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Jorgfe
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Post Number: 706
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Posted on Wednesday, September 05, 2007 - 8:04 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)


quote:

Early Writings, page 125-127

God's Gift to Man

I have been shown the great love and condescension of God in giving His Son to die that man might find pardon and live. I was shown Adam and Eve, who were privileged to behold the beauty and loveliness of the Garden of Eden and were permitted to eat of all the trees in the garden except one. But the serpent tempted Eve, and she tempted her husband, and they both ate of the forbidden tree. They broke God's command, and became sinners. The news spread through heaven, and every harp was hushed. The angels sorrowed, and feared lest Adam and Eve would again put forth the hand and eat of the tree of life and be immortal sinners. But God said that He would drive the transgressors from the garden, and by cherubim and a flaming sword would guard the way of the tree of life, so that man could not approach unto it and eat of its fruit, which perpetuates immortality.

Sorrow filled heaven as it was realized that man was lost and that the world which God had created was to be filled with mortals doomed to misery, sickness, and death, and that there was no way of escape for the offender. The whole family of Adam must die. I then saw the lovely Jesus and beheld an expression of sympathy and sorrow upon His countenance. Soon I saw Him approach the exceeding bright light which enshrouded the Father. Said my accompanying angel, "He is in close converse with His Father." The anxiety of the angels seemed to be intense while Jesus was communing with His Father. Three times He was shut in by the glorious light about the Father, and the third time He came from the Father we could see His person. His countenance was calm, free from all perplexity and trouble, and shone with a loveliness which words cannot describe. He then made known to the angelic choir that a way of escape had been made for lost man; that He had been pleading with His Father, and had obtained permission to give His own life as a ransom for the race, to bear their sins, and take the sentence of death upon Himself, thus opening a way whereby they might, through the merits of His blood, find pardon for past transgressions, and by obedience be brought back to the garden from which they were driven. Then they could again have access to the glorious, immortal fruit of the tree of life to which they had now forfeited all right.

Then joy, inexpressible joy, filled heaven, and the heavenly choir sang a song of praise and adoration. They touched their harps and sang a note higher than they had done before, because of the great mercy and condescension of God in yielding up His dearly Beloved to die for a race of rebels. Then praise and adoration was poured forth for the self-denial and sacrifice of Jesus, in consenting to leave the bosom of His Father, and choosing a life of suffering and anguish, and an ignominious death, that He might give life to others.

Said the angel, "Think ye that the Father yielded up His dearly beloved Son without a struggle? No, no." It was even a struggle with the God of heaven, whether to let guilty man perish, or to give His darling Son to die for them. Angels were so interested for man's salvation that there could be found among them those who would yield their glory and give their life for perishing man. "But," said my accompanying angel, "that would avail nothing." The transgression was so great that an angel's life would not pay the debt. Nothing but the death and intercession of God's Son would pay the debt and save lost man from hopeless sorrow and misery.

But the work which was assigned the angels was to ascend and descend with strengthening balm from glory to soothe the Son of God in His life of suffering. They administered unto Jesus. Also, their work was to guard and keep the subjects of grace from the evil angels and from the darkness which was constantly thrown around them by Satan. I saw that it was impossible for God to change His law in order to save lost, perishing man; therefore He suffered His darling Son to die for man's transgressions.


From this we learn that Ellen taught that:

1. Adam and Eve sinned
2. Sorrow fills heaven
3. Jesus displays an expression of sympathy and sorrow
4. Three times Jesus approaches the bright light that enshrouds the Father
5. The anxiety of the angels seemed to be intense while Jesus was communing with His Father.
6. He then made known to the angelic choir that a way of escape had been made for lost man; that He had been pleading with His Father, and had obtained permission to give His own life as a ransom for the race.
7. The heavenly choir sang a song of praise and adoration. They touched their harps and sang a note higher than they had done before.
8. Said the angel, "Think ye that the Father yielded up His dearly beloved Son without a struggle? No, no." It was even a struggle with the God of heaven, whether to let guilty man perish, or to give His darling Son to die for them.

Gilbert Jorgensen
Larry
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Post Number: 151
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Posted on Wednesday, September 05, 2007 - 8:57 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

9. Peter told a falsehood (according to egw):

He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 1 Peter 1:20

10. Paul learned to lie from Peter (according to egw):

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4

Though she corrected her doctrine in 1890, 1898, and 1899, she could not change the fact that she had “SEEN in vision” the plan being made after the fall of man!

Give me one good reason anyone from the 1851 era needed to wait around for 40 years for her to "correct" a vision! Anyone was free to turn their back and walk away from this outfit as soon as they heard this lying vision.

Beware of false prophets! Matt 24:24: For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles (even visions) to deceive even the elect - if that were possible.
Jeremy
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Posted on Wednesday, September 05, 2007 - 9:09 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Gilbert, thanks for posting that. The paragraph where her "jesus-god" goes in to "visit" the "father-god" is even worse in Early Writings than the version in Spiritual Gifts that I have on my website that I'm putting together. I think I'll use the Early Writings version instead.

