“We choose all substance - what remains The mystical sectarian gains; All that each claims, each shall possess, Nor grudge each other’s happiness. An immaterial God they choose, For such a God we have no use; An immaterial heaven and hell, In such a heaven we cannot dwell. We claim the earth, the air, and sky, And all the starry worlds on high; Gold, silver, ore, and precious stones, And bodies made of flesh and bones. Such is our hope, our heaven, our all, When once redeemed from Adam’s fall; All things are ours, and we shall be, The Lord’s to all eternity.”
It is important to pay attention to the biblical evidence that brother Loughborough points out in the testimony that God has a body. Brother Loughborough reviews several Bible passages proving that God does have a material body, but it is invisible to our mortal eyes.
“Gather up the rays of divine light that God has given as He has led His people on step by step in the way of truth”
What is the real issue with the reasoning in the Living Temple?
The authority of the fundamental principles is unquestionable. They were the result of deep, earnest study in the time of great disappointment, when “point by point, has been sought out by prayerful study, and testified to by the miracle-working power of the Lord”.
Keeping in mind Sister White’s reply to Dr. Kellogg’s belief on the Trinity doctrine, let us review the characteristics of the theories she described in the chapter “The Foundation of our Faith”.
Taken in its context, this letter sheds new light on Kellogg’s controversy and demonstrates how we should deal with the Trinity doctrine. The first thing we question is why Sister White never used the word ‘Trinity’ in her writings, even when she was directly dealing with this doctrine?
The broader and deeper meaning of these quotations can be understood when we are familiar with their historical context. Let us first take a brief look at the historical context of Kellogg’s book, “The Living Temple”.
“This foundation was built by the Masterworker, and will stand storm and tempest. Will they permit this man to present doctrines that deny the past experience of the people of God? The time has come to take decided action.” {EGW, SpTB02 54.2; 1904}
This foundation was built by the Masterworker, and will stand storm and tempest.
"I have my work to do, to meet the misconceptions of those who suppose themselves able to say what is testimony from God and what is human production. If those who have done this work continue in this course, satanic agencies will choose for them." — Letter 28, 1906.
Paul did not mince words, but used strong language: “If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”
Here we find that the Holy Spiri is both the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ....”
“If Jesus Christ had never been born again, could you and I have ever been born again? No. But He was born again, from the world of righteousness into the world of sin; that we might be born again, from the world of sin into the world of righteousness. He was born again, and was made partaker of the human nature, that we might be born again, and so made partakers of the divine nature. He was born again, unto earth, unto sin, unto man, that we might be born again unto heaven, unto righteousness, unto God.”
“But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things.”