第八章　人可以忠于老底嘉吗？

余民教会的老底嘉身份，马上就会让许多人心里产生一些非常困惑的问题。这些问题都与忠诚与权威有关。一个人可以完全顺服上帝的圣言，而仍然效忠于一个已妥协的、需要悔改的老底嘉教会吗？真理最终的决定是在哪里呢？

诚然，这些都是敏感的问题，甚至提出来都有让人误解的危险。但我相信为使千万人免于致命地背离上帝的教会——“真理的柱石与根基”的危险，这些问题都是必须予以澄清的。

现今是迎合极端主义的日子。撒旦正努力要把复临运动两极分化，强调错误，使之盛行。正如对律法主义和廉价恩典（cheapgrace）的问题有截然不同的两种意见一样，对于最终的权威这个问题也有两种极端的观点。一群人认为不应当支持有组织的教会，因为它在指导工作上已经犯了倒退的错误，因此无须承认其行政权柄与属灵权柄。他们认为现在教会就是一个背道的组织，不能再信任其领导阶层去制定政策，而且每个人都必须自行决定真理。

另一群人争辩说上帝不是带领个体而是带领一个教会，因此，祂已借着赐下毫无错误的指导统一了教会团体。这一群相信无论何事只要官方投票通过了，那就是上帝在地上的声音，为了教会内的团结，所有个人的信念与看法都应放弃。

这两种观点都不是正确的。真理位于两者之间，即虽然承认并尊敬集体的领导，但却依照圣经对其管理委员会的行动加以限制。怀姐妹写了相当于一整本书的内容来纠正这两群人所持的相互对立的极端主张。在《给传道人的证言》中，她对各地教会本身的领导层给出了最平衡的论述。她清楚地确定了复临教会内只能有唯一一位永无错误的真理仲裁者，那就是上帝的圣言。

我们一直有理由怀疑天主教的观念，他们用人的决定来解决教义和信仰实践的问题，不管这些人的等级如何。我们看天主教会公告觉得好笑又可怜，他们取消了“周五不可吃肉”的前朝规定，并宣布某些曾经备受尊崇的“圣徒”其实根本不是圣徒。这给天主教的平信徒带来了相当大的疑惑，但他们很快就适应了——因为他们接受了教皇无误论的教义。对他们而言，真理是可以通过教会首脑的权威解决并确定的。

天主教所谓绝无错误之人以神圣的权威发言这一不经之论已经被拒绝，不但被基督复临安息日会拒绝，而且也被新教教会总体上予以拒绝。我们总会的领袖们会首先消除这样的谬误。当他们聚集在一起为全世界圣工的行政管理做决定时，就常常呼吁教友们为他们祷告。

在圣经中我们被劝告要为君王和地方官员祷告，这样，用祷告来支持我们教会的领袖更是何等重要呢！地上的政治团体所讨论的问题决不会比这个教会的事务更重要。国与国之间的讨论也许会登载于报纸的头版头条，但仅仅当它们涉及上帝在地上圣工的完成时才有重要意义。

真理的这一最后、特别信息的进展在上天居于最高的优先权，认识到这一点在我们这一方并不是徒然的。耶稣的来临，大争战的结束都与启示录14章传于各国各族各方各民的信息密切相关。

在最近的四十年里，我多次任职于教会行政委员会，并与我的弟兄们一起祈求上帝赐下智慧给我们做正确的决定。我虽从来没有在总会委员会中任职，但可以想像那种极其迫切的感受，要与那些成员们一起恳切祈求上帝的指示在他们的讨论当中作主。他们非常清楚地明白要全然信靠上帝才能做出正确的决定。当为教会内的问题举行特别议事会时，我们所有人的祷告当上达主前，祈求上帝引导那些人的思想，他们并不是自己选择处在如此敏感的位置上的。

为什么他们如此需要我们的祷告呢？因为我们相信总会委员会是地上最高的属灵权威。但那是不是因此就意味着无论他们对教义做出何种决定，都当做毫无疑问的真理接受呢？当然不是！没有人是确切无误的。我们的教会始终极力主张任何教导都要受圣经的检验，而且决没有任何个人或由人组成团体可以凌驾于圣言之上。

在全球总会出的那本书《关于教义的问题》（QuestionsonDoctrine）中，我们读到基督复临安息日会对此问题广为人知的官方态度：

“我们相信所有的神学信仰都必须用活泼的圣言来衡量，用其真理来判断，并且只要通不过这种试验，或者是发现与其信息不符合的，无论如何都应该被弃绝。”（第28面）

“学者的见解，科学家的推理，宗教会议的信条或议案，以及多数人的意见，——这一切都不应该作为证据，来确定或反对任何一项宗教的信仰。在接受任何道理或教训之前，我们应当查问明白，它是否以‘耶和华如此说’为根据。”——《善恶之争》，第595面

为捍卫圣灵所默示的圣经作为真理的定论，怀姐妹指出，做工的领袖们曾犯过错误，只要想到他们将人的判断作为对真教义的任何一种最终检验，都会令人心痛万分。她写道：

“凡没有养成习惯亲自查考圣经做为衡量标准之人，就把信心放在领袖们身上，并接受他们所做的决定。因而，很多人都会拒绝上帝传给祂百姓的真实信息，就因为这些领袖们不接受它们…即使我们所有的领袖们都拒绝了亮光和真理，那扇门仍然敞开着。主必兴起那些会把当代的信息带给百姓的人。”——《给传道人的证言》，第106，107面

“我们切不可靠赖别人替我们查经。有些作本会领袖的弟兄也不免屡有错误；如果上帝发出一道信息，专要等待这些年长的弟兄去开路推广，那信息就永不会传到众人了。”——《传道良助》，第303面

这些证言并不是说做领袖的弟兄们或总会的领导阶层不应当受到尊重或不能请教他们的意见。而只是提醒我们，他们的决定最终也要依照更高的权威——圣经的真理；并且没有人应当盲目地接受人所决定的事，而不使之受圣经的检验。她在《给传道人的证言》第30面中清楚地阐明了这一原则：

“传道人有责任尊重弟兄们的判断；但是他们彼此之间的关系，以及他们所教导的道理，却应受训诲和法度的试验；这样，若有受教的心，我们当中就不会有分裂了。”

她又写道：

“我们的教友看到领导人之间存在不同的意见，他们自己也就加入关于该题目的辩论当中了。基督呼召我们要合一。但祂并不是呼召我们在错误的行动上合一。天上的上帝将清洁的、提拔人、使人高贵的真理与错误的、误导人的教义作了鲜明的对照…我恳劝我们的弟兄们在真实的圣经的基础上合一。”——《信息选粹》卷一，第175面

请注意她强烈的呼吁教会与弟兄们合一，但她所呼吁的合一是建立在圣经的权威之上，而不是建立在教会委员会大多数的投票，或“领袖之人”的意见上。在怀姐妹过世前6年，她在《评论与通讯》中写道：“我们不应当信赖人的意见，除非我们有证据表明他们是处于上帝圣灵的感化之下。”（1909年7月1日）

有几次她看到圣灵正带领总会委员会，他们的行动与圣经相符合。她在1875年写道：

“我蒙指示，无论何人的见解都不应屈服于任何其他一人的见解之下。但是全球总会——上帝在地上的最高权威机构一经议定，则私人的见解和自恃的观念便应放弃，而决不可固执坚持。”——《证言卷三》，第492面

应当注意到的是，只有私人的见解或判断应当放弃，而不是圣经的原则或教义。并且请注意预言之灵是如何限定对全球总会行动的那种顺服的，这也非常重要。十九年以后她写道她不赞同他们1894年的行动，之后第二年她写下了这些令人震惊的话：

