A recent article in a prominent denominational outlet challenges certain features of the classic Adventist construct known in recent times as Last Generation Theology [1]. A cluster of objections to this theology—some old, some relatively new—receive consideration in this article.

Unfortunately, what inspired evidence relative to this topic is addressed by the article is viewed largely through the lenses of uninspired theological commentary, rather than in the light of the Bible/Spirit of Prophecy consensus. Sadly, this approach is all too common among scholarly critics of Last Generation Theology. While it is gratifying that the public attention of the church is being increasingly drawn to this all-important subject, the fact remains that the only hope for finding unity within the body of Christ—on this and every other Bible topic—is through the self-explanatory, self-interpreting voice of the inspired writings. This is how decisions for Bible truth are reached in the context of evangelism, and it is the only way hope exists for such decisions within the setting of internal denominational disputes.

The words of Ellen White, contrasting the methodology of the religious teachers in Christ’s day with that of Christ Himself, come to mind pointedly when we survey the ambiguity of scholarly opinions in our own time:

But while His teaching was simple, He spoke as one having authority. This characteristic set His teaching in contrast with that of all others. The rabbis spoke with doubt and hesitancy, as if the Scriptures might be interpreted to mean one thing or exactly the opposite. The hearers were daily involved in greater uncertainty. But Jesus taught the Scriptures as of unquestionable authority. Whatever His subject, it was presented with power, as if His words could not be controverted [##2|Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 253.##].

Toward the beginning of the article under review, it is claimed that “the perspectives of Ellen G. White and other influential Adventist figures such as E.J. Waggoner, A.T. Jones, or M.L. Andreasen are not explored in this particular context” [3]—presumably the context of the article in question. But in fact, references to the thinking of influential Adventist figures abound throughout the article, including a few citations from the writings of Ellen White [4]. It is the latter citations, together with the foundational references from Scripture, that matter most to the present response, as it is the inspired voice—and not that of uninspired commentators—that must figure decisively in the doctrinal and moral conclusions of Seventh-day Adventists.

The article in question seeks to “strike a balance” so far as the ongoing controversy in the church over perfection of character and Last Generation Theology is concerned. But the only way by which a true balance can be found, regarding this and every other Biblical issue, is if the totality of relevant inspired evidence is taken into account. What follows will demonstrate that with regard to a cluster of key issues, the article in question fails to do this.

The Meaning of Biblical Perfection

A crucial—and seriously deficient—argument used by modern Adventist critics of Last Generation Theology focuses disproportionately on the Biblical use of the single word “perfect” and its various cognates, whether in the Old or the New Testament [##5|See Edward Heppenstall, “Let Us Go On to Perfection,” Hans K. LaRondelle, “The Biblical Idea of Perfection,” Perfection: The Impossible Possibility (Nashville, TN: Southern Publishing Assn, 1975), pp. 57-136.##]. The article in question likewise focuses on the word “perfect” and a few similar words as used throughout the Bible [6], without giving similar attention to countless other verses in which different language is used to describe the spiritual attainment God expects from His people (e.g. Psalm 4:4; 37:27; 119:1-3,11; Zeph. 3:13; John 8:11; Rom. 6:14; 8:4; I Cor. 15:34; II Cor. 7:1; 10:4-5; Eph. 5:27; I Thess. 5:23; I Peter 2:21-22; 4:1; II Peter 3:10-14; I John 1:7,9; 3:2-3,7; Jude 24; Rev. 3:21; 14:5).

Put simply, one word does not a doctrine make—or unmake. The doctrinal construct known as Last Generation Theology bases its perspective regarding character perfection (defined by this theology as sinless obedience made possible for the earthly believer through imparted divine strength) on the above verses and many others which speak of departing from evil, doing no iniquity, not sinning, becoming pure as Jesus is pure, being kept from falling, becoming free from fault, etc.

No one in the present discussion disagrees that the word “perfect” as used in Scripture doesn’t always refer to the total absence of sin. Describing the meaning of inspired language, Ellen White says: “Different meanings are expressed by the same word; there is not one word for each distinct idea” [##7|White, Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 20.##]. Yet a number of Bible passages do identify the word “perfect” with the absence of sin. The patriarch Job is described as “a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil” (Job 1:8). Of Lucifer before his fall it is stated:

Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee (Eze. 28:15).

Even the article in question cites a passage in the New Testament where perfection is clearly identified with the complete obliteration of sin in the Christian life:

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (II Cor. 7:1) [8]

When, therefore, Ellen White defines the perfection enjoined by Jesus in Matthew 5:48 (“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”) as the total conquest of sin in the life of the earthly believer [##9|White, The Desire of Ages, p. 311; Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, pp. 76-77; Signs of the Times, July 17, 1901.##], she is defining perfection within the purview of its Biblical meaning—and even more so, in harmony with the collective witness of Scripture as to the divine imperative that all sin be expelled from the lives of those who would inhabit God’s eternal kingdom.

“Perfectionism”

The article in question introduces the toxic label “perfectionism” in reference to Last Generation Theology, at various points indicting this theology as “an illustration of perfectionism” [10], “profiling human perfectionism” [11], elsewhere stating that the vindication of God’s character through the Last Generation saints—a key feature of Last Generation Theology—has been “rightly criticized as perfectionist by other Adventist authors” [12].

This label is truly out of place in contemporary Adventist theological discourse, for the simple reason that it employs a word used in the writings of Ellen White in a way widely at variance with Ellen White’s use of it. Only once does Ellen White use the word “perfectionism”—in the following statement:

God will not entrust the care of His precious flock to men whose mind and judgment have been weakened by former errors that they have cherished, such as so-called perfectionism and Spiritualism, and who, by their course while in these errors, have disgraced themselves and brought reproach upon the cause of truth. Although they may now feel free from error and competent to go forth and to teach this last message, God will not accept them. He will not entrust precious souls to their care, for their judgment was perverted while in error, and is now weakened [##13|White, Early Writings, p. 101.##].

In her description of those who taught what she describes here as “perfectionism,” it becomes clear that the theory she is describing is far removed from the doctrine of sinless living taught in both Scripture, the consensus of her own writings, and key proponents of what is known today as Last Generation Theology. A passage which, in another of her books, identifies the misguided “perfectionism” noted in the above statement, is worth quoting in full for the sake of clarity on this point:

During family prayer that night, the Spirit of the Lord rested upon me, and I was shown many things in vision. These men were presented to me as doing great injury to the cause of God. While professing sanctification, they were transgressing the sacred law. They were corrupt at heart, and those in union with them were under a satanic delusion, obeying their carnal instincts instead of the word of God.

