Seventh-day Adventist's Amazing Facts Are Really Amazing

The Bible Says in Galatians 1:6-9 …
⁶ I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- ⁷ which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! ⁹ As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

Once the people are gathered under the 'big tent' or the rented hall to be taught, the objective from day one is to slowly convince these potential converts that the 7^th day is the Sabbath and the evangelist proceeds to prove it from the Bible. But does he REALLY prove it?

A friend and I were passionately discussing the Sabbath so he decided to give me Lesson 6 of the Amazing Facts series to study. I did and l read some amazing facts that I'd like to share with you.  I am more and more convinced that everything happens for a reason because it dawned on me that this would be great to use as an illustration of the deception being taught by the Adventist church.

Let's look at what is being taught regarding The Law in the Amazing Facts series, Lesson 6, entitled, Written In Stone.   Click here if you care to print Lesson 6 or follow along with me.

The lesson begins by stating, “Centuries ago, God wrote His law in stone, and you are still supposed to keep it today.”  The study begins by neglecting the fact that the Law consisted of 613 commands. The writers deliberately restrict the Law to the Ten Commandments because the Ten were the only ones written ‘in stone’.  The law was the Torah, a unit of 613 commands of which the Ten Commandments was a part.

Below are questions and answers taken from the Lesson 6 followed with my Rebuttal. Please take note that all emphasis (bold, CAPS, underlined, colored text) in the Scriptures that I am quoting are mine and I am using the NIV unless stated otherwise.

Question 2: What is the definition of sin?

Amazing Facts: Sin is breaking God's Ten Commandment law.

Rebuttal: All wrongdoing is sin.... 1 John 5:17 NIV. When Jesus was on earth speaking to the Jews, He raised the bar regarding the Torah.  For instance, Matthew 5:27-28 reads, "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:43-44 reads,  "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”

Note that in Matthew 19, Jesus was referring to the Torah and not just the Ten Commandments. "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy" is not one of the Ten Commandments. Also it is important to note that Jesus is speaking to Jews. Gentiles were not and never was under the law.

Amazing Facts is specifically using the terminology 'God's Ten Commandments' because they are leading up to the Sabbath (the Sabbath is included in the 'Ten') AND they will also teach that there is a distinction between the Law of God and the Law of Moses.

Question 3: Why did God give us the Ten Commandments?

Amazing Facts: As a guide for happy, abundant living;  to show the difference between right and wrong; To protect me from danger and tragedy; It helps us to know God.

Rebuttal: God did not give the Ten Commandments to us, the Gentile Christians. He gave them to the Israelites only. Romans 2:14 reads: “Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law....”  Ephesians 2:11-13 explains it beautifully. It reads...

11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)-- 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.”

This clearly states that the Gentiles (non-Jews) were uncircumcised, separated, excluded, foreigners and not part of the covenants of the promise until the Seed (Christ) came. Christ's coming was when the mystery (equality between Jews and Gentiles) was revealed. Now that Christ has come, suffered, died for our sins and rose again, we, too, (Gentile Christians) are heirs to the promise under a New Covenant.

Question 4: Why is God's law exceedingly important to me personally?

Amazing Facts: Because the Ten Commandment law is the standard by which God examines people in the heavenly judgment.

Rebuttal: So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. James 2:12

Notes for 2:12

As Christians we are saved by God's free gift (grace) through faith, not by keeping the law. But as Christians, we are also required to obey Christ. The apostle Paul taught "for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ" (2Corinthians 5:10) to be judged for our conduct. God's grace does not cancel our duty to obey him; it gives our obedience a new basis. The law is no longer an external set of rules, but it is a "law that gives freedom" — one we joyfully and willingly carry out, because we love God and because we have the power of his Holy Spirit to carry it out (see Jas 1:25). —Life Application Bible Notes

In my rebuttal, I used the same text that Amazing Facts used. Obviously they are interpreting the Law of Liberty as the Ten Commandments, which is incorrect. The Law of Liberty is the same as the Royal Law of Love.  We shall be judged by the Law of Liberty not the Ten Commandments.  The Law of Liberty or Royal Law instructs us to love our neighbors as ourselves.  James 2:8 NLT

Question 5: Can God's law (the Ten Commandments) ever be changed or abolished?

Amazing Facts: Absolutely not! ...If the law could have been changed, God would have immediately made that change when Adam and Eve sinned instead of sending His Son to die in the sinner's behalf to pay the penalty of the broken law.  This was impossible.  The commandments are revealed principles of God's holy character that will always be true as long as God exists.

Rebuttal: Amazing Facts is saying that the law was in effect before Adam and Eve sinned. The Bible clearly says otherwise. Romans 5:13 NIV says,  for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law.

