How is it possible for the predicted apostasy to take place among Seventh-day Adventists?

Of all the prophecies specifically relating to the Seventh-day Adventist church, none can quite compare with the shattering scenario of the last-day disloyalty which synchronizes with the agitation for Sunday enforcement. "As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel's message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position and join the ranks of the opposition."3

In an atmosphere of advancement, reports, flow chart achievements, and the pageantry of progress, this does not make good copy. How much more comfortable it would make us feel if it said that only "a small class" would leave! But even worse, those shifting to the opposition leap into the arena of persecution. "They become the most bitter enemies of their former brethren. When Sabbath keepers are brought before the courts to answer for their faith, these apostates are the most efficient agents of Satan to misrepresent and accuse them, and by false reports and insinuations to stir up the rulers against them."4

To think that Seventh-day Adventists who "have been chosen by God as a peculiar people, separate from the world," should deliberately decide to depart from the faith is indeed astounding. That the very people whom God has called "to be ambassadors for Him in the last work of salvation" should choose to become agents of evil shocks the soul.5

Even more staggering is the fact that here is a people, armed with "the greatest wealth of truth ever entrusted to mortals," who have decided to become diabolical instruments of persecution in promulgating error. How could such a thing happen? What is it that sets the stage for future failure? Out of the history of past apostasies of God's professed people it is possible to piece together a pattern of what leads to such a departure from the faith. The picture is a graphic warning to all of us.6

Casuals in Control

After Moses ascended to the summit of Sinai, the prime movers and shakers in the clamor for visible gods came from the ranks of the "mixed multitude." Although supposedly believers in the Hebrew faith, these Egyptians never were devoted completely to God or His message. They were casual in their commitment to Him, casual about their behavior, casual about His truth. Whenever the casuals get in control, apostasy is sure to follow.

Although every apostasy has its own special earmarks of departure, it is the casual approach to God and His truth that appears most to weaken the underpinnings of faith and ultimately topple all righteousness. Of the days following Joshua's leadership the Bible says, "And there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which He had done for Israel."7 It was not that they had a lapse of memory about God or His ways, but that they couldn't have cared less about who they were and where they were supposed to be going. They shuffled along adjusting to the ways of the world as they went.

"The people adopted many of the customs of their heathen neighbors and thus sacrificed to a great degree their own peculiar, holy character. Gradually they lost their reverence for God and ceased to prize the honor of being his chosen people."8 In such a setting, "Thus saith the Lord" is set aside in favor of opinion polls and the clamorings of the current worldly agenda. In the days of Samuel, for instance, the agitation was for a king so they could be like the surrounding nations. "As they departed from obedience to God's law, they desired to be freed from the rule of their divine Sovereign; and thus the demand for a monarchy became widespread throughout Israel."9

Reverence Is Basic

In the casual mode true reverence for God is automatically lost. In its place emerges a self-styled "worship" which fits neatly into the demands of the carnal nature with a special appeal to the senses.

The fundamental reason for the first two words of the first angel's message of Revelation 14:7—"Fear God"—is to lift the mind above the earthly and sensual in awesome respect for the magnitude of the God of creation. It is impossible to "give glory to Him" or come anywhere near understanding the meaning of the fact that "the hour of His judgment is come," or even faintly to appreciate what it is to "worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters," unless the heart can grasp the words, "Fear God."

Compromises

In the great apostasy that ultimately led to the development of the papacy, it was the carnally minded casuals who urged concessions and modifications of the Christian faith. In spite of those stalwarts who stood firm and contended for "the faith that was once delivered unto the saints,"10 the plague of compromise spread.

"Most of the Christians at last consented to lower their standard, and a union was formed between Christianity and paganism."11 We must never forget that this union which produced a baptized paganism in the form of a monstrous system of false Christianity was brought about by the demand for compromise.

Opposition

We can never assume that casuals are non-committal about persecuting those who dare oppose them. Throughout history the casuals have created problems for the faithful few who have voiced a protest against departures from truth and righteousness. A solid front of antagonism has existed since the days of Cain and Abel; it still surfaces rapidly in any confrontation over principles.