They held that those who are sanctified cannot sin. And this naturally led to the belief that the affections and desires of the sanctified ones were always right, and never in danger of leading them into sin. In harmony with these sophistries, they were practicing the worst sins under the garb of sanctification, and through their deceptive, mesmeric influence were gaining a strange power over some of their associates, who did not see the evil of these apparently beautiful but seductive theories.

Terrible was their power over the people, for while holding their attention and winning their confidence through a mesmeric influence, they led the innocent and unsuspecting to believe that this influence was the Spirit of God. Therefore those who followed their teachings were deceived into the belief that they and their associates who claimed to be wholly sanctified, could fulfill all the desires of their hearts without sin.

Clearly the deceptions of these false teachers were laid open before me, and I saw the fearful account that stood against them in the book of records, and the terrible guilt that rested upon them for professing complete holiness while their daily acts were offensive in the sight of God.

Some time after this, the characters of these persons were developed before the people, and the vision given in reference to them was fully vindicated.

“Believe in Christ,” was the cry of these claimants of sanctification. “Only believe; this is all that is required of you. Only have faith in Jesus.”

The words of John came forcibly to my mind. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8. I was shown that those who triumphantly claim to be sinless, show by their very boasting that they are far from being without taint of sin. The more clearly fallen man comprehends the character of Christ, the more distrustful will he be of himself, and the more imperfect will his works appear to him, in contrast with those which marked the life of the spotless Redeemer. But those who are far from Jesus, those whose spiritual perceptions are so clouded by error that they cannot comprehend the character of the great Exemplar, conceive of Him as altogether such a one as themselves, and dare to talk of their own perfection of holiness. But they are far from God; they know little of themselves, and less of Christ [##14|——Life Sketches, pp. 83-84.##].

It isn’t difficult for anyone reading the above statement to see the clear difference between the Biblical doctrine of divinely-empowered sinless living here on earth and the false sanctification, or “perfectionism,” condemned in the above statement and elsewhere by Ellen White [##15|——The Sanctified Life, pp. 7-17; Review and Herald, June 6, 1878.##]. The three most obvious differences between these two doctrines are as follows:

1. Claiming to be sinless. Both Scripture and Ellen White uphold the divinely-empowered possibility of sinless obedience here on earth (e.g. Psalm 4:4; 37:27; 119:1-3,11; Zeph. 3:13; John 8:11; Rom. 6:14; 8:4; I Cor. 15:34; II Cor. 7:1; 10:4-5; Eph. 5:27; I Thess. 5:23; I Peter 2:21-22; 4:1; II Peter 3:10-14; I John 1:7,9; 3:2-3,7; Jude 24; Rev. 3:21; 14:5) [##16|——The Desire of Ages, p. 311; Steps to Christ, p. 34; Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 419-420; Evangelism, p. 385; Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 83; Selected Messages, vol. 3, p. 360; Review and Herald, Sept. 25, 1900; April 1, 1902; Sept. 27, 1906; Signs of the Times, June 10, 1903; June 17, 1903; Aug. 9, 1905; Youth’s Instructor, April 16, 1903.##] and the simultaneous impossibility of any earthly being claiming to have achieved this goal (e.g. I Kings 8:39; Job 9:20-21; I John 1:8) [##17|——Acts of the Apostles, pp. 560-561; Selected Messages, vol. 3, pp. 355-356; Signs of the Times, May 16, 1895.##]. Unlike the perfectionism condemned in Ellen White’s writings, Last Generation Theology as taught in contemporary Adventism upholds both of these parallel truths.

2. Trusting one’s natural affections and desires. Last Generation Theology maintains that the affections and desires of the lower nature, though not a source of guilt in themselves, must nevertheless be subdued by the higher nature (1 Cor. 9:27) [##18|——Ministry of Healing, p. 130; Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 114; The Adventist Home, pp. 127-128; Messages to Young People, p. 237; Review and Herald, Aug. 11, 1887.##]—a victory demonstrated for the Christian in the life and experience of the incarnate Christ (Luke 22:42; John 5:30; Rom. 8:3-4; 15:3; Heb. 2:14-17; 4:15). According to the writings of Ellen White, this struggle against the fleshly nature will continue till Jesus comes [##19|——Acts of the Apostles, pp. 560-561; Prophets and Kings, p. 84; Counsels to Teachers, p. 20; SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 1032; Selected Messages, vol. 2, p. 33.##]. By contrast, the “perfectionism” condemned by Ellen White in the above statements promised its adherents a purification of their fleshly urges so that these could be safely trusted. The Bible/Spirit of Prophecy doctrine of divinely-empowered sinless conduct teaches no such thing.

3. “Only believe” as the condition of salvation. Here again the advocates of the “perfectionism” described by Ellen White departed from inspired teaching. Both Scripture and the writings of Ellen White are clear that both forgiveness for our sinful past and obedience accomplished through divine grace are the prescribed conditions for Biblical salvation (Rom. 3:24; Eph. 1:7; Matt. 7:20; 19:16-26; Luke 10:25-28; Rom. 2:6-10; 8:3; Heb. 5:9) [##20|——The Desire of Ages, p. 523; Testimonies, vol. 2, pp. 561,679,694; Signs of the Times, Nov. 24, 1887; Dec. 15, 1887; Nov. 15, 1899; Review and Herald, June 22, 1890; Oct. 26, 1897; June 26, 1900; SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, pp. 920-972; This Day With God, p. 72; From the Heart, p. 181; Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, pp. 73-74.##].

In light of the above, any use of the term “perfectionism” to describe and disparage the Bible/Spirit of Prophecy teaching of divinely-empowered sinless living in the experience of earthly, fallen believers, is both false and confusing. In speaking negatively of “perfectionism,” Ellen White is describing a teaching fundamentally different from what Scripture, her own writings, and the vast majority of Adventist Last Generation Theology advocates have taught since the start of our church history, and continue to teach today. This is the simple reason why, in the words of one author, “last generation theologians reject as misrepresentation the perfectionistic tag” [21]—because Ellen White’s inspired use of this label condemns a teaching entirely at odds with what has come to be known in recent times as Last Generation Theology.

Biblical Perfection and Greek Philosophy

A very strange argument is voiced by the article in question when the author tries to compare the summons to character perfection by Last Generation Theology with certain assumptions within Greek philosophy. The author writes:

The God of the philosophers, who has influenced the understanding of God in classical theism, is a perfect being. In this view God’s perfection is a fixed and absolute state that does not accept new experiences. With such a definitional assumption, it is easy to read into the Bible the same static and settled condition of perfection when, for example, Jesus Christ commands us “be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt 5:48). As a result, such perfection would mean attaining a definite plateau from where no change is possible [22].

