Leaders Building Leaders

A discussion on belief

If somebody gives you a gift, ask yourself, did you do anything to earn it? I am getting married soon, and many have sent my wife-to-be and me gifts already. When we receive them, we will send thank-you notes. We did not pay for them or do anything to deserve them, but we want to say thank you. 

In 1888, the Seventh-day Adventist Church almost split. Why? An idea called ‘righteousness by faith.’ The idea that believers are saved by grace was being presented to the Adventist Church, and some were not fans. The reason for this pushback is likely rooted in the unique doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. For many years, Adventists have held to beliefs like the seventh-day Sabbath and the health message. These are beautiful doctrines that have blessed many. With that said, some thought that if we are saved by grace, we lose the 10 Commandments, including the Sabbath. 

Thankfully, the church did not split in 1888. However, the reminder that the Church needed back then is the same that many Seventh-day Adventists so desperately need today: Don’t forget to be Christian. Many Seventh-day Adventists are so focused on our distinctive doctrines (which are good and important!) that they forget to preach the Good News and the central teachings that all Christians hold in common. Ellen White would make the statement about the central Christian doctrine of righteousness by faith, saying: “Several have written to me, inquiring if the message of justification by faith is the third angel’s message, and I have answered, ‘It is the third angel’s message in verity.’” 

If we are to effectively tell others about the Sabbath and other truths, we need to make sure that we start with the baseline of Christianity. In our effort to teach Adventism, we must preach Christianity. I firmly believe that this is the most important message the Seventh-day Adventist Church needs to hear. 

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” -1 Corinthians 13:1. 

We must remember that God loves us, and that love is shown to us in Jesus Christ’s atoning death on the cross. If you have been a Seventh-day Adventist your whole life, but have not come to fully realize this gift in your life, I challenge you to do so today. 

Sources:

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), 1 Co 13:1.

Ellen G. White, The Review and Herald, n.d., 1383.

By Peyton Arnett