A Historical-Theological Reflection
When Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg in 1517, the battle cry of the Protestant Reformation was born: sola fide — justification by faith alone. For Protestants, justification was and remains a once-for-all legal declaration by God, entirely based on Christ’s righteousness imputed to the sinner by faith, apart from works.
But if you carefully compare the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) official teaching on justification to the Roman Catholic Church’s decrees from the Council of Trent (1545–1563), you’ll discover a sobering reality: the Adventist doctrine of salvation mirrors the Catholic view condemned by the Reformers far more than it aligns with historic Protestant teaching.
Let’s examine this side by side.
The Council of Trent on Justification
The Council of Trent was Rome’s answer to the Protestant Reformation. It definitively articulated the Catholic position on justification:
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Justification begins at baptism, where original sin is cleansed, and the soul is made righteous.
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It involves both the forgiveness of sins and the sanctification and renewal of the inner man.
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Justification is preserved and increased through participation in the sacraments and performance of good works.
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It teaches that final salvation is contingent upon the believer's cooperation with grace through good works, love, and obedience.
Key Canon:
“If any one saith, that by faith alone the impious is justified… let him be anathema.”
(Council of Trent, Canon 9 on Justification)
Rome makes no sharp distinction between justification and sanctification — justification is a process, not a once-for-all declaration. Good works are not just evidence of justification but part of their maintenance and increase.
The Seventh-day Adventist Official Teaching on Justification
At first glance, Adventists use Protestant language. Their 28 Fundamental Beliefs state:
“In infinite love and mercy God made Christ… so that in Him we might be made the righteousness of God. Accepting Christ as Lord and Savior… man is justified, adopted as a son of God, and delivered from the lordship of sin.”(Seventh-day Adventist Fundamental Belief #10: The Experience of Salvation)
However, SDA theology (as taught in The 1888 Message, Questions on Doctrine, and Ellen G. White’s writings) repeatedly emphasizes that justification is both declarative and transformative — and that the believer’s ultimate salvation depends on their continued obedience to God’s law, including Sabbath observance.
Ellen White, regarded as the authoritative prophetess of the SDA church, wrote:
“To be justified means to be pardoned for our sins, and this pardon is a full, complete justification… The sinner is pardoned and accepted before God as righteous, and his sins are no longer remembered against him… But while God can be just, and yet justify the sinner through the merits of Christ, no man can cover his soul with the robe of Christ's righteousness while practicing known sins, or neglecting known duties.” (Faith and Works, p. 100)
Furthermore, Adventists believe that salvation ultimately depends on passing the Investigative Judgment — a heavenly pre-Advent judgment where each believer’s life and works are examined to determine their fitness for eternal life. This judgment, allegedly begun in 1844, decides whether professing believers have remained obedient and overcome sin sufficiently to be saved.
The official SDA statement:
“Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected. When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life.” (The Great Controversy, p. 483)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Doctrine | Roman Catholic (Trent) | Seventh-day Adventist |
|---|---|---|
| Justification begins | At baptism | At conversion (but dependent on ongoing obedience) |
| Nature of justification | A process involving both forgiveness and renewal | A process involving pardon and transformation |
| Works and obedience | Required to preserve and increase justification | Required to maintain justification and pass Investigative Judgment |
| Final salvation depends on | Cooperation with grace and good works | Obedience to God’s law, overcoming sin, and passing the Investigative Judgment |
| Certainty of salvation | Conditional and never assured | Conditional and never assured until final judgment |
| Investigative Judgment | No such doctrine | Central teaching — determines who remains in the Book of Life before Christ returns |
Conclusion: Not Protestant, But Catholic in Substance
While the language differs, the theological substance of the SDA doctrine of justification is fundamentally Roman Catholic. Both deny the classic Protestant teaching of sola fide by making justification a process dependent on personal sanctification and obedience.
The Reformers rightly rejected this as a denial of the sufficiency of Christ’s finished work. The Adventist requirement of law-keeping, Sabbath observance, and passing the Investigative Judgment for final salvation mirrors the Council of Trent’s insistence on cooperation with grace and good works.
In short:
Seventh-day Adventism’s gospel is a modified form of the very Catholic soteriology the Protestant Reformers condemned.
“A man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.” — Galatians 2:16
Protestants stand on this promise. The Adventist church, like Rome, sadly denies its plain meaning.
Sources Cited
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Denzinger, Heinrich. The Sources of Catholic Dogma. Trans. Roy J. Deferrari. St. Louis: B. Herder, 1957.
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White, Ellen G. Faith and Works. Washington D.C.: Review and Herald, 1979.
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White, Ellen G. The Great Controversy. Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1911.
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Seventh-day Adventist Church. 28 Fundamental Beliefs, 2015 Edition.
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