Chapter 6: The Mighty Sifting





What is the Bible teaching on the subject of the perseverance of the
saints (once saved, always saved)? Is is possible for a genuine Christian to lose 
his or her love for God?
          Matthew 24: 13- "...but he who stands firm to the end
      will be saved."
          Matthew 13: 18-23- "Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When 
      anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one
      comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  This is the seed sown along the 
      path.  The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears 
      the word and at once receives it with joy.  But since he has no root, he lasts only 
      a short time.  When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls
      away.  The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears 
      the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making
      it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who 
      hears the word and understands it.  He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or 
      thirty times what was sown."
          1 Corinthians 9: 27- "No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after
      I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
          Hebrews 6: 4-6- "It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, 
      who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted
      the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to
      be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God
      all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

Does the Bible describe the apostasy of any particular individuals 
who once had God's approval?
          Ezekiel 28: 15- "You were blameless in your ways from the day
      you were created till wickedness was found in you.
          
Is apostasizing (the "shaking" of members out of God's church) 
limited to bygone centuries only?
          "The mighty shaking has commenced and will go on, and all will be shaken
      out who are not willing to take a bold and unyielding stand for the truth and to 
      sacrifice for God and His cause.  The angel said, 'Think ye that any will be 
      compelled to sacrifice? No, no.  It must be a freewill offering'" (EW 50, 51 [1851]).
          "I saw that we are now in the shaking time.  Satan is working with all his power
      to wrest souls from the hand of Christ" (1T 429 [1864]).
          "God is now sifting His people, testing their purposes and their motives.  Many 
      will be but as chaff--no wheat, no value in them" (4T 51 [1876]).
          "We are in the shaking time, the time when everything that can be shaken will be
      shaken.  The Lord will not excuse those who know the truth if they do not in word 
      and deed obey His commands" (6T 332 [1900]).
          "Even in our day there have been and will continue to be entire families who have
      once rejoiced in the truth, but who will lose faith because of calumnies and falsehoods
      brought to them in regard to those whom they have loved and with whom they have had 
      sweet counsel.  They opened their hearts to the sowing of tares; the tares sprang up
      among the wheat; they strengthened; the crop of wheat became less and less; and the
      precious truth lost its power to them" (TM 411).

What experience of the near future will greatly increase the number
of apostasies from the Seventh-day Adventist church?
          "The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. 
      The mark of the beast will be urged upon us.  Those who have step by step yielded
      to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will not find it a hard matter
      to yield to the powers that be, rather than subject themselves to derision, insult,
      threatened imprisonment, and death.  The contest is between the commandments of God 
      and the commandments of men.  In this time the gold will be separated from the dross
      in the church" (5T 81).
          "The work which the church has failed to do in a time of peace and prosperity she
      will have to do in a terrible crisis under most discouraging, forbidding circumstances..
      .And at that time the superficial, conservative class, whose influence has steadily 
      retarded the progress of the work, will renounce the faith" (5T 463).
          "As trials thicken around us, both separation and unity will be seen in our ranks.
      Some who are now ready to take up weapons of warfare will in times of real peril make 
      it manifest that they have not built upon the solid rock; they will yield to temptation.
      Those who have had great light and precious privileges, but have not improved them, will,
      under one pretext or another, go out from us" (6T 400).
          "In the absence of the persecution there have drifted into our ranks men who appear
      sound and their Christianity unquestionable, but who, if persecution should arise, would
      go out from us" (Ev 360).

Besides persecution, what other causes are there for the "shaking" of God's people?
          "I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen and was shown
      that it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel
      of the True Witness to the Laodiceans.  This will have its effect upon the 
      heart of the receiver, and will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth
      the straight truth.  Some will not bear this straight testimony.  They will
      rise up against it, and this is what will cause a shaking among God's people" 
      (EW 270).
          "God's spirit has illuminated every page of Holy Writ, but there are those
      upon whom it makes little impression, because it is imperfectly understood. 
      When the shaking comes, by the introduction of false theories, these surface
      readers, anchored nowhere, are like shifting sand.  They slide into any position
      to suit the tenor of their feelings of bitterness" (TM 112).
          "Not having received the love of the truth, they will be taken in the delusions
      of the enemy; they will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, 
      and will depart from the faith" (6T 401).

What expression does Mrs. White use to describe this experience?
          "In the mighty sifting soon to take place we shall be better 
      able to measure the strength of Israel.  The signs reveal that the time is 
      near when the Lord will manifest that His fan is in His hand, and He will
      thoroughly purge His floor" (5T 80).

Has our entire church membership ever been composed of true Christians?
          "From what has been shown me, there are not more than half of the young
       who profess religion and the truth who have been truly converted" (1T 158 [MYP 131]
       [1857]). "Names are registered upon the church books upon earth, but not in the book
       of life.  I saw that there is not one in twenty of the youth who knows what experimental 
       religion is" (1T 504 [MYP 384][1867]).
          "In the last vision given me, I was shown the startling fact that but a small portion of 
       those who now profess the truth will be sanctified by it and be saved" (1T 608 [1867]).
          "I have stated before them that, from what was shown me, but a small number of those
       now professing to believe the truth would eventually be saved" (2T 445 [1870]).
          "I tell you not a few ministers who stand before the people to explain the Scriptures are
       defiled.  Their hearts are corrupt, their hands unclean" (5T 78 [1882]).
          "It is a solemn statement that I make to the church, that not one in twenty whose names
       are registered upon the church books are prepared to close their earthly history" 
       (ChS 41 [1893]).

In the days of ease and prosperity that we are now enjoying,
what can we expect to develop in our church?
          "Prosperity multiplies a mass of professors.  Adversity purges them
       out of the church" (4T 89).
          "Divisions will come in the church.  Two parties will be developed.  The wheat and 
       tares grow up together for the harvest" (2SM 114).

When the "mighty sifting" takes place, what will become of the 
unconsecrated members of the church?
          "When the day comes when the law of God is made void, and the church
       is sifted by the fiery trials that are to try all that live upon the earth, a great proportion
       of those who are supposed to be genuine will give heed to seducing spirits, and will 
       turn traitors and betray sacred trusts.  They will prove our very worst persecutors" 
       (6BC 1065).
          "Many a star that we have admired for its brilliance will then go out in darkness"
       (PK 188 [see also 5T 81]).
          "Chaff like a cloud will be borne away on the wind, even from places where we see
       only floors of rich wheat" (5T 81).
          "The shaking of God blows away multitudes like dry leaves" (4T 89).
          "In the last solemn work few great men will be engaged" (5T 80).