Sequeira - Analysis of Beyond Belief
A
quotation from Jack Sequeira’s book, Beyond Belief, is followed by one
or more Spirit of Prophecy statements refuting Sequeira’s erroneous
positions. Sequeira: “This book presents the plan of salvation in a new light and, therefore, will require the reader to put aside all preconceived ideas in order to appreciate its message.”—Beyond Belief, 7. “And he (the serpent) said unto the woman, ‘Yea, hath God said, “Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” ’ And the woman said unto the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, “Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it lest ye die.” ’ And the serpent said unto the woman, ‘Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.’ ”—Genesis 3:1-5. Note: It
was because Eve got rid of her “preconceived ideas” (what God told
her) that she “took of the fruit thereof and did eat.” “It is as
certain that we have the truth as that God lives.”—4 Testimonies,
595. “Men and
women will arise professing to have some new light or some new revelation
whose tendency is to unsettle faith in the old landmarks.”—5
Testimonies, 295. “God has
given us His Word that we may become acquainted with its teachings, and
know for ourselves what He requires of us . . It is not enough to have
good intentions. It is not enough to do what a man thinks is right or what
the minister tells him is right. His soul’s salvation is at stake, and
he should search the Scriptures for himself. However strong may be his
convictions, however confident he may be that the minister knows what is
truth, this is not his foundation, He has a chart pointing out every
waymark on the homeward journey, and he ought not to guess at anything . .
It is the first and highest duty of every rational being to learn from the
Scriptures what is truth . . With divine help, we are to form our opinions
for ourselves, as we are to answer for ourselves before God.”—Great
Controversy, 598. “If men
would but take the Bible as it reads, if there were no false teachers to
mislead and confuse their minds, a work would be accomplished that would
make angels glad.”—Great Controversy, 599. “The truth
is our guide; it is like a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by
night.”—Counsels on Sabbath School Work, 23. Sequeira: “But the greatest discovery a believer can make is that he has been crucified with Christ and that now his life is hid in Christ (see Colossians 3:3). Such a discovery will bring to an end all self-effort in our lives.”—Beyond Belief, 29. “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.”—Great Controversy, 425. “So in the
family if one member is lost to God every means should be used for his
recovery. On the part of all the others
let there be diligent, careful self-examination. Let the life
practice be investigated. See if there is not some mistake, some error in
management, by which that soul is confirmed in impenitence. If there is in
the family one child who is unconscious of his sinful state, parents
should not rest. Let the candle be lighted. Search the Word of God, and by
its light let everything in the home be diligently examined, to see why
this child is lost. Let parents search their own hearts, examine their
habits and practices. Children are the heritage of the Lord, and we are
answerable to Him for our management of His property.”—Christ’s
Object Lessons, 194-195. “But He
cannot work though us if we make no effort. If we gain eternal life, we
must work and work earnestly . . Let us not be deceived by the
oft-repeated assertion, ‘All you have to do is to believe. Faith and
works are two oars which we must use equally if we [would] press our way
up the stream against the current of unbelief.”—Welfare Ministry,
316. “He will not
do our part of the work, neither does He require that we do His. It is God
that worketh in us, but we must work out our own salvation with fear and
trembling . . Faith must be sustained by works; the doers of the work are
justified before God.”—2 Testimonies, 166-167. “The
sanctification now gaining prominence in the religious world . . 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.”—Great Controversy, 471. “Let no man
present the idea that man has little or nothing to do in the great work of
overcoming . . In the
judgement the sentence pronounced is according to what has been done or to
what has been left undone.”—1 Selected Messages, 381. “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. And then, through the victory that it is his privilege to
gain by the all-powerful name of Jesus, he may become an heir of God and
joint heir with Jesus Christ. 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, through the strength and grace that Christ gives him. Man must be
a co-worker with Christ in the labor of overcoming, and then he will be
partaker with Christ in His glory.”—4 Testimonies, 32-33. “Prayer and
effort, effort and prayer, will be the business of your life. You must
pray as though the efficiency and praise were all due to God, and labor as
though duty were all your own.”—4 Testimonies, 538. “Our claim
to Christ’s righteousness is without a flaw, if we meet the conditions
upon which it is promised.”—Youth’s Instructor, July 12, 1894. “Jesus has
purchased redemption for us. It is ours; but we are placed here on