Adam and Eve did not break a Ten Commandment law; they broke the command not to eat of the tree.

Matthew 5:15:  "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

When Jesus (a Jew born under Jewish law) was on earth, the law wasn't changed nor abolished. Simply put, when Christ died for our sins, the terms of the covenant agreement between God and the Israelites were fulfilled and no longer binding. Remember, the law was given UNTIL the Seed came. It had a beginning and ending point. It ended when it was fulfilled on the cross, not before.

Amazing Facts also say that the Ten Commandments are principles of God's holy character or as I was taught, a transcript of God's character.  To know God's ways and His character, check out what Moses had to say in Exodus 34:5-8..

⁵ Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. ⁶ And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, ⁷ maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."   ⁸ Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.

As His children, He desires us to develop the Fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, long-suffering. gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.  Against such, THERE IS NO LAW.

Question 6: Did Jesus abolish God's law while He was here on earth?

Amazing Facts: No, indeed!

Rebuttal: It was abolished AFTER His death on the cross. Ephesians 2:15: ''by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations.  The New Living Translation reads, “He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations.  He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.”

When Jesus died on the cross, the law with its commandments and regulations ended. Abolish means to ‘get rid of’ or ‘do away with’. So yes, according to Scripture it was abolished because Jesus met and fulfilled its conditions. It is my belief that Amazing Facts is trying to make the point that the Ten Commandments as a unit (including the Sabbath) are still to be obeyed today and the conditions were not met on the cross.

Question 7: Will people who knowingly continue to break even one of God's commandments be saved?

Amazing Facts: The Ten Commandment law is the guide we must use in finding our way to God and holy living. If I ignore even one of the commandments, I am neglecting part of the divine pattern, or blueprint. If only one link of a chain is broken, its entire purpose is undone. The Bible says that when we knowingly break any command of God, we are sinning (James 4:17) because we have refused His will for us.  Only those who do His will can enter the kingdom of heaven. 

Rebuttal:  The above comment is setting the people up for Sabbath-keeping.  If they neglect the keeping of the Sabbath, they have broken a link of the chain and thwarted its purpose.  We are not under the law as stated numerous times in Scripture. 

Christ kept the law for each of us and bore our sins on the cross.  We are saved by grace through faith.  If accepted, the Holy Spirit leads us, guides us, teaches us truth and empowers us.  Believers  live by the Spirit. 

The Bible Says in Romans 8:14 "¹⁴ because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."

Again, the Ten Commandments and Sabbath keeping are not the standard.

Question 8: Can anyone be saved by keeping the law?

Amazing Facts: No! The answer is too plain to miss. No one can be saved by keeping the law.  Salvation comes only through grace, as a free gift from Jesus Christ, and we receive this gift by faith not by works. The law serves only as a mirror to point out sin in our lives.  Cleansing and forgiveness from that sin come only through Christ.

Rebuttal: They say 'No' but 'in practice' they teach that the 7^th day Sabbath has to be kept because it will divide believers from unbelievers. The Sabbath will be the end-time test and seal for believers. So, if one doesn’t keep the Sabbath and as a result isn’t sealed, he will be lost. Obviously, their answer should have been ‘Yes’ because they have to keep the Jewish Sabbath to be sealed and saved. 

Often their response is, “We don’t keep the Sabbath to be saved.  We keep the Sabbath because we love God and because we love God we keep it because He asked us to.”  Under the New Covenant, God has never asked anyone to keep the Old Covenant Sabbath. Under the New Covenant, it is Today!

Question 9: Why, then, is the law an absolute essential for perfecting Christian character?

Amazing Facts: Because the full pattern, or 'whole duty', for Christian living is contained in God's law.

Rebuttal: The law is not an absolute essential for perfecting Christian character. The law is powerless.  When it was binding, it could only point out sin. The work of the Holy Spirit is to perfect us; He leads and guides us into all truth and righteousness.

Question 11: But isn't a Christian who has faith and is living under grace freed from keeping the law?

Amazing Facts: No! The Scriptures teach the very opposite.  Grace is like the governor's pardon to a prisoner.  It forgives him, but it does not give him  freedom to break one single law on the statute books.  The forgiven person, living under grace, is under double obligation to keep the law.  A person who refuses to keep God's law, saying that he is living under grace, is mistaken.  He is living under disgrace.

Rebuttal: Yes! The Ten Commandment law is not binding on New Covenant Christians. Notice that in Question 8, Amazing Facts agrees with the Bible by saying we can't be saved by keeping the law but in this question they say we are not free from keeping the law? Adventists speak with forked tongue again. If we aren't saved by keeping the law but we are not free from keeping the law, that means we have to keep the law! Why so much confusion and contradiction in their answers? 

