The Ten Commandments

What Is It’s Place in SDA’s Salvation?

2
“The foundation of the Sabbatarian
error, I believe, is the idea that "the
law," in all the strictness of the old
letter, is binding on Christians.

A desire to sustain the seventh-day

Sabbath has led the Adventist to this
false position on the Decalogue.”
- Seventh-day Adventism Renounced!
The Three Millerites Groups that Formed
the Seventh-Day Adventist Movement

Hiram Edson James White and Ellen White Joseph Bates

Port Gibson, New York Portland, Maine Washington, New Hampshire

SANCTUARY DOCTRINE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY SABBATH AND

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
 Important Events that Led to the
Sabbath and the Law Doctrine of SDA
• Concurrent with the doctrinal developments of the Sanctuary
teaching of Edson, those Adventists holding this teaching and the
validity of the October 22 date began to develop the view of the
validity of the Ten Commandments and the seventh-day Sabbath
• In the early 1840’s, Rachel Oakes, a Seventh-Day Baptist who joined
the Millerites challenged an Adventist preacher Frederick Wheeler
to keep all the Ten Commandments, which the latter accepted
• In the summer of 1844, T. M. Preble, a Free Will Baptist preacher
who joined the Millerites, also accepted the Sabbath as influenced
by F. Wheeler
 Important Events that Led to the
Sabbath and the Law Doctrine of SDA
• After the Great Disappointment, Preble
published his Sabbath beliefs in February of 1845
through the columns of a journal and in a twelve-
page pamphlet
• In March of 1845 Preble’s writings fell into the
hands of Joseph Bates, one of the three primary
founders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
 Important Events that Led to the
Sabbath and the Law Doctrine of SDA
• Bates accepted the Sabbath and soon shared it in a
meeting with Crosier, Hahn, and Edson.
• Edson accepted it along with Crosier and Hahn.
Meanwhile, they shared their insights on the heavenly
sanctuary with Bates, which he readily accepted.
• Thus by late 1845 or early 1846 a small group of
believers began to form around the united doctrines of
the ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary and the
binding nature of the seventh-day Sabbath
 Important Events that Led to the
Sabbath and the Law Doctrine of SDA
• Bates, meanwhile, published a tract entitled The Seventh Day
Sabbath, a Perpetual Sign in August 1846. He was also instrumental
in introducing James White and Ellen White to the seventh-day
Sabbath. Years later Ellen White wrote that “in the autumn of
1846 she began to observe the Sabbath, and to teach and defend
it.” Thus the three founders of Seventh-day Adventism were
united on the Sabbath doctrine by the end of 1846
• Bates gave the seventh-day Sabbath a richness and prophetic
meaning that it never could have had among the Seventh Day
Baptists. For the Baptists, the seventh day was merely the correct
day. But with Bates, steeped as he was in a prophetic faith, the
seventh-day Sabbath took on an eschatological (end time) richness
that was beyond the realm of Baptist understanding
 Important Events that Led to the
Sabbath and the Law Doctrine of SDA
• Through a series of small books, Bates interpreted the
Sabbath within the framework of Revelation 11-14.
First, he began to see connections between the Sabbath
and the sanctuary.
• As he studied the sounding of the seventh trumpet in
Revelation 11:15-19 (a passage obviously having to do
with the last days), Bates was particularly drawn to
verse 19: “And the temple of God was opened in
heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his
testament.”
 Important Events that Led to the
Sabbath and the Law Doctrine of SDA
• According to Bates, when the seventh angel began to sound, he
proposed, the second apartment of the temple of God was opened
in heaven and the ark of the covenant was spiritually revealed and
people began to search the Scriptures.
• The ark of the covenant in the earthly sanctuary, of course,
contained the Ten Commandments. Thus, through typological
comparison, it was concluded that the Most Holy Place of the
heavenly sanctuary had an ark containing the Decalogue, as did
the earthly sanctuary. God’s law, of course, eventually came to be
seen as the basis for the preadvent judgment that had been
underway since October 22, 1844. On that date the second
apartment had been opened in heaven, exposing the ark of the
covenant and pointing to a renewed emphasis on God’s law.
 Key Take Away
• The doctrine sprang from the influence of a Sabbatarian woman, Rachel
Oakes
• Joseph Bates, the key figure in inducing the other pioneers about the
validity of the Sabbath, got the idea from a journal and pamphlet written by
lay preacher
• Bates, after accepting the Sanctuary teaching, gave the Sabbath/10C a
prophetic meaning and end-time judgment significance, not recognized by
all other Protestant denominations, and the two doctrines were linked
together
• This doctrine was similarly developed as that of the Sanctuary Doctrine:
it arose not by a thorough, basic bible study on the part of a well-trained
theologian or a bible scholar but through the influence of a non-
theologically trained lay member, employing TYPOLOGICAL
COMPARISON, and again through a confirmatory vision of Ellen White.
SDA 28 Fundamental Beliefs p. 133
KEY POINTS:
1. It appears that when a person
believes and through the Holy
Spirit, he is born again (justified)
AND sanctified at the same time.
2. The Holy Spirit (after being
justified), gives power to live a
holy life.
3. Faith in Christ gives assurance of
salvation NOW (at the start of
believing) but can only be
sustained by abiding in Him.
THEREFORE: Salvation equates to
justification and sanctification
 Sanctification’s role in Salvation
SDA 28 Fundamental Beliefs p. 138
SDA’s Official Statement
KEY POINTS:
1. Embodiment of God’s Law
2. Binding upon all people in
every age
3. The standard in God’s
judgment
4. Obedience to it is fruitage
of salvation

