‘Love Reality’ is a ‘Once Saved Always Saved’ rendition that has risen up in Adventism in the last five years. It is attractive to certain SDA youth, offering them a short-circuited religion robbed of responsibility & obedience.
Pastor Jorge Baute has carefully and adequately researched this phenomenon; here are his findings, communicated in a letter to his church members,
“Dear Church Family,
I pray that this note finds you all well and your salvation secure in the love of Jesus, firmly rooted in Bible truth. For a number of months now there has been a buzz in our Adventist community regarding the teachings of an SDA pastor from Hawaii named Johnathan Leonardo. He has written a book called “Free From Sin” and has a ministry called “Love Reality,” or “Love Reality Tour,” or “Death to Life.”
Much of his teachings are laid out on the internet in the form of videos. Your pastor and local elders have spent a great deal of time looking into the teachings of this pastor and his ministry. Though a number in our community are “excited” about this pastor’s interpretation of the gospel, your pastor and the Upward Church’s elders are deeply concerned. As many of you know, I am passionate about the gospel and the message of Righteousness by Faith. The truth regarding this teaching is clearly illustrated in the Biblical Sanctuary and its services. It has been my soul’s hunger to fully understand and teach this important Bible truth which is beautifully expounded upon in the writings of Ellen White, God’s end-time prophet. In the thoughts that I am about to share, I have chosen to focus mainly on one aspect of the teachings of Pastor Leonardo. To my dear and precious friends who may be excited about this teaching, please know that what I say here is said in love and concern. Please prayerfully consider what is presented below. God has called us pastors and elders to be watchmen on the walls of Zion and to sound the alarm at the approach of danger. I love my Savior, and you, too much to be silent on this extremely important matter.
In going through Jonathan Leonardo’s book, as well as watching several of his videos, I encountered a very talented, intelligent and charismatic communicator who’s teaching manner is very captivating. He seems like a genuinely nice man, nevertheless, his understanding of Justification and Sanctification is profoundly mixed up. There is much I could say here, but I will seek to limit my thoughts to just one critical and fundamental point which has to do with his view on Sanctification.
First, we need to understand what Justification and Sanctification are. They are actually two different aspects of one work.
Justification is the judicial act of God by which He forgives the sins of the past of those who ask for it and who accept Jesus as their sacrifice. It represents an immediate change in a person’s status before God. God now views and treats the forgiven sinner as if he/she had never sinned. They are justified, or made right with the law. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins…” The pardoned sinner now has a new past and begins fresh with Jesus and is covered in the garments of Christ’s righteousness. It is important to understand that True Justification always moves the repentant sinner onto the journey of growing up into holiness, and that process is called Sanctification.
Sanctification is the process in the Christian's life of learning to obey. 2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” As we learn to submit fully to Jesus’ leading each day, there will be times when we allow ourselves to be led away and tempted into sin. We are then to ask for forgiveness, reconnect with Jesus and continue our walk with Him until total surrender to His loving will is achieved in our hearts and in our lives, remembering always that God offers more than just forgiveness when we confess. In 1 John 1:9, He promises us that, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." It is that "cleansing from unrighteousness" that constitutes sanctification. It is a process that goes on daily throughout life as we grow in our knowledge of Jesus and in obedience (surrender) to His word and loving will, and as long as we remain in this sanctification process, we are covered by his white robe of righteousness. As we yield to His teachings and leadings in our lives, He is given the opportunity to live out his life through us.
So how necessary is the experience of sanctification?
Hebrews 12:14 “Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord.”
Hebrews 10:14 “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”
I am so thankful that we have Divine counsel to shed light on this topic for us. This is what the Lord communicated to us through Sister White regarding this critically important matter.
The soul needs cleansing. The love of the truth sanctifies the soul. Sanctification is not the work of a moment; it is the result of a yielding of the heart to Christ, an acceptance of the conditions of salvation--a process that God will carry forward day by day, steadily, progressively, never ending, but ever blending heart with heart, soul with soul, a refining process going on day by day, in God's own way, in doing His will until all true believers are complete in Him. This is the work that is to be done by every believer. --Letter 192, 1903, pp. 6, 7
The Faith I Live By, page 117 -- There is no such thing as instantaneous sanctification. True sanctification is a daily work, continuing as long as life shall last.
Signs of the Times, May 19, 1890 -- Obedience to the law of God is sanctification. There are many who have erroneous ideas in regard to this work in the soul, but Jesus prayed that His disciples might be sanctified through the truth, and added, "Thy word is truth." Sanctification is not an instantaneous but a progressive work, as obedience is continuous. Just as long as Satan urges his temptations upon us, the battle for self-conquest will have to be fought over and over again; but by obedience, the truth will sanctify the soul. Those who are loyal to the truth will, through the merits of Christ, overcome all weakness of character which has led them to be molded by every varying circumstance of life.
The Upward Look, page 231.3 -- There is no such thing as an instantaneous sanctification. It is an every-day work. Says Paul, "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31). He received a conversion daily to God. As the truth and Spirit of God revealed to him the defects in his character, he put away his wrong, died to self, and cleansed himself "from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1). . . . (Amazing to see how inspiration applies the scriptures isn’t it?)
