SDA & SDARM History

Three Aspects

There are three aspects that have bee taught by the Reform to know whether a church is the true church.

These three aspects are:

History

Prophecy

Doctrine

It is with humility and the desire to know what is truth that I will examine each of these three major points in relation to the SDARM. I will begin first with history.

John 16:3 KJV 1900

3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

John 17:6–7 KJV 1900

6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. 7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.

John 7:16–17 KJV 1900

16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. 17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

John 17:16–17 KJV 1900

16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

1888 and Its Aftermath

We begin here because the Reform Movement say that “it cannot be denied that the presentation of the message of Christ’s righteousness in 1888 was the beginning of a reformatory movement among the Adventist people. And we honestly believe that this Reform Movement came as a result of that small beginning.” The History of the SDARM by A. Balbach, preface.

I will use the book and its chapters, The History of the SDARM by A. Balbach as an outline in examining the historical foundation of the SDARM.

One question that I will seek to answer is, “can the Reform really say that it had its beginnings in 1888, or is this a lame attempt to find some kind of reason for existence?”

In 1888 God sent to His people a most precious message through two young ministers, E. J. Waggoner and A. T. Jones.

What was the purpose of this message given to Jones and Waggoner?

Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers The Message of Justification by Faith

The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people through Elders Waggoner and Jones. [See Appendix.] This message was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. It presented justification p 92 through faith in the Surety; it invited the people to receive the righteousness of Christ, which is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God. Many had lost sight of Jesus. They needed to have their eyes directed to His divine person, His merits, and His changeless love for the human family. All power is given into His hands, that He may dispense rich gifts unto men, imparting the priceless gift of His own righteousness to the helpless human agent. This is the message that God commanded to be given to the world. It is the third angel’s message, which is to be proclaimed with a loud voice, and attended with the outpouring of His Spirit in a large measure.

Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers The Message of Justification by Faith

The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people through Elders Waggoner and Jones. [See Appendix.] This message was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. It presented justification p 92 through faith in the Surety; it invited the people to receive the righteousness of Christ, which is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God. Many had lost sight of Jesus. They needed to have their eyes directed to His divine person, His merits, and His changeless love for the human family. All power is given into His hands, that He may dispense rich gifts unto men, imparting the priceless gift of His own righteousness to the helpless human agent. This is the message that God commanded to be given to the world. It is the third angel’s message, which is to be proclaimed with a loud voice, and attended with the outpouring of His Spirit in a large measure.

“The church of God is to shine as a light to the world, but Jesus is the illuminator, and He is represented as moving among His people. No one shines by his own light. The Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, are the lights thereof. The message given us by A. T. Jones, and E. J. Waggoner is the message of God to the Laodicean church, and woe be unto any one who professes to believe the truth, and yet does not reflect to others the God-given rays. Elder Smith, had you been unprejudiced, had not reports affected you and led you to bar your heart against the entrance of what these men presented; had you, like the noble Bereans, searched the Scriptures to see if their testimony agreed with its instruction, you would have stood upon vantage ground, and been far advanced in Christian experience.” Lt24-1892.36

“The Laodicean message has been sounding. Take this message in all its phases and sound it forth to the people wherever Providence opens the way. Justification by faith and the righteousness of Christ are the themes to be presented to a perishing world. Oh, that you may open the door of your heart to Jesus! The voice of Jesus, the great vendor of heavenly treasures, is calling to you, “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed.” [.] But I will write no more. My heart is drawn out in love toward you, and my desire is that you shall triumph with the third angel’s message.” Lt24-1892.41

What Caused the Message to Come?

The condition of the church was in state that God was calling for a revival among His people.

Selected Messages, Book 1 We Are in the Day of Atonement

What is our condition in this fearful and solemn time? Alas, what pride is prevailing in the church, what hypocrisy, what deception, what love of dress, frivolity, and amusement, what desire for the supremacy! All these sins have clouded the mind, so that eternal things have not been discerned. Shall we not search the Scriptures, that we may know where we are in this world’s history? Shall we not become intelligent in regard to the work that is being accomplished for us at this time, and the position that we as sinners should occupy while this work of atonement is going forward? If we have any regard for our souls’ salvation, we must make a decided change. We must seek the Lord with true penitence; we must with deep contrition of soul confess our sins, that they may be blotted out.

“To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” The solemn question should come home to every member of our churches, How are we standing before God, as the professed followers of Jesus Christ? Is our light shining forth to the world in clear, steady rays? Have we, as a people solemnly dedicated to God, preserved our union with the Source of all light? Are not the symptoms of decay and declension painfully visible in the midst of the Christian churches of today? Spiritual death has come upon the people that should be manifesting life and zeal, purity and consecration, by the most earnest devotion to the cause of truth. The facts concerning the real condition of the professed people of God, speak more loudly than their profession, and make it evident that some power has cut the cable that anchored them to the Eternal Rock, and that they are drifting away to sea, without chart or compass.” RH July 24, 1888, par. 1

“To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” The solemn question should come home to every member of our churches, How are we standing before God, as the professed followers of Jesus Christ? Is our light shining forth to the world in clear, steady rays? Have we, as a people solemnly dedicated to God, preserved our union with the Source of all light? Are not the symptoms of decay and declension painfully visible in the midst of the Christian churches of today? Spiritual death has come upon the people that should be manifesting life and zeal, purity and consecration, by the most earnest devotion to the cause of truth. The facts concerning the real condition of the professed people of God, speak more loudly than their profession, and make it evident that some power has cut the cable that anchored them to the Eternal Rock, and that they are drifting away to sea, without chart or compass. RH July 24, 1888, par. 1

his statement is used in the History of SDARM

This statement is used in the History of SDARM, however reading the whole article it seems that some of these strong points are including the Protestant believers, and have them in mind.

The Purpose of the Message

“The message of Christ’s Righteousness was entrusted to the angel of for the purpose of accomplishing a work of revival and reformation under the ministration of the Holy Spirit. That this message was to remedy the backslidden state of the church and prepare a people for the coming of the Lord can be seen from several testimonies:”

This is quoted by A. Balbach from his book. I cannot help but think whether the Reform really is that “fourth angel” and has fulfilled what he himself has written? That the Reform Movement began with revival and reformation under the ministration of the Holy Spirit? We will see as we go along.

These are the statements shared in the book: