From SINAI to CALVARY: The Jurisdictional Shift of the New Covenant! by Ptr. Zaldie Ybanez

Statement: The Council of Trent teaches that the TEN COMMANDMENTS are OBLIGATORY for CHRISTIANS and that the justified man is still bound to keep them...

The transition away from the Council of Trent’s view (and the Seventh-day Adventist view) isn't about promoting lawlessness; it’s about a fundamental shift in jurisdiction. The Ten Commandments were the heart of the Mosaic Covenant (the Old Covenant), which has been superseded by the New Covenant in Christ. Here are the truths:

1. The Jurisdiction of the Law—The Law (including the Decalogue) was a "tutor" or "guardian" intended for a specific period in redemptive history. Once faith in Christ arrives, the believer is no longer under that guardian.

Galatians 3:24-25: "So the LAW was our guardian UNTIL Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this FAITH has come, WE ARE NO LONGER UNDER A GUARDIAN."

LOGIC: If you are no longer under the guardian (613 LAWS INCLUDED THE 10 COMMANDMENTS), you cannot be "obligated" to the guardian's specific code in the same way.

2. The "Ministry of Death" is Faded

Paul specifically mentions the laws "engraved in letters on stone," which can only refer to the Ten Commandments, and calls it a ministry that was "brought to an end."

2 Corinthians 3:7-11: "Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory... will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? ... For if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!"

LOGIC: One cannot be "bound" to a ministry that is described as transitory and fading in comparison to the Spirit.

3. Dead to the Law, Alive in Christ

The Council of Trent suggests the justified man is still bound to the law. However, Romans 7 teaches that justification involves a death to the Law so that the believer can be joined to another (Jesus).

Romans 7:4, 6: "So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ... But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code."

LOGIC: A person who has died to a legal code is no longer "obligated" to it. You don't tell a widow she is still "bound" to the rules of her deceased husband.

4. The Law is an Indivisible Unit

James 2:10: "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it."

LOGIC: If you are "obligated" to the Ten Commandments as a legal code, you are logically obligated to the entire Mosaic system (Galatians 5:3). Since Christ fulfilled the Law, the believer is moved to a higher law—the Law of Christ—which fulfills the moral intent of the old without being bound by its specific letter.

The Council of Trent (and SDA theology) fails to recognize that the Law is a unit. When the Covenant changed at the Cross, the entire legal system of Sinai was fulfilled and replaced by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

GOD BLESS US ALL! 🙏

Tara Bible Study Tayo!: Veneration vs. Worship: Ano ba ang totoo?

Bible Student: 

Pastor Ronald, may napanood po kasi akong video online. Sabi nila, hindi raw idolatry ang pagluhod sa mga rebulto kasi "veneration" o paggalang lang daw 'yun sa mga santo, hindi "worship" na para sa Diyos. Tsaka, totoong mga tao naman daw 'yung mga santo, hindi tulad ng mga diyos-diyosan ng mga pagano. Ano po ba ang pananaw natin dito?

Pastor Ronald: 

Magandang tanong 'yan, kapatid! 'Yan talaga ang common na depensa na maririnig mo. Pero alam mo, sa Bible study, hindi tayo tumitingin sa label na binibigay ng tao, kundi sa kung ano ang sinasabi ng Salita ng Diyos. Game ka na ba? Buksan natin ang Bible natin.

Bible Student: 

Sige po, Pastor. Pero unahin muna natin 'yung argument nila na "totoong tao" naman daw ang mga santo kaya hindi sila idols. Safe ba 'yun?

Pastor Ronald: 

Real talk tayo, ha? Sa Exodus 20:4, ang sabi ng Diyos: "Huwag kayong gagawa para sa inyong sarili ng inukit na imahe, o ng anumang kawangis ng anumang bagay na nasa langit sa itaas, o nasa lupa sa ibaba..." Pansinin mo, hindi sinabi ng Diyos na "basta't fake na diyos, bawal." Ang sabi Niya, anumang kawangis.

Sa Deuteronomy 4:15-16, naging mas specific pa ang Diyos. Sabi Niya, wala silang nakitang "form" o anyo noong kinausap Niya sila sa Horeb. Bakit? Para hindi sila gumawa ng kahit anong figure maging anyo man ng lalaki o babae. So, kahit "totoong tao" pa 'yan, once na ginawa mong religious image para luhuran, pasok pa rin 'yan sa bawal.

Bible Student: 

Ah, so kahit pala "real" person, 'yung paggawa ng likeness para sa religious devotion ang issue. Pero Pastor, paano naman 'yung distinction nila sa "Veneration" vs. "Worship"? Magkaiba raw ang Dulia at Latria.

