Seventh-day Adventist similarities and differences from the Continuing Church of God

From time to time, I have received questions asking about some of the differences between the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) and the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) from a member of the SDA church.

But before going to them, let me point out some doctrinal similarities:

Both claim to believe that the whole Bible, Old and New Testaments, is the Word of God (see also Read the Bible and the Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God).
Both believe that salvation is by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ (see also Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God).
Both believe that all of the Ten Commandments are standards for God’s people today and that the seventh-day Sabbath is to be observed on Saturday. See also The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast and The Sabbath in the Early Church and Abroad.
Both believe there is no consciousness for humans between death and resurrection. Though we have some major differences in understanding the resurrections. See Did Early Christians Believe that Humans Possessed Immortality? and What Did Early Christians Understand About the Resurrections?
Both believe that Jesus Christ will soon return physically to the earth. Though, again, there are some major differences (see also The Gospel of the Kingdom of God).
Both believe that the wicked will finally be annihilated, not suffer eternal torment. See The Second Death.
Both believe that Christians should not eat biblically unclean meats (see The New Testament Church, History, and Unclean Meats), though, because of the teachings of Ellen White, many SDAs take this further and avoid all meat.

There are, however, more differences than similarities.

Here are some of the differences:

The SDAs accept Ellen White as God’s prophetess. CCOG does not. We see her as false on many points. Hence, CCOG sees no need to heed her pronouncements from a biblical perspective as some are in conflict with scripture and reality.
Ellen White taught that the angel Michael became Jesus. CCOG strongly disagrees (see Did the Archangel Michael become Jesus?).
Ellen White falsely taught that the Day of Atonement was October 22 in 1844, whereas it in 1844, the Day of Atonement began at sunset September 22 and ran through sunset September 23rd (see http://www.hebcal.com/hebcal/?year=1844&v=1&month=x&yt=G&nh=on&nx=on&o=on&s=on&vis=on&a=on&D=on&d=on&set=on&heb=on&c=off&zip=&m=72).
SDAs believe 1844 has a significance that CCOG says the Bible does not support.
The SDAs changed to accept the Greco-Roman trinity. CCOG does not (see Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity?).
The SDAs teach a Sunday morning resurrection, whereas the CCOG teaches Jesus was resurrected on a Saturday afternoon (see also What Happened in the ‘Crucifixion Week’?).
The SDAs changed to accept pagan holidays like Christmas. CCOG does not (see Should You Keep God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays? and What Does the Catholic Church Teach About Christmas and the Holy Days?).
The SDAs often consider themselves Protestant and the Protestants as Christians. CCOG does not (see Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God differs from Protestantism).
SDAs do not keep God’s holy days. CCOG does (see Should You Observe God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays?).
CCOG keeps Passover annually in accordance with the scriptures, whereas the SDAs keep some version of it quarterly, which is not biblical. See also Passover and the Early Church.
SDAs do not understand God’s plan of salvation. CCOG does as we understand that God will offer salvation to all that ever lived (see Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation).
Ellen White and other SDAs put forth the view that the United States of America is the two-horned beast of Revelation 13:11 (see SDA/CCOG Differences: Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666). We in the CCOG teach Revelation 13:11 is a reference to the “false prophet” (Revelation 16:13,19:20) and final “Antichrist” (1 John 4:1-3).
SDAs believe swearing oaths is fine (White EG. Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing), the CCOG does not.
Contrary to Jesus’ statements in Matthew 5:33-37, SDAs believe in swearing oaths as Ellen White said that was acceptable, whereas the CCOG does not.
SDAs do not clearly teach that 666 is the European Beast of the Sea, but CCOG does (see also Who is the King of the North?).