“在工作的中心，问题正在成型，以至每一个其它的机构都在仿效这同一进程。总会本身正因着错误的情绪和原则变为腐败。”——《给传道人的证言》，第359面

然后，在1896年，她给战溪（BattleCreek，又译为“伯特克勒”）的“评论与通讯”办公室写了这份强烈的证言：

“现在谁能确信他们尊重总会的声音是安全的呢？如果我们教会的子民明白那些负责管理之人是走在他们自己点着的火把的微光中（赛50:11），他们还会尊重那些人的决定吗？我的回答是，不，片刻也不能。我已蒙指示，人们普遍还不知道在战溪工作的核心正在病变。”——《给评论与通讯办公室与战溪工作的特别指导》，第20面

然而，1875年早期的这一证言达到最强烈之时是在1901年，并收录在了同年的全球总会公报上。

“这些人应当站在神圣的地位上，作为上帝的代言人对百姓说话，就像我们曾经相信总会应当成为的那样——这样的事已经过去了。”（第25面第1段Col.2）

这些证言不应当看作是对教会领导层的不敬或不忠，也不应当被机械地应用在教会历史的其它时期中。我们只是确立了一个原则：在余民教会的架构中没有不出差错的委员会。就像所有其他的新教教会领袖一样，我们总会的官员若发现任何一个人视他们为毫无错误的真理仲裁者，都会大感惊骇的。他们毫无例外都把最高的职分归于圣经。为此缘故，我们应当给予这个特殊的余民教会以及当选就任其行政职务的人最有力的支持。他们所肩负的责任繁重，需要超人的智慧。我们应当不断地用祷告与鼓励来支持他们。

主愿望引导委员会之成员们的心思意念，他们立于圣工的最前面。只要他们的行动与上帝的灵感证言相合，就当视之为上帝在地上的最高权威而给予关注与尊重。但是他们所有的行动与表决都应当经受全部的真理——圣经的最后检验。地上决没有任何委员会，包括总会委员会，有权就已启示的圣经原则进行表决。那些原则不受人投票表决的限制。它们固然可以被委员会的行动通过或否决，但它们对于人类良心的约束决不能减少或增加。

我们教会向来在这些有理有据的灵感原则上意见一致。那些说上帝要用其它组织来完成这工作的人是错了。复兴、改革以及从巴比伦中分别出来的最后呼召，必须从基督复临安息日会之内部而来。那些主张本会背道过头以至无法悔改的人是错了。这样的假想并不符合圣经的蓝图或预言之灵。在上帝的计划中并没有显示其它教会要接受晚雨、上帝的印记，并发出大呼声。

那种相信上帝已经弃绝了本会因为它不冷不热的说法是没有根据的。人很容易忘记，在背道之中，仍然有忠心的牧羊人和领导人没有向巴力屈膝。他们为侵入教会的世俗化而悲痛，并且尽心竭力来阻止这一潮流。我们清楚地被告知，教会不会被吐出来，而只有那些不被此信息劈倒的人才会被吐出去。

“上帝正在领导着一班人，使他们显露出来。祂在地上有一班选民，有一个教会，作祂律法的保管者。祂已将神圣的信赖与永恒的真理托付给他们，为要传给全世界。祂要责备管教他们。给老底嘉的信息适用于基督复临安息日会，他们享受大光却没有行在光中。那些夸口自诩却没有跟从他们元首的人，要从祂口中被吐出去——除非他们悔改。宣称基督复临安息日会是巴比伦，并呼召上帝的子民从其中出来的信息，并不是从任何天上的使者而来的，也不是从任何被上帝圣灵所感动之人而来的。”——《余民教会》，第51，52面

“有些人提出这样的想法，当我们临近末时之际，上帝的每一位儿女尽可单独行动，不受任何宗教团体的管束。然而我已蒙主指示，在这工作上并无所谓每个人自由行动这回事…人们若不与弟兄合作,要单独行事,这不是个好迹象。我们各位同工都应信任凡肯直爽地指出每件脱离正当原则的人。人若负着基督的轭,他们就不会各走各的路,却要挨近基督与祂同行。”——《证言卷九》，第258面

圣灵在地上的最后工作必须借着那些留心听从老底嘉信息的人而完成。那道信息并没有呼召人离开不冷不热的老底嘉教会，而是呼召人悔改。上帝只会将那些不去买属天的眼药、油和金子的人吐出去。诚然，大多数人会拒绝这一邀请，但上帝从来没应许要依靠人数众多的优势来完成祂的工作。“因为耶和华使人得胜，不在乎人多人少。”（撒上14：6）

但是要记住一个最重要的事实：我们不可试图忽略一个事实，就是离开老底嘉之事已经发生了。倘若我们没有犯下这般需要悔改的罪，上帝就不会呼召我们悔改了。教义与标准已经被更改。否认我们有罪需要悔改，就是否认了我们140多年来（译者注：本文写于1987年）所教导的。

我们总是将老底嘉的预言应用在我们自己身上。我们就是老底嘉！我们就是需要听到那道直截证言的教会。号角需要在基督复临安息日会内吹响。令人担忧的是，一些人仍然否认教会已有任何需要悔改的罪。他们控告那些看到教会过犯之人是“吹毛求疵的”“论断人的”，他们确实努力想使自己看起来像那些唯一有义的人一样。那些说一切都很好，教会不需要悔改的人，正被这些证言证实为是瞎眼的，特别需要悔改。

灵感著作并没有告诉我们老底嘉是如何回应的，只说大多数人要拒绝这道强烈的要使人归正的呼召，结果所产生的“大摇动”要使教会清净洁白。糠秕要被剔除，少数忠心之人要留下来受印记，并发出大呼声。虽然我不推测这一重创的净化将如何影响到教会的组织。因为那还尚未显明。但是我们满可以说教会即使看起来就要倒塌了却也不会倾倒，这就足够了。这“一小群人”将要留下来，与那一大群从巴比伦中被召集进来的人一起经历凯旋。

然而随着本会内的筛选越来越明显，许多真诚的教友也许想知道该如何对待领导阶层的行动，尤其是当他们可能不赞同那些行动的时候。

委员会做出的决定永远都与基督的身体教会内所有成员的意见一致，这有可能吗？全然未必，不太可能。一个全球性的教会，其议事行政要尽力协调来自几百个不同国家、使用几百种不同语言的工人，常常要面临难以克服的问题。我们的全球领袖面临的许多决定，对全体教友而言都是次要的。这些决定只与某些特定地区有关，只涉及当地的行政政策。

服务于全球总会理事会的代表们不时地从各自的地区带来特殊的问题，这些问题可能实际上影响到整个教会。通常这些问题的实质不是道德方面就是文化方面。换句话说，它们或者是牵涉到圣经原则的应用问题，或者是不违背原则的可选择性问题。

通过仔细阅读往届委员会的备忘录，似乎显而易见大多数决定都涉及后一类的行动问题。但即使是这些外围末稍的问题，有人可能也会不同意，对最后的投票结果表示反对。那么一经议定，他们的责任是什么呢？私人的见解和自恃的观念便应放弃，服从于弟兄们的观点。为合一与秩序的缘故，在这些问题上必须服从于那些拥有行政权柄之人。

委员会的那些人会犯错误吗？毫无疑问，当然了！那些服务其间的也都是人，他们并没有宣称自己决无错误——即使他们恳切地祈求智慧与引导。他们有没有可能甚至在涉及教义与原则的重要问题上做出错误的决定呢？怀姐妹说得非常清楚有这个可能性，并因此呼吁每一个人在这些问题上要让圣经而不是教会的领袖来做最终检验。在道德与良心方面，真实的基督徒只向上帝负责。“这样看来，我们各人必要将自己的事在上帝面前说明。”（罗14：12）