probation to see if we will prove worthy of eternal life.”—1
Testimonies, 199. Sequeira: “The great mistake most people make when they first come to Christ is to think that their natural life of sin can be changed or reformed so that it will be made pleasing to God . . We have failed to see that the sinful life of the flesh is beyond repair. We have to recognize that our sinful human nature cannot be rebuilt into something that will be acceptable to God. That is why He included us in the death of His Son on the cross.”—Beyond Belief, 128, 129. “Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow; for I will cleanse you with my own blood. I will make you members of my family—children of the heavenly King . . I will clothe you with my own righteousness—the wedding garment—and make you fit for the marriage supper of the Lamb . . You will understand the truth, and your character will be molded by a divine influence. “The heart
in which Jesus makes His abode will be quickened, purified, guided and
ruled by the Holy Spirit, and the human agent will make strenuous efforts
to bring his character into harmony with God.”—Sons and Daughters
of God, 98. “Those who
receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of
trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully.”—Early Writings, 71. “When Christ
shall come, our vile bodies are to be changed and made like His glorious
body; but the vile character will not be made holy then. The
transformation of character must take place before His coming. Our natures
must be pure and holy; we must have the mind of Christ, that He may behold
with pleasure His image reflected upon our souls.”—Signs of the
Times, November 11, 1886. “The Lord
chooses His own agents not because they are perfect but because, through a
connection with Him, they may gain perfection.”—Christ’s Object
Lessons, 330. “I will make
a man more precious than fine gold.”—Isaiah 13:12. “Exact
obedience is required, and those that say it is not possible to live a
perfect life throw upon God the imputation of injustice and untruth.”—Manuscript
148, 1899. “There will
be no future probation in which to prepare for eternity. It is in this
life that we are to put on the robe of Christ’s righteousness. This is
our only opportunity to form characters for the home which Christ has made
ready for those who obey His commandments.”—Christ’s object
Lessons, 319. “But those
who are waiting to behold a magical change in their characters, without
determined effort on their part to overcome sin, will be disappointed.”—1
Selected Messages, 336.. “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. If eternal life were
granted on any condition short of this, then the happiness of the whole
universe would be imperiled. The way would be open for sin, with all its
train of woe and misery, to be immortalized.”—Steps to Christ,
38, 39. Sequeira: “That is why He included us in the death of His Son on the cross.”—Beyond Belief, 129. Note: This has to be Catholic theology! It is known that Sequeira was “converted” from Catholicism. But, in the Sanctuary service, we find a correct understanding of the atonement: “This work
of ministration continued in the first apartment of the Sanctuary. The
blood of Christ, pleaded in behalf of penitent believers, secured their
pardon and acceptance with the Father, yet their sins still remained upon
the books of record. As in the typical service there was a work of
atonement at the close of the year; so before Christ’s work for the
redemption of men is completed, there is a work of
atonement for the removal of sin from the sanctuary. This is the
service which began when the 2300 days ended . . So in the new covenant
the sins of the repentant are by faith placed upon Christ and transferred,
in fact, to the heavenly sanctuary. For eighteen centuries this work of
ministration continued in the first apartment of the sanctuary. The blood
of Christ, pleaded in behalf of the penitent believers, secured their
pardon and acceptance with the Father, yet their sins still remained upon
the books of record. As in the typical service there was a work of
atonement for the removal of sin from the sanctuary. This is the service
which began when the 2300 days ended.”—Great Controversy, 421. “The
intercession of Christ in man’s behalf in the sanctuary above is as
essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross.”—Great
Controversy, 489. Sequeira: “Then, just as Christ rose from the dead and left sin in the grave . . ”—Beyond Belief, 115. Note: Read again the previous rebuttal, as well as chapter 23 in Great Controversy, entitled “What Is The Sanctuary?” Sequeira:
“No individual member can fully display Christ
completely for the simple reason that no individual member is the total
body of Christ. Only through Christ as a whole, living in perfect
coordination and conformity to the direction of the Holy Spirit, can the
life of Christ be fully displayed. This will take place before Christ
comes.”—Beyond Belief, 152. Note: These theories of Sequeira are foreign to historic Adventism. “In our own
strength it is true that we cannot obey them (the commandments). But
Christ came in the form of humanity, and by His perfect obedience He
proved that humanity and divinity combined can obey every one of God’s
precepts . . This power is not in the human agent. It is the power of God.