Jeremy
Pheeki
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Posted on Thursday, September 06, 2007 - 7:26 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The plan of salvation according to EGW was made into a play called "Angels Aware". My children were involved in acting out this bit of heresy for Christmas one year. The non-SDA's whose children attended the school must have thought...what the hell?! No one seemed to mind that it portrayed Jesus as an angel who went to beg God to be allowed to save man. Sick.
Colleentinker
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Post Number: 6736
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Posted on Thursday, September 06, 2007 - 7:56 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Gilbert, amazing quote. There's another thing it reveals:

___________________________
"He then made known to the angelic choir that a way of escape had been made for lost man; that He had been pleading with His Father, and had obtained permission to give His own life as a ransom for the race, to bear their sins, and take the sentence of death upon Himself, thus opening a way whereby they might, through the merits of His blood, find pardon for past transgressions, and by obedience be brought back to the garden from which they were driven. Then they could again have access to the glorious, immortal fruit of the tree of life to which they had now forfeited all right."
_____________________________

Buried inside this heretical myth of a bodliy Jesus approaching the Father while the angels waited in anxiety, she declares her completely unbiblical view of salvation: Jesus' blood makes is possible to be cleansed from past sins, and by obedience they could eventually attain paradise (the garden) again.

You know, the more objectively I'm able to see her "stuff", the more heinous it appears. She was a false prophet. Period.

Colleen
Schasc
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Posted on Friday, September 07, 2007 - 12:19 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Does anyone have any quotes from "Steps to Christ"? I have been talking with a friend and he is a very big EG white defender and is currently reading the book. I was going to talk to him about it, but did not want to read the whole book to make my point about her errors.
Larry
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Post Number: 155
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Posted on Friday, September 07, 2007 - 4:32 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Shasc,

This link may save you a little time, but you still need to do some footwork.
Jeremy
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Posted on Friday, September 07, 2007 - 5:09 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Despite common misperceptions to the contrary (even among former Adventists), the book Steps to Christ is not a good book and does not teach the true Gospel, but instead teaches a false gospel of salvation by faith plus works throughout, among other heresies.

Here are a few quotes showing the false gospel taught in the book:


quote:

"Oh, let us contemplate the amazing sacrifice that has been made for us! Let us try to appreciate the labor and energy that Heaven is expending to reclaim the lost, and bring them back to the Father's house. Motives stronger, and agencies more powerful, could never be brought into operation; the exceeding rewards for right-doing, the enjoyment of heaven, the society of the angels, the communion and love of God and His Son, the elevation and extension of all our powers throughout eternal ages--are these not mighty incentives and encouragements to urge us to give the heart's loving service to our Creator and Redeemer?

And, on the other hand, the judgments of God pronounced against sin, the inevitable retribution, the degradation of our character, and the final destruction, are presented in God's word to warn us against the service of Satan.

Shall we not regard the mercy of God? What more could He do? Let us place ourselves in right relation to Him who has loved us with amazing love. Let us avail ourselves of the means provided for us that we may be transformed into His likeness, and be restored to fellowship with the ministering angels, to harmony and communion with the Father and the Son." (Steps to Christ, page 21, paragraph 3-page 22, paragraph 2.)





quote:

"Confession will not be acceptable to God without sincere repentance and reformation. There must be decided changes in the life; everything offensive to God must be put away. This will be the result of genuine sorrow for sin. The work that we have to do on our part is plainly set before us: 'Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.' Isaiah 1:16, 17. [...]" (Steps to Christ, page 39, pararaph 1.)





quote:

"He who is trying to become holy by his own works in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility. All that man can do without Christ is polluted with selfishness and sin. It is the grace of Christ alone, through faith, that can make us holy.

The opposite and no less dangerous error is that belief in Christ releases men from keeping the law of God; that since by faith alone we become partakers of the grace of Christ, our works have nothing to do with our redemption." (Steps to Christ, page 60.)





quote:

"[...] You are to maintain this connection with Christ by faith and the continual surrender of your will to Him; and so long as you do this, He will work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. [...]

So we have nothing in ourselves of which to boast. We have no ground for self-exaltation. Our only ground of hope is in the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and in that wrought by His Spirit working in and through us." (Steps to Christ, page 62, paragraph 3-page 63, paragraph 1.)




Jeremy

(Message edited by Jeremy on September 07, 2007)
Colleentinker
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Posted on Friday, September 07, 2007 - 10:37 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Wow, Jeremy--I actually have trouble focussing when I read those quotes. I read Steps to Christ more than once as an Adventist. After my divorce I turned to Bible study in a deeper way, determined to figure out what God wanted of me and to become "better". Along with reading more Bible, I turned back to Ellen and tried to immerse myself deeply in Steps to Christ and Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing.

I read slowly and with great determination, trying to "take it in" and get the "big picture". I always had trouble concentrating when I read Ellen, and Ihad a lot of trouble remembering what I had read. Even when I was able to concentrate, I found myself fairly confused and/or sort-of helpless. How, for instance, does one "maintain this connection with Christ by faith and the continula surrender of your will to Hinm; and so long as you do this, He will work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure..."????

