Unscriptural teachings, even those rejected by a majority within the church, often exude a lingering influence in the years that follow, like the dying embers of a nuclear explosion. The infamous Holy Flesh heresy, rebuked by Ellen White at the start of the last century, is one such example.
In summary, the Holy Flesh movement taught that in order for Christians to live sinless lives in preparation for the return of Jesus, their fallen natures had to be obliterated. The late Arthur L. White, grandson of the prophetess, describes this teaching as follows:
The basic features of this strange doctrine, which was called “the cleansing message,” were that when Jesus passed through the Garden of Gethsemane He had an experience that all who follow Him must have. It was taught that Jesus had holy flesh, and that those who followed Him through this Garden experience would likewise have holy flesh [##1|Arthur L. White, Ellen G. White: The Early Elmshaven Years, 1900-1905 (Washington, D.C: Review and Herald Publishing Assn, 1981), p. 100.##].
Stephen Haskell, writing to Ellen White (who was then in Australia), explained further what this movement was teaching regarding the human nature of Christ:
When we stated that we believed that Christ was born in fallen humanity, they would represent us as believing that Christ sinned, notwithstanding the fact that we would state our position so clearly that it would seem as though no one could misunderstand us.
Their point of theology in this particular respect seems to be this: They believe that Christ took Adam’s nature before he fell, so He took humanity as it was in the Garden of Eden; and this humanity was holy, and this was the humanity that Christ had; and now, they say, the particular time has come for us to become holy in that sense, and then we will have “translation faith,” and never die [##2|Stephen Haskell, Letter to Ellen White, Sept. 25, 1900, quoted by Ralph Larson, The Word Was Made Flesh: One Hundred Years of Seventh-day Adventist Christology, 1852-1952 (Cherry Valley, CA: The Cherrystone Press, 1986), p. 100.##].
Those desirous of a more in-depth exploration of this heresy should consult a two-part series some years ago in the Adventist Review by Elder Kameron DeVasher [##3|Kameron DeVasher, “Confronting a Crisis: The Holy Flesh Movement in Adventism,” Part 1, Adventist Review, Sept. 8, 2010; “Confronting a Crisis: The Holy Flesh Movement in Adventism,” Part 2, Adventist Review, Oct. 20, 2010.##].
More than a half-century later, the so-called “sanctuary awakening” movement led by Robert D. Brinsmead crafted a similar teaching. Like the earlier Holy Flesh advocates, Brinsmead taught in this first phase of his theological journey that one’s fallen nature had to be destroyed in order for sinless obedience and the consequent sealing of the final generation of Christians to occur [##4|Robert D. Brinsmead, quoted by Richard W. Schwartz, Light Bearers to the Remnant (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Assn, 1979), p. 458.##]. Brinsmead’s fundamental problem was his attempt to marry classic AAdventist Last Generation Theology to the doctrine of original sin as taught by the Protestant Reformers [##5|Geoffrey J. Paxton, The Shaking of Adventism (Wilmington, DE: Zenith Publishing Co, 1977), pp. 98-99.##]. Because he accepted the doctrine of original sin, it was imperative for Brinsmead to teach an eventual eradication of this condition in order for God’s people to be ready for the end-time sealing and the great time of trouble. Hence he developed the theory that in order for the perfecting of Christian character to occur at last, “God performs a miracle and erases all sinful thoughts and emotions within us” [##6|Brinsmead, quoted by Schwarts, Light Bearers to the Remnant, p. 458.##].
Invariably, Brinsmead’s effort to blend the Augustinian/Calvinist doctrine of original sin with classic Adventist Last Generation Theology produced irreconcilable tensions, which were eventually resolved in favor of the former. In 1970, following a decade of agitating his “Awakening” message of fallen nature eradication, he surrendered fully to the evangelical gospel of salvation by justification alone, the pre-Fall view of Christ’s humanity, and no perfection this side of heaven [##7|Paxton, The Shaking of Adventism, pp. 103-104,121-124.##]. A decade later he publicly rejected the investigative judgment doctrine and the authority of the Spirit of Prophecy [##8|Brinsmead, Judged by the Gospel: A Review of Adventism (Fallbrook, CA: Verdict Publications, 1980), pp. 35-194.##], and soon thereafter repudiated the binding claims of the Sabbath [##9|——”Sabbatarianism Re-Examined,” Verdict, June 1981.##] and the perpetuity of God’s Ten Commandment law [##10|——”Jesus and the Law,” Verdict, October 1981.##]. Today he is an atheist [11].
