What Is Essential?

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: Isaiah 28:10

 

What if one of our conference leaders sat down to read his Bible and upon reading it he came to the conclusion that what the Bible said didn’t matter much anymore. He decided that the Ten Commandments and the Sabbath were no longer binding and he was going to leave the church. Being an influential man he might take many people with him. If he used the Bible to convince you would you go with him to join a Sunday keeping church? Could he prove his position from the Bible? "Impossible!" you say? Well it has happened to one Sabbath keeping church. The World Wide Radio Church of God founded by Armstrong has had one of its top leaders quit the Sabbath truth and has taken the greater portion of the church with him. He read his Bible and found the quote, "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:" Isaiah 28:10. As he read he came to the conclusion that this was just the ramblings of a drunk and that it wasn’t talking about how we ought to study the Bible and prove doctrine. How could someone come to such an outrageous conclusion? Look at the context beginning at verse 7:

But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean. Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breast. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. Isaiah 28:7-13 KJV

I hope that by now you are asking yourself, "which Bible is he reading?" Because it is a question we all ought to ask. The version he was reading is the NEB. Here is the same verses from that bible:

These too are addicted to wine, clamouring in their cups: priest and prophet are addicted to strong drink and bemused with wine; clamouring in their cups, confirming topers, hiccuping in drunken stupor; every table is covered with vomit, filth that leaves no clean spot. Who is it that the prophet hopes to teach, to whom will what they hear make sense? Are they babes newly weaned, just taken from the breast? It is all harsh cries and raucous shouts, ‘A little more here, a little there!’ So it will be with barbarous speech and strange tongue that this people will hear God speaking, this people to whom he once said, ‘This is true rest; let the exhausted have rest. this is repose’, and they refused to listen. Now to them the word of the Lord will be harsh cries and raucous shouts, ‘A little more here, a little there!’ and so, as they walk, they will stumble backwards, they will be injured, trapped and caught. Isaiah 28:7-13 NEB

This man had such a poor understanding of the Bible beyond a few proof texts that Satan was able to introduce something that led him to believe that basic Bible doctrines were no longer of any consequence, even a doctrine as basic as the Sabbath. This church leader used to understand that this text was referring to how one should study the Bible. Because of this changed text he lost his belief in the importance of the fourth commandment. Do you have a thorough knowledge of the truths of the Bible beyond a few proof texts? When is the last time you looked at those texts and compared them with your favorite translation? Do you know why your church holds the doctrines it does? Are you grounded in the Bible? I hope so, dear reader. I pray that the Lord will help all of us to cling to Him and His Word as never before.

The wine mentioned in the above reference is false doctrine. The ‘priests and prophets’ are drunk on the wine of falsehood. When they should be taking Gods Word and comparing scripture with scripture. How ironic that this poor man was himself drunk with false doctrine. Read what God’s prophet says:

When faithful teachers expound the Word of God, there arise men of learning, ministers professing to understand the Scriptures, who denounce sound doctrine as heresy, and thus turn away inquirers after truth. Were it not that the world is hopelessly intoxicated with the wine of Babylon, multitudes would be convicted and converted by the plain, cutting truths of the Word of God. But religious faith appears so confused and discordant, that the people know not what to believe as truth. The sin of the world's impenitence lies at the door of the church. Great Controversy [1888 edition] p. 389

This is the same message that was given by the second angel. Babylon is fallen, "because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." What is that wine?--her false doctrines. She has given to the world a false sabbath instead of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and has repeated the falsehood that Satan first told to Eve in Eden--the natural immortality of the soul. Many kindred errors she has spread far and wide, "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.". . . Maranatha p. 171

Without realizing it this man was becoming drunk with the wine of falsehood. He no longer keeps the Sabbath.

Could it happen to our church? Yes, read what Ellen White wrote on that very subject:

If we believe not, it will not make of none effect the word of God; for if we deny him, he will also deny us. God's word is faithfully; and how terrible will be the situation of the man whom Christ shall disown at last. God's threatenings of judgment and of wrath, will just as surely be fulfilled, as will his promises. Neither one nor the other will fail. If we are false to Christ, if we dishonor him by doing works that are contrary to the character of Christ, we deny him, and put him to an open shame. Especially is this the case, when men who have been set apart for the work of the gospel, give up their allegiance to the cause of truth. Those who have been put in trust of the gospel, should be of the excellent of the earth, that they may be able to impart blessing of the highest order to those with whom they come in contact. Although there are many who preach the oracles of God, there are some among them who are not made better by the truth which they preach. The law of God is on their lips, but it has not been written upon their hearts. After a time, if they are not sanctified by the truth, they will develop the fact,--they will work the works of unrighteousness. The development of those who are not of the truth, will become of more frequent occurrence, as we near the close of time. Many will show that they are not one with Christ, that they are not dead to the world, that they may live with him; and frequent will be the apostasies of men who have occupied responsible positions. To be dead with Christ, means to be dead to all sin,--dead to the pleasures, the enjoyments, the profits, the honors, of the world; and, if we are partakers of Christ's self-denial and suffering, we shall lose nothing by it, for we shall be partakers with him of his glory. It is at the peril of our souls that we prove unfaithful. Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 09-11-88

The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The observance of the false sabbath will be urged upon us. The contest will be between the commandments of God and the commandments of men. Those who have yielded step by step to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will then yield to the powers that be, rather than subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death. At that time the gold will be separated from the dross. True godliness will be clearly distinguished from the appearance and tinsel of it. Many a star that we have admired for its brilliance will then go out in darkness. Those who have assumed the ornaments of the sanctuary, but are not clothed with Christ's righteousness, will then appear in the shame of their own nakedness. Prophets and Kings p. 188

Notice that these quotes refer to us, not to those of other churches. Who do we admire for their brilliance? Are they living the truth?

WHAT IS ESSENTIAL?