Resources Q&A Investigative Judgment Investigative Judgment is not mentioned in the NT
The reason why the Investigative Judgment is not accepted as a Christian doctrine is the absence of any clear declaration of it in the New Testament. How do you at World's Last Chance answer this claim?
We are glad that the questioner does not deny the existence of the Investigative Judgment in the New Testament. The complaint is merely: why is it not declared so clearly, in black and white, so that no one can miss it? In answer we say, that it is most presumptuous if we suppose that we know better than our Creator how His truth should be delineated in His word. At World's Last Chance we do not presume to know better than our Creator how best to present His truth. Hence, we try to go by His established principles for studying His word. We note two principles which are essential for studying His word to understand His doctrines.
The first principle requires that we search His word with all of our heart. "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). Surface reading of His word will never lead us to His truth. We have to be diligent in our study and with all earnestness apply all the God-given talents for digging deep into His word. This is the first principle that is to be applied when studying His word to arrive at His doctrinal truth, such as the Investigative Judgment.
The second principle which has to go hand in hand with the first is enunciated by Christ in John 7:17. "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine." If we approach His word with an earnest desire to do His will, Christ has promised that we will "know the doctrine." We should be free from any preconceived concepts and ideas, so that we do not impose our own understanding on the Bible verses we are studying. Failure to abide by this divine precondition in the study of His word, is the main culprit which has often prevented His people through out history from arriving at the truth. It was the reason why the best Jewish rabbis and scholars did not recognize Christ as their promised Messiah, even thought they have diligently studied the Old Testament prophecies. These leaders did not want to give up their earthly ambitions of glory and greatness, nor part away with their sins. They were not ready to accept Christ as a Messiah, who was only focused in His call on the world to come, and not this earth. They were not ready to follow Christ who was asking them to repent of their sins and to submit their hearts to Him to be saved. Hence, their "diligent" study did not lead them to His truth.
Could history be repeating itself today in the way many of His people are in almost total ignorance of the Sanctuary message? Could it be that the teachings implied in the Sanctuary message, which are at great odds with many of the believed falsehoods, are the reason why the Investigated Judgment is denied and abhorred as a doctrine?
The sanctuary message shows that we are accountable for our actions, and that is not what the people want to hear. They would much rather hear about the love if God and His great sacrifice, than give up sin before probation close. The professed Christians of today want to leave every thing to Christ, while they go their own self willed way.
In sum, the Investigative Judgment is clearly stated in the His word, and this doctrine will be found by those who study His word on the basis of the above mentioned God-given two principles. The promise of Christ still stands today as ever: "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine."
Additional Reading:
Subscribe to this comment's feed
written by Lorraine Clarke, December 22, 2009
-
- +0
-
-
written by Lorraine Clarke, December 22, 2009
The context is this (John 7:2; 14-17 paraphrased):
Jesus went up to the Temple in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles, and He began to teach the people.
The leaders of the Jews were astounded, thinking that this was an uneducated man, and yet He had spiritual knowledge.
Jesus told them that He was not just making all this up, but that He was teaching the doctrines of God.
He then said, “If anyone's will is in line with God's will, then he will recognise that the doctrines I am teaching, are from God, and not just my own ideas.”
WLC pretends that Jesus is specifically endorsing their own doctrine of the Investigative Judgment, by selecting just HALF of Jesus' sentence ~
QUOTE: "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine."
They do this to give the impression that if anyone is a real Christian, he will obviously know the doctrine of the Investigative Judgement.
What Jesus actually said, is this ~
Joh 7:17 If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know WHETHER the teaching is from God OR WHETHER I AM SPEAKING ON MY OWN AUTHORITY. ESV
Joh 7:17 If any man willeth to do his will, he shall know of the teaching, WHETHER IT IS OF GOD, OR WHETHER I SPEAK FROM MYSELF. ASV
Joh 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, WHETHER IT BE OF GOD, OR WHETHER I SPEAK OF MYSELF.KJV
Joh 7:17 If anyone wants to do his will, he will know WHETHER THIS TEACHING IS FROM GOD OR WHETHER I AM SPEAKING ON MY OWN. ISV
Jesus was speaking of ALL the things that He ever taught. He certainly NEVER preached anything remotely resembling the “Investigative Judgement”, because if He had, WLC would have used THAT reference here to support their argument, rather than having to dissect a very general statement by Jesus.
Therefore, it appears that Milerites, SDAs and WLC have preached the Investigative Judgement on their own authority. Jesus also had something to say about this ~
Joh 7:18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.
