Objection 96: Adventists teach that it is deceptive to believe or to say that one who accepts Christ as his Redeemer “is saved.” Mrs. White declared:
“Those who accept the Savior, however sincere their conversion, should never be taught to say or feel that they are saved. This is misleading.” (Christ's Object Lessons, p. 155).
But the gospel teaches that believers are “saved” by the preaching of the cross (1 Cor. 1:18). It teaches that God has “saved us,” and called us with an holy calling. (2 Tim. 1:9). To say that a born-again soul does not have salvation as a present possession is to proclaim a false gospel, and one in which there is no “blessed assurance.”
First we will address a key doctrinal difference Adventists have with many other churches. Second, we will address the fact that there is more to salvation than the initial decision to accept Christ as our Savior. Finally, we will address the context of the quoted Ellen White statement.
The doctrinal issue is this: through the centuries of Christian history, many have believed that once a Christian has confessed his sin and trusted in Christ Jesus as his Savior, there is no possibility that he will ever stray again. He is, in fact, forever saved. This view is commonly called “once saved, always saved,” or in Calvinistic theological terms, irresistible election or irresistible grace.
This is a false conception of salvation. God never takes away our free will, and as long as we have free will, we can reject God and God’s salvation in Christ Jesus. (Deut. 30:19-20; 1 Cor. 10:12; 2 Peter 3:17; Heb. 3:12; 1 Tim. 4:16) Being saved at one point in time does not mean that a person will always be saved. Again, God is a great respecter of freedom of choice; He wants everyone to be saved (Ezek. 18:31-32; 2 Peter 3:9), but He will not force anyone to make right decisions (Mat. 23:37; Acts 7:51-52).
Seventh-day Adventists accept all that the Bible says about our being saved from past guilt and standing justified through the blood of Christ. But we also accept what the Bible says about the need of constant watchfulness, prayer, and perseverance in Christ if we are to reach the heavenly goal.
Just as we reject the heresy of “once saved, always saved,” we also reject a “grace only” gospel that does not include sanctification, a lifetime of walking with Jesus Christ. This is the “good fight of faith,” that Paul speaks of to Timothy: "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hath professed a good profession before many witnesses." 1 Tim. 6:12.
To the church at Corinth, Paul wrote:
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Cor. 9:24-27.
Paul clearly did not accept that the Christian life ends with a confession of faith in Christ. To the contrary, turning one’s heart and life over to Christ, and accepting His substitutionary death on your behaf, is merely the beginning.
Scripture contains many exhortations to Christians to remain steadfast lest they fall by the way and lose their reward. Says Paul, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.” Heb. 10:23. A little further on in the same chapter he appeals, “Cast not away therefore your confidence.” Verse 35.
Revelation two and three, although nominally aimed at seven churches in what is now western Turkey, is really the prophetic story of the Christian church from the time of Christ up to the Second Advent. Each message concludes with a reward that is promised “to him that overcomes.” (See, Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 2l.) Some of the churches are also told to “hold fast.” (Rev. 2:25; 3:11) These passage buttress Paul’s admonition to the Corinthian church: “Let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” 1 Cor. 10:12. “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Matt. 24:13.
All this shows that the Christian who says, “I am saved” early on in his Christian walk is flirting with presumption. We do not know who “held fast” and who “overcame” until the end of the race.
Now let us return to the quoted passage from Ellen White, found in a chapter of the book, Christ’s Object Lessons, entitled: “Two Worshipers.” The two worshipers are the Pharisee and the tax collector who both went to the Temple in Jerusalem to pray (see, Luke 18:9-14). The Pharisee’s prayer was, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people, especially that tax collector”; the tax collector’s prayer was, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” The issue in this chapter is spiritual pride, self sufficiency, and self-righteousness.
Ellen White states that the Pharisee’s problem of pride and self-sufficiency was also Peter’s problem. Peter thought himself strong; in his own estimation, Peter was ‘not as other men are.’ He assured Jesus that although others might deny Him, he, Peter, would not. But just a little while later, Peter’s weakness revealed itself, and he denied his Lord with cursing. We quote:
"Peter's fall was not instantaneous, but gradual. Self-confidence led him to the belief that he was saved, and step after step was taken in the downward path, until he could deny his Master. Never can we safely put confidence in self, or feel, this side of heaven, that we are secure against temptation. Those who accept the Savior, however sincere their conversion, should never be taught to say or to feel that they are saved. This is misleading. Every one should be taught to cherish hope and faith; but even when we give ourselves to Christ and know that He accepts us, we are not beyond the reach of temptation. God's word declares, “Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried.” Only he who endures the trial will receive the crown of life.
Those who accept Christ, and in their first confidence say, I am saved, are in danger of trusting to themselves. They lose sight of their own weakness and their constant need of divine strength. They are unprepared for Satan's devices, and under temptation many, like Peter, fall into the very depths of sin. We are admonished, 'Let him that thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall.' Our only safety is in constant distrust of self, and dependence on Christ." - Christ's Object Lessons, p. 155 (emphasis added)
Her objection is not to having confidence in God’s power to save through the blood of Jesus Christ, but rather to having confidence in our own flesh. The former is warranted; the latter is most certainly not. The statement, “I am saved” begins with “I,” the very one we are not to have confidence in. The statement, “Jesus saved me,” begins with “Jesus,” in whom we can have complete confidence. But it is better to say, “Jesus is saving me”—in the present tense—because Paul tells us that the cross is the power of God to those “who are being saved .”
If we take her writings as a whole, Ellen White warns us against two extremes: (1) the presumption of the Christian who, having once accepted Jesus Christ as his savior, believes he is now beyond all danger (this was her concern in the passage from Christ's Object Lessons), and, (2) fear and insecurity born of the consciousness of our own sin and weakness, and forgetting the sufficiency of our Savior. As regards this opposite extreme she writes:
"We should not make self the center, and indulge anxiety and fear as to whether we shall be saved. All this turns the soul away from the Source of our strength. Commit the keeping of your soul to God, and trust in Him. Talk and think of Jesus. Let self be lost in Him. Put away all doubt; dismiss your fears. Say with the apostle Paul, 'I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.' Rest in God. He is able to keep that which you have committed to Him. If you will leave yourself in His hands, He will bring you off more than conqueror through Him that has loved you." - Steps to Christ, pp. 76, 77.
We quoted couple of very a similar passage in answer to Objection 93:
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,” even so was “the Son of man ...lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:14, 15). If you are conscious of your sins, do not devote all your powers to mourning over them, but look and live. Jesus is our only Saviour; and although millions who need to be healed will reject His offered mercy, not one who trusts in His merits will be left to perish. While we realize our helpless condition without Christ, we must not be discouraged; we must rely upon a crucified and risen Saviour. Poor, sin-sick, discouraged soul, look and live. Jesus has pledged His word; He will save all who come unto Him.
Come to Jesus, and receive rest and peace. You may have the blessing even now. Satan suggests that you are helpless and cannot bless yourself. It is true; you are helpless. But lift up Jesus before him: “I have a risen Saviour. In Him I trust, and He will never suffer me to be confounded. In His name I triumph. He is my righteousness and my crown of rejoicing.” Let no one here feel that his case is hopeless, for it is not. You may see that you are sinful and undone, but it is just on this account that you need a Saviour. If you have sins to confess, lose no time. These moments are golden. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Faith & Works, p. 37, (emphasis added).
So, taken as a whole, it cannot be said that Ellen White does not want us to have assurance in our salvation. These passages prove that she wants us to look to Jesus Christ and have total confidence in the salvation He offers.