as he lays out what some commentators have described or you’ll see it sometimes described as the downward progression of man into debauchery and sin. Um you’ll notice that when Paul talks about the sins that man falls into in chapter 1, the more he gets into the chapter, the graver the sins um uh become. It is a downward progression leading to eventually repbation. But by the third chapter, he makes it apparent that ethnic Israelites are not exempt from this condition, but all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The famous Romans 3

Passage. But toward the end of chapter 3 and into chapter 4 and five, the apostle transitions us here to the remedy, like I said, for this problem, which is the gospel. Notice what he says in 3:21 through31. Romans 3:21 through31 is where we will start. We’re going to work our way up through a couple of chapters and then we are going to jump to uh a summation statement that he makes and we will transition into Clifford Goldstein’s testimony. But notice the word of God says, “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law,

Although the law and the prophets bear witness to it.” Law and the prophets, for those that don’t know, Old Testament, that’s what that phrase is referring to. the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there’s no distinction. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness because in his divine forbearance he had passed over

Former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? Rhetorical question here. It is excluded by what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also. Since God is one, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised by faith? Jew and Gentile

Both. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means. On the contrary, we uphold the law. And thus the reading of God’s holy word. So there is a lot there. A lot. And we looked at this a couple weeks ago, but we see the apostle transitioning us to some positive news in response to the unfortunate circumstances laid out prior in chapters 1 through 3 to this point. And it’s that the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, even though both the law and the prophets prophesied about it. Prophesied about what? Verse 22, the righteousness of God that comes

Apart from the law through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. The Jewish hearer of this would have been tempted to think, well, how on earth could there be a righteousness apart from the law that contradicts the law and the prophets? Something we are going to look at in a moment. But God justifies sinners who fall short of his glory and freely does so as a gift that he bestows upon an individual. And it comes by the means of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ for sinners, which we’re going to see in chapter 5. But he tells us that God the

Father put Jesus forth as a propitiatory sacrifice, which is to be received by someone through faith. I encourage you, if you haven’t before, to do a word study on propitiation. I don’t mean just go to a concordance. It’s not what I mean when I say word study. I mean, go to some Greek gramarians out there and look at what they talk about systematically regarding the word propitiation and how it’s used in the Bible because it’s in connection to the mercy seat ritual that the Levitical priests carried out. It had to do with the sprinkling of the blood which appeased

God’s wrath towards sin which then for them unfortunately had to be repeated because it didn’t actually atone. and it only covered. But that’s precisely what the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ accomplished propitiation. What that priest symbolized and accomplished by the sprinkling of the blood onto that mercy seat that was ultimately pointing to Jesus Christ, which only had to happen one single time. Hence why Paul then goes on to say that the putting forth of the Lord Jesus, God’s suffering servant, demonstrated the righteousness of God.

While the Levitical priesthood work went on, sin was never truly atoned for. It was merely covered. Which is why every year priests had to perform the same ritual over and over and over. But then Paul gives us the true reason for that repetitive type and shadow. They pointed to the present or appointed time. some translations will say, namely the cross of Calvary where God demonstrated that he is both the just and the justifier. So, prior to the law being given at uh uh to Moses, Paul tells us in chapter 5 that death still reigned from Adam to Moses.

Well, how is that the case if the law reveals sin? Well, Paul already explained back in chapters 1 and two that God has designed humanity with a conscience. And that conscience serves as a law unto an individual. There are certain innate things a person doesn’t need taught are wrong. Their conscience will convict them. But people can sear their conscience. That’s what I was saying earlier about going into repbation, etc. So a person can sear their conscience to where it no longer convicts them. But if your conscience convicts you about something,

That’s good. It’s designed to be that way. Do not go against or violate your conscience. But people were still sinning before the law was given. And death spread to all men because of Adam’s transgression. Romans 5 11-12. But God is just. What does that mean? You ever thought about that? We often talk about God’s just. Well, it means that that’s why the law cannot slide. It has no loopholes. God has to punish sin. He can’t let it slide. Well, if that’s the if if Paul has just said all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and God is just, meaning he has to

Punish sin, well, that’s a predicament for us. Well, no, it’s not because God’s not only just, but he’s also the justifier. So he punished sin in the person of Jesus Christ but then justifies people on account of his perfect well passive active obedience perfect perfect life such that he can be both just and justifier. He punishes sin. He doesn’t actually let it slide. It’s a something you’ll get into if you do apologetics with Muslims for example. They love to say the God of the Bible is unfair. He punishes somebody else for people’s sins. And well this is a key part of

Scripture here. But God is just. Even during the period of God’s forbearance, the sins that were committed, they weren’t merely forgotten, ignored, etc. That period of time pointed forward to the sacrifice of uh sacrifice of Christ where God’s righteousness towards sin was demonstrated. You know, you’ll hear a lot of Adventists that will point to this and say, “Well, see, during that time, that was the time of ignorance.” meaning God, they didn’t really, which we’re actually going to be getting into this a little bit next week. Uh, Richard Foster will be here, a former Adventist

Friend of mine. He’s been on before and we’re going to be talking about sin. And so, we will get into that more there. But they’ll try and point here to say, well, see that that was the time of ignorance and they couldn’t have been held guilty because they were ignorant. And that’s not at all what’s being said here. That’s not at all what’s being said here. What’s being said here is the period of God’s divine forbearance before the law was given. It’s not that people weren’t sinning and it’s not that people were not still guilty of their sin. It’s that God didn’t for pass over

That and just forget all that. Christ bore the penalty not just for sinners post the cross. That whole period of time all the way back to Adam. All of all of humanity. You’ve got more than just, you know, post the cross. That’s what’s being said there. That God didn’t merely pass over that time and just wink at people’s sins. No, even during that period, Christ bore sin for even that period. But the point being is God does not let sin slide. He punishes it in the person of Jesus Christ while at the same time he justifies the ungodly on account of faith in the