Does Sinless Obedience Require a Sinless Nature?
Others in Adventist history have, to one degree or another, been lured by the notion that in order to live a sinless life, one must possess a sinless nature. Many of these hold to the position that because of our fallen natures, sinless obedience remains out of reach for the Christian so long as this present life lasts. The late Desmond Ford, one of the strongest voices in modern Adventism for the belief that sinless obedience remains impossible for the earthly believer even through God’s imparted strength, declared:
Perfectly sinless behavior is possible only to a perfectly sinless nature [##12|Desmond Ford, “Righteousness by Faith,” Study Papers, Series One: Righteousness by Faith (Angwin, CA: Pacific Union College Department of Religion, 1979), p. 20.##].
A more recent, now-deceased author, who likewise held less-than-perfect conduct to be the inevitable lot of the earthly Christian, wrote:
There is no evidence in the Word of God that sinful nature can ever be obedient to God [##13|Frank B. Phillips, His Robe or Mine (Berrien Springs, MI: Justified Walk Ministries, 2003), p. 104.##].
But it isn’t simply anti-perfection Adventists who have been attracted to the idea of the saints losing their sinful natures before Jesus comes. Those believing in the possibility of sinless obedience on this earth through heaven’s power can be beguiled into this trap as well. Videos and written statements to this effect have come to my attention at different times during the past several decades, and more recently have crossed my computer screen during the past couple of weeks.
So what do the inspired writings teach on this subject? Is it necessary for one’s sinful nature to be obliterated in order for sinless living to take place, in the final moments of history or any other time?
In a word, No. The apostle Paul speaks of how he subdued the sinful urges of his fleshly nature when he writes: “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection” (I Cor. 9:27). The apostle James clarifies the issue further by stating how the arousal of wicked urges is not in itself sin, that only when the will gives consent and these desires are allowed to conceive, does sin occur:
Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then lust, when it hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin (James 1:14-15).
Ellen White agrees when she writes: “The will is not the taste or the inclination, but it is the deciding power” [##14|Ellen G. White, Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 513.##]. In another statement she echoes the above words of the apostle James:
There are thoughts and feelings suggested and aroused by Satan that annoy even the best of men; but if they are not cherished, if they are repulsed as hateful, the soul is not contaminated with guilt and no other is defiled by their influence [##15|——That I May Know Him, p. 140.##].
The Incarnation as the Template
Jesus, in His incarnation, showed us how this is done. The Bible tells us that our Lord “was made of the seed of David, according to the flesh” (Rom. 1:3), that He “condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Rom. 8:3-4). Elsewhere Paul writes that the Savior “pleased not Himself” (Rom. 15:3), a theme underscored in the Gospels where Jesus declared, “I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me” (John 5:30). In Gethsemane He again affirmed this truth when He prayed, “Not My will, but Thine be done” (Luke 22:42).
Ellen White is clear that the incarnation is the ultimate proof that human beings are not “by nature totally and wholly depraved.” In her words:
As we see the condition of mankind today, the question arises in the minds of some, “Is man by nature totally and wholly depraved?” Is he hopelessly ruined? No, he is not. The Lord Jesus left the royal courts and, taking our human nature, lived such a life as everyone may live in humanity, through following His example. We may perfect a life in this world which is an example of righteousness, and overcome as Christ has given us an example in His life, revealing that humanity may conquer as He, the great Pattern conquered [##16|——Manuscript Releases, vol. 9, p. 238.##].
This is how she can write of our Lord, “Though He had all the strength of passion of humanity, never did He yield to temptation to do one single act which was not pure and elevating and ennobling” [##17|——In Heavenly Places, p. 155.##]. She affirms this point in other statements:
The words of Christ encourage parents to bring their little ones to Jesus. They may be wayward, and possess passions like those of humanity, but this should not deter us from bringing them to Christ. He blessed children that were possessed of passions like His own [##18|——Signs of the Times, April 9, 1896.##].