大多由于对组织职责的过分信任，以往伟大的宗教运动就失去了能力。许多宗派从起初的信心与爱心跌落到一步一步地渐渐向同化与妥协的压力屈服。随着其教友们不同程度地犯罪，让步于肉体的软弱，教会的立场就与教会的实际做法之间发生了冲突。然后为了解决这一矛盾，教会的领导层就逐渐地修改了教义标准，以协调教友们基层水平的生活方式。

撒旦为占据人心的通道苦心研究堕落的人性，其邪恶成果已使得许多宗教团体中出现了属灵的毁坏。很快地，联合委员会就做出了调节，以便与教友的大多数做法保持一致。这恰恰就是在走大多数改正教会失去能力与影响力的路。我们作为基督复临安息日会的教友应该要何等审慎地考虑联合会领袖们的呼吁呀！他们说“在我们的大学与教会中发生的事，和教会一直教导宣讲的道理之间”已有“一场正面的冲突”。

安德鲁斯大学（AndrewsUniversity）的调查做出了同样的评价。“我们的历史立场与教友的一般做法完全不相符。”《传道者》，1985年4月第6面。这些话并不是在攻击教会或其机构，而是认识到那正是具有同样危险的标准的衰退，标准的降低在其它教会的运动中先于高级自由主义出现，并促使了其发展。我们现在正处在一个最危险的地步。正如北太平洋联合会主席在复临信徒评论中所说的，“我们正处于教会的十字路口，或者就继续走这条我们称为传统名义上的新教教会之路，或者就要高举起圣经与预言之灵的标准。”1985年8月1日，第14面

但愿我们不要假定说，因为我们是在完成一项特殊的使命，要恢复使徒的信仰，所以我们的领袖就不可能屈服于压力去降低标准，像之前的其它几次运动那样。我们的全球总会理事会是由人组成的，他们和以前所有其它教会的议事会成员一样有着堕落的人性。他们同样也会出现判断与情绪影响的失误。

请思想一下。正如教会是由不同灵性水平的个人组成的一样，管理委员会也同样由不同的人联合组成。所有人都相似地处于压力与试探之下，这些压力和试探来是从撒旦专门的兵工厂所制造的感官武器发出的，但所有人的回应的方式并不相同。有一些人完全没有屈服；其他的妥协了一点，有的妥协的非常多。那些家里有电视机的人可能与那些没有电视机的人所信的就不同。那些儿子女儿曾离过婚的人可能与那些子女婚姻幸福的人观点上也有不同。所有这些压力的影响以及更多的影响，都上达到教会最高理事会，正如它们也常常出现在当地教会事工会一样。全球总会的领袖们也很难把他们的情绪感情与圣经原则问题区分开来，与我们的普通教友一样。虽然靠赖上帝的恩典他们的工作做得非常出色，但这就是所有人组成的委员会不可能毫无错误的原因。当然，这也是为什么上帝的圣言在属灵问题上必须作为最后检验之权威的原因。

当然最显而易见的就是，我们必须要多么恳切地为那些男女们祷告呀！他们所做的决定会影响到全体教会的信徒。毫无疑问，撒旦会作出空前的努力来影响他们对关乎教会灵性问题的投票。有时候，撒旦把问题掩盖的如此隐秘，以便只有他知道否决或是支持的背后意味着什么。

在决定不同国家中涉及政治与文化关系的敏感问题时，会发生良心的大争战。常常激烈争论的问题就是，这些政策是否应该适用于全球范围，或是仅仅适用于发生该问题的地区。当地的领袖有时候倾向于迫切要求教会范围的协调，以应对他们国家或岛屿当时显为夸张的状况。

为解决只有一个地区的这些复杂问题，应该做出全球范围内的让步吗？要冲淡本会信息并削弱其在其它地区的工作，这确是最快捷的方法。在婆罗洲的一种试炼状况或许与在俄罗斯或美国的工作无关。在实行多配偶制的国家中，必须制定策略以对付这一问题，但对于世界上的其它国家就没什么必要。倘若需要做出让步的话（只要没有违背道德原则），那就只为那些受影响的地区让步吧，而不要为整个教会让步。因为我们对一个地区处于特殊试炼之下的一群教友感到同情，就把我们对多配偶制的全球立场打折扣，——那样做就会成为教会的一次妥协行动。

对那些安息日是一个特殊问题的国家也是一样的。我们非常同情那些父母，他们的孩子们被强迫一个星期上7天课。我们被试探为了要避免使我们受苦的百姓被关进监狱甚至更糟糕，就从我们教会对于安息日已经采取的有力的圣经立场上退缩下去。但是因为感情或环境的因素而改变圣经原则，那会是多么错误的事啊！任何环境都必须是上帝所支持的，否则适应它就是错误。

那么还有一些国家，其文化使得我们的教友坚持教会对佩带珠宝的立场非常困难。当地的婚俗可能规定要戴鼻环，手镯，项链或戒指等。管理团体就会又有压力，为了缓解一个地区的形势，要制定教会规则，允许在装饰品方面的一些宽容行为。永远不应该这样做。历史已经教训了我们，这样做对任何教会都是在削减力量，并会导致荒凉与死亡。

我们一再目睹曾经活跃的、圣灵充满的宗教运动转为消亡，是因为他们向降低标准的虚假诱惑屈服了。撒旦为了能摧毁余民教会正在用同样的方法作赌注。

人得救仅仅因为他们属于真正的余民，就是预言中认作是守上帝诫命，拥有预言之灵的余民吗？不是的。我们已经发现其大部分教友将要转而反对真理，并被筛出去。没有人应该为仅仅成为某个组织或教会的成员——即使是余民教会——而感到宽慰。除了表现为完全顺服上帝旨意的、深刻的、个人的、被圣灵充满的委身以外，必没有人会发现得救的保证。教会是由人组成的，主来之时变化升天的教会将由没有瑕疵的人组成。

撒旦持续不断、不加限制的试探要努力在末了夺取那一小群人的意志力，那使他们能抵挡得住的会是什么呢？在面对最不可思议的反抗中，他们要如何保持坚贞不屈呢？借着信心、祷告和圣经学习，他们就会做到。那些忍耐到底的人对这信息将会有一种不可动摇的信心。他们与耶稣同在的经验将是如此的真实，断没有任何撒旦的联盟可以动摇或摧毁之。他们的肉体虽然不可信靠，但通过基督之血称义的功劳，他们将要流露出完美的救恩确据。

因为他们对妥协甚至是最微小的妥协那种致死的本性非常敏感，基督的最后胜利大军将要毫不动摇地毅立在圣经原则的正直立场上。既从完全得胜的应许中支取能力，他们就必安然信靠基督的义保守他们永不失脚。

自称为上帝子民之人在哈米吉多顿大战可怕的最后试炼阶段中，软弱的与刚强的都会显露出来。到那时，复临教会与“新神学”亲昵的真正悲哀就要显明出来。若一条律法已经逐渐成为负担或是令人窘迫的，那么所有人都会认为松开与它的联系是容易的。同时，那些喜爱律法并视律法为他们最好朋友的品格表现之人，将宣扬这圣灵恩膏的信息，以至所有支派都要接受这真理。随着罪真正的本质被揭露出来，人们就必认识到上帝十诫道德律法的尊贵与诚实。惟有那些让圣灵在他们的心思和意念上写下律法的人，才会领受晚雨，发出大呼声。