Person and work of Christ as their substitute. This is to say faith in the person and work of Jesus is how one attains this righteousness of God apart from the law. And it was at Calvary that God revealed himself as both the just and merciful, both gracious and well wrathful, just etc. Holy. Now it is important like I said to remember the original audience that Paul was writing to and why he’s writing to them. These were individuals who would have been intimately learned in the Old Testament. Paul’s seeking to explain to them that what he’s saying is not in contradiction

To the Old Testament, but rather it’s a fulfillment of that. It’s perfectly in line with what was stated in the law and the prophets, which is why he then transitions in chapter 4 to give two Old Testament examples, Abraham and David, to say, “Look, they were justified the same way I’m telling you here that you’re justified and they lived during the law and the prophets. But he transitions into the dichotomy of law and faith or a law of works at the tail end of chapter 3. Notice what Charles Hodgej says quickly here in his commentary on the epistle to

The Romans. For those that do not know, Charles Hodgej was a uh Princeton theologian, but I love his stuff on Greek because I think it’s just well, I think it’s really good, but I also think it’s very uh easy for me personally to to read. And so I like to reference Hajj when it comes to the Greek language. But notice what he writes. He says, quote, “In this connection, the phrases by what law? The law of works and the law of faith are peculiar as the word law is not used in its ordinary sense. The general idea, however, of a rule of action is retained.

By what rule? By which requires works? No, by that which requires faith. By the law of faith, therefore, is obviously meant the gospel. Compare with Romans 9:31. He continues by expounding upon verse 31, which if you remember what verse 31 is, do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means. On the contrary, we uphold the law. He writes this verse states the third result of this method of salvation. Instead of invalidating, it establishes the law. As Paul uses the word law in so many senses, it is doubtful which one of them is here principally intended.

In every sense, however, the declaration is true. So regardless of how Paul is using the word law here, the declaration is still true. If the law means the Old Testament generally, then it is true for the gospel method of justification. Uh then it is true for the gospel method of justification contradicts no one of its statements, is consistent with no one of its doctrines, and invalidates no one of its promises, but is harmonious with all and confirmatory of the whole. If it means the Mosaic institutions specifically, these were shadows of which Christ is

The substance. Close quote. So regardless of whether you understand Paul’s use of the word law to mean the Old Testament as a whole or specifically any aspect of the Mosaic institution, only the ceremonial law, etc., Paul’s point still stands as the righteousness of God apart from the law is not in contradiction with either Moses nor the Old Testament as a whole. That’s what’s being said in verse 31. Again, that is why he then transitions into using Abraham and David as examples in chapter 4 to explain this and justify what he is saying that the righteousness

Of God that comes apart from the law is not distinct or unique to the New Testament. And what Paul is saying does not contradict the law and the prophets. But Hajj continues. He says, quote, “The law is abolished not by being pronounced spurious or invalid, but by having met its accomplishment and answered its design in the gospel.” What it taught and promised, the gospel also teaches and promises, only in clearer and fuller measure. If it means the moral law, which no doubt was prominently intended, still it is not invalidated but established. No moral obligation is

Weakened, no penal sanction disregarded. The precepts are enforced by new and stronger motives, and the penalty is answered in him who bore our sins in his own body on the tree. Instead of making verse 31 to clo uh the close of the third chapter, many commentators regard it as more properly the beginning of the fourth. The proposition that the gospel instead of invalidating establishes the law, they say is too important to be dismissed with a mere categorical assertion. This however is Paul’s method. After showing that the law cannot save that both justification and

Sanctification are by the gospel, he is want to state in a sentence what is uh the true end of the law or that the law and the gospel being both from God but designed for different ends are not in conflict. Close quote. For those that do not know, former Adventists, a lot of you probably were hearing some of what Hajj was saying, saying, “That sounds like Adventism.” Yeah, you got to understand who these pioneers stole their ideas from. They have a ripoff covenant theology from, well, the reformed. And some Adventists would probably read some of those earlier parts by by him

And say, “That’s what we believe. See, yeah, the gospel establishes the law.” No, that last section there is is the key because Paul is making a law gospel distinction. That’s the point and that’s what Hodge is bringing out here. They love to cite verse 31 for example. You’ll get Romans 3:31 thrown at you a lot by Adventists and they’ll tell you that this is some argument for the well their position on the law. And no, it’s it’s not. Paul’s point in saying the gospel upholds the law is that what Paul is preaching there this righteousness that comes apart from the law is not in

Contradiction to the law and the prophets. That’s why it upholds the law. Doesn’t uphold your convoluted mixing of law and gospel which Paul contextually is literally silencing. So when Paul rhetorically is asking if justification through faith makes void the law, his response is by no means, but rather faith in Christ establishes such. The million-dollar question being, what does that look like? Well, thankfully Paul told us justification by faith establishes the law because the Old Testament itself teaches that Abraham and David were graciously justified as a

Gift from God apart from the law. This is to say Paul’s closing thought and point for the chapter is with the Jewish reader in mind who could have easily been tempted like I said to think that what Paul was putting forth was somehow contradictory to the Old Testament scriptures when in fact no. It is perfectly in line with this. Not only were Old Testament figures justified before God in this same fashion, but the Old Testament itself foretold of this righteousness of God apart from the law, which finds its consummation in the person and work of Christ. Now he

Transitions to chapter 4. What then shall we say was gained by Abraham? So remember what verse 31 was? Is what I just put out here in contrast or uh in contradiction to the law and the prophets? Of course not. What shall we say then? Was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? Halt really quick. Do you know what it means when scripture uses that language? When the apostles use the language according to the flesh? You’ll see this about Jesus sometimes. In this case, it’s referring to Abraham’s genetics.