Maranatha, page 232 -- The sanctification now gaining prominence in the religious world carries with it a spirit of self-exaltation and a disregard for the law of God that mark it as foreign to the religion of the Bible. Its advocates teach that sanctification is an instantaneous work, by which, through faith alone, they attain to perfect holiness. "Only believe," say they, "and the blessing is yours." No further effort on the part of the receiver is supposed to be required…. The desire for an easy religion that requires no striving, no self-denial, no divorce from the follies of the world, has made the doctrine of faith, and faith only, a popular doctrine.
Signs of the Times, May 28, 1902 -- Sanctification means perfect love, perfect obedience, entire conformity to God's will. It means an unreserved surrender to Him. It means to be pure and unselfish, without spot or blemish.
Faith and Works page 87.1 -- Sanctification is not an emotion but a heaven-born principle that brings all the passions and desires under the control of the Spirit of God; and this work is done through our Lord and Saviour.
1 SM page 317 -- The work of sanctification is the work of a lifetime. (Keep this last quote in mind and watch what the author has to say about this.)
So, let’s recap here. What is sanctification?
The Lord, communicating through His servant, said the following: “Sanctification is not the work of a moment;” it is “a refining process going on day by day.” His servant wrote that there is “no such thing as instantaneous sanctification;” that it is a “daily work, continuing as long as life shall last;” that “obedience to the law of God is sanctification;” that it is “not an instantaneous but a progressive work” which involves “the battle for self-conquest will have to be fought over and over again.” Bible Sanctification means “perfect love, perfect obedience, entire conformity to God's will. It means an unreserved surrender to Him.” It means bringing “all the passions and desires under the control of the Spirit of God.” And that it “is the work of a lifetime.” In other words, as long as you live.
What kind of Church is Jesus working to present to Himself when He returns? What is the goal of the plan of Salvation?
Ephesians 5:27 That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
The terms “spot,” “wrinkle,” “any such thing,” and “without blemish,” denotes the absence of sin from the reclaimed sinners. They are no longer living under its power, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, they have completely overcome sin (they are no longer breaking God’s law, no more rebellion). They have chosen to fully surrender to the loving will of God in all aspects and areas of their lives, and in God’s will they find their delight.
Pastor Leonardo, however, has a very different understanding of Sanctification. He combines it with the immediate nature of Justification and eliminates the true sanctification process. He views it as something Jesus “gave” us as a gift. Observe carefully the following quotes…
Free From Sin page 19 - “I am not saying you will have a life where you never sin again, or that you are going to have incremental victory over sin. The language of freedom is not incremental. Incremental language leaves the impression that this freedom is an arduous, lifelong process of moral growth. Scripture teaches freedom from sin, and it’s now. I live free because I have been given freedom from sin.” (So, it’s not a process of moral growth?)
Free From Sin page 53 – “Righteousness is a free gift given by Adam Two. It is His grace and His gift-giving that overcome the realm of death that Adam One introduced. It is not the work of a lifetime; it is simply a gift freely given because God is a gift giver.” (So, it’s not the work of a lifetime? Friends, this statement stands in direct contradiction to the Spirit of Prophecy. Who will you believe?)
This next quote touches on a very fundamental aspect of the Sanctification process. The author reveals the understanding that sanctification a gift is something that was accomplished at the cross. So, there is no need to confess our sins since they have already been forgiven and we have been made “holy.” In other words, why ask for forgiveness when you have already been forgiven?
Free From Sin page 173 – “What about confession? First John 1:9 is not teaching us that our forgiveness from God is dependent on our admitting guilt and then requesting forgiveness. It is a such great importance to remember that forgiveness is a reality in Christ. It is not conditioned on our asking for it!...God forgave us in Christ while we were dead, and He made us alive with Christ and forgave us. (So, I don’t have to ask for forgiveness because God already forgave me “while we were dead” in sin without me asking for it? Really?)
“Death to Life” podcast (#31) fleshes out this idea. This is a testimony given by Eddie Cornejo, a key member of this organization. In his testimony, Mr. Cornejo presents himself as a former SDA pastor who was involved in pornography, sexting, and multiple extramarital affairs. In this podcast he gives his hour and a half long story and then tells how God “set him free from sin.” He ends his testimony by telling his audience the following words found at 1:50:32:
“He (God) has forgiven your past, present and future. It was not your fault you were born into sin, you have responsibility, but He has freed you from sin. You are not condemned; you are never going to die that second death. He lives in you, and you live in him.”
So, let’s pull this together. The author is saying that ours will not be a Christian “life where you never sin again.” However, because of Christ’s gift, you are counted as “sanctified” (or “Holy” which is what sanctified means) and thus have been “given freedom from sin.” Why? Because “righteousness (or holiness or having been sanctified) is a free gift” and “not the work of a lifetime.” In fact, you don’t even need to worry about “admitting guilt and requesting forgiveness,” because “It is not conditioned on our asking for it!” Why not? Because “He (God) has forgiven your past, present and future” in Christ.