在新约中，上帝宣布，“我要将我的律法放在他们里面，写在他们心上。”（来8：10）。我们已经作出了结论：把心完全降服给基督，实际上意味着通过意志的决定，将心思意念降服于主。上帝为什么用“意念”和“心思”这两个词来描述新约的经验呢？这个问题的回答相当重要。圣经常常用心思这个词来作为感情性质的象征代表，而用意念这个词来作为智力和意志决定的象征代表。

通过查考圣经，受上帝印记之人将不但拥有真理完全的知识，并且也在个人心灵的爱与献身的深刻经验中连于基督了。知识与行动的结合将使他们从那些肤浅的情感主义者中分别出来，后者那赝品的爱并不产生顺从。对爱的定义若不包括遵守律法，就不是有效的，不是出于圣经的，——这正如对罪的定义若不包括违背律法就不是正确的一样。蒙爱的约翰对律法与爱有两段经典的论述，却被今天余民教会中的许多人所忽视了：“我们遵守上帝的诫命，这就是爱他了。”（约一5：3），“违背律法就是罪。”（约一3：4）。

怀爱伦似乎预见到将来有一个时期约翰对律法与爱的定义要被曲解，使得罪看起来没那么令人讨厌。她写道：

“我们业经授权要与蒙爱的门徒一样，评判那些自称住在基督里面，而同时却仍在违犯上帝律法中度日的人。现代教会中也存在着一些与威胁早期教会兴盛的相同弊病；因此，应当谨守使徒约翰对于这方面的教训。“你必须有爱”乃是处处──尤其是从那些自以为圣洁的人那里听到的口号。但真正的爱是太纯洁了以致不能掩盖一件没有承认的罪的。我们固然要爱那些基督为之受死的人，但我们决不应与罪恶妥协。我们不可与悖逆之徒联合，而说这就是爱。上帝要祂这一世代的子民象约翰一样，毫不畏缩地主持正义，反对一切足以危害心灵的谬论。”——《使徒行述》，第554，555面

复临教会中对罪的定义有了一些现代的解释，认为罪是破坏了一种关系；并且认为爱是如此慈悲与温柔，以至可以容忍不顺从。但愿就此永远澄清这样的定义只有一半是对的，因此就相当具有误导性。真实的悔改经验必会结出顺从上帝所有要求的甜蜜之果来。除非律法通过是非正误的知识写在人的意念中，通过顺从的爱写在人的心灵上，否则就没有真正的得救。人的心思与意念都必须反映出上帝的品格，正如律法中彰显的上帝品格一样。那些只有头脑知识而没有产生顺从之爱的人，就会因为18英寸的距离而丧失天国——18英寸正是从头部到心脏的距离。那些只有情感经历而不承认律法要求的人，也会因为同样的18英寸的距离而丧失天国——这一次是从心脏到头部。

没有把爱与顺从结合起来的这种失败，即是造成我们自满自义的老底嘉状态的主要原因。一些人即使严格仔细地遵守律法还是不冷不热，因为他们缺少基督住在心里的喜乐的确据。另一些人不冷不热是因为他们只有口头高调的、情感上的经验，这种经验很少或是根本不相信成圣的基督徒生活原则。悔改与革新的呼召是为这两种人发出的。

决不能将真理的这两个方面分开。这正如上帝的律法是系在他们手上，写在他们心版上一样（申11：18），强调了身体与心灵两方面的降服；上帝的百姓要因他们外在的顺从与内里的献身而被鉴别出来。真实的敬拜总是涉及到头脑与心灵，智力与精神的。耶稣在谈到祂的父时说，“拜他的必须用心灵和诚实拜他。”（约4：24）

有没有可能用极大热情与心灵情感敬拜，却没有知识，也不顺服真理呢？当然了，喧闹的拜巴力之人在迦密山上证明了这是可能的。耶稣说，“他们将人的吩咐当作道理教导人，所以拜我也是枉然。”（太15：9）人可以在敬拜中有兴奋有热情，可是却在教导错误的教义。主说这样的敬拜是枉然的。

但是这里有个严肃的问题，是每一位基督复临安息日会的教友需要面对的：有没有可能对真理有完整的神学知识，却没有在灵里真正敬拜呢？的确，作为一个教会，那是我们面对的致命的危险。由于缺少在基督里面那种内在的喜乐，敬拜仪式就可能变为没有活力，差不多机械化了；赞美诗歌就可能变为沉重的哀乐了。在这样的聚会中，复兴是不可能的，老底嘉那种麻木的灵完全控制了整个聚会。

回应要老底嘉悔改的呼召，我认为有四个措施是绝对必要的条件。

真心实意地致力于弃绝所有已知的罪。对此不该有所保留。已知的罪与真实的复兴和改革是不能共存的。只有当上帝的百姓在处理世俗化的生活方式上严肃起来的时候，才能打破撒旦的权势。由于在这个问题上受了根深蒂固的欺骗，成千上万基督复临安息日会的教友继续相信行为方式与得救毫无关系。除非纠正这一邪恶的错误，否则我们的牧师和教友就会继续处于悠哉游哉和假平安之中。不用说，这样的献身致力之举必须发自一颗全然降伏于基督，并被圣灵充满的心。

回到认真的圣经学习与有规律的祷告生活中来。属灵的新生命若没有这两种要素圣化的影响就没有活力。社会需要、工作进度与电子娱乐已经摧毁了今日许多基督复临安息日会教友的祷告灵修习惯。或许可以不夸张地说，我们大部分教友都依赖牧师帮他们学习，告诉他们该相信什么，不该相信什么。如果一个教会的教友没有通过亲自学习圣经而深刻地相信真理，那么它就不可能是刚强进步的教会。

一种内在的不住的祷告与赞美的精神，因为基督――荣耀的盼望已经在心里做王了。正是由于缺少上帝的临格这种甜美而亲密的经验，他们做基督徒的许多喜乐就被夺去了。让心思意念停留在基督身上，持续不断地与祂交往；借此得来的大能感化力，我就是再怎么强调也不过分。以这样的方式训练思维是完全可能的，结果它们就会自发地以赞美与敬拜之情洋溢于意识头脑中。与其任凭思想漫无目的地闲荡，我们不如可以有意地把它们转化为词句短语，以表达我们对上帝最热切的奉献与爱。

我相信这种经验对基督复临安息日会教友而言特别重要，他们已经习惯于在集体敬拜的外在形式上非常拘谨了。我们常常因为害怕显得太激动或感情外露，就遏制了赞美的灵。这也在头脑中浇铸了约束，以至我们就丧失了一些在灵里赞美与敬拜上帝的能力。因此，我们的仪式有时候趋向老套，缺少属灵的热情与自然。

这丝毫不是鼓励大家去随从五旬节派那种嘈杂聒噪的敬拜方式，使到场的人精神混乱。但另一方面，我们也不应当变成没有感情的形式主义者，若有人受感动要说“阿门”或是“赞美主”的时候，就蜷缩俯身在教堂的长凳上。

