Galatians 3:10  For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Galatians 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

While I was in Bible school, one of the courses we took was the study of cults. Our main textbook for that course was “The Kingdom of the Cults”. It was a book written by a man named Walter Martin. He had much information on several cults in that book. One of the groups he had in that book was the Seventh Day Adventists. He had some good information on them in that book. However, he came to the wrong conclusion on them. He did not actually believe they were a cult. He thought they were likely saved people who were off a bit. (That is my paraphrase of it). Our instructor took a little firmer approach on the matter, but according to the Word of God, he too was off on his conclusion.
We have a Bible. If It is not the Word of God, we are in trouble. We have no way of knowing anything. We cannot be assured of salvation if we do not have the sure Word of God. We are no better off than the Catholics, which by the way are also a cult.
A few days ago someone we know received the book “The Great Controversy” in the mail. I had forgotten about that book but did a little research and found out it is a Seventh Day Adventist book. It is commonly understood that Ellen G. White was the founder of that cult. She was actually not the founder of that cult. It was actually a Baptist preacher who sowed the seeds, or at least popularized the idea of the Seventh Day Adventists.
In the 1830’s a “devout” Baptist named William Miller, did some self-guided Bible study and came up with some strange ideas which led to a foolish prediction of the Lord’s return and a few other strange things. His followers became known as “Millerites”. Through his wrong understanding of texts like Daniel 8&9 he started to calculate a date for the Lord’s return. He came up with a date between 1843-1844. Due to the spiritual ignorance of many others, he was able to gain quite a following with his delusional ideas. He eventually narrowed down the Lord’s return to October 22, 1844.
God was gracious to this man and his followers and He allowed them to live to see that date come and go. Of course the Lord did not return then and this was a devastating blow to their ideas. This was a blessing from the Lord, and many of the Millerites abandoned their foolishness and returned to the churches they had left. They were obviously not well taught and probably most were not saved. The main churches then were the Presbyterian, Anglican, Congregationalists and of course the Catholics. A right foundation is important. There were some sound Baptists at that time, but obviously William Miller was not a part of them.
A group of the Millerites continued on their misguided, heretical venture and through Bible conferences they hammered out further doctrines that would become the foundation of the Seventh Day Adventists. A woman name Ellen G. White who was a lost woman but a student of the Bible, decided to make a name for herself. She was able to gain the following of deluded men and women who lacked Biblical discernment because they were lost. A woman is never to lead men in a Bible Study.
The Bible teaches that the older women are to teach the younger women how to be good wives and mothers. It does not teach older women to conduct Bible studies. The Biblical instructions were given to men. Men are to be the teachers of sound doctrine, not women. There are women who want dominance who want to usurp their place but they are doing so in defiance of God’s Word and will.
According to Ellen G. White, the Ten Commandments are the rule of law and the fourth commandment became the Commandment to be highlighted. She claimed to have seen a vision teaching her this. That should have been enough to shut her down, but unlearned people are quite gullible.
The Seventh Day Adventists are a tool of the devil. In Genesis 3 we are told that one of the marks of the devil is that he is more “subtil than any beast of the field”. The devil is very crafty and he was able to deceive Eve into accepting a lie. Ellen G. White was also very subtil and able to deceive her followers. Seventh Day Adventists try to hide who they truly are and they have smooth talkers among them who can twist the truth in a very cunning manner to deceive the gullible.
We have three verses at the top of this devotional that clearly state that law keeping does not save anyone. It has no place in saving us. Those who want to live by law keeping need to keep in mind:

James 2:10  For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

James does not say the law has no place. Paul does not say that either. There must be a right understanding in order to keep the law in Its proper place. God’s law shows us of His holiness. He is perfect and He expects perfection from man. Adam was created without sin. He was not a god. He was a man. Eve was also created without sin. They had the capacity to choose and the Bible tells us that Eve was deceived, but that Adam was not deceived. He knew better than what he did and thus he is declared to be the man who brought sin into the world.
There are far too many men today who want to hide behind their wives. They grew up hiding behind their mothers and they still hide behind women. There are many women who love power and are happy to use it. Women have their place and that is as the help meet for the man. Men need to be taught how to be men. They will never learn that from places like “promise keepers” or other worthless organizations like that. They will learn that when they get saved and get involved in a true church where a godly pastor can teach them how to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Many men are too proud and stubborn to subject themselves to honest Bible study. They know too much for their own good. They will not submit to Biblical authority, but they sure will submit to false teachers.
There is a great need for true men of God today.

Joshua 1:6  Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
7  Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
8  This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

A number of years ago I preached a wedding message using this text. The sad thing is that the couple kicked at the pricks all along and today that marriage is broken. God’s Word is sure, but when it is not heeded it will be like a hammer. There is nothing to gain in fighting against the truth, but much to lose.
Take God’s Word as your authority and avoid the many traps the devil sets for you. Seventh Day Adventism has nothing good to offer. It is a poison to be avoided and exposed. The wise will submit to God’s Word and know His peace and blessing.
Pastor Bartel