SDA 28 Fundamental Beliefs p. 263

 The Whole Chapter 19 Can Be
Summarized With This
“The Ten Commandments are all moral law and demands
PERFECT obedience. When you transgress any one precept, it is a
sin and the penalty of sin is death. Being born again through the
agency of the indwelling Holy Spirit, it gives POWER to
perfectly obey. But, breaking a single precept is like breaking all
the rest, thus manifesting that one is not truly born again and
therefore have no salvation.
Truly, the Ten Commandments becomes the determining factor
for one’s salvation. Without it, one is condemned.”
 “The 1844
INVESTIGATIVE
JUDGMENT”
Reasons why the Central Pillar of
the Seventh-day Adventist Faith
is a FALSE GOSPEL!
16
 The Great Controversy, p.483

Note: Page number may vary depending on the edition and type copy of the book.

17
 The Great Controversy, p. 483

Note: Page number may vary depending on the edition and type copy of the book.
18
 The Great Controversy, p. 485

Note: Page number may vary depending on the edition and type copy of the book.
 The Great Controversy, p. 486

Note: Page number may vary depending on the edition and type copy of the book.
 The Great Controversy, p. 490

21
Note: Page number may vary depending on the edition and type copy of the book.
Drama of the Ages, p. 130-131

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Note: Page number may vary depending on the edition and type copy of the book.
 The Salvation Equation of SDA
SALVATION = JUSTIFICATION AND SANCTIFICATION
(X)
Where:
Justification  Faith in Christ
Sanctification  Perfect keeping of the 10Cs AND Obedience to
Food Law AND Perfect confession of sins AND Sinless perfection AND
Influence after death!

It seems that if you fail to just one part of Sanctification

requirements, your salvation is nullified!
 Litmus Test
• If an Adventist is forced to work on Sabbath because of his duty to his
country or contractual obligation or out of necessity, what happens to
his salvation?
 He breaks the 4th commandment; sin is the transgression of the Law; the wages of sin is
death; therefore he will lose his salvation
 What will happen if he eats pork?
 He breaks the Law of God, sin is the transgression of the Law, the wages of sin is death,
he will be judged by fire (SDA is using Isa. 66:16-17)
 EGW also maintained that breaking the Food Law is equivalent to breaking the Ten
Commandments (CODF, item number #9)
• What will happen to an SDA member if he suddenly die yet there was an
unconfessed sin?
 His name will be blotted out of the book of life
• What will happen if his life influence is bad?
 It will have an impact in his standing in the Investigative Judgment
The End