Adventist Teaching
In Seventh-day Adventist theology, the law serves as a means to reveal sin, expose the holiness of God, and establish the standard by which individuals must measure up to be worthy of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. Adventists believe that the law will be the standard by which all thoughts, words, deeds, and motives are judged during the Investigative Judgment, a doctrine unique to Adventism. Obedience to the law, combined with faith, is seen as the means through which individuals are reconciled to God. Furthermore, Jesus is believed to have come to exalt the law before all nations, with the requirement for humanity remaining the same as it was for Adam in Eden—perfect obedience to the law.
According to this view, the law plays an ongoing, functional role in the believer’s life, with human obedience seen as crucial for one’s ultimate salvation. The Investigative Judgment is seen as the process by which believers’ lives are examined to determine whether they have been faithful to God’s law and are “fit for heaven.” This leads to the conclusion that the law remains essential in securing one’s place in God’s favor, and that salvation involves a process of maintaining adherence to the law through faith in Jesus.
Biblical Teaching
The biblical view presents a fundamentally different understanding of the law. While the law does reveal sin (Romans 3:20-22) and expose the holiness of God (Romans 7:12), it does so not to enable reconciliation with God, but to highlight humanity’s inability to meet God’s perfect standard. The law reveals our shortcomings and exposes our need for a Savior. It acts as a mirror, reflecting humanity’s failure to live in accordance with God’s perfect holiness, condemning us because we fall short (Romans 3:23).
This condemning power of the law stems from the sin of Adam, which brought universal condemnation to the human race (Romans 5:12-14). The law that hung over the heads of humanity through Adam’s sin became a continual reminder of mankind’s inability to meet the divine standard. However, unlike Adventist teaching, the law does not remain the means by which we are justified or reconciled to God. Instead, Jesus Christ, the Second Adam, fulfilled the law perfectly. He did what the first Adam failed to do—living a life of perfect obedience and fulfilling all righteousness (Matthew 3:14). Through His obedience, even unto death (Philippians 2:8), Christ freed His people from the condemnation of the law, abolishing it as a covenant and securing their salvation (Galatians 4:4-7; Romans 8:1).
Through Christ, believers are not justified by their own obedience to the law, but by His perfect obedience. His righteousness is imputed to them, in full, meaning that God counts them as righteous because of what Christ has already accomplished (Philippians 3:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:21). This is not a righteousness that can be added to or supplemented by human works. The Bible teaches that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. There is no need for further obedience to the law to secure salvation, as Christ’s finished work is entirely sufficient.
This does not, however, mean that the law serves no purpose in the life of the Christian. It simply means that the Christian is not in covenant with the law.
The Key Differences:
The Law’s Purpose: Condemnation vs. Salvation
Adventist Teaching: The law is viewed as an ongoing standard that both reveals sin and is used to judge the believer’s thoughts, words, and deeds, especially in the context of the Investigative Judgment. Obedience to the law is seen as essential for salvation, as it is through faithful observance that individuals are deemed worthy of Christ’s atonement.
Biblical Teaching: While the law reveals sin and exposes the holiness of God, it also brings condemnation and death (Romans 8:3). The law cannot reconcile us to God; rather, it highlights our need for a Savior. It is the gospel—the covenant of grace—that brings reconciliation, forgiveness, and peace with God (Romans 4:1-3; Romans 5:1).
The Law’s Role in the Christian Life: A Covenant of Works vs. A Covenant of Grace
Adventist Teaching: Adventists maintain that obedience to the law is necessary for salvation. They view the law as a continued requirement for believers, with salvation linked to one’s ability to adhere to it, especially in the context of the Investigative Judgment.
Biblical Teaching: The Bible teaches that the law, as the Covenant of Works, is not a means of reconciliation but a means of condemnation (Romans 3:20-22). Believers are no longer under the law’s condemnation because of Christ’s perfect obedience. The believer is under the Covenant of Grace, which brings justification and peace with God through faith in Christ alone (Romans 5:1). The law cannot justify or save (Romans 3:20); only the gospel does.
The Investigative Judgment: A Doctrine of Human Effort vs. Christ’s Finished Work
Adventist Teaching: The Investigative Judgment is a pivotal doctrine in Adventism, where believers’ lives are scrutinized to determine if they have faithfully kept God’s law. This judgment is seen as necessary for final salvation, and the believer’s obedience to the law is integral to determining their eternal fate.
Biblical Teaching: The Bible teaches that believers are already justified by Christ’s finished work on the cross (Romans 8:1). There is no need for an investigative judgment that assesses one’s obedience to the law, as Christ’s perfect righteousness is imputed to believers, making them completely righteous in God’s sight (Philippians 3:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Believers will stand at the Great Day of Judgment in the end, where all will give an account (2 Corinthians 5:10), but they will be covered in Christ’s righteousness such that they will be able to stand.
Salvation: Christ’s Obedience vs. Human Obedience
Adventist Teaching: Salvation is seen as dependent on a combination of faith and law-keeping. While Adventists acknowledge the necessity of Christ’s sacrifice, they also emphasize that individuals must continue to obey the law to remain in a right relationship with God. This is what has historically been called Covenantal Nomism (in by faith, kept by obedience).
Biblical Teaching: Salvation is based entirely on Christ’s obedience and sacrificial death. It is by faith in Christ alone, not by our obedience to the law, that we are saved. The righteousness of Christ is imputed to believers, and nothing can be added to it (Philippians 3:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Christ’s work is sufficient, and His obedience to the law is credited to us, making us righteous in God’s sight.
Conclusion: The Law and the Gospel
The critical difference between Adventist teaching and biblical teaching lies in the relationship between the law and the gospel. While the Adventist view blurs this distinction, placing an ongoing emphasis on law-keeping for salvation, the Bible clearly distinguishes between the law as a covenant of works that condemns and the gospel as a covenant of grace that justifies and saves. Believers are no longer under the condemnation of the law, but are reconciled to God through faith in Christ, who fulfilled the law on their behalf.