Pastor Ronald: 

Alam mo, sa totoo lang, laro lang ng salita 'yan. Sa Bible, ang physical act ng pagluhod sa harap ng isang nilalang sa isang religious setting ay laging nire-reject.

Tingnan natin si Apostol Peter sa Acts 10:25-26. Noong lumuhod sa kanya si Cornelius, hindi naman niya ginawang "Diyos" si Peter, 'di ba? High respect lang. Pero anong sabi ni Peter? "Tumayo ka; ako man ay tao rin." Maging ang mga anghel sa Revelation 22:8-9, ayaw nilang niluluhuran sila. Ang sabi ng anghel kay John, "Huwag! ... Sa Diyos ka sumamba." Kung ang mga "live" na apostol at mga anghel ayaw luhuran, bakit natin luluhuran ang isang rebulto na gawa lang sa kahoy o semento? Ang tawag ng Bible sa pagluhod at pagse-serve sa image ay abad (service/worship), at 'yun ang bawal sa Exodus 20:5.

Bible Student: 

May point po kayo roon. Pero paano po 'yung sinasabi nilang parang "picture ng anak" lang daw 'yun? Kung nirerespeto mo 'yung photo, bakit daw bawal sa rebulto?

Pastor Ronald: 

Naku, malayo 'yun! Ito ang logic: Nirerespeto mo ang picture ng anak mo, pero nilalagyan mo ba 'yun ng altar? Pinagdarasalan mo ba 'yung picture? Binibilhan mo ba ng sampaguita at pinopro-prosesyon sa kalsada? Siyempre hindi. Sa yung itsura ng anak mo sa picture ay talagang itsura ng anak mo.

'Yung ginagawa sa mga rebulto ay "ritualistic devotion." Hinihingan sila ng milagro, pinupunasan ng panyo, at pinaniniwalaang may "special presence." 'Yung picture ng anak mo, memorya lang 'yun. 'Yung sa rebulto, ginagawa itong "medium" para makarating sa Diyos. At d’yan papasok ang New Covenant Theology natin.

Bible Student: 

Ano po ang kinalaman ng New Covenant dito, Pastor?

Pastor Ronald: 

Sa New Covenant, wala na tayong mga physical shadows or images. Sabi ni Jesus sa John 4:24, "Ang Diyos ay Espiritu, at ang mga sumasamba sa kanya ay dapat sumamba sa espiritu at sa katotohanan." Hindi na natin kailangan ng "visual aids" o mga rebulto para marating ang Diyos. Bakit? Kasi mayroon tayong True Image ng Diyos walang iba kundi si Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:15). Siya lang ang tanging Tagapamagitan natin (1 Timothy 2:5). Kapag gumagamit tayo ng mga rebulto, parang bumabalik tayo sa mga "shadows" imbes na doon sa "Substance" na si Kristo.

Bible Student: 

Malinaw na po, Pastor Ronald. So, ang label na "veneration" ay hindi sapat para i-justify ang isang act na malinaw na ipinagbabawal sa Bibliya.

Pastor Ronald: 

Tama 'yan! At tandaan mo, ang idolatry ay hindi lang 'yung pagpapalit sa Diyos, kundi ang maling paraan ng paglapit sa Kanya. Under the New Covenant, we go directly to the Father through the Son, by the Spirit. No statues needed!

Real Talk Reflection

"Mga anak, lumayo kayo sa mga diyos-diyosan." (1 Juan 5:21)

Kapatid, huwag hayaang maging hadlang ang mga bagay na gawa ng tao sa iyong relasyon sa Diyos. Ang tunay na pagsamba ay hindi nakikita sa pagluhod sa mga imahe, kundi sa pagpapasakop ng puso kay Kristo. Bakit ka titingin sa rebulto kung pwede kang lumapit nang diretso sa Buhay na Diyos?

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISM: SALVATION BY "FAITH ALONE" OR SALVATION BY "FAITH"?

 

Recently, I came across trending Facebook posts from two factions within Adventism holding opposing views on the doctrine of salvation. Both groups are Seventh-day Adventists who observe the Ten Commandments. What divides them is the question of how God saves a sinner, according to Scripture. This intra-SDA debate over soteriology actually traces back to the late 1960s and continues to this day, the two camps being the "Traditional SDAs" and the "Progressive SDAs."

What's the Difference?

Traditional SDAs hold conservative views aligned with the original founders of the SDA Church in the 1800s, maintaining strong loyalty to the writings of Ellen G. White. Progressive SDAs, on the other hand, no longer treat White as an inspired prophet but rather as an inspirational author comparable to any ordinary well-known writer. This divergence directly affects how each camp understands salvation.

