What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "Violation of the seventh commandment and the careless handling of adultery or immorality in the church."
Answer
The violation of the seventh commandment is often treated too lightly, which brings God's displeasure upon the entire congregation. Ellen White emphasizes that a mere apology without profound consequences is insufficient to preserve the holiness of the church. This leniency especially corrupts the youth, as the sin then appears minor. When immorality is tolerated in the church, God's blessing withdraws, similar to how Achan's plunder weakened the whole camp of Israel. A clear and strict handling of the offenders is necessary to restore spiritual purity.
The danger of a superficial handling of adultery
»I saw that the seventh commandment was violated by some who are still being kept in the fellowship of the church. This has brought God's disapproval upon them. This sin is terrible in these last days, but the church has drawn God's wrath and curse upon itself by treating the sin so carelessly. I saw that it was a tremendous sin and that not as vigilant efforts were made as should have been, to appease God's displeasure... by striking a strict, thorough procedure against the offender. It has had a terrible, corrupting influence on the youth. They see how lightly the sin of breaking the seventh commandment is regarded, and the one who commits this dreadful sin thinks he only needs to acknowledge that he acted wrongly and that he is sorry, and then he would have all the privileges of God's house...«
The weakening of spiritual power through immorality
»They thought it was not such a great sin, but they underestimated the breaking of the seventh commandment. This would have been sufficient to remove God's Ark from the camp, even if there were no other sins that would cause the Ark to be taken away and Israel to be weakened.«
The binding nature of the law for believers
»...People who acknowledge that the Ten Commandments are binding, who keep the fourth commandment of the Decalogue, should implement in their lives the principles of all ten statutes that were given in awe-inspiring majesty from Sinai. Fornication and adultery are regarded by a great number ... as sins over which God looks the other way. These sins are practiced on a large scale. They do not recognize the claims of God's law upon them.«
The corrupting influence of false teachings
»Satan rejoices when sinners enter the church as alleged Sabbath keepers, while they allow him to control their mind and feelings and use them to deceive and corrupt others. ... [Such a man] truly tries to make sensible women believe that it is not offensive before God for wives to be unfaithful to their marriage vows. He will not even admit that this would be breaking the seventh commandment.«
The impact of hidden sins on the community
»A hidden golden wedge and a Babylonian garment unsettled the entire camp of Israel, bringing God's wrath upon the people because of the sin of one man. ... This sinner held no holy office, yet a jealous God could not go into battle with the armies of Israel as long as these hidden sins were among them.«
- Seventh commandment church order
- Adultery discipline Ellen White
- Holiness of the church and immorality
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
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