Psalm 27:8
American Standard Version (ASV)
8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; My heart said unto thee, Thy
face, Jehovah, will I seek.
A long time friend, whom I’ll call Eric, was a pastor in the
Adventist Church. Like I did, he grew up in an extremely legalist church. Like
so many of my contemporaries he spent many prayerful hours studying scripture,
initially to support the ideas he had grown up with. Gradually the magnificent
gospel of Jesus Christ forced its way through the smog of the false and enslaving
salvation by works. He accepted the wondrous, all-encompassing grace of Christ
and the marvelous freedom from guilt and bondage.
Eric’s and my paths didn’t cross very often. Some 15 years
after graduating from college we spent some time together comparing our
experiences after having pursued very different, widely separated careers. We worked
at the same place for a year or two and casually shared our new found
appreciation of Jesus Christ and His death on the cross and what it means to
Christians today.
Eric was pastor of a number of churches over many years. The
conference he served in still clings to its old emphasis on the efficacy of strict
Sabbath keeping, tithe paying, and dietary restrictions for salvation. He
rejoiced in preaching that good works are a result of a grace based salvation
rather than the means to that salvation. Eventually the conference took a
unilateral action that where there was a difference in what the Bible said and
what the Spirit of Prophecy said, members were to adopt the latter as the supreme
authority.
Eric knew that Ellen White wrote that she was but the “lesser
light to lead men and women to the greater light,”[i]
and he felt that he could no longer in all honesty continue to pastor for that
conference. He resigned and after a period of study time preached for a different
denomination until his retirement. I heard many rumors criticizing Eric,
demonizing him, accusing him of apostasy, and the list went on and on. Years
later, when I had a chance, I sought him out and spent a day with him. What a
wondrous fellowship this was. As usual his detractors were misinformed at best,
and a few malevolent. Eric had not apostatized. His spirit was one of warmth
and forgiveness. He expressed sorrow for the misunderstandings and firm
confidence in the grace of Christ to save us all.
Lord, grant us firm
assurance in the Grace of Christ. Make it the firm pillar in our quest for
sanctification.
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