Many of you may know about ex-Adventist Desmond Ford by now.  Of all the people in the world attempting to decimate historic Adventism, Ford is the chief one.  Many people now consider Ford a leading authority on how Adventism should work.  The whole essence of Ford is that he does not believe that God’s people will be examined during the judgment, but only the wicked, therefore all of his work culminates in attempting to obliterate the Adventists’ Sanctuary message, and to substitute in it his version of it.  However, lets be fair with ourselves.  Let’s give Ford a chance.  Even though he attacks the church, perhaps all of his claims against the Adventist faith are genuine.  And, more importantly, perhaps he has something better to offer instead of the Adventist end-time message.  In order to do this, we will examine what Ford has to offer the Christian today, based on the materials I have read of his so far:

1. Ford teaches that the creation account of Genesis 1 is not literal but a myth, that the world was not created in six literal 24-hour days, and that the earth is not around 6,000 years old, but had its beginnings long ages ago.
2. He teaches that he is in much debt to Dr. Hugh Ross’ work and publications (note: Dr. Hugh Ross believes in the big bang theory and the evolutionary times needed to form the universe and the earth).
3. He teaches that he is open to the suggestion of Billy Graham’s view that there were many hominoids before Adam, and that these hominoids eventually became into the image of God (note: hominoids is purely an evolutionary term that is used to describe humans, monkeys, apes and all related mammals alive and extinct).
4. He teaches that Adam and Eve were not real literal people, but were symbolic and fictitious.
5. He teaches adamantly that if any of Genesis 1 is interpreted literally, then it is doing great harm to the young people who are pursuing a higher education.
6. He teaches that the prophecy of the “little horn” in Daniel 7 and 8 had its primary fulfillment in Antiochus IV Epiphanes, an obscure Syrian king of the Grecian Empire who was able to last only a few years in his entire reign.
7. He teaches that the 2300 days in Daniel 8:14 is not 2300 days, but somehow is actually 1150 days.
8. He teaches that most of the book of Daniel was not written by the prophet Daniel himself, but that most were written in the 2nd century BC during the time of the Maccabees, centuries after the time of Daniel.
9. He teaches that the fourth commandment is only an option and not a mandatory requirement, and that he would accept into fellowship Christians regardless of whether they keep Sabbath or Sunday.
10. He teaches that the Bible says nothing about an examination of God’s people during the judgment.
11. He teaches that the investigative judgment and the Sabbath are not part of the gospel in these last days.
12. He teaches that the beast of Revelation 13 cannot yet be known specifically, and that the final antichrist is still yet to come in the future.
13. He teaches that Christ did not have a fallen human nature (sinful flesh), but that it was immaculate, holy, undefiled and separate from sinners, which all means that He cannot relate and sympathize fully to us humans, and which also means that He was not tempted in all points as we are, without AND within.
14. He teaches that justification is possible for the sinner without having to receive Christ.
15. He teaches that after the 1000-year millennium, the raised wicked will still have a chance at immortality, but they instead reject it and opted to attack the New Jerusalem.
16. He teaches, in order to state his Christian status, that he is a member of the church invisible – all those who know Christ as Saviour and Lord REGARDLESS of denominational affiliation, whether they are Catholic or Protestant, dispensationalist or nondispensationalist, charismatic or noncharismatic.

In 1976, the SDA bible committee, in which Ford was also a part of at the time, presented a resolution in which one aspect of it was to re-define the meaning of the gospel.  This resolution was contained in what was called the Palmdale paper, and in Ford’s contribution to it he wrote, concerning the death of Christ on the cross: “The good news declares that all men have been redeemed, that justification has been secured for all, that the whole human race has been restored to favour with God and that all sins … are now cancelled for the whole world.”  With this type of mindset and influence, one clearly has the idea why Ford and his followers exalt the cross event to such a degree.  Fortunately, as Ford himself claims, the Palmdale resolutions have since disappeared.  For us Christians in the present truth of these last days, rather than focusing our minds in the present, on Christ in the heavenly sanctuary currently performing the investigative judgment to vindicate us, Ford’s gospel, on the contrary, leads people to focus in the past on a historical event (an important event that cannot be denied) that happened two milleniums ago, and stays there.  Everything else about Bible truth in these last days, such as end-time prophecy of the Three Angels’ Message, the current judgment in the heavenly sanctuary, full sanctification to receive the latter rain, all of these become unimportant.  If one focuses solely on the past and not in the present, how will one ever be prepared for the Second Coming of Christ?  Where is the sound of warning and judgment that God has committed to and expects of His people?

Based on the survey of what I have examined so far of Ford’s work, his attacks on distinct Adventist teachings holds no biblical basis or merit.  If you examine again the 16 points I presented above, one would have to conclude that Ford’s exegetical methods, literally and in honesty, are quite an embarrassment, therefore, an informed Adventist should have nothing to worry about.  After examining Ford and his motive of attacks, and a personal re-examination of pivotal Adventist doctrines, I am convinced more than ever now that the judgment currently in the heavenly sanctuary is very real.  Moreover, the attacks have actually strengthened my conviction of the whole salvational Sanctuary gospel.  Ford’s watered-down version of the gospel is definitely not the gospel to be spread for these last days.  In fact, it severely hinders the spreading of the Three Angels’ Message in its purity.  It is only Satan attempting to divert the minds of God’s people from the current judgment in heaven, until it is too late for them.

Thanks to a friend, the attached files examines in more detail regarding these important issues.  If you accept what is written therein, please share it with your friends.

Also take into consideration the following testimony.  Many in a position to defend truth have watched Ford (and his followers) attack truth and remained silent.

RH.1873-09-30.009
If God abhors one sin above another, of which his people are guilty, it is of doing nothing in a case of emergency. Indifference or neutrality in a religious crisis is regarded of God as a grievous crime; and equal to the very worst type of hostility against God.

 Desmond Ford and the Sabbath

 The False Gospel of Desmond Ford

 Desmond Ford's 2GB Interview