我确实地相信倘若我们心中经历的是一种习惯性的内在赞美的话，安息日的崇拜仪式就会变得更活泼，更满足人心。在敬拜的人群当中应当有所克制与尊敬；但在灵的领域内，我们不需要考虑是否搅扰了别人。我们可以毫无拘束地抒发最深沉的感情。当我在心意中与上帝交谈，为祂在我生命里所做的一切尽力表达洋溢的爱与感恩之情时，泪水就常常涌流出来，一种心醉的喜乐环绕着我全身。多年以来我都以为所有的基督徒都借着主居住在内心的灵，与祂有着同样的个人关系；但自从作了牧师与传道人，我才知道不是这回事。多年以来我也曾相信那些深沉感人的经历太私密，太个人化了，甚至无法与其他人分享。我感觉——或许是错的——谈论那些宝贵的亲密经历可能会侵犯到耶稣与我之间未言的秘密。现在我确信上帝喜悦我们告诉自己的朋友们祂为我们所做的事。“谈论他一切奇妙的作为。”（诗105：2）。“愿耶和华的赎民说这话。”（诗107：2）。并且这就带给我复兴与改革的第四个必要条件。

利用每一个布道或见证的机会与人分享真理。当基督徒拒绝分享他们的信仰时就显露出悲惨的灵性贫穷来。在如此荒芜的风气中，决不会有持续长久的宗教经验。不仅个人已经与基督分离，而且整个教会已经失去活力、解体了，因为他们失去了救灵的负担。一些基督复临安息日会的议事会已经采取官方行动，反对实行布道运动。作为一个传道人，我自己观察到的是，我们教友中大约80%的人根本一次都不参加布道聚会。即使那些放在天平里的生灵正在为永生做决定时，我们的教友也只有一小部分在那里帮忙关爱他们进入教会。哀哉！我无法相信主来之时变化得胜的教会会由那些对他人得救如此漠不关心之人组成。我们借着假装是基督复临安息日会教友，却拒绝尽我们所能为基督做救灵的工作而羞辱了上帝的圣灵，堆积了别人对真理的指责。缺少对未得救之人的爱与关怀，老底嘉的变节再没有比这更清楚显明在教会里了。

　

Chapter 8 CAN ONE BE LOYAL TO LAODICEA?
　

The identity of this remnant church with Laodicea immediately raises some very troubling questions in the minds of many. Those questions have to do with loyalty and authority. Can a person be fully obedient to the Word of God and still be loyal to a compromised Laodicean Church which stands in need of repentance? Where does the final resolution of truth reside?

　　Admittedly, these are delicate issues and one runs the risk of being misunderstood for even raising the questions. But I believe they must be clarified in order to save thousands from fatal rebellion against the "pillar and ground of the truth"----God's church.

　　This is the day for extremism. Satan is seeking to divide the advent movement into equally-polarized segments where false emphases prevail. Just as there is a decided dichotomy over the issue of legalism and cheap grace so there are two extreme views on the question of final authority. One group believes that the organized church should receive no support because it has made regressive errors in directing the work. Therefore, no recognition of its administrative or spiritual authority should be granted. They believe it is now an apostate organization whose leadership can no longer be trusted to formulate policies, and that each person must decide truth for himself.

　　The other group argues that God is not leading individuals but a church and, therefore, He has unified that body by providing infallible direction. This group believes that whatever is officially voted becomes the voice of God upon the earth, and all private convictions or opinions should be surrendered for the sake of unity in the church.

　　Neither of these positions is correct. The truth lies in between, where corporate leadership is recognized and respected, but where limits are biblically applied to the actions of governing committees. Sister White wrote the equivalent of an entire book to correct the extremist claims of these opposition groups. In Testimonies to Ministers she presented the most balanced treatise on proper leadership that can be found anywhere. She clearly established that in the Adventist Church there can be only one final infallible arbiter of truth, and that is the Word of God.

　　We have been justifiably suspicious of the Catholic concept of settling questions of doctrine and religious practice by decisions of men, regardless of their hierarchial rank. We have looked with amusement and pity upon pronouncements of the Catholic Church, reversing the former "no meat on Friday" rule, and declaring certain highly revered "saints" to be no saints at all. It brought considerable confusion to the Catholic laity, but they adjusted quickly because they accepted the ecclesiastical doctrine of papal infallibility. Truth for them could be settled and sealed by an ex-cathedra decision by the head of the church.

　　The Catholic myth of infallible men speaking with divine authority has been rejected, not only by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but by Protestantism as a whole. The leaders of our General Conference would be the first to dispel such a misconception. Often they have appealed to the membership of our churches to pray for them as they come together to make decisions regarding the administration of the worldwide work.

　　In the Bible, we are admonished to pray for kings and magistrates, but how much more important it is to uphold our church leaders in prayer. No political group on earth has ever met to discuss matters which are of greater importance than the affairs of this church. Discussions between nations may take the headlines of the newspaper, but they are only significant as they relate to the accomplishment of God's work in the earth.

　　It is not vain on our part to recognize that the progress of this special, final message of truth is heaven's highest priority. The coming of Jesus, and the end of the great controversy is closely related to the proclamation of Revelation 14 to every nation, tongue and people.

　　Many times during the last forty years I have served on administrative committees and prayed with my brethren for God to give us wisdom to make right decisions. I have never had the responsibility of sitting on a General Conference Committee, but I can imagine the tremendous sense of urgency with which those members plead for God's counsel to prevail in their discussions. They understand very well their total dependence upon God to make right decisions. When special councils are held to decide issues within the church, the prayers of all our people should be ascending for God to guide the minds of those men who did not choose themselves to be in such sensitive positions.

　　Why do they need our prayers so much? Because we believe the General Conference Committee constitutes the highest spiritual authority on earth. Does this mean, therefore, that whatever decision they make about doctrine should be received as unquestioned truth? Of course not! No men are infallible. Our church has always urged that any teaching be submitted to the test of the Bible, and that no man or group of men should take precedence over the Word.

　　In the book, Questions on Doctrine, produced by the General Conference, we read the well-known, official stance of the Seventh-day Adventist Church on this issue:

　　"We believe that all theological beliefs must be measured by the living Word, judged by its truth, and whatsoever is unable to pass this test, or is found to be out of harmony with its message, is to be rejected." (p. 28).

　　"The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority-not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain 'Thus saith the Lord' in its support." The Great Controversy, p. 595.

　　In defense of the inspired Scriptures as the last word on truth, Sister White pointed out that leaders of the work had made mistakes, and it would be disastrous to consider their human judgment as any kind of ultimate test for true doctrine. She wrote:

　　"Those who have not been in the habit of searching the Bible for themselves, of weighing evidence, have confidence in the leading men and accept decisions they make; and thus many will reject the very messages God sends to His people, if these leading brethren do not accept them.... Even if all our leading men should refuse light and truth, that door will still remain open. The Lord will raise up men who will give the people the message for this time." Testimonies to Ministers, pp. 106, 107.

　　"We must not trust to others to search the Scriptures for us. Some of our leading brethren have frequently taken their position on the wrong side; and if God would send a message and wait for these older brethren to open the way for its advancement, it would never reach the people." Gospel Workers, p. 303.

　　These statements do not indicate that the leading brethren or General Conference leadership should not be respected and consulted. They merely remind us that their decisions are subject to the higher authority of Scriptural truth, and no one should blindly accept everything that men decide without submitting it to the test of the Bible. She clearly enunciated this principle in Testimonies to Ministers, page 30:

　　"It is the duty of ministers to respect the judgment of their brethren; but their relations to one another, as well as the doctrines they teach, should be brought to the test of the law and the testimony; then, if hearts are teachable, there will be no divisions among us."

　　Again she wrote:

　　"Our church members see that there are differences of opinion among the leading men, and they themselves enter into controversy regarding the subjects under dispute. Christ calls for unity. But He does not call for us to unify on wrong practices. The God of heaven draws a sharp contrast between pure, elevating, ennobling truth and false, misleading doctrines.... I urge our brethren to unify upon a true, scriptural basis." Selected Messages, Vol. 1, p. 175.

