Proverbs 28:13: "Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy."
For decades, a lot of us Protestants have been quick to point fingers at the failures of the Roman Catholic Church. We talk about the Inquisition, the Dark Ages, and religious persecution as if they prove Catholicism is uniquely broken or compromised.
But let's pause and ask a much more uncomfortable question: What if the bigger issue isn't just messing up, but refusing to own up to it when those failures come to light?
The Difference Between Past Sins and Present Accountability
No church has a perfect track record. The real test of integrity isn't whether mistakes were made. The real test is what happens when the ugly truth comes out. Do we admit it? Do we repent and ask for forgiveness? Or do we sweep it under the rug to protect the brand?
Take the Roman Catholic Church. Yes, they have a heavy history. But in recent decades, their leaders have actually stepped up to apologize. Pope John Paul II apologized for various historical wrongs, and more recently, Pope Francis went to Canada to publicly apologize to Indigenous peoples for the horrific abuses in church-run residential schools.
Whether you think those apologies went far enough is another debate. A lot of victims feel they didn't. But here’s the point: at least the institution publicly admitted they were wrong. They acknowledged it. They confessed.
The Double Standard in Adventism
Now, let's flip the mirror and look at the Seventh-day Adventist church. Critics and internal sources alike have documented that for decades, some Adventist hospitals performed abortions under incredibly loose policies. Later on, the denomination tightened its stance, putting out statements that emphasize how abortion goes against God's design for life.
But here’s the kicker: Where is the public, institutional repentance for the past? Where is the formal apology to the members who were told they were the "exclusive remnant" while their own hospitals were doing the exact opposite of what many Christians consider protecting innocent life?
The silence is deafening, mostly because a lot of members don't even know this history exists.
The Irony We Can't Ignore
The irony here is honestly hard to miss. We spend so much time in evangelism seminars bashing "Rome" and dissecting their history.
As someone who looks at Scripture through a Partial Preterist and Postmillennial lens, I see this hyper-focus on Rome as the "end-time Beast" as a massive theological distraction. The majority of Revelation's judgments were already fulfilled in the first century. Our focus today should be on the victorious, progressive expansion of Christ's Kingdom on earth through the Gospel. But how can we advance a victorious Kingdom if we lack basic institutional integrity and spend all our time fear-mongering about the Pope instead of cleaning our own house?
Jesus warned us about picking the speck out of our neighbor's eye while ignoring the massive plank in our own.
“Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use. Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a beam of wood in your own eye? Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye." Matthew 7:1-5(CSB)
That applies to institutions just as much as individuals.
“Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use. Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a beam of wood in your own eye? Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye." Matthew 7:1-5(CSB)
That applies to institutions just as much as individuals.
The Problem of Selective Repentance
Selective repentance isn't real repentance. We lose all our moral credibility when we demand accountability from outsiders but give ourselves a free pass.
When we look at this, we understand that God extends His prevenient grace to all of us, empowering us to see our faults and turn back to Him. But He doesn't force us to repent; we have to freely choose to step into the light. When an institution chooses to hide its sins, it is actively resisting that grace.
Living under the New Covenant means we aren't hiding behind rigid, external checklists to prove our righteousness. Just as our financial giving is no longer about a strict, legalistic Old Covenant tithe but a joyful overflow of the heart, our repentance shouldn't be a PR move to save face. It must be a genuine, transparent response to God. Furthermore, believing that the Holy Spirit is still actively moving and speaking through spiritual gifts today, we must be open to prophetic correction and the Spirit's conviction, even at the highest institutional levels.
The Uncomfortable Truth
This isn't really about Catholics versus Adventists. It's about a core Gospel principle.
Every single institution has sinned. The true mark of a healthy church isn't a flawless past; it's a humble present. A church that publicly admits its wrongdoing actually shows way more humility than one that insists it has the "unique truth" while refusing to examine its own closet. Confession always beats self-righteousness.
The greatest danger to any church isn't that it has a messy history. The greatest danger is the pride of believing it doesn't need to repent.
Call to Action
Take a hard look in the mirror this week. Are there areas in your own life, or within your church community, where you’ve been acting self-righteous while hiding your own failures? Let’s stop pointing fingers at everyone else. Respond to the Holy Spirit's conviction, own your mistakes, and embrace the grace of the New Covenant. Let's pray for the courage to lead with radical honesty today!
FORMER ADVENTISTS PHILIPPINES
“Freed by the Gospel. Firm in the Word.”
For more inquiries, contact us:
Email: formeradventist.ph@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/formeradventistph
Partner with me in advancing this ministry. Be part of this mission! Your support helps us continue gospel-centered outreach and resources.
• GCash: 0969-514-3944
• PayPal: paypal.me/formeradventistsph
• Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/ronaldobidos
No comments:
Post a Comment