Have you ever done something right and yet were admonished for it?
Doing good is a rare things these days. But while it may be rare, doing what is right is still what we all should do.
Many do not do right because of pleasure or gain, or even because, in our society, to do wrong can bring much material gain and/or adulation from others.
When good is done, evil will always arise to cast it down as bad. I guess that’s why Isaiah warns us that a day will come when evil is called good and good is called evil (Isaiah 5:20).
Think about the times you have done good and others oppressed you. In many cases it bothered them that you were doing right and they weren’t
There’s a story in each gospel where Jesus went into the temple and turned over the money changers’ table. Jesus said, “You’re making My Father’s house into a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:13). The money changers were known to be dishonest. They couldn’t be trusted, and Jesus said His house was to be a house of prayer and not a place for selling merchandise.
We are told that after Christ cleared His house, many came to Him and He healed all those who needed healing. While He was healing, those who were in charge witnessed these miracles, but instead of praising God, the Bible says they were displeased and schemed how they could destroy Jesus.
Why would these ‘men of God’ want to destroy Jesus, who was healing the people and teaching them the truth about God? The answer is in the text itself. Matthew 21:15 says they saw the people praising him by saying “Hosanna to the Son of David.” They were jealous.
Mark 11:18 says they were also afraid of Him because the people were astonished by His doctrine. Luke 19:48 says they feared Him because the people were listening to Him. They didn’t want to lose the power they had over the people.
What I find interesting in reading the Bible and seeing how society treats people, is that people who love sin will always admonish people who do good to others.
The religious leaders sought out any cause to kill Jesus or trap Him—because His goodness revealed their badness. And instead of changing to goodness, they chose to indulge their badness by condemning and falsely accusing Jesus. They accused Him of breaking their man-made rules.
Does this Happen Today?
A certain article just came out in Spectrum Magazine about an organization known as World Church Affirmation Sabbath (WCAS). Here is my response to this article:
1. How can any Seventh-day Adventist entity banish an Adventist lay group which is teaching and promoting Adventist beliefs from meeting in any Adventist church?
2. How can spiritualists and Sunday pastors’ materials be allowed in our churches but not those who are Seventh-day Adventists and agree with and teach what we believe?
3. Why do these entities ban these groups when they freely admit they know nothing about them?
4. If a big problem in our Church is that we are promoting entertainment and worldliness more than we are teaching truth, why would any leader ban people from teaching the truth in their Conference or church?
5. If a group—which is from the church organization—is teaching people to follow what we as Seventh-day Adventists believe, then why do leaders send out private emails telling pastors and members to warn people about attending its meetings?
6. Why are the leaders (who make the laws) claiming that people who are teaching and sharing truth with others—in order to help them make right decisions—are being political? I thought that doing the right thing and following truth is biblical—not political.
Are You Beginning to See a Pattern?
Some individuals who have met with these Conference leaders and pastors have told me that what WCAS teaches is not the problem, because the teachings are correct. What these Conference leaders and pastors have a problem with is that WCAS does not fall in line with the direction of the NAD, because WCAS is in full support of the General Conference—which the NAD does not support. So what is bad in this instance is the agenda of SDA entities—the leadership of the NAD and other entities at the Conference and Union levels.
By their actions, both behind the scenes and in public, they are admonishing, ridiculing and spreading untruths about a group that is teaching truth, because others are starting to listen to them. WCAS is sharing the truth, similar to what Jesus did. And because this group’s doctrine is different from the current NAD doctrine, the NAD is doing all it can to put down the truth and all those who teach it.
The Solution
WCAS isn’t the first or the last to be put down by entities in our own Division who are abusing their authority. The key here is for individuals to establish our own relationship with Christ and not let others persuade our Biblical thinking to meet their personal agenda. We must be open to God’s voice to His people.
We need to take the responsibility to study things out for ourselves, and work out our own salvation with much prayer.
While many seem sincere in their faith, it is possible to seem sincere and still be deceived. Our true guide is the Holy Spirit as He leads us through Gods Word and through His prophet. If we don’t take heed to these assets, then we will constantly be making the same mistakes as those in our past. Let us all once again be known as people of the Book and not people of culture.
And let us all follow truth—not people in position or those who have letters after their name.
Rey Chavez is a graduate of AFCOE and a public evangelistic speaker in His local area. He’s a passionate follower of Jesus who wants all others to feel the freedom he has experienced since finding Christ. He’s a father of two, soon to be four and is married to his amazing wife Jessica. Rey also has a private Facebook group titled Biblical Thinking which he is soon to bring to Youtube. There, he discusses many different Bible topics which also include the weekly Sabbath School lesson.