What was gained by Abraham, our forefather, according to his ethnicity, his genetics with Jesus. Sometimes it can be referring to both his lineage that he’s coming through or sometimes the apostles use it like Paul does in Romans 9 actually to distinguish between the human and divine natures of Jesus Christ. They’ll say that according to the flesh he insert whatever it’s talking about in his human nature and it typically is ascribing human attribution to these things. But then it will say in his spirit. So when he’s in Mark 2 when the Pharisees come to uh try and trap him

And he literally is like all over the place basically telling saying I am God without verbatim saying that. He’s like doing all the he’s it says he’s healing people. He’s forgiving people’s sins. He’s able to see into the hearts of the Pharisees. All these things the Old Testament scriptures that they knew all said only Yahweh can do these things. He does it all in like a span of well that just that chapter alone there’s like five times but the point being is that in that chapter it’ll say according to or in his spirit is his divine nature in his divine

Nature he’s able to see into the hearts of the Pharisees but that’s what is is meant here by according to the flesh for if Abraham was justified by works he has something to boast about but not before God for what does the scripture say Abraham believed God and it was counted him as righteousness Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift, but as his due. And to the one who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. Just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts

Righteousness apart from works. Blessed are those whose lawless deeds or sinful deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin. Thus the reading of God’s holy word. So to bolster his support for what he just laid out in chapter 3, he invokes David and Abraham. according to the flesh by heritage or ancestry. Abraham did not have peace with God. It was through Abraham’s faith that he was counted as righteous. To the person who who works or does something, a a gift then becomes a wage.

It’s not a gift. It’s something someone is due for their efforts. Which shows us that when Paul says God justifies on the basis of faith as a gift, it isn’t on account of anything the person does. The technical term would be uh it is a passive work of God which we see pictured in Genesis 15 with Abraham where God cuts the covenant with Abraham but he puts Abraham asleep. Abraham is a passive recipient of the the the promises of the the covenant of grace and God himself passes through that burnt animal which essentially signed and said if I break my promises

Let me be like this animal. Abraham was asleep. He was a passive recipient. But then to further support this, Paul then transitions, like I said, to David, the blessed man. And what did David describe as the blessed man? The one whose lawless or sinful deeds are forgiven and who God no longer counts their sin toward. That is the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the blessed man. Perfectly in line with Jeremiah 31 and Hebrews 8, which state that one of the promises of the new covenant is that God no longer remembers the sins of the believer

Anymore. This is why my question in SDA evangelism always begins with, “Do you have peace with God?” Because as we will see in chapter 5, the blessed man in chapter 4 is the one who has peace with God due to his sins no longer being remembered. Flies in the face of the investigative judgment. But Paul continues verse nine in this blessing then uh uh is this blessing then only for the circumcised the Jew or for also the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised?

It was not after but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised. So that righteousness would not or or so that righteousness would be counted to them as well and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our f uh father Abraham had before he was circumcised. So, it’s easy to

Mix up circumcised, uncircumcised, etc. But the point of all of what he’s getting at is in harmony with what he was saying in chapter 3, that this is not some distinct thing to one ethnic group of people, etc. Christ came through a specific line of people which ended up blessing the entire world. But he explains that this blessing of the blessed man is not only for Jews, all people. But then we get another rhetorical question of importance in verse 10. Was it before or after Abraham walked out in obedience with circumcision that he was counted as righteous?

Very plainly well or explicitly Paul says before he then explains what the sign of circumcision functioned as and why he received it. Verse 11, he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while still uncircumcised. So the circumcision was a sign and seal of the reality, but it was not the reality itself. Meaning circumcision did not save Abraham, but it visibly signed and sealed what Abraham was promised by God. This is to say, just like baptism, circumcision was God’s sign to the individual, not the individual’s sign to

God. All of my Baptist friends are getting ready to text me now. But I digress. It’s after this being established and laid out that Paul then tells us in Romans 5 1-11.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him, we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. Talking about the benefits of Christ. now and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. We talk about

Pauline theology around the spirit being given as the seal, the down payment, the guarantee. Once again, very consistent language on Paul’s part. For a while, while we were still weak, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person, though perhaps a good person would uh dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since therefore we’ve now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. Propitiation.

For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. through whom we have now received reconciliation. So the climax of the blessed man, the one justified by faith apart from any sort of doings of their own who God no longer counts their sin against them is that this individual actually has peace with God. It is this free gift and act of God whereby he declares the person innocent that results in the barrier

Between them and God being removed. And it’s why the author of Hebrews tells us that we can have confidence to enter into the presence of God with boldness. We can approach the better mountain, Hebrews chapter 12, Mount Si or uh sorry, Mount Zion, which is presented in contrast to Mount Si. And if you go back and read that story, you’ll remember that the people were terrified and they asked that Moses be the mediator between them and God because anybody touched the mountain, even an animal, they would die. It was this scene of terror and fear. But unlike that in Christ, the

Better Moses, the better Joshua, the better mountain, Mount Z, uh, Zion, we can approach with boldness, all of us, not in fear, but with confidence because that peace now exists. The God man, the Lord Jesus Christ, bridged that gap. He satisfied that hostility that was there. Again, propitiation in and through the person and work of Jesus Christ. we have complete peace and acceptance with God. And it’s because of this peace that those who are in Christ, union with Christ, will be spared from the wrath to come, which uh speaks back to what Paul said in chapter 3

Regarding, like I said, propitiation, but also in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, uh 2 Thessalonians somewhere in chapters 1 or 2, sorry, uh the appeasement of God’s wrath toward a people who Christ brings peace essentially. While we’re yet enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s because uh believers have peace and the wrath of God toward them is appeased that Paul can say one presently possesses reconciliation. Hostility gone, reconciled, peace. And then it’s his ongoing indestructible life that is the actual cause for any