The article goes on to say:

Although recognizing that Christian perfection is not “a static perfectionism” but a “dynamic relationship with God that will never cease developing its likeness to Jesus,” LGT (Last Generation Theology) ambiguously presents the reaching of “a point in the growth pattern when the Christian has conquered every known sin; his behavior is predictably loving, unselfish, and Christlike.” Statements like this create the impression that, at least for some LGT supporters, perfection is a punctual state and focuses on human performance [23].

But in fact there is nothing ambiguous whatsoever in the position taken by Last Generation Theology on this point. In the first place, all in the present controversy agree that at some point on this earth—whether before the close of probation, during the great time of trouble, at the second coming of Christ, or some combination of the above—all sin will be removed from the lives of believers. In this respect, the perfection to be attained by redeemed humans is indeed a “punctual state.” But to the present writer’s knowledge, no one in the Adventist perfection controversy has ever alleged that the perfecting process ceases at that point. After all, the Bible says that Jesus, who at every point in His earthly walk was absolutely sinless, nevertheless “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52).

Regarding the perfecting of character required of the Christian, Ellen White states:

It is your work to advance toward perfection, making constant improvement, until at last you are pronounced worthy to receive immortal life. And even then the work of progression will not cease, but will continue throughout eternity [##24|White, In Heavenly Places, p. 186.##].

It is our life-work to be reaching forward to the perfection of Christian character, striving continually for conformity to the will of God. The efforts begun upon earth will continue through eternity. God’s standard of man is elevated to the highest meaning of the term, and if he acts up to his God-given standard, he will promote happiness in this life, which will lead to glory and an eternal reward in the life to come [##25|——Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 520.##].

In other words, the complete removal of sin from the Christian life is really just the first step in the work of sanctification. Throughout the eons of eternity future the saved will continue drawing ever closer to the likeness of their Lord, in ways mortal minds can but dimly fathom.

Condemnation and Culpability

The article in question tries to draw a contrast between condemnation and culpability so far as humanity’s inborn nature is concerned:

In addition to the functional and relational damage created by sin, human nature is structurally infected and affected by sin. In agreement with LGT, non-LGT proponents indicate that “humans are not culpable for this sinful tendency and propensity to sin rooted in their nature,” but, in disagreement with LGT, “this fact places them under condemnation and alienation toward God (John 3:36; Eph. 2:1–3) [26].

But how can one be under condemnation because of the presence of one’s sinful nature, yet not be culpable for the same? If one is not culpable because of an involuntary condition, how can such a condition result in involuntary condemnation? The Bible verses quoted in the above reference say nothing of involuntary condemnation; the context of both passages speak of condemnation on account of refusing to believe in Jesus (John 3:36) and through being “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). In neither passage, nor their context, is sin described as part of humanity’s birth-nature. {The phrase “by nature” in the inspired writings, whether Scripture or Ellen White, doesn’t always refer to the nature with which one is born. Context and the inspired consensus tell the difference.) The sins described in Ephesians 2:1-3 are all behavioral; none are depicted as inborn.

Ellen White, commenting on this passage from Ephesians, likewise identifies the sins here depicted as chosen, not inborn:

The lives of all people, as the gospel finds them, are full of sin. By yielding to temptation they have weakened their power to obey. Their hearts are “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” They are dead in trespasses and sins, and in their own strength they can do no good [##27|White, From the Heart, p. 259.##].

The Bible is clear, regarding the nature of sin, that “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:

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 [##28|——That I May Know Him, p. 140.##].

It is not in the power of Satan to force anyone to sin. Sin is the sinner’s individual act. Before sin exists in the heart, the consent of the will must be given, and as soon as it is given, sin is triumphant, and hell rejoices [##29|——Signs of the Times, Dec. 18, 1893.##]

In direct disagreement with the doctrine which many call original sin, the Bible declares: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son” (Eze. 18:20). In Ellen White’s words:

The light of life is freely proffered to all. Every one who will may be guided by the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. Christ is the great remedy for sin. None can plead their circumstances, their education, or their temperament as an excuse for living in rebellion against God. Sinners are such by their own deliberate choice [##30|——From the Heart, p. 151.##].

The reason that “judgment [has come] upon all men to condemnation” (Rom. 5:18) is because “all have sinned” (verse 12), not because Adam’s fall forced his descendants to become sinners. Condemnation without choice is not a Bible doctrine. The protest of Last Generation Theology against the doctrine of involuntary sin, whatever label it goes by, is in full accord with the teachings of Scripture and the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy.

The Role of Human Effort

Speaking of the blameless life enjoined in Scripture, the article in question claims: “Such a life is not a product of one’s efforts” [31]. Elsewhere the article states:

The realization of the eschatological promise is facilitated through Christ’s sacrifice, not through human effort. This does not suggest passivity among His followers; instead, they demonstrate loyalty and safeguard their faithfulness to God, even in the face of personal loss (Rev 7:14–17) [32].

The above statement is more confusing than clarifying, as it fails to establish what the human agent is in fact required to do in the saving process. The article goes on to allege that Last Generation Theology “focuses on human performance,” [33], supposedly in contrast with “the scriptural spotlight [which] remains on divine action rather than human effort” [34]. At another point the article insists that “the fulfillment of God’s eschatological perfection is not rooted in human performance but is a manifestation of divine grace made possible solely through Christ” [35].

If only the word “unaided” were added to these warnings against reliance on human effort, we could agree. But the Bible is very clear that the process of sanctification includes active cooperation with divine initiatives on the part of the human agent. The apostle Paul writes that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rules of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). Paul goes on to discuss the spiritual armor and weaponry the Christian is required to use in the struggle against sin and Satan (verses 13-17). It would truly make no sense for God to place an armor on the Christian—complete with breastplate, helmet, shield, battle shoes, and sword—and then tell the Christian to stand aside and let Him do the fighting!

Other Bible verses are clear as to humanity’s active role in cooperation with divine power in the work of salvation. Paul writes of our need to “work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12-13). Perhaps the best example of this principle is found in Hebrews chapter 11, often called the Faith Chapter, where the believer’s faith-relationship with God is repeatedly demonstrated through active human conduct. The apostle James likewise admonishes his readers:

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners: and purify your hearts, ye double minded (James 4:7-8).

Notice the above passage doesn’t say, Submit yourselves to God, and then He’ll resist the devil in your place. Rather, it instructs us to submit to God, and then to resist, to draw near to God so He in turn will draw near to us, thus enabling us to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. Make no mistake about it. God is the Source of all the power by which humans are enabled to resist the devil. But the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy writings are clear that the resistance here enjoined is a cooperative process.