When a soul receives Christ, he receives power to live the life of
Christ.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, 314. “Christ is
waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His
church. When the character of the Saviour shall be perfectly reproduced in
His people, then He will come to claim His own. It is the privilege of
every Christian, not only to look for, but to hasten, the coming of the
Lord.”—Counsels to Teachers, 324. “In all true
teaching the personal element is essential. Christ in His teaching dealt
with men individually .
. Even the crowd that so often thronged His steps was not to Christ an
indiscriminate mass of human beings. He spoke directly to every mind and
appealed to every heart.”—Education, 231. “So it is
through personal contact and association that men are reached by the
saving power of the Gospel. They are not saved in masses, but as
individuals. Personal influence is a power!”—Prophets and Kings,
232. “God has
given His law for the regulation of the conduct of nations, of families,
and of individuals.”—1 Bible Commentary, 1104. “God deals
with men as individuals, giving to everyone his work.”—Testimonies
to Ministers, 488. “All the
light of the past, all the light which shines in the present and reaches
forth into the future, as revealed in the Word of God, is for every soul
who will receive it. The glory of this light, which is the very glory of
the character of Christ, is to be manifested in the individual Christian,
in the family, in the church, in the ministry of the Word, and in every
institution established by God’s people. All these the Lord designs
shall be symbols of what can be done for the world. They are to be types
of the saving power of the truths of the Gospel. They are agencies in the
fulfillment of God’s great purpose for the human race.”—6
Testimonies, 11. “It is by
the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer
becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given His Spirit as a
divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil,
and to impress His own character upon the church . . The honor of God, the
honor of Christ, is involved in the perfection of the character of His
people.”—Desire of Ages, 671. “Jesus cares
for each one as though there were not another individual on the face of
the earth.”—5 Testimonies, 346. The lives of
these men were an example of sanctification, in individuals: “By the
translation of Enoch the Lord designed to teach an important lesson . .
Satan was urging upon men the belief that . . it was impossible for men to
obey the divine statutes. But in the case of Enoch, God declares ‘that
He is, and the He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him’ . .
men were taught that it is possible to obey the law of God . . The godly
character of this prophet represents the state of holiness which must be
attained by those who shall be ‘redeemed from the earth’ at the time
of Christ’s second advent.”—Patriarchs and prophets, 88, 89. “The life of
Daniel is an inspired illustration of what constitutes a sanctified
character.”—The Sanctified Life, 23. “In the life
of the disciple John true sanctification is exemplified.”—Acts of
the Apostles, 557. Sequeira:
“Christ will never take us to heaven as
individuals, but only as members of His church.”—Beyond Belief,
115. “There is
earnest warfare before all who would subdue the evil tendencies that
strive for the mastery. The work of preparation is an individual work. We
are not saved in groups. The purity and devotion of one will not offset
the want of these qualities in another.”—Great Controversy, 490. “The
halfhearted and superficial could no longer lean upon the faith of their
brethren. Each must stand or fall for himself.”—Great Controversy,
395. “So it is
through personal contact and association that men are reached by the
saving power of the Gospel. They are not saved in masses, but as
individuals.”—Prophets and Kings, 232. Sequeira: “So, as Christians, we may say with confidence that we are saved. But at the same time, we must confess that we are being saved and that we will be saved.”—Beyond Belief, 119. “We are never to rest in a satisfied condition, and cease to make advancement, saying, ‘I am saved.’ When this idea is entertained, the motive for watchfulness, for prayer, for earnest endeavor to press onward to higher attainments, cease to exist. No sanctified tongue will be found uttering these words till Christ shall come, and we enter in through the gates into the city of God. Then, with the utmost propriety, we may give glory to God and to the Lamb for eternal deliverance.”