9. The Investigative Judgment - Paul M. Williams

Part 9 It has been well said that the only distinctive doctrine of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is the doctrine of the Investigative Judgment.  This doctrine lies at the heart of Adventism and is woven into the fabric of how the Adventist Church views atonement.  In short, the doctrine of the Investigative Judgment teaches that in 1844, Jesus Christ began a work of judgment, examining the records of all professing believers to determine their worthiness to obtain heaven.  When one asks what is the standard by which they shall be judged, the answer is returned, the law of God!  According to Ellen G. White:  "All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon entered against their names in the books of heaven; as they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and their characters are found to be in harmony with the law of God, their sins will be blotted out, and they themselves will be accounted worthy of eternal life."   The doctrine of the Investigative Judgment is a damnable doctrine as it not only adds law to grace and works to faith, but it denies the finished work of the cross since it maintains that from 1844, Christ entered the second and last phase of His atoning ministry. It is a work of investigative judgment, which is part of the ultimate disposition of all sin (SDA Fundamental Belief 24). How can there be a final phase of atonement when Calvary WAS the final atonement?  We shall explore this at length in this teaching, along with the infamous Sanctuary doctrine. Download teaching notes (pdf) https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bethesdashalom/9_The_Investigative_Judgment.pdf