By a word Christ could have mastered the powers of Satan. But He came into the world that He might endure every test, every provocation, that it is possible for human beings to bear and yet not be provoked or impassioned, or retaliate in word, in spirit, or in action [##19|——Christ Triumphant, p. 260.##].
Satan sought to tempt Christ not only to indulge the grosser passions and to yield to appetite, but he appealed to His ambition. Notwithstanding the enemy’s determined efforts, Christ did not manifest a grasping spirit to gain possession of the kingdoms of this world [##20|——Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, p. 113.##].
Naturally some will recall those Ellen White statements which speak of Jesus not having evil propensities or like passions as we [##21|——SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, pp. 1128-1129; Testimonies, vol. 2, pp. 201-202,509.##]. But these and all other statements about Jesus’ humanity must be understood in light of the Biblical teaching regarding lower and higher forces in human nature (Matt. 26:41), an arrangement which calls for the will to be in charge and bodily urges kept under control (I Cor. 9:27). In a number of statements Ellen White affirms this Biblical distinction between lower and higher elements in human nature [##22|——The Adventist Home, pp. 127-128; The Ministry of Healing, p. 130.##].
We noted above how Ellen White says in one statement that “the will is not the taste or the inclination, but it is the deciding power” [##23|——Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 513.##]. This is how she can write in certain statements of Jesus “not possessing the passions of our human, fallen natures” [##24|——Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 509.##], while in other statements saying that “He had all the strength of passion of humanity” [##25|——In Heavenly Places, p. 155.##]. The first set of statements speak of urges exhibited, while the latter speak of urges resisted.
Regarding the prophet Daniel, Ellen White states:
Except the one perfect Pattern, there is not described in the Sacred Pages a single character more worthy of emulation than that of the prophet Daniel [##26|——Our High Calling, p. 249.##].
And yet Ellen White explains how, like our Lord, Daniel was constrained to resist the same passions possessed by us all, while simultaneously developing a faultless character:
The case of Daniel was presented before me. Although he was a man of like passions with ourselves, the pen of inspiration presents him as a faultless character. His life is given us as a bright example of what man may become, even in this life, if he will make God his strength, and wisely improve the opportunities and privileges within his reach [##27|——Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 569.##].
There is thus no need for anyone to experience the abolition of their fallen nature in order to live a faultless life. Jesus has shown how it is possible both to possess such a nature and to consistently reject its wrongful urges.
“So Long as Life Shall Last”
In a number of statements too clear to be misunderstood, Ellen White speaks of how the saints’ struggle with the fleshly nature will persist so long as this present life lasts:
So long as Satan reigns, we shall have self to subdue, besetting sins to overcome; so long as life shall last, there will be no stopping place, no point which we can reach and say, I have fully attained [##28|——Acts of the Apostles, pp. 560-561.##].
So long as life shall last, there will be need of guarding the affections and the passions with a firm purpose. Not one moment can we be secure except as we rely upon God, the life hidden with Christ. Watchfulness and prayer are the safeguards of purity [##29|——Prophets and Kings, p. 84.##].
Appetite and passion must be brought under the control of the Holy Spirit. There is no end to the warfare this side of eternity [##30|——Counsels to Teachers, p. 20.##].
Just as long as Satan urges his temptations upon us, the battle for self-conquest will have to be fought over and over again; but by obedience, the truth will sanctify the soul [##31|——From the Heart, p. 297.##].
Conclusion
In the wake of the infamous Waco tragedy of 1993, involving the destruction of the Branch Davidian compound, some tried to discredit Adventism by reminding us that these people had come out of our denomination. The best answer to this reminder is, “Yes, and the devil came out of heaven.”
This highlights an important point with regard to nature perfection as distinct from character perfection. Sin got started where no one had a sinful nature, but where all had been created with free choice. This is why it makes no sense for rejecters of Last Generation Theology to assure themselves and fellow church members that the saved will have their sins removed at Jesus’ coming by having their sinful natures blotted out. But that won’t work, because sin is a product of the will, not of one’s inherited fallen nature. Unless one’s will has demonstrated total reliability in the rough and tumble of earthly life, such a one cannot be trusted in the courts of glory.