Sort of assurance and rejoicing because his mediation will not fail and it will never end. This is consistent with Hebrews chapter 7. That’s the whole central point the author is making in Hebrews chapter 7 when comparing and contrasting Christ’s priesthood, the Melkisedcian priesthood being superior to the Levitical one. And it’s because Christ, unlike them, holds his office forever, which the psalter foretold of. And it’s by means, we’re told in Hebrews 7 uh 16, I believe, it’s by means of his indestructible life. That’s why he always lives to make

Intercession for his people. He will never die. And that really is the heart and soul of the gospel. Jesus Christ has accomplished a mighty work, the redemption of all things. What man broke, Christ redeemed. I talk about new creation a lot. Gets into that subject as well. And it’s by faith in his perfect person at work that you can have peace with your maker. But Paul has yet to explain a seemingly vital aspect of all of this, which is the question of what means does God use to bring this about? Now, he gets into this in chapter 10 because he goes into six and seven. He talks

About a a number of things that still pertain to salvation there. He talks about sanctification a little bit, etc. But in chapter 10, he gets into a key thing that is a foundational thing for tonight. The heart of the matter for tonight. What does God actually use to bring salvation about in a person’s life? Notice Romans 10 5-17. We read, “For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith,” think back to chapter 3. The righteousness based on faith says do

Not say in your heart who will ascend into heaven that is to bring Christ down or who will descend into the abyss that is to bring Christ up from the dead. But what does it say? The word is near you in your mouth and in your heart. That is the word of faith that we proclaim. Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved, thus the reading of God’s holy word. So, did you track with what Paul is

Getting at there? It’s easy to read over these things and think, “What in the world is he talking about? Bring stuff up from the abyss, go up here.” One doesn’t have to go on a long journey. You don’t have to make a trip across the globe to attain this righteousness of God. It doesn’t take all these hard efforts. He compares and contrasts it with a righteousness that supposedly can come through the law which only Jesus was able to actually attain. And if you look at at Christ, it was a heavy burden. A lot of work. Christ’s work was a very burdensome work. So that righteousness

Of the of the law, yeah, burdensome. It is having it is like go having to go on a high journey and hike up a mountain and it’s laborsome. But the righteous the righteousness that comes apart from the law. It’s not like that. It’s easy. It’s in your mouth. It’s near to you. It’s in your heart. If you confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, truly believe in the gospel, you will be saved. But he continues, “For the scripture says, everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord

Is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him though in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of who they have not heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news. That’s the gospel. But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what he has heard

From us? So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. Verse 17 gives the summary of the matter. Faith comes by hearing. Hearing what? the word of God or the word of Christ. If everyone who confesses the gospel with their mouth and believes in their heart will be saved, this means that someone has to hear the gospel proclaimed. You know, you’ll hear some of these people say stuff like, “The best way to share the gospel is to live the gospel and use words when necessary.” Yeah, that that sounds great and that sounds nice and piffy and flowery and wow,

That’s that’s real. Yeah, it’s not biblical. It’s not biblical. That’s for sure. You definitely should live in in such a way, but you have to use words to share the gospel, folks. You can’t just be a morally upstanding person. That might be a good entry wedge and that’s a good testimony for the faith, but no, you have to people have to hear, you have to share the act, you know, you have to share the message with them. Hence why Paul continues with his rhetorical questions and asks, “How can someone call upon the Lord if they haven’t heard the message of the good

News?” It requires someone to proclaim it. So in order for that to happen, one must go to those in the world and share this good news. Which is why the feet of those who do this are called beautiful. Now the point being saving justifying faith in the person and work of Christ comes from hearing the word of God proclaimed namely the gospel of Jesus Christ. Apart from this, faith does not come, it doesn’t come from a still small voice in the mind. Doesn’t come from a prophetic utterance from in a you know from a parking lot prophet who imparts faith to someone. No, it comes from

Hearing the word of God, feeling conviction over sin and clinging to the rock of ages, Jesus Christ, where peace with God is ultimately found. The proclamation of the word of God is the means that the Holy Spirit uses to regenerate someone. We will be getting into more in the future. Lots and lots of of content on word and sacrament ministry because this is really talking about the word aspect. You hear the word of God proclaimed the gospel of your salvation which is not just for believers by the way or or unbelievers by the way. It’s also for believers. You need the gospel daily.

You need to be hearing the gospel daily, washed in the gospel daily. Every sermon should be both law and gospel because the law points to the gospel and reminds us of Jesus. And the gospel also points us to Jesus and reminds us of Jesus because it’s all about him. But you hear the word of God proclaimed, the gospel of your salvation. The Holy Spirit operates through that proclamation and does work within the hearts of people. Regenerates them, raises them to spiritual newness of life, makes them alive in Christ. This is all Ephesians 2, Ephesians 1 and 2.

And then seals them unto the day of redemption. So with that as the backdrop, I want to listen to Clifford Goldstein and how he became an Adventist, which like I mentioned, this is posted on the SDA church’s YouTube channel. And the title of it is, “Why do many people recommend reading the book, The Great Controversy.” Bit of an interesting title for a testimony, but will make sense as you listen. Remember what we just read in Romans. grew up in a secular Jewish home and I often joke the way I we did our religious holidays was like they tried to kill us they failed let’s eat okay

That was the essence of my religious upbringing and and I had been raised in a very secular home as that obviously and I was raised very postmodern you have your truth you have your truth and there’s no truth above which no God’s eye view you know it’s truth is just personal social relative whatever and that’s how I was raised that’s how I believed and then one day and I’m not going to go into all the details but it hit me that truth had to exist me that there’s a world there’s a universe here there’s something here. Something had to explain it. And