The Traditionalists emphasize perfect obedience to the Law, and understandably so, because that is precisely what Mrs. White taught in several of her statements. Consider these direct quotes:

"Obedience to the law of the ten commandments is what is needed in order to be saved. This is the very requirement of God." (The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, May 5, 1898)

"When the judgment shall sit, and the books shall be opened, and every man shall be judged according to the things written in the books, then the tables of stone, hidden by God until that day, shall be presented to the world as the standard of righteousness. At that time, men and women will see that the requirement for their salvation is perfect obedience to God's holy law. No one will be able to offer any excuse for sin. By the righteous principles of that law, the people will receive their sentence of life or death."  (The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, January 28, 1909)

Mrs. White's statements here are unmistakably clear: obedience to the Ten Commandments is presented as a requirement for salvation, not a fruit of salvation, as SDA pastors and laypeople now commonly claim on social media. Some of these defenders are compensated by their conferences in the Philippines to conceal this cultic doctrine and make their church sound evangelical when, in reality, it is not. They rely on deception to gain acceptance from orthodox Christianity, which is an impossible goal unless they publicly renounce Ellen G. White and repent, just as the Worldwide Church of God did in the 1990s, after which they were finally recognized as evangelical Christians.

It is also worth noting the dates of these statements. The quotes above are from 1898 and 1909, among the later writings of Mrs. White, just years before her death on July 16, 1915. If Progressive SDAs wish to cite earlier statements that appear to favor their view, those earlier statements are simply overridden by her more recent, definitive pronouncements.

The Progressive SDA Response

Progressive SDAs selectively quote Mrs. White's writings to support the view that law-keeping is only a fruit of salvation, not a condition for it. They hide her contradictory statements to project an evangelical image. A frequently cited quote used on social media is this one:

"Although we are counseled to obey, we should not think that we can attain salvation by our good works. Salvation is the free gift of God, and it is received through faith. It is granted to the repentant soul through Christ in the great plan of redemption. But the proof of our love for Him, the evidence of our faith, is found in our obedience to God's holy law."  (Signs of the Times, May 16, 1895)

I attempted to locate the original scanned copy from the Adventist Archives website but could not find it, though I did find it in the Ellen G. White app, so I believe this quotation is legitimate. Note that this statement is from 1895, earlier than the 1898 and 1909 statements we cited first. Under the standard principle that a writer's later statements carry more weight, the earlier 1895 quote is superseded by what Mrs. White wrote afterward.

A Critical Observation on Wording

Notice also that in her 1895 statement, Mrs. White never said salvation "is received through faith alone"; she simply said "through faith." This seemingly small distinction, "faith" versus "faith alone," has also been used by the Roman Catholic Church to mislead many Protestants into thinking Catholic and Protestant soteriology are essentially the same. It is no surprise, then, that many born-again Christians drift into Adventism for the same reason: a failure to carefully examine the precise biblical terminology being used.

Three Options for Adventists Genuinely Seeking the Truth

1. Stay in the SDA Church. Despite knowing that certain doctrines are erroneous and that Ellen G. White was a false prophet, one may choose to remain for the sake of family or livelihood, though this leaves one's salvation uncertain.

2. Look the Other Way. One may continue rejecting the evidence in favor of personal comfort and peace. But there is truly no peace for someone who knows something is wrong and deliberately remains in it.

3. Leave the SDA Church. Given the clear evidence of doctrinal error, especially on the critically important doctrine of salvation, the right response is to leave. Remaining when you know the truth is sin (James 4:17). The prophet they follow contradicts sound doctrine on salvation's most essential points; therefore, Ellen G. White did not speak from God. Scripture is clear: the Lord will not allow His true Church to be led by a false prophet.

A Call to Adventists

To SDA Pastors and Defenders: Stop pretending to be evangelical Christians. There are far too many former Adventists like myself who are thoroughly familiar with your talking points and recruitment strategies. Christ's warning applies directly to what you are doing: dressing in sheep's clothing while remaining wolves. You use Christian terminology like "salvation by faith," "saved by grace," and "keeping the law as fruit of salvation" to deceive the unsuspecting.

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."  Matthew 7:15

To SDA Bible Students and Those Preparing for Baptism: Pray sincerely and ask God for wisdom as you weigh the evidence against Adventist teaching. If you are about to be baptized into the SDA Church, stop while you still can. The deeper you go into the system, the harder it becomes to leave, and the persecution you will face when you eventually do will be significant.

"For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple."  Romans 16:18