The “Investigative Judgment” cannot be found in Scripture under this terminology, therefore it should not be used. It cannot be found in the New Testament at all, because it has been entirely deduced from a questionable interpretation of Daniel's prophecies, bolstered by “visions”. The following verse has nothing whatsoever to do with the IJ.
1Co 11:31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.
Paul spent this entire chapter denouncing the Corinthians for their egregious behaviour when they ate the Lord's Supper. He explained that we must examine our hearts every time before we take the Lord's Supper, because it is a very solemn memorial of Christ's sacrifice. To take it while harbouring sin in our hearts, brings God's judgement upon us, and some even become physically ill because of their unconfessed sin.
This is about searching our own hearts before the Passover Feast which we now celebrate as communion. It has nothing to do with 2,300 evenings and mornings, with the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, with Jesus moving from one apartment to another in heaven, with October 22 1844, with records of anyone's name coming up in books as saved or lost, or any of the other peculiarities belonging to the doctrine of the Investigative Judgement.
Lonnie, you are correct, that if we die in Jesus, then we are saved. Yet you still want to add the IJ to this?? Jesus knows us from the moment of our new birth, and does not need to “investigate” our records beginning after 1844 AD, to see whether we are worthy of eternal life. We already HAVE eternal life from the moment we believe. The IJ is just a human addition to the gospel, and as such, must be discarded.
-
- +0
-
-
written by Lonnie Rapson, December 19, 2009
Since the Investigative Judgment began on Oct.22 1844, the Sanctuary was cleansed of all the past to that date, thus establishing who will come up in what resurrection in the future. After that date, everyone that dies has their name come up in the books and is established as saved or lost for the future resurrections as well.
To establish a difference between the SDA and a Sunday keeper or whatever religion, one must look at the era of which we are in. Being in the Laodicean church era, the SDA must look at where we are and what God says about us Rev.3:17 and look at what God has for us to receive Rev.3:18. The fact that Laodicea has both saved and unsaved in it, God has sanctification for the saved and desires the unsaved to receive Jesus as their Savior, this is through the remedy of understanding great light that has come to the church in the gold, eyesalve, and white raiment, in the Latter Rain Truth, the Kingdom to be restored!
-
- +0
-
-
* “ATONEMENT” means “JUDGMENT”
* The Mercy Seat is the Judgement Seat
* The heavenly Holy of Holies, and all those in it, were “trampled underfoot” until 1844 AD
* Jesus' “COMING” was an invisible event in Heaven, in 1844
* All the sins ever committed, have piled up in the Most Holy Place, and Jesus needs to remove them
* Jesus “CAME” from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place in 1844
* 2,300 evenings and mornings = 2,300 years
* The “decree to rebuild Jerusalem” was given by Artaxerxes in 457 BC
* Both the 70 Weeks of years, and the 2,300 days had to begin in 457 BC
* Jesus had a 3 ½ year ministry
* Jesus was baptised in Tisri, 27 AD
* Jesus died on 25 April in 31 AD
* Stephen was stoned to death in Tisri, 34 AD
* The 2300 days ended in 1844 AD
* The day of Passover in 1844 was May 3
* The Day of Atonement in 1844 was October 22
* Jesus is judging us while we are not standing before Him
* Jesus did not sit down on His Father's throne in the Holy of Holies at His Ascension
* Jesus has not been waiting on that throne since His Ascension
* Jesus does not know His own
* Jesus needs to “investigate the cases” of all who have lived and died, before He knows who is saved
* Salvation is not gained by simply believing on the Lord Jesus Christ
* Salvation is not attained until one has “passed the test” of the Investigative Judgment, whenever that may be
The list of UNSCRIPTURAL PRECONCEIVED IDEAS goes on indefinitely. Those who accept Ellen White's additions to the Bible, are unable to distinguish between God's Word and her words. They combine both God's Word and Ellen White's words in the same sentences, attributing equal authority to both of them. They imagine that to do so, proves that Ellen White's teachings are true, and cannot discern that this is nothing but circular reasoning. The Holy Scriptures are mercilessly wrested to “prove” Ellen White, and Peter says that this leads to destruction.
2Pe 3:15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him,
2Pe 3:16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.
Read the Bible and accept its simple messages at face value. Try removing EVERY Ellen White-ism from your publications, and see what is left!! It will be a very different picture from the one you had before.
You will be amazed to find that it is the same gospel that has been believed by millions of Christians since Jesus rose again.