Whatever that something was, that was the truth with a capital T. And so I still remember when that when that thought hit me, this was in the early 19 to mid 1970s. I remember walking down a street and I remember thinking to myself, if it were humanly possible to know this truth because even though I knew it had to exist, I mean, we’re here, something’s here, something had to explain it. And that was the truth. Even though I knew it had to exist, I realized I might not ever be able to know it. Okay, maybe I could, maybe I could. But I remember thinking to

Myself, I was maybe 21 years old. And I remember thinking, if it were humanly possible, because again, as I said, I know this truth had to exist, but I might not ever be able to know it. But I remember thinking if it were humanly possible to know this truth. I didn’t care what it was, where it led me, what it cost me, what I had to suffer. I thought if if I could know it, I wanted to know it no matter what. And well, all I know is of all the different paths I could have gone on, all the different I got into all sorts of silliness at one point or another,

But all I know of all the different paths I could have gone on, the different ways I could have gone on, I wound up ended up as a seventh day Adventist, which okay, so he was raised in a secular home but had an epiphany moment of existential crisis realizing that existence necessarily requires a capital T truth. And if that’s the case, he didn’t care what it was. He wanted to know what it was. A a noble and commendable desire. It’s like those of us who are particularly deep thinkers can appreciate and and relate to that. That’s actually part of Paul’s

Apologetic in Romans 1 regarding all of humanity having a general revelation from the one true God that he exists. But then he correlates this epiphany, this epiphany moment where he ended up or he he correlates that moment with where he ended up making a connection which was seventh day Adventism. This is to say he implies that because he had this moment of genuine desire for truth and of all the paths out there he ended up Adventist that somehow correlates to Adventism being this capital T truth he desired to know. Now folks as somebody who has done

A lot of evangelism a lot. And when you do street evangelism folks you don’t know what you’re going to get. You you learn all sorts of different I I mean folks I’ I’ve I’ve done evangelism to Hari Krishna’s who are beating a drum in the park for five six seven hours. I I mean you run into it all. I’ve heard this same thing from countless Mormons. Exact same thing. It’s what the Book of Mormon tells Mormons uh who are seekers of truth to do. They prayed for confirmation that Mormonism is true. Then they felt a burning in the bosom supposedly at some point and that

Confirmed that Joseph Smith uh uh what he said was true that he was a prophet the LDS movement is God’s true church etc. But scripture does not tell us this is how truth is identified. In Jesus’s high priestly prayer in John 17:17 he prays that his people uh he prays for his people to be sanctified by the truth. Thy word is truth. Faith comes by hearing. Hearing by the word of God or word of Christ. Jesus says he’s the way, the truth, capital T, and the life. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Jesus Christ. Colossians 2:3. You ever stop to think

About what that means? It’s like it’s very easy to read over these things in scripture and think, “Oh, that’s just like biblical poetics or like, oh, that’s just biblical.” No. Colossians 2:3 is a is episttolary literature. It’s not Psalms. It’s not just wisdom literature though it is said in the wisdom literature as well. No in Jesus Christ are hidden all the the the the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. You can’t know anything apart from Christ. Now we’re not going to get all into a topic that I would love to get into tonight, but Jesus is necessarily

Dependent to arrive at truth. capital T truth as he himself is the truth and all knowledge comes from him and is dependent upon him as the ultimate source of such. The point being truth in this context comes from hearing the voice of Christ the shepherd which is contained within the holy scriptures not from making a deal with God. A burning in the bosom a small voice in your head. I’ve heard all sorts of things. Nevertheless, this sets the foundation for his testimony. Okay, so let’s keep listening. Was kind of remarkable because in my life there were two kinds

Of people I really did not like. I did not like Christians and I did not like vegetarians. But anyway, I wound up as a Seventh Day Adventist. And and it was a long process and I’m not going to be able to get into all the details, but I will say this at one point I said, “God, if you exist, if you exist, I need a sign.” You know, I’ve only found out later that scripture says Greek seeks for wisdom. Greeks seek for wisdom. Jews seek for a sign. And at one point, I said, “God, if you exist, I need a sign. You got to show me that you exist.” Well, right after that happened,

And again, this is kind of I’m skipping over a lot, I met a guy who had my same name, Clifford Goldstein. I was from Miami Beach. Turned out he was from Miami Beach. He was living on the same kabutz in Israel that I had lived in months earlier. Not only was in the the same kabutz, he was in the same room that I had lived in. And I had left that room months earlier. Not only in the same room, but he was in the same bed that I had been in. And now that’s getting kind of weird. And then I remember I looked up on the bookshelf over his bed and I saw

That I a bunch of books on the bookshelf that I had left when I was living in that room. And I saw the books. And I said, “Cliff, you like my books.” And he says, “What are you talking about? Those are all my books.” And I looked up at the same books that I had had on the bookshelf when I was living in that room he had. And for some reason I looked at the guy and said, “Cliff, are you a writer?” And he says, “Yeah, I want to be a writer.” Well, I was living in Israel on the kabutz writing. And then then to top it off, we’re talking and this girl walks into

The room. I never saw her before. It’s his girlfriend. She’s blonde. She’s from Denmark. Her name is Tina. When I lived on the Kabutz, I had a blonde Danish girlfriend named Tina. Okay. Now, again, I know this is kind of bizarre, but somebody had said to me at one point, they said, “Cliff, you were asking God for signs.” He said, “What more do you want? The Lord’s calling you by name.” Well, All right. So, he prayed for a sign at some point after this epiphany. He met a guy with the identical same first and last name who was from the same town and lived in

The same place in Israel as him some months earlier. Not just that, but the exact same room that he had lived in, sleeping in the exact same bed that he’d been sleeping in. So, they’re there in the room together. And lo and behold, Clifford Goldstein 2 has the exact same books as Cliff one. They’re both writers. And then both had blonde Danish girlfriends named Tina. And they had a Spider-Man meme moment uh in what sounds like a movie scene from Inception. But folks, that’s not how God calls people according to what God has revealed in his word.