Those who remain faithful to God the casuals brand as "divisive," "negative," "old-fashioned," "ignorant," or "unsophisticated." Almost any derisive term will do. Ahab is a classic case. "When he saw Elijah, he said to him, 'Is that you, you troubler of Israel?'"12 And listen to this same king react to the mention of the true prophet of God, Micaiah: "I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad."13

To the casual, anyone who dares to differ is considered negative and a troubler. Contemptuous of standards of right that differ from their desires, they assess blame without assuming responsibility. The name-calling stage, however, never remains static. Apostasy relentlessly elbows its way toward an uglier mood. Notice the action at the base of Sinai during the frenzied clamoring for the construction of some visible god: "A few who ventured to denounce the proposed image making as idolatry, were set upon and roughly treated, and in the confusion and excitement they finally lost their lives."14

Primed to Accommodate

Every apostasy involves catering to the whims and desires of the unregenerated casuals. When the multitude milled around Aaron's tent demanding some visible god, they found a man already primed to accommodate their "felt needs."

Aaron could have prevented the apostasy on the spot had he staunchly stepped into the gap and sent the people back to their tents for a personal review of God's leading. The demand for a visible god was totally unwarranted. Aaron should have steadfastly refused to listen to such foolishness and firmly reminded them that God had already graciously provided an adequate number of audio-visual aids for their weak faith.

The divine protection during the plagues of Egypt, the Red Sea crossing, the daily manna and water gushing from the rock, all provided enough evidence of His care and keeping. The list was impressive. At the very moment of their unreasonable demand the cloudy pillar hovered over the camp and at nightfall it would dramatically shift to fire. They could listen and watch day and night to the thunder and lightning display atop Sinai as the glory of God kept the mountain aglow and trembling. But that was not what they wanted. The inner urges of sinful desire drove them into a frenzy for a satisfying god of their own making.

New Policy

Now was Aaron's opportunity to try out his new policy of compromise. In his smooth, soft-spoken manner he weakly remonstrated with the people. Quickly they took the cue. His approach made them even more determined. Human nature invariably reacts this way in such a crisis. Aaron was suddenly swept along in the tide, and that tide amazingly transformed him.

"When Aaron took the first step in the wrong direction, the spirit which had actuated the people imbued him, and he took the lead and directed as a general, and the people were singularly obedient.... His timidity seemed suddenly to disappear. With a zeal that he had never manifested in standing in defense of the honor of God against wrong he seized the instruments to work out the gold into the image of a calf. He ordered an altar to be built, and, with assurance worthy of a better cause, he proclaimed to the people that on the morrow there would be a feast to the Lord."16

Import vs. Export

Whenever we are willing to customize faith and worship to suit popular demands, we import concepts and practices from sources contrary to the expressed will of God. Aaron borrowed the idea of the golden calf from Egypt. Later, Jeroboam, desperate to keep the northern tribes from worshiping in Jerusalem, introduced two golden calves, one at Bethel and the other at Dan. But these calves were not original with him. Whether he was influenced by his own residence in Egypt during Solomon's reign or by the experience of Aaron at Sinai, the concept of the calf images may be traced to Egypt.17

By the time vacillating Ahab came along, the national apostasy had deepened so far that he allowed his wife Jezebel to import hundreds of idolatrous prophets from Phoenicia. The Israelites did not learn Baal worship by accident. Whenever God's professed people import contemporary culture rather than export eternal truth, they sink towards the abyss of apostasy.

If we yield to the temptation to "new-model the cause" of God by blending the holy with the profane, crowds may indeed come to the church. "How often, in our own day, is the love of pleasure disguised by a 'form of godliness'! A religion that permits men, while observing the rites of worship, to devote themselves to selfish or sensual gratification, is as pleasing to the multitudes now as in the days of Israel. And there are still pliant Aarons, who, while holding positions of authority in the church, will yield to the desires of the unconsecrated, and thus encourage them in sin."18

Obedience vs. Presumption

The danger is very real for all of us. Any one, in any sort of leadership position, including parents in the home, may succumb to Aaron's temptation. Will we drift with the winds of popular opinion, or will we take a firm stand for what is true and right, determined to obey God ourselves and to influence others to do the same? A person who has rejected the explicit commands of God either out of cowardice, love of approval, or both, will never lead sinners to repentance. Instead, his impulse will be to make sinners feel comfortable in their sins.