Indeed, a verse quoted by the very article under review [36], noted earlier in the present response, underscores the active and practical cooperation the Christian is to pursue in conjunction with divine grace in the removal of sin from the life:

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (II Cor. 7:1).

In harmony with Scripture, Ellen White repeatedly affirms the role of human effort in the process of perfecting Christian character. Following are but a few of the statements that could be cited:

The Lord does not propose to perform for us either the willing or the doing. This is our proper work. As soon as we earnestly enter upon the work, God’s grace is given to work in us to will and to do, but never as a substitute for our effort. Our souls are to be aroused to cooperate. The Holy Spirit works the human agent, to work out our own salvation [##37|White, Testimonies to Ministers, p. 240.##].

The fact that Christ has conquered should inspire His followers with courage to fight manfully the battle against sin and Satan [##38|——The Great Controversy, p. 510.##].

We have a work to do to resist temptation. Those who would not fall a prey to Satan’s devices must guard well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts [##39|——Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 460.##].

There must be a constant, earnest struggling of the soul against the evil imaginings of the mind. There must be a steadfast resistance of temptation to sin in thought or act. The soul must be kept from every stain, through faith in Him who is able to keep you from falling [##40|——Sons and Daughters of God, p. 109.##].

Man never could have overcome the power of appetite unless Christ had overcome in his behalf; but now man may obtain the victory. Christ came to bring divine power to unite with human effort, so that although we have been debased by perverted appetite, we may take courage, for we are prisoners of hope [##41|——Signs of the Times, Aug. 4, 1890.##].

Let no one imagine that it is an easy thing to overcome the enemy and that he can be borne aloft to an incorruptible inheritance without effort on his part…. Few appreciate the importance of striving constantly to overcome. They relax their diligence and, as a result, become selfish and self-indulgent. Spiritual vigilance is not thought to be essential. Earnestness in human effort is not brought into the Christian life [##42|——Testimonies, vol. 5, pp. 539-540.##].

Man must work with his human power, aided by the divine power of Christ, to resist and to conquer at any cost to himself. In short, man must overcome as Christ overcame…. This could not be the case if Christ alone did all the overcoming. Man must do his part; he must be victor on his own account [##43|——Testimonies, vol. 4, pp. 32-33 (italics original).##].

He (Christ) came to earth to unite His divine power with our human efforts, that through the strength and moral power which He imparts, we may overcome in our own behalf [##44|——Signs of the Times, Aug. 7, 1879.##].

You are to open the door of the heart. You are to clear away the rubbish from the portals, and throw wide the door, that the heavenly Guest may find a welcome and an entrance. Christ will not enter a heart that is defiled with sin. It is our work to put away all iniquity [##45|——Review and Herald, Oct. 30, 1888.##].

“Already/Not Yet”

The article in question states as follows regarding Christian perfection:

It is characterized by an “already/not yet” dynamic. This dynamic has past, present, and future dimensions. Through Christ’s sacrifice, all those who chose Him were made perfect. The Scripture becomes an appeal for them to persevere in their faithful relationship with Christ, as maturity is God’s standard for them [46].

It’s important to remember, of course, that according to the Bible, “choosing Christ” involves sanctification and obedience. The book of Hebrews declares, as the article in question bears witness [47], that “by one offering He (Christ) hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Heb. 10:14). Choosing Christ, and thus being perfected by His sacrifice, is thus an experience only the sanctified can have. Ellen White is clear, as is Paul (Heb. 6:1), that this perfecting is a process. We will further consider this process in a moment.

The article later describes this “already/not yet” dynamic as “continual dependence on Christ for continual character growth” [48], a point on which we all could agree. But the following statement from the article, like another we noted earlier, leaves more confusion than clarity in its wake:

Given the focus on the last generation, LGT practically depicts perfection as an “already,” overlooking the “not yet” facet. As a result, by making one’s relationship with sin prominent, LGT tends to be one-sided in its approach to perfection. Those rejecting LGT have one’s relationship with Christ in the foreground and the relationship with sin in the background. They consistently define perfection as a continuous state, centering on Christ’s performance [49].

The above statement implies that one can have a relationship with both sin and Christ at the same time. But the Bible is clear that when one is connected with Christ through His grace, “sin shall not have dominion over you” (Rom. 6:14). And all it takes is one sin to disqualify us in God’s judgment, for the Bible declares, “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). All it took was one sin to remove our first parents from Eden, and all it will take is one sin—unconfessed and unforsaken—to keep any of us from returning to Eden.

Sin, in other words, is the only element that keeps any of us from having, or maintaining, a relationship with Christ. This is why the apostle Paul urges his readers to “examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith” (II Cor. 13:5). Ellen White echoes this admonition in the following statement:

The daily review of our acts, to see whether conscience approves or condemns, is necessary for all who wish to arrive at the perfection of Christian character [##50|White, Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 512.##].

The above inspired passages, and many others, form the rationale by which Last Generation Theology exhorts its adherents to focus on the cleansing of their lives from sin through heaven’s power. In another statement Ellen White declares:

Not one of us will receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon them. It is left with us to remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse the soul temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us, as the early rain fell upon the disciples upon the day of Pentecost [##51|——Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 214.##].

Lest anyone conclude that the statement, “it is left with us,” implies that the saints do this cleansing in their own strength, Ellen White is clear in such statements as the following that the Lord will provide the power whereby this is accomplished:

May the Lord help His people to cleanse the soul temple from every defilement, and to maintain such a close connection with Him that they may be partakers of the latter rain when it shall be poured out [##52|——SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1055.##].

Brother P, you are a rough stone; but the hand of a skillful workman is upon you. Will you let Him hew and square you, and polish you for that building which is coming together without the sound of ax or hammer? Not a blow is to be struck after probation closes. You must now, in the hours of probation, overcome your impetuous temper, or be separated from God at last [##53|——Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 430.##].

“As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.” God will have a people zealous of good works, standing firm amid the pollutions of this degenerate age. There will be a people who will hold so fast to the divine strength that they will be proof against every temptation [##54|——Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 472.##].

Jesus sits as a refiner and purifier of His people; and when His image is perfectly reflected in them, they are perfect and holy, and prepared for translation. A great work is required of the Christian. We are exhorted to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God [##55|——Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 340.##].

So without question, as the article under review states, the perfection God seeks from His people is accomplished through “continual dependence on Christ for continual character growth” [56]. But the above statements are consistently clear that this is a cooperative endeavor. Jesus doesn’t purify His people all by His lonesome Self. We must actively cooperate with His imparted strength.

