Are we supposed to go around warning other Christians that they’re wrong?
14 July 2025 |
Dear Aunt Sevvy,
I recently heard a sermon on Ezekiel 33. The preacher stressed that Ellen White said we Adventists are the watchmen, and we will be held responsible if we don’t warn people that they’re wrong.
It seems to me that applying it today would make us very judgmental. How do we know who we need to warn, and about what?
Signed, Fair Warning
Dear Fair Warning,
One thing we Adventists haven’t shied away from is being judgmental. Who else do you know who lumps all the rest of Christians into the category of “Babylon”?
That prophecy was given to those Ezekiel was sent to: the Jewish people of the time. While it is a good principle to warn people when something is happening that they should know about, Adventists got the idea that it gives us, and only us, carte blanche to go around “warning” everyone else that they’ve got it all wrong, and we’re right.
Some of the things we warn others about don’t seem central to salvation. The Sabbath is important, but is it the basis for judgment? Jesus never said that. What about food? Or joining the remnant church? Jesus didn’t say that, either.
It seems to me the central truth of Christianity has to do with trusting in Jesus and doing a ministry like his, don’t you think? We keep warning everyone else—but clearly we have a few problems of our own. It’s probably time we let other Christians warn us!
It’s been 180 years. It isn’t up to us to go around warning the rest of the Christians that they’re “apostate.” As Jesus once said, “Physician, heal thyself!” Let’s move on.
Aunt Sevvy
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