The logical conclusion to this was manifested a few weeks ago in a conversation I had with a dear saint and friend in our community who is excited about Love Reality. She shared that when we have given our lives to God and we sin, “we do not lose our identity with God.” She stated that “We can sin, but we are not a sinner.” Really? (By the way, this is not the first time I have heard this). In the days of ancient Israel, God’s people were instructed and warned that if they failed to bring an innocent victim to the tabernacle after they had sinned, they would lose more than just their “status,” they would be “cut off.” In other words, they would lose their life! The sanctuary on earth was given to us to help us understand how the one in heaven works! Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary. Ps 77:13. It was given to us to help us understand how God was going to deal with the sin problem. The message is clear, the white robe of Christ righteousness was never given as a cloak to cover known, unconfessed, unrepented of, or practicing sin! Remember that sin is the conscious CHOICE to go against Gods revealed will and that’s called rebellion! This teaching is dangerous! Watch what the Word of God has to say about this matter:
1 John 3:8, 10 “He who sins is of the devil,...
Ezekiel 18:24 But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity,…All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed,…he shall die. (Here we see that the believer loses his “righteous” status.)
Exodus 32:33 … Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. (By the way, you have to be a “believer” to get into that “book.”)
But what if I have repented of my sin, and have turned from it, and by faith have claimed the blood of the innocent victim (Jesus) as my atoning sacrifice? Will my sins be blotted out and my name remain in the book of life?
Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.
Revelation 3:5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
What this author and his organization is purporting is heresy my friends. This is not truth and unless it is relinquished, it will ultimately prove fatal to your salvation. This teaching is coming dangerously close to “once saved always saved” as it communicates a false assurance.
The Sanctuary Service
The Sanctuary Service painted a very different picture of the Everlasting Gospel than the one this pastor and his organization are teaching. It taught that the repentant sinner had to bring an innocent victim (who was a symbol of Jesus) as his substitute in an effort to find forgiveness. He had to confess his sin on the innocent victim, thus symbolically transferring his sin to the victim, and then take its life. Then the priest was to catch the blood in a bowl with its symbolic record of sin, and the priest was to “make atonement” for the repentant sinner by transferring it to the Sanctuary (the priest was also a symbol of Jesus, but in His heavenly role which He assumed AFTER His resurrection). This was step one in the atonement process. Then on “The Day of Atonement,” the second step of the atonement process was completed when the record of sin was finally transferred out of the sanctuary, by the same blood, and placed on the Azazel goat who symbolized the Devil. There was NO final atonement before this last step. None. The atonement was not completed at the cross! Provision for atonement was provided at the cross, but not yet applied.
The actual application of the atonement began when the priest entered the picture and transferred the blood (with its record of sin) into the sanctuary and was later completed on The Day of Atonement by the priest! It’s a two-step process! That is why it was called “The DAY OF ATONEMENT.” That is when the Atonement was finished! And forgiveness was not a “one time” act for the repentant sinner either. If there was no confession for the next sin (prior to the Day of Atonement) then there was NO forgiveness for it either! It’s just that simple. Salvation is not a one-time automatic thing, because we are always free, at any given moment, to choose another master and sinning is choosing another master. That’s what sin is about. The plan of salvation, revealed through the sanctuary service, required the cooperation of the repentant sinner in order to be made right with God (forgiven and in harmony with Him). The repentant sinner had to acknowledge his sin, confess the sin, and then ask for forgiveness of the said sin (with the understanding that he made the choice to turn from it and made whatever restitution was necessary). The Hebrew understood this and Seventh-day Adventist Christians living on the eve of the second coming must understand this as well if they hope to be saved in the end.
As I mentioned before, this letter was not intended to hurt anyone. I love you all, and as your pastor, along with the elders of the Upward Church, we are sounding the alarm at the approach of danger. We don’t want anyone to place their hope in something that, in the end, will turn to ashes on their lips. False hope is no hope at all.
Lastly, if your heart hungers to understand the message of salvation, I encourage you to read “Steps to Christ.” You will be richly blessed.
God bless you all and know that you are in, and remain in, my prayers,
Pastor Jorge Baute”
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Pastor Jorge Baute is a pastor of the Seventh-day Adventist church in North Carolina. Among other places, he has spoken at Advent Hope.
Observations
Love Reality is a variation of Hyper-Grace.
Ted Wilson warned against the Love Reality movement on October 7 at Annual Council, calling it a dangerous false doctrine. “These false doctrines are very dangerous and should not be accepted since they destroy the entire understanding of Christ’s justifying and sanctifying righteousness”—Ted Wilson, October 7, 2023.
There are several Adventist churches in North Carolina that are struggling with this aberrant teaching. We note this to alert pastors to the dangers, so that they might alert their members.
Looking at their online page, many of LR have a connection to Lincoln Nebraska and Union College. Maybe something in the water there?
Some social media doyens are championing Love Reality on…you guessed it…social media. Such as this individual who has street cred with the North American Division:
Yeah, that’s not biblical.
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Stay sharp, love God, and walk in Truth.