The Bible Says in Ephesians 2:8-9, "⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast."

Question 12: Are the Ten Commandments of God reaffirmed in the New Testament?

Amazing Facts: Yes, and very clearly so.

Rebuttal: No, and very clearly not so. The Ten Commandment Law as a unit is not reaffirmed in the New Testament.  The fourth commandment is missing.  Even their prophet, Mrs. White, wrote, “The New Testament does not re-enact the law of the tithe, as it does not that of the Sabbath; for the validity of both is assumed, and their deep spiritual import explained. {RH, May 16, 1882 par. 28}

To say that the Sabbath is reaffirmed in the New Testament, Amazing Facts use Hebrews 4:4, 9,10:

4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. 9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

This portion of Scripture is referring back to God’s rest at the completion of His creation on the 7^th day.  However, instead of Amazing Facts citing the entire passage, they conveniently omit key Scripture that declares a New Day of rest, thus deceiving the people.  Hebrews 4:4-10 in its entirety reads:

4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "And on the seventh day God rested from all his work." 5 And again in the passage above he says, "They shall never enter my rest." 6 It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience. 7 Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before: "Today, if you hear his voice,  do not harden your hearts." 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.

God wanted the Israelites to enter into His rest.  Initially, on Mt. Sinai, He gave them the 7^th day to rest from their work even though He had a better rest in mind. According to Hebrews 4:6 they failed to enter because of unbelief, so Hebrews 4:7 states that God AGAIN set a certain day, calling it Today! Again means 'once more, renew’. In other words, God replaced the 7^th day with Today.

We have a new day of rest called Today. Everyday that we are blessed to be alive is called Today. Jesus is our eternal rest and is inviting us to rest in Him everyday. He invites us to come unto Him and He promises to give us rest; not just one out of seven days but everyday. This is a spiritual rest of not trying to work our way in or be good enough.  It’s a rest of complete confidence and assurance in His completed work for us on the cross IF we believe the Good News!

So no, the 7^th day Sabbath is not reaffirmed in the New Testament even according to their prophetess Ellen White.

Question 13: Are God's law and Moses law the same?

Amazing Facts: No, they are not the same. Moses law contained the temporary, ceremonial law of the Old Testament. It regulated the priesthood, sacrifices, rituals, meat and drink offerings, etc. all of which foreshadowed the cross. This law was added 'till the seed should come.' and that seed was Christ (Galatians 3:16,19). The ritual and ceremony of Moses' law pointed forward to Christ's sacrifice. When He died on the cross, this law came to an end, but the Ten Commandments (God's law) stands forever. That there are two laws is made crystal clear in Daniel 9:10,11.

10 we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. "Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you

Rebuttal: Yes, they are the same. The Law of God and the Law of Moses can be used interchangeably. 

The Bible Says in Luke 2:22-24 and Luke 2:30....

22 When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord" ), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons (clearly what he is quoting from the Law of Moses did not come from the Ten Commandments and clearly what he is quoting from the Law of the Lord is not from the Ten Commandments. What he is quoting comes from the 'Book of the Law' which is God's Law AND Moses' Law).

39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.

Please note that the Law of the Lord in these verses is NOT referring to the Ten Commandments but the 'so-called' ceremonial laws. So Amazing Facts cannot correctly say that Moses' Law was strictly ceremonial.  Furthermore, God's law was a unit (613 commands) and could not be divided.

The text that Amazing Facts references does not prove otherwise. Daniel was praying to God and was rehearsing how the people had sinned against Him. You have to read the verses preceding the texts that Amazing Facts chose. Starting at Daniel 9, verse 7 sets the backdrop...

7 "Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame--the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 O LORD, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; 10 we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.  "Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you.”

If Moses is the servant of God and God gave him a message or laws, then it is God's message or law for Moses, in turn, to give to the people. Example: Paul, in the New Testament, received direct communication from God as His servant and his words are as commandments or laws from God. The same with Moses. Paul and Moses both received from God to teach the people; they were willing servant vessels. They weren't Paul's or Moses' laws but God's. Paul remarks regarding his calling in Galatians 1:11-12

 11 'I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ."

Thought Question #3: Don't Colossians 2:14-17 and Ephesians 2:15 teach that God's law ended at the cross?

Amazing Facts: No, these passages both refer to the law containing “ordinances' or Moses' law, which was a ceremonial law governing the sacrificial system and the priesthood. All this ceremony and ritual foreshadowed the cross and ended at Christ's death, as God had intended.  Moses' law was added till the "Seed should come," and that "Seed ... is Christ" (Gal. 3:16, 19). God's law could not be involved here, for Paul spoke of it as holy, just and good many years after the cross (Rom. 7:7, 12).

