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July 3 - Thoughts on Lifestyle and Doctrine-1

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Show me your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Ps. 25:4, NKJV.

You may have noted in our readings during the past few months that Ellen White took a larger role in the area of Adventist lifestyle practices than she did in the formation of doctrine. In doctrinal formation the procedure consisted of Bible study until a general consensus developed. At that point she sometimes received a vision that reaffirmed the consensus and helped those who still had questions to accept the correctness of the biblically derived conclusions of the group. Thus we can best think of Mrs. White's involvement in the formation of doctrine as one of confirmation rather than initiation.

The same does not hold true for her part in the area of Adventist lifestyle. But before moving on with that topic, we should recognize some differences between the realm of lifestyle and that of doctrine.

Even though twenty-first-century Adventists tend to see doctrinal and lifestyle issues as being of equal magnitude, that was not the position of the dedomination's founders. Whereas they hammered out the basic doctrines through intense Bible study and held conferences to bring about consensus, lifestyle development followed a somewhat different pattern.

Perhaps the difference revolved around the fact that doctrines define a denomination. Doctrine among early Sabbatarian Adventists, therefore, was a crucial issue and received a great deal of attention. Lifestyle items, on the other hand, tend to be second-order concerns. Many lifestyle issues are not so much basic determiners of a denomination's identity as they are ways of life that facilitate its mission in spreading its doctrinal message.

From this perspective, health reform enables people to become better witnesses and missionaries and enables healped people to reach the place where they can better understand the gospel. Similarly, Christian education facilitates the development of both individual church members and gospel preachers. Again, tithing and sacrificial giving not only enable people to reflect the character of the one who so loved that He gave His only Son, but also forward God's mission on earth.

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Lord, we appreciate both the doctrinal package and the lifestyle issues that have made Seventh-day Adventism a unique people. Help us to understand better their roles in our individual and collective lives.

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