　　Notice that she made strong appeals for unity of the church and brethren, but that unity was to be based on the authority of the Scriptures rather than the majority vote of church committees, or the opinions of "leading men." Six years before her death Sister White wrote in the Review and Herald: "We are not to put confidence in the counsel of men unless we have evidence that they are under the influence of the Spirit of God." (July 1, 1909).

　　There were times when she saw that the Holy Spirit was leading the General Conference Committee, and their actions were in harmony with the Word. In 1875 she wrote:

　　"I have been shown that no man's judgment should be surrendered to the judgment of any one man. But when the judgment of the General Conference, which is the highest authority that God has on earth, is exercised, private independence and private judgment must not be maintained, but be surrendered." Testimonies, Vol. 3, p. 492.

　　It should be noted that only private opinions or judgments were to be given up, but not biblical principles or doctrines. And it is important to note how the Spirit of Prophecy qualified even that kind of submission to General Conference actions. Nineteen years later she wrote that she did not approve of some of their actions of 1894, and the following year she wrote these shocking words:

　　"At the center of the work matters are being shaped so that every other institution is following the same course. And the General Conference itself is becoming corrupted with wrong sentiments and principles." Testimonies to Ministers, p. 359.

　　Then, in 1896, she wrote this strong testimony to the Review and Herald office in Battle Creek:

　　"Who can now feel sure that they are safe in respecting the voice of the General Conference Association? If the people in our churches understood the management of the men who walk in the light of the sparks of their own kindling, would they respect their decisions? I answer, no, not for a moment. I have been shown that the people at large do not know the heart of the work is being diseased at Battle Creek." Special Instructions Relating to the Review and Herald Office and the Work in Battle Creek, p. 20.

　　Nevertheless, the strongest qualification of the earlier 1875 statement was made in the year 1901 and was incorporated into the General Conference Bulletin of that year:

　　"That these men should stand in the sacred place to be the voice of God to the people, as we once believed the General Conference to be, that is past." (p. 25, col. 2, paragraph 1).

　　These statements should not be construed as disrespectful or disloyal to the church leadership, and neither should they be automatically applied to other periods of the church's history. We are simply establishing the principle that no inerrant committee is recognized within the framework of the remnant church. Like all other Protestant leaders, the officers of our General Conference would be horrified to discover that anyone looked upon them as any kind of infallible deciders of truth. Without, exception, they ascribe that sovereign role to the Scriptures. For this reason, we should give the strongest support to this special remnant church and the men who f have been chosen for administrative positions. They carry heavy responsibilities which require greater than human wisdom. We should constantly uphold them in our prayers and with our encouragement.

　　The Lord desires to lead the minds of the committees who stand at the head of the work. As long as they act in harmony with the inspired counsels of God, they are to be accorded attention and respect as the highest authority of God on earth. But all of their actions and votes are to be subjected to the final test of all truth----the Bible. No committee on earth, including the General Conference Committee, has authority to vote upon revealed Bible principles. Those principles are not subject to the vote of man. They can be approved or disapproved by the committee action, but they cannot be made less binding or more binding upon the consciences of men.

　　With these reasonable inspired principles our church has always been in agreement. Those who say that God will use some other organization to finish the work are mistaken. The final call for revival, reformation and separation from Babylon must come from within the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. They are wrong who contend that the church has gone too far in apostasy to repent. Such a scenario does not fit the biblical blueprint nor the Spirit of Prophecy. No other church is revealed in the counsels of God to receive the Latter Rain, the seal of God, and to give the Loud Cry.

　　There is no basis for the belief that God has rejected this church because of its lukewarmness. It is easy to forget, amidst the apostasy, that there are faithful shepherds and leaders who have not bowed the knee to Baal. They are grieved at the worldliness invading our churches, and are doing everything possible to stem the tide. We are clearly told that the church will not be spewed out, but only those people who will not be hewed by the message.

　　"God is leading out a people. He has a chosen people, and a church on earth, whom He has made the depositories of His law. He has committed to them sacred trust and eternal truth to be given to the world. He would reprove and correct them. The message to the Laodiceans is applicable to Seventh-day Adventists who have had great light and have not walked in the light. It is those who have made great profession, but have not kept in step with their Leader, that will be spewed out of His mouth, unless they repent. The message to pronounce the Seventh-day Adventist church Babylon, and call the people of God out of her, does not come from any heavenly messenger, or any human agent inspired by the Spirit of God." The Remnant Church, pp. 51, 52.

　　"Some have advanced the thought that, as we near the close of time, every child of God will act independently of any religious organization. But I have been instructed by the Lord that in this work there is no such thing as every man's being independent.... It is not a good sign when men refuse to unite with their brethren and prefer to act alone. Let laborers take into their confidence the brethren who are free to point out every departure from right principles. If men wear the yoke of Christ, they can not pull apart; they will draw with Christ." Testimonies, Vol. 9, p. 258.

　　Whatever final work the Spirit will do in relation to this earth must be done through those who heed the Laodicean message. That message does not call for people to leave the lukewarm church of Laodicea, but to repent. God will spew out only those who do not apply for the heavenly eyesalve, the oil and the gold. Admittedly, the majority will reject the invitation, but God has never promised to finish His work by vast numbers. "There is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few." I Samuel 14:6.

　　But here is a most important truth to remember: We must not try to ignore the fact that a Laodicean departure has taken place. God would not call for repentance if sins had not been committed which demanded such repentance. Doctrines and standards have been altered. To deny that we are guilty and need repentance is to negate what we have taught for over one hundred and forty years.

　　We have always applied the Laodicean prophecies to ourselves. We are Laodicea! We are the church that needs to hear the Straight Testimony. The trumpet needs to be blown in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is alarming that some still deny that the church has been guilty of anything which demands repentance. They charge that those who see things wrong in the church are "critics" and "judgmental" and are really trying to appear as the only ones who are righteous. Those who say that everything is great, and the church is not in need of repentance, are proving by such statements that they are the blind who stand in the greatest need of repentance.

　　The inspired writings do not tell us how Laodicea will respond except to say that the majority will reject the strong call to make things right, and the resultant "shaking" will cleanse and purify the church. The chaff will be removed, but the faithful minority will remain to be sealed and to give the Loud Cry. I do not speculate on how this traumatic purging will affect the organization of the church. That has not been revealed. Suffice it to say that the church will not fall even though it may seem ready to collapse. The "little company" will remain and go through in triumph with that host of others who will be gathered in from Babylon.

　　But as the sifting becomes more pronounced in the church, many sincere members perhaps wonder how to relate to leadership actions, especially when they might disagree with those actions.

　　Is it possible for committees always to make decisions which will be agreeable to all members of the body of Christ? It is entirely unlikely and probably impossible. In the administration of a worldwide church which seeks to coordinate workers in hundreds of countries and languages, insuperable problems are constantly confronted. Many of the decisions facing our world leaders are of secondary importance to the total membership. They have to do with only certain segments of the field, and involve policies of local administration.

　　From time to time, representatives serving on the General Conference Council bring specific problems from their division which may indeed affect the entire church. Usually the substance of such problems are either moral or cultural. In other words, they are either based on matters which involve biblical principle, or else they concern optional issues where no violation of principle is at stake.

　　By perusing the minutes from past committees, it seems obvious that most decisions have to do with the latter class of actions. But even in these peripheral matters, some might disagree and take exception to the final vote. What is their duty after the action is taken? Individual judgments and opinions should be surrendered to the counsel of the brethren. For the sake of unity and order, there must be submission in these matters to those who have been placed in administrative authority.