—Maranatha, 236. Sequeira: “In the same way, the Bible considers that when Adam fell, the whole human family fell ‘in him.’ Since Adam’s sin took place before he had children who could make their own moral decisions, his fall into sin plunged the entire human race into sin (see Rom. 5:12; 1 Cor. 15:21, 22). This view is difficult for the Western mind to grasp and accept because it is much more accustomed to thinking in individualistic terms. However, the idea of all mankind, as a corporate unit, participating in Adam’s fall is clearly taught in the Scriptures . . If the downside of the idea of corporate oneness is that we all fell in one man, Adam, the glorious upside of the idea is that God likewise has redeemed all of us in one man, Jesus Christ, who is the ‘Second Adam’ (see Rom. 5:12-21; 1 Cor. 15:19-23, 45-49). God has legally justified all mankind in Christ just as surely as Satan has brought about the condemnation of all mankind in Adam (see Rom. 5:18) . . At His incarnation, Christ assumed the corporate life of the entire human race in its fallen condition . . The entire human race is corporately one ‘in Him’ just as we are one in Adam. What Jesus did, we have done, because we are corporately one in Him. Thus His life and death, which fully met the positive demands of God’s holy law as well as its justice, are considered to be our life and death also. ‘In Him’ we are justified because His life and ours were forever linked at the incarnation. This, in brief, is Paul’s ‘in Christ’ motif . . The idea of corporate oneness—that all humanity was ‘in Christ’—gives new understanding to the Bible’s teaching of Christ as our substitute, a dilemma that is solved by the concept of corporate oneness . . ”—Beyond Belief, 34. Note: Sequeira says, “Adam’s sin plunged the entire human race into sin.” He calls it corporate sin. Let us see what God’s Word says: “Nevertheless
death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned after
the similitude of the figure of transgression who is a type of Him who is
to come.”—Romans 5:14. “Moreover
the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin aboundeth,
grace did much more abound.”—Romans 5:19. “Mighty
issues for the world were at stake in the conflict between the Prince of
Light and the leader of the kingdom of darkness. After tempting man to
sin, Satan claimed the earth as his and styled himself the Prince of This
World . . He declared that men had chosen him as their sovereign. Through
his control of men, he held dominion over the world. Christ had come to
disprove Satan’s claim. As the Son of Man, Christ would stand loyal to
God. Thus it would be shown that Satan had not gained complete control of
the human race, and that his claim to the world was false. All who desired
deliverance from his power would be set free.”—Desire of Ages, 114. “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.”—Ezekiel
18:4, 20. “Though
these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver
but their own souls by their righteousness.”—Ezekiel 14:14
(individual accountability). “In
comparison with the worth of one soul, the world sinks into
insignificance.”—5 Testimonies,
614. “He who has
paid the price for its redemption knows the worth of the human soul.”—Patriarchs
and Prophets, 140. “One soul is
of more value than the entire world.”—2 Testimonies, 541. Note: We are
not a “child of the church” but a “Child of the King.” “God is love. He has shown that
love in the gift of Christ. When ‘He gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting
life,’ He withheld nothing from His purchased possession (John 3:16). He
gave all heaven, for which we may draw strength and efficiency, that we be
not repulsed or overcome by our great adversary. But the love of God does
not lead Him to excuse sin. He did not excuse it in Satan; He did not
excuse it in Adam or in Cain; nor will He excuse it in any other of the
children of men. He will not connive at our sins or overlook our defects
of character. He expects us to overcome in His name.”—Christ’s
Object Lessons, 316. __________________________________________ Truly, we live
in such serious times, that we dare not trust our soul’s salvation to
the theories of men. If you wish to make it safely through to the other
side, cling to the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy! Do not rely on
men who have openly repudiated confidence in God’s messenger for these
last days. See our other studies, which quote from Jack Sequeira’s
sermons and writings: Teachings
of Jack Sequeira [WM–501-506], The Atonement: Finished or Unfinished?
[WM–727-728], and
Sequeira and Wieland Documentary Tractbook ($10.00 plus p & h). |