We need to remember one other Biblical truth, of course, when we speak of our active cooperation with God’s power in the saving process. Everything that all humans possess is a gift from God, whether before or after conversion. The Bible declares, in the words of King David just before his death: “For all things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee” (I Chron. 29:14). Ellen White mentions this text three times in the space of three pages [##57|White, Faith and Works, pp. 20-23.##], when explaining why so-called “creature merit” is impossible. In her words:

So the satisfaction of creature merit cannot be in returning to the Lord His own, for it was always His own property to be used as He in His providence should direct [##58|——Faith and Works, p. 21.##].

Returning to the “already/not yet” principle, Ellen White declares that “at every stage of development our life may be perfect, yet if God’s purpose for us is fulfilled, there will be continual advancement” [##59|——Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 65.##]. The article in question rightly represents Last Generation Theology on the issue of ignorant sin and how Christ’s atonement covers such shortcomings [60]. This principle arises, of course, from Scripture itself, which speaks of how God winks at the times of our ignorance (Acts 17:30) and how “to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). Ellen White speaks of how Christ’s mediation in heaven covers sins of ignorance in the following statement:

The minds of all who embrace this message are directed to the most holy place, where Jesus stands before the ark, making His final intercession for all those for whom mercy still lingers and for those who have ignorantly broken the law of God. This atonement is made for the righteous dead as well as for the righteous living. It includes all who died trusting in Christ, but who, not having received the light upon God’s commandments, had sinned ignorantly in transgressing its precepts [##61|White, Early Writings, p. 254.##].

The article in question repeats a popular misperception regarding Last Generation Theology when it claims that this construct “entails a double standard: one for the last generation—whose performance will supersede all previous efforts—and one for all previous ages” [62]. But while Ellen White is clear that “the condition of eternal life is now just what it always has been,--just what it was in Paradise before the fall of our first parents—perfect obedience to the law of God, perfect righteousness” [##63|White, Steps to Christ, p. 62.##], the above Ellen White statement on sins of ignorance—together with the Bible verses we have seen (Acts 17:30; James 4:17)—make it clear that God judges individuals and generations based on the volume of light and truth they have received. Hence our Lord’s statement in Luke 12:48:

For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

The following Ellen White statement draws a specific contrast between past generations of believers and history’s final generation:

We are accountable for the privileges that we enjoy, and for the light that shines upon our pathway. Those who lived in past generations were accountable for the light which was permitted to shine upon them. Their minds were exercised in regard to different points of Scripture which tested them. But they did not understand the truths which we do. They were not responsible for the light which they did not have. They had the Bible, as we have, but the time for the unfolding of special truth in relation to the closing scenes of this earth’s history, is during the last generations that shall live upon the earth.

Special truths have been adapted to the conditions of the generations as they have existed. The present truth, which is a test to the people of this generation, was not a test to the people of generations far back….

We are accountable only for the light that shines upon us [##64|——Testimonies, vol. 2, pp. 692-693.##].

But Ellen White is clear that following the close of probation, during the great time of trouble, “the righteous must live in the sight of a holy God without an intercessor” [##65|——The Great Controversy, p. 614.##]. Hence there will be no mediation for sin of any kind, ignorant or otherwise. Thus Ellen White says, regarding the preparation needed for this ultimate crisis:

When our earthly labors are ended, and Christ shall come for His faithful children, we shall then shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of our Father. But before that time shall come, everything that is imperfect in us will have been seen and put away. All envy and jealousy and evil surmising and every selfish plan will have been banished from the life [##66|——Selected Messages, vol. 3, p. 427 (italics supplied).##].

Thus the saints after probation’s close will be prepared to stand without intercession, whether for ignorant sin or known sin. For this reason Ellen White declares that at the second coming, “The Refiner does not then sit to pursue His refining process and remove their sins and their corruption. This is all to be done in these hours of probation” [##67|——Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 355.##].

No, Last Generation Theology does not teach a “double” divine standard. The standard is the same in every age—perfect obedience to the divine law. But God in His infinite justice asks us to adhere only to that light and truth that has shone on our pathway. The mediation of Christ in heaven covers whatever sins of ignorance linger in such a life. But before His mediation ceases at the end of time, “everything that is imperfect in us will have been seen and put away” [##68|——Selected Messages, vol. 3, p. 427.##]. Hence the imperative in God’s summons to His end-time church today.

Though not saying it outright, the article in question implies that the mediation of Christ never comes to an end, when the author insists that the standard of character perfection is “fulfilled only in Christ and through Christ’s mediation” [69]. What does the author believe constitutes Christ’s mediation? Forgiveness? Empowerment? Both? What in fact does he believe ceases at the close of probation? These questions the article leaves unanswered.

In short, the “already/not yet” principle is valid, provided we are speaking of perfection according to revealed light. What is equally imperative is that we understand that when all sin has been revealed and put away from us, we will not know that this has occurred. Only God knows the hearts of His creatures (I Kings 8:39); thus only He can declare, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Rev. 14:12). Like Job, whom God declared to be free from sin both before and during his ultimate struggle (Job 1:1,8,22; 2:10), who nevertheless refused to declare himself perfect (Job 9:20-21), God’s end-time people will refrain from making any such claims about themselves. It is God who declares, when His voice turns the captivity of His saints: “’They come! they come! holy, harmless, and undefiled; they have kept the word of My patience; they shall walk among the angels’” [##70|White, The Great Controversy, p. 636.##].

Earthliness and the Presence of Sin

Like other critics of Last Generation Theology, the author of the article in question finds tension between the following two Ellen White statements [71]:

Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above, are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort they must be conquerors in the battle with evil. While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God’s people upon earth….

When this work shall have been accomplished, the followers of Christ will be ready for His appearing [##72|Whitre, The Great Controversy, p. 425.##].

It is needful for them to be placed in the furnace of fire; their earthliness must be consumed, that the image of Christ may be perfectly reflected [##73|——The Great Controversy, p. 621.##].

The latter statement is made in the context of the great time of trouble, following the close of probation. Thus the article in question observes, after citing the above statement:

The fact that there is “earthliness” lingering in the last generation points to a “process of development after the close of probation.” Consequently, one cannot describe the last generation’s perfection as the culmination of a growth process before the time of trouble; rather, the focus is on the growth process itself, that continues even after the close of probation [74].

But the issue here is not whether spiritual growth continues after the close of probation. We have already established that according to Ellen White, such growth will continue throughout eternity, long after all sin has been expunged from the saints’ lives [##75|White, In Heavenly Places, p. 186; Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 520.##]. The question is, Does the earthliness to be consumed from the saints during the great time of trouble include sin of any kind?

Ellen White is clear that the process of removing sin from the lives of God’s people has been finished before probation ceases. We have seen a number of such statements already, some of which are reproduced below:

When this work shall have been accomplished, the followers of Christ will be ready for His appearing [##76|——The Great Controversy, p. 425.##].