God most certainly uses means in the process, but God uses the proclamation of the gospel to call people to himself. People are often used by God in that process of getting someone to that point. So, let’s see if that’s where he takes this cuz so far, nothing about the word of God, nothing about the gospel. Anyway, this was kind of heavy meeting a guy with the same name from the same city in the same room, the same bed, same books, wanted to do the same thing. So, it definitely got my attention, but I wasn’t born again yet or anything like that. I didn’t know God. I I knew there

Was something else out there. Well, right about this time too, at this stage of my life, I had one goal in my life, one goal alone. I had been writing and I had been working on a no I wanted to be a novelist or nothing. And I had been working on this novel for two and a half years. And I was back in Gainesville, Florida, writing my novel. Nothing else mattered to me other than writing this book. It was my life. Totally. Everything in my life was dedicated to writing this book. Nothing else mattered. Well, I come back to Gainesville, Florida, and I’m working on

My novel. And right about the same time, I start having these occult experiences. I start having this sensation that I’m leaving my body and floating outside my body and so forth. And even though I now I know there’s no such thing as a separate conscious immortal soul, I know that now, but back then I didn’t know that. And I remember thinking, “Wow, maybe the occult, maybe spiritualism, maybe this is the truth that I’m looking for.” All right, so fast forward and he was doing what sounds like astral projection, invoking some sort of out-of- body

Experience. I can relate as somebody who uh was also involved in the occult for a stint. But he made sure to make it clear that man doesn’t have an immaterial conscious aspect to his being. For those that do not know, this is a primary thing that the SDA church attributes to being a foothold into the occult. That if you think man is more than a mere animal with breath and a body, this will open you up to being deceived by the final end times deception. Um, which will involve occultic, you know, spiritualism and Satan’s going to come masquerading as a false messiah and

You’re going to fall for all that if you believe in this and you’ll talk to your dead relatives and yada yada. But what the SD uh uh uh but what the SDA church, including Clifford Goldstein, cannot deal with is this pesky thorn in their side. Um Paul the Apostle, little did the same Paul who spoke of a thorn in his own flesh realize that he would be so um or or little did he he little did Paul realize that he would be the thing that he talked about to so many sex and cults um a thorn in their flesh. But notice what he says in Ephesians 1 and then we will also look at 2 1-10.

So before transitioning to chapter 2, Paul leads in with Ephesians 1 11-23. But notice what he says in 11-14. We look at this constantly. In him we’ve obtained an inheritance. talking about Christ having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory in him you also when you heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation and believed in him were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we

Acquire possession of it to the praise of his glory This is perfectly in line with Paul’s own theology that we saw in Romans 10. A person hears the word of truth. What is that? The gospel of your salvation. This has to happen by somebody proclaiming it. When a person hears that gospel, believes that gospel, God then steals them with the Holy Spirit, who is the seal of salvation and the guaranteed down payment of the inheritance that a person has in Jesus Christ. reminding us that of this inheritance until we acquire full possession of it. Right now, we’re still being led through

The wilderness of life by Jesus, the better Moses and Joshua, who’s leading us to a better promised land, the true eternal rest of God that we have yet to physically enter into. The Holy Spirit’s role in salvation is the application of the benefits of Christ. So the Holy Spirit is given to a believer when they’re born again as a down payment from God that guarantees the inheritance that you receive in Christ until you acquire the full possession of it. It is like a down payment. So the born again experience brings about a change in a person’s life and

Their nature and their makeup. But that’s not all that’s going to happen. glorification and resurrection haven’t been applied yet. The Holy Spirit will be the the one who applies that work eventually as well. This is very consistent with Pauline theology and the book of Hebrews. Now, notice what he leads off with in chapter 2. And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once

Lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind. But God being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, did what? Made us alive together with Christ. By grace you’ve been saved. And raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

So he reiterates some of the same elements but adds informative details that he just talked about in 1 uh 11-14. Namely that believers just like the rest of mankind were dead in sins and trespasses by nature children of wrath. By nature my Adventist friend, this is not just metaphor. They have to boil all this down to you can’t have an actual aspect of a person’s a you know being being dead because all that’s living in their physicalist worldview is you with a breath in your body. There’s nothing about you that’s actually dead. But here by nature,

This deadness is not just some metaphorical deadness, friend. An aspect of the human nature is dead upon entry into the world. You are born by default in Satan’s kingdom. The SDA church cannot deal with this. And even if you want to appeal to saying this isn’t until a person knowingly sins for the first time, you still have to concede that a part of their nature dies. But the rejoiner to this from Paul is that God being rich in mercy because of his great love toward his people while we were dead. That’s our disposition. He made us alive. This is done through being united to

Jesus Christ. Union with Christ. I harp on that subject all the time. That raises a person to newness of life. There’s a resurrection of their dead spirit. And when this happens, they are seated with Christ in the heavenlies. That’s also one of the benefits. What was once dead is raised to life. And it’s because of this union with Christ that Paul could go on to say that when God does this, a person is seated with Christ in the heavenlies. Not yet physically, but this is also language of representation and identity, which is what union with Christ is all about. Not

A topic that Paul is a a stranger to. Romans 5, number of other places in Christ, it’s as if I’m there before the father. Jesus is my representative, my advocate, my mediator, etc. We’ve talked about this in depth elsewhere regarding Christ’s intercession and mediation. But the point being because Adventists do not understand this aspect of the human nature and condition, they aren’t able to identify the actual problem and need of man, which is that since we are born with a part of our nature dead in sins and trespasses and a corrupt flesh, our

Spirit needs made alive through the power of the Holy Spirit through the proclamation of the gospel, which is the means that God uses for raising spiritually dead sinners to newness of life and then eventually we’ll also glorify the corrupted flesh for the whole being of the the person to be um entirely renewed. But Satan has demonized this in SDA theology because he’s the ultimate architect behind it. That’s why. And he has made it to where Adventists are now blinded to man’s real issue and what the real solution is by labeling the truth as spiritualism.