Faith-filled, trusting obedience is the mark of God's true people. In our churches today where the form of worship is under discussion, worship may well not be the real issue. Whether the service is neatly packaged in a formal format or laced informally with hypnotic, repetitious rhythms, the only real difference may be that one is noisier than the other. One may praise God more than the other; but even abundant praise without obedience is nonetheless presumption.

Compromise can always be identified by false sympathy for the sinner. In the name of acceptance and love, false sympathy fails to help a person recognize and address sin squarely and thus denies the person the very thing needed, the transforming grace of God.

False sympathy for the sinner is in reality nothing more than a subtle counterfeit of compassion. While true compassion stoops to lift upward, false sympathy only gives the appearance of stooping to lift; in actuality it pushes deeper into the mire of sin. The discernment of anyone involved in such counterfeit is greatly impaired, tragically placing the person's own eternal salvation at risk. "He who deliberately stifles his convictions of duty because it interferes with his inclinations will finally lose the power to distinguish between truth and error."20

Good Deeds Syndrome

While we do live in an image-oriented world where modern technology proliferates the Madison Avenue approach, the philosophy behind it is indeed very old. As Jesus said so many centuries ago, "When you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do."21 Not only does legalism lurk in the shadows when good deeds are done for self-promotion, but good deeds can also become a mask to hide the truth. Top public relations are easily available with good deeds; but if this is more important than sharing the last warning message, we are committing idolatry.

God's final call to a deluded world is designed to turn people to the real Christ and the true gospel in preparation for the second advent. "The sins of Babylon will be laid open. The fearful results of enforcing the observances of the church by civil authority, the inroads of spiritualism, the stealthy but rapid progress of the papal power—all will be unmasked."22

But it can't be unmasked if good deeds become a substitute for the proclamation of the truth. It may be more comfortable to create appealing images of active social work rather than follow God's leading in the great controversy, but it will not fulfill the work that heaven needs to complete the task of preparation. Good deeds must always be a part of the final warning, not a substitute for it. Conformity to Madison Avenue's worldly standard may tingle our pride and help blend us neatly into the religious woodwork, making us feel more accepted, but ultimately it will prove a curse.

"The work which the church has failed to do in a time of peace and prosperity she will have to do in a terrible crisis under the most discouraging, forbidding circumstances. The warnings that conformity has silenced or withheld must be given under the fiercest opposition from enemies of the faith."23

The Final Fallout

Working from within, the enemy has already set in motion a grand scheme that will make it quite natural and acceptable for a "large class" of Adventists to apostatize and "join the ranks of the opposition" in the end. In a warning written to Christians in general, Ellen White implied an urgent caution for Seventh-day Adventists today: "The line of distinction between professed Christians and the ungodly is now hardly distinguishable. Church members love what the world loves and are ready to join with them, and Satan determines to unite them in one body and thus strengthen his cause by sweeping all into the ranks of spiritualism."24

Many of us Seventh-day Adventists think of ourselves as fully insulated against anything resembling spiritualism. Books and articles warning about the dangers of the New Age and the occult keep circulating, adding to the sense of security. However, end-time spiritualism—as foreseen in The Great Controversy—comes beautifully wrapped in attractive Christian packaging and has been opened with increasing wonder despite the urgency of the prophetic warnings. The heart of its sentiments and teachings echo from pulpit and pew alike.

So long as anything relating to the law of God is considered "legalistic," Satan occupies front and center with his teaching of "love." So long as those who uphold that law as the standard of righteousness are branded as "judgmental," the voice from the devil's headquarters of evil is being heard.

It is Christ's purpose to keep the soul as a fortress guarded by His Spirit. But Satan will always have access to the stronghold of the heart whenever we indulge in some sinful trait of character or cherish a known sin. What far too many desire is "a method of forgetting God which shall pass as a method of remembering Him."26 In this setting the belief system and theology inevitably adjust downward to the lowest level required to feel comfortable. The final fallout comes when the powers of apostate Protestantism and spiritualism link with Romanism to trample on the rights of conscience. Sunday enforcement manifests the last apostasy and the "large class" of Seventh-day Adventists separate.27

Down through the long corridors of time echo the words of the apostle Paul, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith."28