Rebuttal: I need to answer this in four parts. Firstly, they are stating that Colossians and Ephesians are referring to ceremonial laws governing the sacrificial system and the priesthood. Again, taken in context, Colossians is speaking regarding the Torah.  In vs. 13, which Amazing Facts omit, Paul says, "You were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive in Christ.  He forgave all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross." My point is that Paul is not referencing just so-called ceremonial laws, he is referencing the entire Torah.  Also note that he didn't say 'they' were nailed to the cross, but 'it' was nailed to the cross. The law is an indivisible unit.  

Secondly, Amazing Facts say, "All this ceremony and ritual foreshadowed the cross and ended at Christ's death, as God had intended." I totally agree. This ceremony even included the Sabbath.  The sabbath was/is a ceremony with it's own ritual as the other monthly and yearly Sabbaths.  For instance, a RITUAL of the weekly Sabbath was the changing of the Shewbread or Bread of Presence.   

Notes on 1 Chronicles 21:6....

Once a week on the Sabbath, a priest entered the Holy Place in the tabernacle and placed 12 freshly baked loaves of bread on a small table. This bread, called the bread of the Presence, symbolized God's presence among his people as well as his loving care that met their physical needs. The bread that was replaced was to be eaten only by the priests on duty.

—Life Application Bible Notes

So yes, the Old Covenant weekly Sabbath is ceremonial in nature and confined to a 24 hour period.  It pointed to Jesus, our Sabbath rest.  Under the New Covenant, He set aside AGAIN another day, called Today. Today is everyday and not confined to a 24 hour period.  The Bible Says in Col. 2:16-17 ... "¹⁶ Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷ These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ."

Thirdly, Amazing Facts states, "Moses' law was added till the "Seed should come," and that "Seed ... is Christ" (Gal. 3:16, 19).  I am unable to locate the verse in my Bibles that say, "Moses' law ( meaning the so-called ceremonial laws) was added till the Seed should come." Moses law and God's law can be used interchangeably as we discovered earlier. Neither will you find a division of the law in the Bible (ceremonial, moral, civil).  These are all man-made.  Gal. 3:19 reads, "What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. ...." Again, the law was the Torah, 613 commands, an indivisible unit.

Amazing Facts spoke of 'ordinances' as pertaining to Moses' ceremonial laws. According to the dictionary, an ordinance is a statute or regulation, meaning the act of controlling or directing according to rule; a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior. The Ten Commandments were ordinances handwritten by God and the rest of the Torah was ordinances given to Moses by God but they were handwritten by Moses.  Both 'commandments and ordinances' were handwritten.  Amazing Facts answer is adding to the Bible.  

Colossians 2:14 reads, "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;" As cited above, God and Moses hand wrote the law, so the law in its entirety was nailed to the cross.

Yes. Ephesians 2:15 says......by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments AND regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,

Fourthly, Paul did say that the law is holy, just and good but if you take the time to read the whole chapter of Romans 7 or even verses 1-12, you will discover that Amazing Facts is quoting out of context or proof-texting.  Paul is not promoting law-keeping. It is imperative to read the Bible in context and to be aware to whom it is speaking at the time.  Even though the whole Bible is relevant and inspired, everything in it was not written for everyone although we can learn from what was written to others.

The law is one complete unit starting in Genesis and ending in Deuteronomy. Jesus fulfilled the law and the prophets on the cross.

This lesson is clearly leading up to keeping the 7^th day Sabbath, which didn't and doesn't apply to us Gentiles (non-Jews). The main focus is on the Ten Commandments because inclusive in this portion of the Torah is the Sabbath. Adventists know they are misleading the people but continue to do so. The Adventist leadership has practiced deceit from its inception. They have refused to share 'truth' with its members. They have tried to suppress truth; they have tried to re-write truth; they have tried to omit 'truth' but truth has a way of being found out.

Thanks to the Internet, what was hidden in the dark is coming to light. The Seventh-day Adventist leadership deliberately and successfully suppressed truth from its members for decades. The real truth is accessible to all who want to know Jesus, the truth and the light; the Holy Spirit is lifting the veil and many are walking away and becoming Christ-Followers.  Amazing Facts is another attempt to deceive and distort God’s Word by teaching a 'different' gospel.

The Bible Says in 2 Corinthians 3:15 …‘Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.’

I say, ‘God cannot kiss His bride until the veil is lifted.’   Patricia Allen