　　Do those committees ever make mistakes? Without question! The men who serve on them are human and they lay no claim to infallibility although they pray earnestly for wisdom and guidance. Is it even possible for them to make a wrong decision concerning the more important issues of doctrine and principle? Sister White makes it very clear that this is a possibility, and consequently urged everyone to let the Bible, not the leaders, be the final test in such cases. In the area of morals and conscience, the true Christian is answerable only to God. "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." Romans 14:12.

　　It is largely because of an over-confidence in corporate accountability that great religious movements of the past have lost their power. From a position of primitive faith and dedication, many denominations yielded step by little step to the pressures of conformity and compromise. As the members, with their varying degrees of commitment, gave way to weaknesses of the flesh, the POSITION of the church came into conflict with the PRACTICE of the church. Then, to resolve the inconsistency, the ecclesiastical leadership gradually modified the doctrinal standards to harmonize with the way members were living at the grass roots level.

　　Satan's program of hammering away at the fallen nature to gain entrance to the mind has brought about the spiritual ruin of many religious groups. Soon there is an accommodation made by the corporate committees to conform to the majority practice of the membership. This is the exact way most of the reformation churches lost their strength and influence. How carefully we, as Seventh-day Adventists, should consider the appeal of those Union Conference leaders who stated that there is "a head-on collision between what is happening in our colleges and churches, and what the church has been teaching and preaching."

　　The Andrews University survey made the same kind of appraisal. "Our historical positions simply do not correspond to our members' general practice." Ministry, April 1985, p. 6. These statements are not attacking the church or its institutions, but they are recognizing that there is exactly the same dangerous breakdown of standards that preceded and precipitated a top level liberalization on the part of other church movements. We stand in a most dangerous position right now. As the president of the North Pacific Union stated in The Adventist Review, "We are at a crossroads in the church as to whether we will go the way of what we classify as mainline, nominal Protestantism, or whether we will uphold the standards of Scripture and the Spirit of Prophecy." August 1, 1985, p. 14.

　　Let us not suppose that because we are fulfilling a special mission to restore the apostolic faith that our leaders could not come under pressure to lower the standards just like other movements before us. Our General Conference Council is made up of human beings with the same fallen nature as were the members of all other church councils of the past. They are subject to the same errors of judgment and emotional influences.

　　Think for a moment. Just as churches are made up of individuals at varying levels of spirituality, so the controlling committees are composed of the same mixture. All are under similar stresses and temptations from Satan's specialized arsenal of sensory weapons, but all; have not responded in the same way. Some have not yielded at all; others have compromised a little, and some much. Those with televisions in their home may have, different convictions than those who do not. Those with sons or daughters who have been involved in divorce may have a different attitude than those whose children are happily married. All these pressing influences, and more, get through to the highest church councils just as they often surface in the local church boards. It is just as difficult for the General Conference leaders to separate their emotional feelings from biblical issues of principle as it is for our laymen to do it. By the grace of God, they do a wonderful job, but this is what makes all human committee work short of infallible. And, of course, this is why the Word of God must be the final test of authority in matters spiritual.

　　Surely it is most apparent how much we need to pray for those men and women who must make decisions affecting the entire corporate body of believers. Without question, Satan will make unprecedented attempts to influence their vote on matters affecting the spirituality of the church. Sometimes Satan so veils an issue that only he is aware of the implications behind a negative or positive vote.

　　Great struggles of conscience take place over the resolution of delicate problems involving political and cultural relationships in various countries. There is often a strong debate over whether policies should be applied to the world field or only to the geographical area where the problem has broken into the open. Local leaders sometimes are inclined to press for church-wide regulations to cope with a situation in their country or island which looms larger than life at the moment.

　　Should concessions be made for the world field in order to accommodate these complications peculiar to only one area? Surely this would be the quickest way to dilute the message and weaken the work in other fields. A test situation in Borneo may have nothing to do with the work in Russia or America. In countries where polygamy is practiced, policies must be formulated to meet the problem, but it would have little relevance to the rest of the world. If concessions need to be made (short of violating a moral principle) let it be done only for those affected, and not for the entire denomination. To mitigate our world stand on polygamy because we feel sympathy for a group of our members in one area who are placed under special trial would be a compromising move for the church.

　　The same can be said of countries where the Sabbath is a special problem. Our hearts go out to parents in certain countries where the children are forced to attend school seven days a week. We are tempted to back off from the strong biblical stand our church has taken on the Sabbath in order to spare our suffering people from imprisonment or even worse. But what a mistake it would be to change a Bible principle for reasons of feeling or circumstance. Any circumstance must be God's stance or it is wrong to accommodate it.

　　Then there are countries where cultural mores make it difficult for our people to conform to the church's stand on the wearing of jewelry. Local marriage customs may dictate wearing nose jewels, bangles, necklaces or rings. Again there is pressure on the governing body to make a denominational ruling which will allow for some leniency in the area of adornment in order to relieve a local situation. It should never be done. History has already taught us that such actions diminish the strength of any church, and lead to sterility and death.

　　Over and over we have witnessed the demise of vibrant, Spirit-filled religious movements because they yielded to the illusive appeal of lowered standards. Satan is gambling that he will be able to destroy the remnant by the same avenues of approach.

　　Will people be saved just because they belong to the true remnant which is identified in prophecy as keeping the commandments of God and having the spirit of prophecy? No. We have found that the majority of its members will turn against the truth and be shaken out. No one should find comfort in simply being a member of a certain organization or church-not even the remnant church. Not one person will find assurance of salvation outside a deep, personal, Spirit-filled commitment which is demonstrated by total obedience to God's will. The church is made up of people, and the church of the translation will be composed of people who are without spot and blameless.

　　What will enable that little company to resist Satan's relentless, unrestrained attempt to capture their wills at the very end? How will they maintain an unbending loyalty in the face of the most unimaginable opposition? They will do it through faith, prayer and Bible study. Those who endure to the end will have an unshakable faith in the message. Their experience with Jesus will be so real that no combination of demons will be able to weaken or destroy it. Though distrustful of the flesh, they will radiate a perfect assurance of salvation through the justifying merits of Christ's blood.

　　Because they will be sensitive to the deadly nature of even the smallest compromise, that triumphant last legion for Christ will stand without wavering upon the straight line of Bible principle. Drawing power from the promises of total victory, they will confidently affirm their faith in the righteousness of Christ to keep them from falling.

　　The trying of God's professed people during that fearful final phase of Armageddon will disclose both weakness and strength. At that time, the real tragedy of Adventism's dallying with the "new theology" will be revealed. Entire companies will find it easy to loose their last links with a law that has gradually grown burdensome and embarrassing. At the same time those who have delighted in the law as a character-expression of their dearest Friend will proclaim such an anointed message that entire tribes will accept the truth. As the true nature of sin is exposed, men will recognize the honor and integrity of God's moral law of the Ten Commandments. Only those who allowed the Holy Spirit to write the law into their mind and heart will receive the Latter Rain and give the Loud Cry.

　　Under the new covenant, God declares, "I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their hearts." 3 Hebrews 8:10. We have already concluded that surrender of the heart to Christ actually signifies a yielding of the, mind through a decision of the will. Why does God use the terms "mind" and "heart" in describing the new covenant experience? The answer to this question is very important. The Bible often uses the word heart as a symbolic representation of the emotional nature while the mind represents intelligence and willful decision.

　　The sealed ones of God will not only have a thorough knowledge of truth through searching the Scriptures, but they will also be bound to Christ in a deep, personal heart-experience of love and commitment. The combination of knowing and doing will distinguish them from the shallow sentimentalists whose counterfeit love produces no obedience. No definition of love which excludes law-keeping could be valid or biblical, just as no definition of sin is correct which does not include lawbreaking. John the Beloved's two classic statements on law and love have been lightly regarded by many in the remnant church today: "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments." I John 5:3, and "sin is the transgression of the law." I John 3:4.

