A Personal Message to
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS
by Lloyd Hamill, Managing Editor
This personal message is only for those few Seventh-day Adventists who are not afraid to test God’s Holy Word. I am no theologian. By training and occupation I am a journalist. I strive for some degree of objectivity. I do not believe in getting my information second-hand. Especially in spiritual matters. I say these things as a matter of record. For the past three months a great Christian gentleman has been writing in this magazine about your system of faith. The articles have been long and thoroughly documented. I shall not attempt to add to his documentation. My message is a personal one. I want to ask a favor of you . . . with no strings attached. I just want you to test God’s Word. It is my personal opinion that the average Seventh-day Adventist is a sincere, God-fearing person. As an Adventist you have a deep longing in your heart to do everything possible to please God. You believe that salvation is only through faith in Jesus Christ who is the divine Son of God. You also believe that after you are saved through faith in Christ, it is your duty to obey God in order to maintain this free gift of salvation. You believe part of this obeying is in keeping the Old Testament moral law. You reason, for ex ample, that if you are not willing to keep the Sabbath holy then your salvation cannot be maintained. Even if you should ever have a question about keeping the law, you reason that it is better to play safe and be sure than to take a chance and on the judgment day find that law-keeping was necessary. It is a kind of double insurance: 1) You are placing your faith in Jesus Christ and 2 ) you are following through on this faith by keeping the Old Testament moral law. Now this is perfectly reasonable. If it were not, you wouldn’t believe it. And if I were to tell you it was un reasonable, you would have every right to question my authority. As I said, I am a journalist. I am not going to make any value judgment whatever on your faith. But we will want to look at a few facts from God’s Holy Word.
That is the only favor I ’m asking of you. Just before I started writing this message I finished reading the little book of Galatians through for the 22nd time. I like it. But not more than the rest of the Bible. I make it a practice to read the entire Bible— from Genesis to Reve lation— through once every year. This book of Galatians is God’s Word. Recall Paul says right at the first that . . the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” After talking to a great many Christians of just about every faith, I ’ve found that not many of them take the time to really read the Bible. So if you have not read the book of Galatians recently, it is not unusual. But now I want you to test God’s Word by prayerfully reading through this little book once a day fo r at least two weeks. Not for a week or 10 days. But fo r two weeks. Don’t read commentaries on it. Don’t read footnotes. Don’t seek the advice of other Chris tians. Just simply read God’s Word. You have nothing to fear. His Word alone is Truth. Each time you read it, pray a prayer something like this: "God, I know what I believe and I ’m sure nothing can change that belief. But above all else, I want to know and to do Thy divine will. If I ’m right in my present beliefs, then confirm them by Thy Word. If I ’m not fully correct, then show me from Thy Word the Truth. I sincerely promise to obey Thy Word.” That’s all. Just read. Be honest. Try to forget you’ve ever heard any arguments on the subject. Go to God’s Word as a seeker. I don’t know what you’ll find out after 14 readings of this little book. But whatever it is, it won’t hurt you. It is unthinkable that God’s Word could hurt your faith. My words might. Your well-meaning neighbor’s might. But not God’s Holy Word. That’s the favor I ’m asking of you. Thank you. EN D .
(If after you’ve read Galatians through 14 times (and not before), you still have some questions I shall be glad to answer them the best 1 can. Your letters will be held in the strictest confidence. No one but myself will be permitted to read them and they will never in any way be used. Write to Lloyd Hamill, Managing Editor, The King’s Business magazine, Los Angeles 17, Calif. Mark your letters "personal,” please.)
The King's Business/June 1957
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