Friday, October 19
Ellen G. White, “God’s Law Immutable”, pp. 443-446, in The Great Controversy. Read the articles “Denominations, Relations to Other”, pp. 763, 764, and “Roman Catholic Church”, p. 1110, in The Ellen G. White Encyclopedia.
“Although the Seventh-day Adventist church is a worldwide church with many local churches, Adventists do not claim to be Christ’s universal church. The universal church is broader than any denomination. It is visible and invisible insofar as it consists of those who believe in Jesus and follow him. This particular theological issue is heightened if we take into consideration apostasy among Christians, addressed poignantly in the Book of Revelation. The pure church of Revelation 12 is contrasted with the ‘harlot’ of Revelation 17, Babylon the great city, which in turn is contrasted with the bride of the Lamb, the holy city or the New Jerusalem of Revelation 21 and 22. In the first century, the universal church may have been quite visible, it is much more difficult and complex to see it, for instance, during the Medieval Ages.
Therefore, Adventists do not limit the concept of God’s true church to their own denomination, nor do they automatically extend it to other Christian churches. God’s true church consists of those individuals who truly believe in [H]im. God knows them. Adventists, on the other hand, claim that they are God’s special visible end-time remnant of Revelation 12:17 and chapters 12-14. This remnant has a local as well as a universal character (Revelation 2:24 and 12:17).” - Ekkehardt Mueller, “The Universality of the Church in the New Testament”, in Ángel Manuel Rodríguez, ed., and Message, Mission, and Unity of the Church (Silver Spring, Md.: Biblical Research Institute, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 2013), p. 37.
Discussion Questions:
Why is the fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer in John 17 so important for our church? What does Jesus’ desire for the unity of the first-century church reveal about His desire for our church today?
Has your local church worked with other Christians on certain issues? How well did that go? How can we work with them, when appropriate, without compromising any of the truths that we have been given?
What are the implications of this statement in The Great Controversy? How can we make this real among us? “If God’s professed people would receive the light as it shines upon them from His word, they would reach that unity for which Christ prayed, that which the apostle describes, ‘the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’ ‘There is,’ he says, ‘one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism.’ Ephesians 4:3-5.” - Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 379.
Summary: Jesus’ high-priestly prayer in John 17 is a reminder that Jesus still is concerned about church unity today. His prayer should be our prayer, and we should seek ways to solidify our faith in God’s Word. Love for one another also should characterize our relationships to everyone, including other Christians, whatever our theological differences may be.