　　Ellen G. White seemed to anticipate a time when John's definitions of law and love would be twisted to make sin appear less objectionable. She wrote:

　　"We are authorized to hold in the same estimation as did the beloved disciple those who claim to abide in Christ while living in transgression of God's law. There exist in these last days evils similar to those that threatened the prosperity of the early church; and the teachings of the apostle John on these points should be carefully heeded. 'You must have charity,' is the cry heard everywhere, especially from those who profess sanctification. But true charity is too pure to cover an unconfessed sin. While we are to love the souls for whom Christ died, we are to make no compromise with evil. We are not to unite with the rebellious and call this charity. God requires His people in this age of the world to stand for the right as unflinchingly as did John in opposition to soul-destroying errors." The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 554, 555.

　　Some modern exponents of Adventism define sin as breaking a relationship, and love as so forgiving and tender that it can tolerate disobedience. Let it be forever settled that such definitions are only half true, and therefore are very misleading. A true conversion experience will bear the sweet fruit of compliance with all of God's requirements. Unless the law is written into the mind through a knowledge of right and wrong, and is written on the heart by an obedient love, there can be no real salvation. The heart and mind both must reflect the character of God as revealed in the law. Those who have only a head knowledge without the love which produces obedience will miss heaven by eighteen inches----the distance from the head to the heart. Those who have only an emotional experience which does not acknowledge the requirements of the law will miss heaven by the same eighteen inches----this time from the heart to the head.

　　This failure to coordinate love and obedience is largely the cause for our complacent, self-righteous Laodiceanism. Some are lukewarm, even though they are proper and careful about keeping the law, because they lack the joyous assurance of Christ abiding in the heart. Others are lukewarm because they have a highly vocal, emotional experience which gives little or no credence to principles of sanctified Christian living. Repentance and reform are called for on the part of both these groups.

　　There is no way to separate these two aspects of truth. Just as the law of God was bound to their fingers and written upon the table of their hearts (Deut. 11:18) signifying both physical and spiritual submission, God's people will be identified by their outward obedience and their inward devotion. True worship always involves both head and heart, mind and spirit. Concerning His Father Jesus said, "They that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." John 4:24.

　　Is it possible to worship with a lot of fervency and emotional spirit, and yet lack knowledge of and obedience to the truth? Certainly the boisterous Baal worshippers on Mount Carmel prove that such is altogether possible. Jesus said, "In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Matthew 15:9. People can have excitement and spirit in their worship, and yet be teaching false doctrine. The Master described such worship as vain.

　　But here is the serious question that every Seventh-day Adventist needs to face: Is it possible to worship God with a full theoretical knowledge of truth, and yet be lacking in the spirit of true worship? Indeed it is a deadly danger that we face as a church. By lack of that inward attitude of joy in Christ, worship services may become lifeless and almost mechanical; songs of praise may be turned into mournful dirges. In such meetings no revival is possible, and the dull spirit of Laodicea has full control.

　　I see four steps as absolute requirements in responding to the Laodicean call for repentance:

　　A HEARTFELT COMMITMENT TO FORSAKE THE PRACTICE OF ALL KNOWN SIN. No reservation can be permitted in this area. Known sin is not compatible with genuine revival and reformation. It is only when God's people become serious about dealing with a worldly lifestyle that the power of Satan can be broken. Because of deep-rooted deceptions over this issue, thousands of Seventh-day Adventists continue to believe that behavior patterns have little to do with salvation. Until this diabolical error has been corrected there will be continued game-playing and false security among our pastors and members. It goes without saying that this commitment must spring from a heart which is fully yielded to Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit.

　　A RETURN TO SERIOUS BIBLE STUDY AND A DISCIPLINED PRAYER LIFE. No stirring of new spiritual life is possible without the sanctified influence of these two ingredients. Social demands, work schedules and electronic entertainment have devastated the devotional habits of many Seventh-day Adventists today. It is probably not an exaggeration to say that most of our members depend upon their pastor to do the studying for, them and to tell them what to believe and not believe. No church can be strong and progressive whose members do not have deep convictions of truth based upon a personal study of the Scripture.

　　A SPIRIT OF CONTINUAL INWARD PRAYER AND PRAISE, because Christ, the hope of glory, has been enthroned in the heart. It is the absence of this sweet intimate awareness of the presence of God which robs many of their Christian joy. I cannot overemphasize the powerful influence of being in constant fellowship with Christ by having the mind stayed upon Him. It is altogether possible to train the thoughts in such a way that they spontaneously flood the conscious mind with sentiments of praise and worship. Instead of allowing the thoughts to ramble undirected, we may deliberately turn them into words and phrases of our most fervent feelings of devotion and love to God.

　　I believe that this experience is of special significance for Seventh-day Adventists who have been conditioned to be very restrained in their outward forms of corporate worship. We have often stifled the spirit of praise for fear of appearing too emotional or demonstrative. This has also cast an inhibiting influence over the mind so that we have lost some of the ability to praise and worship God in the spirit. For this reason, our services sometimes tend to be stereotyped and lacking in spiritual warmth and spontaneity.

　　This is not any kind of call to follow the noisy Pentecostal style of worship with its attendant confusion. But on the other hand, we should not become known as unemotional formalists who scrunch down in the pew if someone feels moved to say "Amen" or even "Praise the Lord."

　　I truly believe that if our heart experience is one of habitual inward praise, our Sabbath services will be more vibrant and satisfying. There should be restraint and reverence in the company of fellow-worshipers, but in the realm of the spirit, we do not have to be concerned about disturbing others. We can give unrestrained expression to our deepest emotional feelings. As I converse with God in my mind, and struggle to articulate my overflowing love and gratitude for what He has done in my life, tears often flow and a sense of ecstatic joy envelops my being. For years I assumed that all Christians were experiencing that same personal relationship with the Master through His indwelling Spirit, but, as a pastor and evangelist, I have learned that is not the case. I also believed for years that those deep, moving experiences were too private and personal even to share with other human beings. I felt, probably wrongly, that to talk about those precious seasons of intimacy would violate some unspoken confidence between Jesus and me. Now I am convinced that God is pleased for us to tell our friends what wonderful things He has done for us. "Talk ye of all his wondrous works." Psalm 105:2. "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so." Psalm 107:2. And this brings me to the fourth prerequisite for revival and reformation.

　　A PARTICIPATION IN EVERY EVANGELISTIC OR WITNESSING OPPORTUNITY TO REACH SOULS WITH THE TRUTH. A tragic poverty of spirit is revealed when Christians refuse to share their faith. No religious experience will survive long in such a barren climate. Not only have individuals been separated from Christ, but entire churches have shriveled and disbanded because they lost their burden for souls. Some Seventh day Adventist Church boards have taken official actions against conducting evangelistic crusades. My own personal observation, as an evangelist, indicates that about eighty percent of our membership don't even bother to attend one meeting of a crusade. Even though decisions of eternal life are being made by souls who hang in the balance, only a fraction of our members are there to help love them into the church. What a tragedy! I cannot believe that the triumphant church of the translation will be made up of those who are so unconcerned about the salvation of others. We insult the Spirit of God and heap reproach upon the truth by pretending to be Seventh-day Adventists while refusing to do all we can to win souls for Christ. Nowhere is Laodicean apostasy more clearly manifest in the church than through the lack of love and concern for the unsaved.