I have always considered myself a believer. As a young child, I found great satisfaction in believing there was something more beyond what I could see. I am the type of person who finds miracles everywhere and I am convinced we are not a product of mere chance, but a creation with purpose and meaning.
My spiritual walk started with a Christian influence, but I did not identify as any particular denomination. At 16 years old I was baptized as a Seventh-Day Adventist Christian, alongside my parents. However, for much of my high school years, and early college years, I considered myself a non-denominational Christian.
I was re-baptized in the Jordan River at 21 years old as a Seventh-Day Adventist Christian. At 16, I loved the Lord, but much of my understanding of Christ, was based on my parents’ relationship with Christ. This baptism, 5 years later, was a public witness of my full surrender to Christ, my belief of Scripture, and the individual relationship with God.
I am not sharing my full testimony here, but rather discussing a question that drives much of my life….
Is truth important?
I am a millennial, and one of the most notable qualities of my generation is the concept that truth is relative. Everyone can have their own truth. I respect this concept, to a certain extent. People are free to make their own decisions and have their own beliefs. I definitely believe in a certain amount of individuality and creativity, when it comes to tastes, lifestyles and the arts. However, I do not believe that truth, as it relates to God and spirituality, is relative.
So the question, “Is truth important”?
I believe the answer is unequivocally, YES.
Many Christians and non-Christians, alike, have asked why I take a stand on Biblical issues like the Sabbath day, the state of the dead, the concept of hell, healthy lifestyles, and the sanctuary message. I believe that all of these things are representative of the God of creation. A God that created and then communicated with His people through things like, the written word, prophecy, and His Son, Jesus Christ. There are currently 38,000 different denominations that claim to follow Christ, so there are clearly others who agree Biblical interpretations are important.
I believe John 8:32 when it says,
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. (NKJV)
and I also believe Hebrews 12:15 when it says,
See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. (NIV)
Truth seekers, who genuinely put aside self to know God more, will ALWAYS find Him. Truth leads to freedom, but at the same time, our MAIN focus in life is to bring people to the foot of the cross. If someone leaves a Biblical, truth-filled conversation, and they have not experienced the gospel message of Jesus Christ loving them enough to die for them, we have failed our purpose.
Truth MUST be mixed and presented with love and the good news.
As I write this, I am still a Seventh-Day Adventist Christian, who survived a vote for disfellowship, and who does not agree entirely with the church. Our church currently teaches the doctrine of the trinity, a 3 in 1 Godhead, and the idea that Jesus Christ is not the literal and eternal begotten Son of God, but rather the 2nd part of the Godhead who took a metaphorical role as “Son of God” when He came to earth. *You can find our stance on these beliefs throughout this blog*
In discussions I have had about this issue, over the last 2 years, many have asked me, “why take a stance on this? Is it worth it?”
I’ve questioned this, myself.
Is Jesus being the literal, eternal, begotten Son of God worth discord in the church, my father being harshly disfellowshipped, me losing my conference-paid ministry job, and our family being cast out of leadership positions and deemed “untrustworthy”?
And the Bible answers these questions…
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. (1 John 4:9)
He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. (1 John 5:10)
If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair.
I could be silent about this difference I have with the church, and for 2 years, I was fairly quiet. However, the tenacity with which church leadership has attacked this difference, forces me to question its significance. I was under the impression that we could all exist under the same church heading and discuss this question of the mystery of the Godhead until the end of time. This hope of transparency and open discourse was met with secrecy, lies, and animosity. Now, I am forced to stand. I don’t feel equipped to challenge one of the largest churches in the world, and yet God does not call the qualified, he qualifies the called.
I believe truth is important, but I vow to seek and share truth, ONLY so long as I keep my eyes on Christ, who is my Lord and salvation.
When Luther questioned the Catholic church, he did not want to leave the church, but he had very real and warranted concerns about its doctrines and practices. I believe the Seventh-Day Adventist Church has the most truth of any denomination I have yet found, and yet I also see it is not flawless. I am actually quite thankful to discover that there is NO perfect organized religion on this earth…only Christ is perfect, and all who follow Him are the church body.
So, here I stand, and like Martin Luther said,
“I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.”
May all who venture to this site, seek truth and love, diligently and sincerely.
A Family's Quest for Truth 