No inspired promise assures the Christian that the inborn fallen nature will be obliterated before Jesus’ coming. What we are in fact assured of is the total conquest of sinful choices this side of Jesus’ coming (II Cor. 7:1; I Thess. 5:23; II Peter 3:10-14; I John 3:2-3; Rev. 3:21; 14:5). Thus Ellen White declares:
When Christ shall come, our vile bodies are to be changed, and made like His glorious body, but the vile character will not be made holy then. The transformation of character must take place before His coming [##32|——Our High Calling, p. 278.##].
REFERENCES
1. Arthur L. White, Ellen G. White: The Early Elmshaven Years, 1900-1905 (Washington, D.C: Review and Herald Publishing Assn, 1981), p. 100.
2. Stephen Haskell, Letter to Ellen White, Sept. 25, 1900, quoted by Ralph Larson, The World Was Made Flesh: One Hundred Years of Seventh-day Adventist Christology, 1852-1952 (Cherry Valley, CA: The Cherrystone Press, 1986), p. 126.
3. Kameron DeVasher, “Confronting a Crisis: The Holy Flesh Movement in Adventism,” Part 1, Adventist Review, Sept. 8, 2010 https://adventistreview.org/2010-1530/2010-1530-14/; “Confronting a Crisis: The Holy Flesh Movement in Adventism,” Part 2, Adventist Review, Oct. 20, 2010 https://adventistreview.org/2010-1534/2010-1534-24/
4. Robert D. Brinsmead, quoted by Richard W. Schwartz, Light Bearers to the Remnant (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Assn, 1979), p. 458.
5. Geoffrey J. Paxton, The Shaking of Adventism (Wilmington, DE: Zenith Publishing Co, 1977), pp. 98-99.
6. Brinsmead, quoted by Schwartz, Light Bearers to the Remnant, p. 458.
7. Paxton, The Shaking of Adventism, pp. 103-104,121-124.
8. Brinsmead, Judged by the Gospel: A Review of Adventism (Fallbrook, CA: Verdict Publications, 1980), pp. 35-194.
9. ----“Sabbatarianism Re-Examined,” Verdict, June 1981.
10. ----“Jesus and the Law,” Verdict, October 1981.
11. Paul M. Dohse Sr, “Derek Webb’s (Caedmon’s Call) Misunderstanding of Calvinism Prevents Him From Being a Saved Atheist,” Paul’s Passing Thoughts, Oct. 27, 2018 https://paulspassingthoughts.com/2018/10/27/derek-webbs-caedmons-call-misunderstanding-of-calvinism-prevents-him-from-being-a-saved-atheist/
12. Desmond Ford, “Righteousness by Faith,” Study Papers, Series One: Righteousness by Faith (Angwin, CA: Pacific Union College, Department of Religion, 1979), p. 20.
13. Frank B. Phillips, His Robe or Mine (Berrien Springs, MI: Justified Walk Ministries, 2003), p. 104.
14. Ellen G. White, Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 513.
15. ----That I May Know Him, p. 140.
16. ----Manuscript Releases, vol. 9, p. 238.
17. ----In Heavenly Places, p. 155.
18. ----Signs of the Times, April 9, 1896.
19. ----Christ Triumphant, p. 260.
20. ----Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, p. 113.
21. ----SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, pp. 1128-1129; Testimonies, vol. 2, pp. 201-202,509.
22. ----The Adventist Home, pp. 127-128; The Ministry of Healing, p. 130.
23. ----Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 513.
24. Ibid, vol. 2, p. 509.
25. ----In Heavenly Places, p. 155.
26. ----Our High Calling, p. 249.
27. ----Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 569.
28. ----Acts of the Apostles, pp. 560-561.
29. ----Prophets and Kings, p. 84.
30. ----Counsels to Teachers, p. 20.
31. ----From the Heart, p. 297.
32. ----Our High Calling, p. 278.
Pastor Kevin Paulson holds a Bachelor’s degree in theology from Pacific Union College, a Master of Arts in systematic theology from Loma Linda University, and a Master of Divinity from the SDA Theological Seminary at Andrews University. He served the Greater New York Conference of Seventh-day Adventists for ten years as a Bible instructor, evangelist, and local pastor. He writes regularly for Liberty magazine and does script writing for various evangelistic ministries within the denomination. He continues to hold evangelistic and revival meetings throughout the North American Division and beyond, and is a sought-after seminar speaker relative to current issues in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He presently resides in Berrien Springs, Michigan