Those who receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully. . . . I saw that none could share the “refreshing” unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action [##77|——Early Writings, p. 71.##].

Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon them. It is left with us to remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse the soul temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us, as the early rain fell upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost [##78|——Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 214.##].

What are you doing, brethren, in the great work of preparation? Those who are uniting with the world, are receiving the worldly mold, and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth—these are receiving the heavenly mold, and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. When the decree goes forth, and the stamp is impressed, their character will remain pure and spotless for eternity.

Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of the ambitious, world-loving man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of men or women of false tongues or deceitful hearts. All who receive the seal must be without spot before God—candidates for heaven [##79|——Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 216.##].

The latter rain will come, and the blessing of God will fill every soul that is purified from every defilement. It is our work today to yield our souls to Christ, that we may be fitted for the time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord—fitted for the baptism of the Holy Spirit [##80|——Evangelism, p. 702.##].

When He comes, He is not to cleanse us of our sins, to remove from us the defects in our characters, or to cure us of the infirmities of our tempers and dispositions. If wrought for us at all, this work will all be accomplished before that time. When the Lord comes, those who are holy will be holy still…. The Refiner does not then sit to pursue His refining process and remove their sins and their corruption. This is all to be done in these hours of probation [##81|——Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 355.##].

In light of the statements cited above, which speak of all sin being removed from believers’ lives before probation closes, it is clear that whatever remains to be removed from believers’ lives in the wake of probation’s close does not include sin. Many will not perceive until the ultimate crisis the need for absolute, exclusive trust in God at the deepest level. Speaking of what the saints will experience during this crisis, Ellen White observes:

In the last great conflict of the controversy with Satan those who are loyal to God will see every earthly support cut off [##82|——The Desire of Ages, p. 121.##].

Many earthly support systems—family, friends, the fellowship of the church—were divinely established, and to repose a certain trust in them is not sinful. But during this time God must remove these anchors from our souls to give total proof of our utter helplessness apart from Him. In another statement Ellen White helps us further understand this principle:

We may have special, select friends that, all unperceived and unacknowledged by us, we place in the heart where God should be, and we can never perfect a round, full Christian experience until every earthly support is removed, and the soul centers its entire affections about God [##83|——Letter 6, 1894, quoted in The Fannie Bolton Story: A Collection of Source Documents (Silver Spring, MD: Ellen G. White Estate, 1990), p. 36.##].

Now let us look again at the statement about earthliness needing to be consumed after probation closes:

It is needful for them to be placed in the furnace of fire; their earthliness must be consumed, that the image of Christ may be perfectly reflected [##84|——The Great Controversy, p. 621.##].

Putting these statements together, along with the others we have seen about the total conquest of sin in believers’ lives before probation ends, it becomes clear that the earthliness left in the saints during the great time of trouble is not sin, but rather, reliance on earthly support systems which must be taken from the faithful in order to prove their fidelity in the deepest possible way.

The article in question states: “Only at the second coming of Christ will human nature be transformed and the presence of sin be removed” [85]. The first part of the statement is correct: only at the second coming will our fallen natures be changed. Ellen White is very clear on this point [##86|White, Acts of the Apostles, pp. 560-561; Counsels to Teachers, p. 20; Prophets and Kings, p. 84; SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 1032; Selected Messages, vol. 2, p. 33.##]. But neither Scripture nor Ellen White teach that the mere possession of a fallen nature and the presence of sin are synonymous. One statement we’ve quoted several times is clear enough to inform us that when Jesus comes, “the Refiner does not then sit to pursue His refining process and remove their sins and their corruption. This is all to be done in these hours of probation” [##87|——Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 355.##].

Are Loyalty and Sinlessness Different?

Any number of contemporary Adventist authors have recently claimed that loyalty to God is not the same as sinless obedience. One contemporary Adventist perfection denier states

Biblical perfection refers to a total commitment and loyalty to God that reflects His character but that allows for the possibility of incidental and accidental weaknesses and mistakes [##88|Jiri Moskala and John C. Peckham (eds.), God’s Character and the Last Generation (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Publishing Assn, 2018), p. 233.##].

Another writes, “God is looking for your loyalty, not your perfection” [##89|Marvin Moore, The 144,000 and the Nearness of Christ’s Return (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Publishing Assn, 2020), p. 188.##].

The article under review leaves itself open to similar conclusions when its author writes, “Such faithfulness (the overcoming of sinful actions) is best described as loyalty to Christ” [90]. More dangerously, the author writes on the same page:

The Bible, emphasizing human loyalty to God across past, present, and future rather than mere human achievement, does not align with the emphasis on the role of the last generation in vindicating God’s character [91].

We will address the issue of God’s vindication in a moment. But it seems the Lord inspired Ellen White to reply directly to such reasoning as the above in the following statement:

The law demands perfect obedience. “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” James 2:10. Not one of those ten precepts can be broken without disloyalty to the God of heaven. The least deviation from its requirements, by neglect or willful transgression, is sin [##92|White, Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 218.##].

The Vindication of God

The article in question seems to have paid little attention to both Biblical and Spirit of Prophecy statements regarding God’s vindication by His people. At one point in the article we find this statement:

In the New Testament, the primary focus is on highlighting Christ’s performance. However, when the attention shifts to human perfection in relation to divine vindication, it tends to diminish the significance of Christ’s performance [93].

We already saw this statement:

But no attention is paid by the article to such Bible verses as the apostle Paul’s assurance to the church: “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly” (Rom. 16:20), obviously echoing the words of the Bible’s first Messianic prophecy (Gen. 3:15). Ellen White echoes these words in such statements as the following:

The church will yet see troublous times. She will prophesy in sackcloth. But although she must meet heresies and persecutions, although she must battle with the infidel and the apostate, yet by the help of God she is bruising the head of Satan [##95|White, Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 594.##].

God help us to take heed to ourselves or we shall certainly lose heaven. Little departures from right, little indulgences, seem a trifling thing at present; but Satan will lead us on a track that will separate us from righteousness and from God. We want not our ways but God’s ways. We want to strive with all the powers of being to bruise Satan under our feet and be sure that we are right with God, that we have a clear title to our immortal inheritance [##96|——This Day With God, p. 27.##].

Quite clearly, Jesus didn’t do all the bruising necessary at the cross so far as Satan is concerned. He is going to use His people to do this as well. Let’s be clear—the power for this bruising is all provided by the cross; Scripture is clear that the work of sanctification is as much made possible by the blood of Jesus as is that of justification (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Heb. 10:29; 13:12,20-21). But the inspired statements we have seen make clear that that power remains ours to exercise.