No. No. And Cliff mentioned being born again. Cliff, this is what being born again is. This is what being born again is being made alive, united to Jesus Christ. Well, let’s continue. And so I decide I’m going to study the occult. I’m going to study spiritualism. So the next day I’m walking to the library to get a book on the occult. And I was really the epitome of a hungry writer. And I needed a job. And there was a health food store. And so I knock on the door of the healthful store. I mean, I’m even going to work for hated vegetarians. I mean,

That’s how desperate I was. And this guy comes out and we start talking and I think he’s an atheist or something. And I say something about faith. And he call he goes, “What?” And he pulls me in the health food store and he locks the door. And then I start telling him about my occult experiences and he starts to warn me about this and he starts talking to me about the devil. Well, come on. Talking to me back then about the devil. I mean, he might as well told me that Santa was going to come down the chimney and not bring presents if I wasn’t a good boy. Okay.

So anyway, he says, “Here,” he obviously saw he wasn’t going to convince me, but he says, “Read this book.” And he hands me a book. And I pick up the book. I’d never seen the book before. Never heard of the author, but I’m a writer, so I’m a reader. So I take the book, put it under my arm, and I walk over to the library to get a book on the occult. And I wasn’t in school then, so I couldn’t check the occult book out. But I go and for the first time in my life, I get an occult book and I sit down in the library and I read I start reading the occult

Book and I read the first chapter of the occult book and I even practice the first technique. I sit there practicing the first technique and I thought, “Okay, I’m going to come back. I’m going to get into this occult stuff.” Well, I couldn’t check the book out because I wasn’t enrolled in school. So, I go to put the book back on the shelf. Now, the bottom line is I’m walking through the library and for the first time in my life, I’ve got a book on the occult. first time to get into it. And literally in one hand, I’ve got that book and literally in my other hand, I’ve got the

Book the guy handed me in the health food store. Okay. One book in one, cult book in one hand, and what do you think the book was in my hand that the guy handed me? A cult book in one hand, the great controversy in the other. So he eventually talked with an Adventist health food store owner about the occult and his owner began talking with him about Satan. This is why I so regularly mention that Adventists are oftentimes so fixated on talking about the devil. Everything is the devil. It’s the devil. It’s the devil. I mean, we’ve even looked at a couple

Times at Pastor Aaron Cruz, who friend of mine said, “Part of the mission of the SDA church by way of the Sabbath School Quarterly is to warn the world about Satan’s end time strategies.” But then this Adventist, he he he says, went and got a book. Cliff didn’t know what it was. Hey, maybe it’s a a Bible, right? He puts it under his arm and heads to the library to get an occult book. He gets there and starts reading the first chapter of the occult book. practicing the first technique in the book and then walking through the library for the first time in his life. He has an

Occult book and a copy of the great controversy, not the Bible. This is remember folks, this is what is supposed to answer the sign that he asked for from God about capital T truth and it’s supposed to bolster that Adventism is that capital T truth. Let’s continue. Okay. Now, I was totally clueless as to what what was going on. I mean, I had no idea what was in this book. I mean, it was all coming down to the wire for me. First time in the occult and I’ve got the great controversy in my hand, which I read the beginning of it. I didn’t even really

Get to the occult stuff until later and then I understood better what was happening to me. But anyway, the bottom line is I’ve got Great Controversy at my home and I’m starting to read it and it’s the fall of 1979. I’m 23 years old. I had put two and a half years of my life into this novel I was writing. Nothing mattered other than this novel. If you ask me did I believe in God at this point and whatever I between meeting my double which I knew something had to arrange that and between these occult experiences I knew there was more to reality than what I was taught in

High school high school physics or whatever. There was definitely a deeper reality but outside of that didn’t God Jesus none of it meant anything to me. All that mattered was my book. Well, I’m walk home to my room. As I said, it was 1979. I was 23 years old. And I walk into my room to work on my novel. I had a manual typewriter back then. And right before I work, I don’t know why I did this, but I just closed my eyes. And I didn’t even know who it was, who I was even praying to, but I just close my eyes and utter a prayer. And somehow in the back and forth in the great

Controversy, all God needed was that opening, that prayer. And then at that instant when I said that prayer, immediately the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ came to me in the room. I knew exactly who he was and I knew exactly what he wanted. And his exact words were to me, “Cliff, you have been playing with me enough. You have been praying with me long enough. If you want me tonight, burn your novel.” In other words, she showed me at that instant that novel was my God. You shall have no other gods before me. and that if I wanted the Lord, that novel had to go. I

Mean, it was just as clear-cut before me as it could possibly be. Everything was right here. That was my God. I had to burn it. And at one point, I said, “Okay, God, if you exist, I mean, I said, “Okay, God, let me just finish the novel and then I’ll give my heart to you. If you want me tonight, burn the novel.” All right. So because he met Clifford Goldstein number two and his occultic experiences, he knew there was more to reality than what he was taught. And one night he was going to work on his novel. And he doesn’t even know why he did this. But before starting on it one

Night, he closed his eyes. Didn’t even know who he was praying to. he said. But somewhere in the back and forth of the great controversy, meaning Jesus and Satan were waring over him, all the true God apparently needed was this prayer to an unknown deity, which led to Jesus manifesting his presence to Cliff and actually spoke to him. Now, I don’t know, sometimes people use loose language like this, but it’s like he apparently received a direct revelation from God at that moment. He knew exactly who it was and exactly what he wanted, which was what?

