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Dr. Folkenberg Inspires Convention 2012

Posted on Sep 11 2012

Dr. Robert Folkenberg, former President of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist was the special guest speaker at the 12^th Annual ASi-IAD Convention held in Antigua, Guatemala, August 12^th -18^th, 2012. He delivered the main address of the meeting on Sabbath Morning, August 18^th, 2012, and provided a prelude to his address with a beautiful musical rendition. His melodious tenor voice rang out in the convention hall as the audience exclaimed its pleasant surprise and erupted in approval as he concluded a well delivered piece. Earlier, Pastor Leon Wellington, Executive Secretary of ASi-IAD and host of the program, indicated that Dr. Folkenberg had been a member of a quartet during his young days. He also revealed that Pastor Israel Leito, IAD President had reportedly also been a member of that group.

Dr. Folkenberg, subsequent to his demitting office, has developed the international evangelistic organization ‘Share Him’, which has taken over eleven thousand lay people on mission trips around the world. Leading off from this platform, he challenged the congregation to carefully consider the fact that the prescription that the Bible gives for our salvation included both believing on Jesus Christ and also confessing Him before men. (Romans 10 v 9). If we don’t embrace a life of confessing our faith and sharing what we believe to the world, then we will not be saved.

In a presentation with spell-binding depth and intrigue, Pastor Folkenberg, asked the question, “What do we confess to men?” Can we answer that most basic of religious question, How does one receive salvation? He then contrasted the concept of being saved only by Grace, with the many repeated scriptural admonition that those who are saved are the ones who are obedient to the word of God. Romans 3 v 20, 24, 28 states that we are justified by Grace, and not the deeds of the Law, while Mat 16 v 27 says that we will be rewarded according to our works. Jesus Himself clearly stated in Mathew 19 v 17 that” if thou will enter into life, keep the commandments.” (also James 2 v 24).

So if the Bible states that we need to be obedient to the commands of God and that we are saved by Grace through the shed blood of Jesus, and not by what we do, then is not this contradictory. As Seventh-day Adventist we admonish our friends and associates to accept Christ and obey His Law, while many other denominations counter that it is not a requirement for salvation that we obey, but just accept Jesus sacrifice by faith.

Pastor Folkenberg confessed that this issue bothered his mind for many years and he devoted time to pray and study this topic. It became clear that many persons in the audience shared a captivating interest in resolving this also. The speaker explained that after five years of studious contemplation he concluded that the purpose of our obedience is not to gain our salvation, nor even to demonstrate to the world that we are saved, but it is for us, ourselves to know. Quoting from the I John 2 verse 3, “Hereby we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments”.

Eve sinned not when she ate the fruit, but when she decided not to depend on God, but on her self, her own thoughts and her own idea in deciding what to do without taking into account what God wanted her to do. The sin was her rebellion. When she disobeyed and took the fruit, she then knew that she had sinned. God provides the commandments for us to know whether we know Him, whether we love Him, whether we have truly accepted His grace, whether we have salvation. It makes our rebellion visible, it provides the reality that sin would leave some mark. The prohibited conduct is not the sin; it is the evidence of our rebellion.

As the large audience left the convention hall, many clamored to greet the speaker and express their joy and appreciation for such an inspiring presentation