The following Ellen White statement is clear as to why Satan was not destroyed at the cross—because even the angels didn’t fully understand the issues of the great controversy:

Yet Satan was not then destroyed. The angels did not even then understand all that was involved in the great controversy. The principles at stake were to be more fully revealed. And for the sake of man, Satan’s existence must be continued. Man as well as angels must see the contrast between the Prince of light and the prince of darkness. He must choose whom he will serve [##97|——The Desire of Ages, p. 761.##].

Two pages later she writes:

The warfare against God’s law, which was begun in heaven, will be continued until the end of time. Every man will be tested. Obedience or disobedience is the question to be decided by the whole world. All will be called to choose between the law of God and the laws of men. Here the dividing line will be drawn. There will be but two classes. Every character will be fully developed, and all will show whether they have chosen the side of loyalty or that of rebellion.

Then the end will come. God will vindicate His law and deliver His people [##98|——The Desire of Ages, p. 763.##].

Clearly, there is to be a major act in vindicating God’s law and character at the end of time, an act in which both He and His people will be involved. Ellen White writes of this fact as follows:

We were brought into existence because we were needed. How sad the thought that if we stand on the wrong side, in the ranks of the enemy, we are lost to the design of our creation [##99|——Signs of the Times, April 22, 1903.##].

In another statement she writes:

Man can accomplish nothing without God, and God has arranged His plans so as to accomplish nothing in the restoration of the human race without the cooperation of the human with the divine. The part man is required to sustain is immeasurably small, yet in the plan of God it is just that part that is needed to make the work a success [##100|——God’s Amazing Grace, p. 319.##].

Even more amazingly she writes:

All heaven is represented to me as watching the unfolding of events. A crisis is to be revealed in the great and prolonged controversy in the government of God on earth. Something great and decisive is to take place, and that right early. If any delay, the character of God and His throne will be compromised [##101|——Manuscript 27, 1892.##].

The article in question states that “vindicating God is not a prerogative of the last generation but a privilege of all generations” [102]. This is true. Ellen White, in fact, states that “it becomes every child of God to vindicate His character” [##103|White, Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 317.##]. But as we have seen, only at the end of time will God’s people stand without a Mediator in the heavenly sanctuary, free from every sin (including those sins of which they were formerly ignorant), constrained to live victoriously over every transgression in the darkest hour of time and eternity. Hence we find the following Ellen White statements focused primarily on the vindication God expects from His saints in the final moments of sacred history:

If there was ever a people in need of constantly increasing light from heaven, it is the people that, in this time of peril, God has called to be the depositaries of His holy law, and to vindicate His character before the world [##104|——Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 746.##].

God will have a people upon the earth who will vindicate His honor by having respect to all of His commandments…. Not one of us can afford to dishonor God by living in transgression of His law [##105|——Review and Herald, Aug. 25, 1885.##].

His heart of sympathy goes out to all earth’s sufferers, and with every one who works for their relief, He co-operates. As with His blessing health returns, the character of God will be vindicated, and the lie thrown back upon Satan, its originator [##106|——Christian Educator, Oct. 1, 1898.##].

New territory is to be added to God’s kingdom. New tracts of moral vineyard are to be cultivated as the garden of the Lord. The honor of the law of God is to be vindicated before the unfallen worlds, before the heavenly universe, and before the fallen world. The bitterest persecution will come, but when Zion arises, and puts on her beautiful garments, she will shine forth in the beauty of holiness [##107|——Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 338.##].

The article in question quotes what it describes as a “third passage” from Ellen White on the vindication of God’s character [108], which reads:

The very image of God is to be reproduced in humanity. The honor of God, the honor of Christ, is involved in the perfection of the character of His people [##109|White, The Desire of Ages, p. 671.##].

The author of this article seems unaware of just how many Ellen White statements affirm this teaching, as the citations noted above bear witness. In another statement she uses similar language to the one just quoted:

The cold heart is to be quickened and glow with divine love. It is to beat in unison with the heart of the Redeemer. The honor of Christ must stand complete in the perfection of the character of His chosen people. He desires that they shall represent His character to the world [##110|——Signs of the Times, Nov. 25, 1897.##].

Far from being based merely on “selective citations of White’s writings” [111], the theme of end-time perfection in the lives of God’s people and the vindication of God’s character thereby is pervasive throughout Ellen White’s teachings, and has a strong Biblical foundation as well (e.g. Zeph. 3:13; Zech. 3:1-4; Rev. 12:10-11; 14:5,12). Indeed, Last Generation Theology is little more than the remnant church theology under a different name, a doctrinal construct that has saturated Seventh-day Adventism from the beginning of our movement. Anglican scholar Geoffrey Paxton, in his 1977 book The Shaking of Adventism, was constrained to observe after having surveyed over a century of Adventist literature:

The doctrine of the perfecting of the final generation stands near the heart of Adventist theology [##112|Geoffrey J. Paxton, The Shaking of Adventism (Wilmington, DE: Zenith Publishing Co, 1977), p. 114.##].

Conclusion: Striking a Balance or Embracing Error?

The article in question is right when it speaks of character perfection as designed to re-establish the image of God in humanity [113]. Sadly, the article is less than clear, even misleading, on the all-important question as to whether this restoration is to occur within probationary time, in full view of a lost world and a watching universe. Both Scripture and Ellen White are clear that this is to happen on this earth, while believers still possess fallen human natures:

The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies, neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid (Zeph. 3:13).

I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession,

That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ (I Tim. 6:13-14).

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? . . .

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless (II Peter 3:11-12,14).

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

And every one that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure (I John 3:2-3).

Here is the patience of the saints. Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus (Rev. 14:12).

The church, being endowed with the righteousness of Christ, is His depository, in which the wealth of His mercy, His love, His grace, is to appear in full and final display…. The gift of His Holy Spirit, rich, full, and abundant, is to be to His church as an encompassing wall of fire, which the powers of hell shall not prevail against. In their untainted purity and spotless perfection, Christ looks upon His people as the reward of all His suffering, His humiliation, and His love, and the supplement of His glory [##114|White, Testimonies to Ministers, pp. 18-19.##].

The Saviour is wounded afresh and put to open shame when His people pay no heed to His word. He came to this world and lived a sinless life, that in His power His people might also live lives of sinlessness. He desires them by practicing the principles of truth to show to the world that God’s grace has power to sanctify the heart [##115|——Review and Herald, April 1, 1902.##].

The article in question urges that a “balance” be struck in the Seventh-day Adventist quest for character perfection. But that balance cannot be crafted with theological or experiential factors as part of the equation. Balance in the faith and practice of God’s people, especially at this point in the Sacred Narrative, must become whatever the consensus of God’s written counsel chooses to make it (Isa. 8:20; Acts 17:11). Balance in any other form leaves us vulnerable to error.

