The Seal of God by Gordon Collier

(Koot van Wyk D.Litt et Phil; ThD) Visiting Professor, Department of Liberal Education, Kyungpook National University, Sangju Campus, South Korea, Conjoint lecturer of Avondale College)

Pastor Gordon Collier was pastor of Leach SDA Church in Cedar, Tennesee between 1968-1972.

His focus is a legitimate one in the Adventist church, namely, the importance of holiness in the process of salvation. Despite Seventh-day Adventists moments of focus swinging from holiness to justification by faith in 1888, the two aspects are intertwined in salvation and cannot be separated. Present Truth magazine and its journalists and participators did everything in their power during the 1970’s to clinically separate sanctification and justification and placed a primary on justification. In the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, there is never an attempt by God to put primacy on justification over sanctification. It is true that one can cite the book of Romans or Ephesians to prove the point of the primacy of justification, but never forget, Paul emphasizes because he has an audience and he dialogues with them. They push for salvation by sanctification only so Paul pushed for salvation by justification only. Present Truth magazine in the 1970’s went out of their way to say that it is Reformed Theology and especially Lutheran. Data speaks differently when you see the original records of Luther. His table-talks shows that he had a balanced view of the role of justification and sanctification and that he also was in dialogue with his times. He did not denounce the importance of sanctification. Present Truth blamed pastor Collier to focus on holiness and claimed that in 1888 God tried to take the “holiness glasses” off the SDA church (see source below). This is not correct. When the woman in sin stood there in John 8 in front of Jesus he said after justification: “Go and sin no more”. How do you do that? Sanctification and daily interaction and walking with God. Holiness is the key here. And that is what holiness is doing in the Adventist church. Keeping the Torah is holiness because the Torah is holy and God is holy because the Torah is the character of God. We are to be very careful of those in the church who is trying to make the gospel cheap with an easy saving mechanism (Edward Heppenstall in chapter 12 of Our High Priest). Paul said in Romans 7:1, “Do I deny the law? Me genoito = No definitely not.”

Years ago in 1973 dr. Ernst Barkhuizen gave me Collier’s “The Seal of God”. It belonged originally to the Union President of South Africa at that time, Pastor Eric Almer. I kept it through the years. Here is it for the public.

Sources:

http://www.leachadventistchurch.com/article/39/about-us/history-of-the-leach-sda-church

http://www.sealingtime.com/archive/view/lang-en/listid-1-sealing-time-newsletter/mailid-110-sealing-time-newsletter-rare-find-closing-events-charts-by-elder-gordon-w-collier-sr

http://www.presenttruthmag.com/7dayadventist/SDAPart1/11.html

“In 1888, God tried to take off those ‘holiness’ glasses, and to restore the primacy of justification by faith. Some of the brethren were so alarmed that they thought the preaching of justification by faith would tear down ‘the pillars of the faith.’”

Seal of God by Gordon Collier pages 1 to 30.pdf