I would read those words and others, and feel like I had no more clue after reading than I had before about how to accomplish this "maintenance" and consistent surrender of my will.

I struggled then—and always—with zoning out when I read Ellen. She always felt disquieting, boring, and daunting. I felt guilt about it, and I felt somehow flawed.

So tonight I'm reading your SC quotes above, and I'm finding that same old zoning, lack-of-comprehension thing happening...I'm realizing that it wasn't my fatal flaw that was to blame. The stuff is confusion and subtle but profound heresy. NO WONDER it was so bewildering in its "piety"!

Colleen
Maggiethecat
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Posted on Saturday, September 08, 2007 - 6:09 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

That's really interesting Colleen because I felt the same when reading Ellen White, particularly Steps to Christ. When I was in the church I was told many times what a great book it was and what a blessing I would get if I read it, but try as I might, I just couldn't read it. I started it several times with the best of intentions but never made it even close to half way through the book.

Maree
Agapetos
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Posted on Saturday, September 08, 2007 - 7:12 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I've had the same thing reading EGW! (Isn't THIS like an AA-meeting!)

The mere title of the book really says a lot, I think, "Steps to Christ"...

It is like her famous vision when she saw God's people on a stairway to heaven (cue Led Zeppelin) with people falling off here and there. The implication of the title is that "Christ" is not easy enough -- so here are these "steps" to reach Him. The whole problem of believing the Bible is too difficult (and Ellen the simple interpretor) is illustrated in that title, "Steps to Christ". Through that title, Ellen's "position" is illustrated as an interpretor of Christ or "go-between" between us and Christ. It suggests that we must get "to" Christ -- instead of the Gospel which says that Christ has come to us. It puts Him at a distance and lays the burden of reaching Him at our feet -- and Ellen will show you the simple steps of how to get to Him.
Agapetos
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Posted on Saturday, September 08, 2007 - 7:17 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Ugh!! I suddenly remembered the many packagings and different covers and unmarked versions of STC that were put out year after year! Even visualizing the book in all its incarnations just screams "CULT!" to me now. It was the greatest "tool" of SDA evangelism because it sounded the most grace-full or gospel and spoke of His love more than any of her other work. It was like we were drug-dealers and STC was our gateway drug, our marijuana, through which we hoped to lure people to more hardcore drugs -- to more solid Adventism.
Susans
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Posted on Saturday, September 08, 2007 - 8:17 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

It is funny that even though I read tons of her stuff, I couldn't get through such a small volume as well.

Interesting our common experiences. Of course, I know what current SDA's would say to that. Ha!

Hey, Ramone, what an appropriate analogy about SC being a gateway book to the more hardcore Adventism!

Susan
Cloudy
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Posted on Saturday, September 08, 2007 - 8:37 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I thought that the title "Steps to Christ" indicated that the book was intended as a "how to" manual for salvation. As a teenager longing for the assurance that God loved me and accepted me, I read that book for the first time. I got hung up on the chapter on repentance; it seemed like it was saying that my repentance was something that I needed to bring to God in order for him to accept me. I did not feel like I had repented enough to go on to the next "step", so I spent some time depressed in the knowledge that I was lost because I could not change my heart and God had not chosen to change it for me.

What good news it was to find that repentance is not a work which I must perfectly complete in order to be accepted by God and that I can trust God with my heart at all times. I now repent of looking to that book for salvation, and giving it away as a gift. Even though this book is one of the best known and distributed books by EGW, I cannot think of ever hearing about anyone (personally or second hand or even in a sermon, etc.) saying that they came to a saving relationship to Christ as a result of reading this book. The "steps" in this book do not lead to Christ. Perhaps Ramone's explanation as to why it is so widely distributed is correct, but it makes me sad, as if tainted food is being distributed to the hungry.

(Message edited by Cloudy on September 08, 2007)
Jeremy
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Posted on Saturday, September 08, 2007 - 11:14 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I believe it was pointed out by someone in a really old thread on here that in the book Steps to Christ, EGW quotes the first half of John 3:16, but NEVER the second half. She quotes the first half of the verse ("God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son.") two times in the book, but NEVER quotes the second half (", that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.") anywhere in the entire book!

It is very disturbing to me that the following is still on ellenwhite.org:


quote:

"QUESTION: Doesn't the book Steps to Christ prove Ellen White was inspired?

ANSWER: [Brother Anderson] Steps to Christ is a wonderful book. I would recommend it to anyone. I have personally handed out over 1,000 copies of the book door-to-door, and we were the first to put the Spanish translation of it on the web.

[...]"

--http://www.ellenwhite.org/qa/q4.htm




Jeremy

(Message edited by Jeremy on September 08, 2007)
Flyinglady
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Posted on Saturday, September 08, 2007 - 3:07 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

When my Mom was alive, she lived in a retirement community in Loma Linda. She used to buy copies of Step to Christ and give them to people or leave them where some one could find it. Poor deceived soul. I love her much.
Diana
Jonvil
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Posted on Saturday, September 08, 2007 - 3:43 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Fascinating! I read the 'Five Red Books' with no problem but I simply could not get past just a few pages of STC, and I tried several times - I thought it was just me!

JONVIL

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