REFERENCES

1. Dan-Adrian Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, pp. 2-10. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

2. Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 253.

3. Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, p. 2. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

4. Ibid, pp. 6,7.

5. See Edward Heppenstall, “Let Us Go On to Perfection;” Hans K. LaRondelle, “The Biblical Idea of Perfection,” Perfection: The Impossible Possibility (Nashville, TN: Southern Publishing Assn, 1975), pp. 57-136.

6. Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, pp. 3-5. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

7. White, Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 20.

8. Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, p. 4. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

9. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 311; Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, pp. 76-77; Signs of the Times, July 17, 1901.

10. Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, p. 2; see also p. 5. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

11. Ibid, p. 9.

12. Ibid, p. 8.

13. White, Early Writings, p. 101.

14. ----Life Sketches, pp. 83-84.

15. ----The Sanctified Life, pp. 7-17; Review and Herald, June 6, 1878.

16. ----The Desire of Ages, p. 311; Steps to Christ, p. 34; Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 419-420; Evangelism, p. 385; Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 83; Selected Messages, vol. 3, p. 260; Review and Herald, Sept. 25, 1900; April 1, 1902; Sept. 27, 1906; Signs of the Times, June 10, 1903; June 17, 1903; Aug. 9, 1905; Youth’s Instructor, April 16, 1903.

17. ----Acts of the Apostles, pp. 560-561; Selected Messages, vol. 3, pp. 355-356; Signs of the Times, May 16, 1895.

18. ----Ministry of Healing, p. 130; Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 114; The Adventist Home, p. 127-128; Messages to Young People, p. 237; Review and Herald, Aug. 11, 1887.

19. ----Acts of the Apostles, pp. 560-561; Prophets and Kings, p. 84; Counsels to Teachers, p. 20; SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 1032; Selected Messages, vol. 2, p. 33.

20. ----The Desire of Ages, p. 523; Testimonies, vol. 2, pp. 561,679,694; Signs of the Times, Nov. 24, 1887; Dec. 15, 1887; Nov. 15, 1899; Review and Herald, June 22, 1890; Oct. 26, 1897; June 26, 1900; SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, pp. 920,972; This Day With God, p. 72; From the Heart, p. 181; Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, pp. 73-74.

21. Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, p. 7. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

22. Ibid, p. 2.

23. Ibid, p. 8.

24. White, In Heavenly Places, p. 186.

25. ----Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 520.

26. Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, p. 6. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

27. White, From the Heart, p. 259.

28. ----That I May Know Him, p. 140.

29. ----Signs of the Times, Dec. 18, 1893.

30. ----From the Heart, p. 151.

31. Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, p. 3. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

32. Ibid, p. 5.

33. Ibid, p. 8

34. Ibid.

35. Ibid, p. 5.

36. Ibid, p. 4.

37. White, Testimonies to Ministers, p. 240.

38. ----The Great Controversy, p. 510.

39. ----Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 460.

40. ----Sons and Daughters of God, p. 109.

41. ----Signs of the Times, Aug. 4, 1890.

42. ----Testimonies, vol. 5, pp. 539-540.

43. Ibid, vol. 4, pp. 32-33 (italics original).

44. ----Signs of the Times, Aug. 7, 1879.

45. ----Review and Herald, Oct. 30, 1888.

46. Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, p. 5. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

47. Ibid.

48. Ibid, p. 9.

49. Ibid, p. 8.

50. White, Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 512.

51. Ibid, vol. 5, p. 214.

52. -----SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1055.

53. ----Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 430.

54. Ibid, vol. 3, p. 472.

55. Ibid, vol. 1, p. 340.

56. Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, p. 9. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

57. White, Faith and Works, pp. 20-23.

58. Ibid, p. 21.

59. ----Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 65.

60. Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, p. 6. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

61. White, Early Writings, p. 254.

62. Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, p. 8. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

63. White, Steps to Christ, p. 62.

64. White, Testimonies, vol. 2, pp. 692-693.

65. ----The Great Controversy, p. 614.

66. ----Selected Messages, vol. 3, p. 427 (italics supplied).

67. ----Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 355.

68. ----Selected Messages, vol. 3, p. 427.

69. Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, p. 8. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

70. ----The Great Controversy, p. 636.

71. Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, pp. 6-7. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

72. White, The Great Controversy, p. 425.

73. Ibid, p. 621.

74. Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, p. 7. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

75. White, In Heavenly Places, p. 186; Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 520.

76. ----The Great Controversy, p. 425.

77. ----Early Writings, p. 71.

78. ----Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 214.

79. Ibid, p. 216.

80. ----Evangelism, p. 702.

81. ----Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 355.

82. ----The Desire of Ages, p. 121.

83. ---- Letter 6, 1894, quoted in The Fannie Bolton Story: A Collection of Source Documents (Silver Spring, MD: Ellen G. White Estate, 1990), p. 36.

84. ----The Great Controversy, p. 621.

85. Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, p. 6. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

86. White, Acts of the Apostles, pp. 560-561; Counsels to Teachers, p. 20; Prophets and Kings, p. 84; SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 1032; Selected Messages, vol. 2, p. 33.

87. ----Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 355.

88. Jiri Moskala and John C. Peckham (eds.), God’s Character and the Last Generation (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Publishing Assn, 2018), p. 233.

89. Marvin Moore, The 144,000 and the Nearness of Christ’s Return (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Publishing Assn, 2020), p. 188.

90. Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, p. 8. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

91. Ibid.

92. White, Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 218.

93. Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, p. 8. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

94. Ibid.

95. White, Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 594.

96. ----This Day With God, p. 27.

97. ----The Desire of Ages, p. 761.

98. Ibid, p. 763.

99. ----Signs of the Times, April 22, 1903.

100. ----God’s Amazing Grace, p. 319.

101. ----Manuscript 27, 1892.

102. Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, p. 7. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

103. White, Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 317.

104. Ibid, p. 746.

105. ----Review and Herald, Aug. 25, 1885.

106. ----Christian Educator, Oct. 1, 1898.

107. ----Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 338.

108. Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, p. 6. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

109. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 671.

110. ----Signs of the Times, Nov. 25, 1897.

111. Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, p. 6. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

112. Geoffrey J. Paxton, The Shaking of Adventism (Wilmington, DE: Zenith Publishing Co, 1977), p. 114.

113. Petre, “Striking a Balance: Adventism and the Quest for Perfection,” Reflections #84, October-December 2023, p. 2. https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/Reflections-84-October-December.pdf

114. White, Testimonies to Ministers, pp. 18-19.

115. ----Review and Herald, April 1, 1902.

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