Cliff, you’ve been playing with me long enough. If you want me tonight, burn the novel. By which it sounds like he means this was a thought in his mind and he attributes it to God or something along those lines. But she I mean, maybe he he maybe it’s more than that. But I’m sympathetic, folks, to radical conversions. I had one myself. So, I don’t want to downplay that he may have had some actual experience. I think actually, to be quite honest, um, into the future, the Christian church is going to have to take people a lot more serious that have had experiences like

This and not just write them off as kooky because that doesn’t really do anything when somebody has actually had some sort of experience. And being able to speak into that from scripture um, is important. But folks, this is not how God communicates to people. And there’s nothing about the gospel here. Nothing about hearing that he’s dead in sins and trespasses is guilty before God, deserving of his righteous condemnation for his sins, but that there’s good news that the person in work of Jesus Christ saves from that just condemnation. He’ll raise

You to spiritual newness of life out of the muck and mire of your sins. Make you a new creature in him with an inheritance far greater than anything that this world has to offer. No. Jesus supposedly came to him bargaining that if Cliff wanted Jesus, he had to burn his novel. The novel was the idol. It’s entirely backwards. That’s why Adventist theology has the cart before the horse. Adventist theology robs Jesus of being an actual savior. The Adventist Jesus is a potential savior. He can’t actually freely save sinners, but he’s but he’s limited by the

Spiritually dead sinner meeting some sort of conditions before he can actually be a savior. So in order to save Cliff, the Adventist Jesus needed him to burn his novel, and Cliff was bargaining with God. That’s not what the true Christ does. The true Christ radically saves a person, raising them to spiritual newness of life by means of the gospel, which is the power of God to salvation for all that believe it. And it’s as a result of this work, like Ephesians 2:10 says, that good works can now flow. It’s after being changed and made alive that a person has new desires

To seek and obey God, which would be not having any other idols. Adventism has it entirely backwards, folks. And it’s clear that he read some of the great controversy before this whole episode because it planted seeds in his mind that there’s some war between Jesus and Satan taking place over him in his prayer to an unknown deity. But there’s been no mention of the word of God even in passing so far. I said, “All right, God. Look, I’ll write it all to your glory. No, if you want me tonight, burn the novel.” And I said, “Please, can I just put this thing away?” and we deal with

It another time. If you want me, burn the novel.” And the bottom line was, I jumped up out of the room. I could have slit my throat easier than burn the novel. I had nothing else in the world. And I walked through the streets and these were the same same streets of Gainesville when I remember thinking I wanted to know truth no matter the cost. Now I understood that night. I understood what the cost was. And the bottom line, at one point, not knowing anything what I was getting into, I finally stopped and I said, “Okay, God, I want you and I want truth

More than I want this novel.” And at that moment, just the moment I made that decision, everything lifted off me. I went back to my room knowing nothing about the Bible, knowing nothing about salvation, knowing nothing about Adventist, knowing nothing about the great controversy, knowing nothing, I burned that novel. And that was the night I became a bornagain believer in Jesus. And funny too, the moment I gave my heart to Jesus that night, those occult experiences never came back. And eventually I studied with the Adventist and the health food store, read the great

Controversy and well that was almost over 40 years ago and here I am today. Wow. Wow. So after this bargaining session with God, he went out for a walk on the same streets that he recalled having his capital T truth epiphany. So he stopped and said, “Okay, God, I want you and I want truth more than I want this novel.” And at that moment, he made that decision. He went back to his room knowing nothing about the Bible, nothing about salvation, nothing about the gospel, his words, nothing about the great controversy. And he burned his novel and became a born-again believer

In Jesus. And those occult experiences never happened again. Oh, and then he eventually studied with the Seventh Day Adventist from the health food store, read the great controversy, not the Bible, and here he is today. Folks, what is sad about this testimony is not to pick on on Cliff Goldstein. It’s that this is a very common experience within Adventism. This is not how the Bible describes conversion to Christ. There was zero mention of even anything of the word of God. The word of Christ is not burn your novel to a praying to an unknown god not hearing anything about the gospel

And then oh because I made this decision to burn the not that’s not the gospel folks because you chose to do something that no no no no no no no there was zero mention of the gospel hearing the word of truth proclaimed feeling conviction over sin and in response to that clinging to the good news of the person and work of Christ for dear life being broken over your your depravity and the fact that God would be perfectly just in damning you. That he doesn’t owe you salvation, that you’re a a criminal in his sight, there’s really nothing in you that’s

Even worth saving, but that he does anyways. He says he was born again when he decided to burn his novel, not after hearing the word of truth proclaimed. And this was all predicated on the influence of the book The Great Controversy and is being said to bolster that book. This was around the time that they were launching their Great Controversy 2.0 project where they’re trying to send out a billion copies of this both physically and digitally. This was being recorded to bolster that book and encourage Adventists to go hand it out because it could lead to more experiences for

People like Cliff and make more Adventist converts. But sadly, that’s what it is. Cliff was converted to Adventism, not born again. He wasn’t raised to spiritual newness of life and united to the true Christ by faith in his gospel. which is terribly unfortunate and it’s why we need to be taking the truth to 7th Adventists. Understand Cliff’s testimony is very common amongst Adventists. their own personal experience being the determiner of truth often bolstered and and upheld by bizarre experiences that are looked at in the same way you know pagans

Looked at omens like reading the voice of God into everyday situations instead of hearing the true voice of God the true shepherd which is found in his word so let’s be praying for people like Clifford Goldstein that the Holy Spirit would move in such a way that leads to a true conversion to Christ seems like a very nice guy. I’m sure he is. But it’s sad. It’s unfortunate. That’s not a Christian testimony. But as always, thank you for being here and may Christ richly bless you in the grace and peace won by him and his vicarious death on the cross for sin. Marinatha and God

Bless.