SDAs do not believe that saints will be on the Earth during the millennium, CCOG does (cf. Revelation 5:10; 20:4-6; see also Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism?).
SDAs use crosses a part of the symbols for their religion, whereas CCOG does not (see also What is the Origin of the Cross as a ‘Christian’ Symbol?).
The CCOG teaches an “age to come” (Matthew 12:32; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30; Hebrews 6:5), whereas because of a vision from Ellen White, the SDAs do not teach that.
SDAs call the truth that Jesus was killed on a Wednesday “unscriptural” (Standish RR, Standish C. The General Conference Confronts Apostasy.Â Hartland Publications, , 2006, p. 84), whereas the CCOG accepts that Jesus died then.
CCOG teaches the good news of the Kingdom of God and we do not believe the SDA church understands the full gospel or that it teaches it (see also The Gospel of the Kingdom of God).
CCOG’s priorities are essentially Matthew 24:14, Galatians 2:10, and Matthew 28:19-20, while the SDAs do not consider those the same way as CCOG. (see Behind the Work 2016: All Nations, Tribes, People, and Tongues and also MATTHEW Here are links to twelve sermons covering the 28 chapters of Matthew: Matthew 1-2: Greek or Aramaic, Jesus, and the Star?, Matthew 3-5: John the Baptist, Temptations, and the Beatitudes, Matthew 6-7: Charitable Deeds, the Rosary, Prayer, the Golden Rule, and Faith, Matthew 8-10: Married Clergy, Faith, Coming Persecution, and the Ecumenical Agenda, Matthew 11-12: John the Elijah, Sodom, Unpardonable Sin, & 3 Days and 3 Nights, -14: Parables, Mustard Seeds, Birthdays, and Faith, Matthew 15-16: Tradition, Signs of the Times, and The Rock & Peter, Matthew 17-18: Transfiguration, Elijah to Come, Taxes, and Forgiveness, Matthew 19-20: Transgender? Divorce? Purgatory? The first shall be last?, Matthew 21-23: ‘Palm Sunday,’ Come as You Are?, and the Greatest Commandments, Matthew 24: Temple Destruction, Sorrows, Tribulation, and the Return of Jesus, and Matthew 25-28: Midnight Cry, False Christians, Resurrection, & Teaching what Jesus Taught.
MARK Here is a link to a sermon covering all of Jesus’ words in the Gospel of Mark: What did Jesus teach in the Book of Mark? Here is a link to six sermons covering all the verses in the Gospel of Mark: Mark 1-2: Author, Prophecy, & Miracles, Mark 3-5: Healing, Demons, and Parables, Mark 6-9: Tradition, John’s beheading, Elijah, and Restoration, Mark 10-12: Marriage, Divorce, Needle Eye, Greatest Command, & Taxes, Mark 13: Temple, Four Horsemen, Troubles, Great Tribulation, and Gospel Proclamation, and .
LUKE Here are links to eight sermons covering the entire ‘Gospel of Luke’: Luke 1-2: John the Baptist, Mary, and the Census, Luke 3-6: John the Baptist, Jesus’ genealogy, Satan’s Influence, and the Sermon on the Mount, Luke 7-9: Miracles, Purpose of Parables, Kingdom of God, and Women Supporting the Ministry, Luke 10-11: The 70, Doing the Work, the Good Samaritan, Prayer, and Signs, Luke 12-13: Priorities, Delayed Fruit Bearing, Little Flock, Prophecy, and the Narrow Way, Luke 14-16: The Lost Sheep, the Prodigal Son, the Rich Man and Lazarus, Luke 17-20: Faith, the Kingdom, Gathering, Prayer, & Rewards, and Luke 21-22: Giving, Sorrows, Persecution, Tribulation, Fig Tree, and Violence. The last sermon also covers Jesus’ words in the Book of Acts.
JOHN Here are links to a seven-part sermon series covering the entire ‘Gospel of John’: John 1-3: Anti-unitarian, Wine, Being Born Again, & Heaven, John 4-6: Jesus and the Samaritan Woman, Miracles and the Bread of Life, John 10-12: Sheep, Hirelings, Lazarus/Soul Sleep and ‘Palm Day’, John 13-15: Footwashing and the Words of Jesus, John 16-18: Truth, Trinity, and Pontius Pilate, and John 19-21: Do not only try, do what God wants.
REVELATION This is a link to a sermon covering words Jesus spoke as recorded in the Book of Revelation and in first and second Corinthians: Revelation: Jesus’ Final Words.)
CCOG traces its history from Acts 2 to present. The SDA church traces itself from the Protestant and Advent movements. See also Continuing History of the Church of God.
SDAs improperly teach that the Church of God came out of their church. The CCOG teaches that the early SDAs had some exposure to COG doctrines, but ended up rejecting many to follow Ellen White’s revised positions. The COG preceded the formation of the SDA movement by over 18 centuries (see also the free online book: Continuing History of the Church of God).
The SDAs remnant teaching about itself now is mistaken as the ‘remnant’ taught about in Revelation 12:17 are non-Philadelphian Christians who are not protected in a place in the wilderness during the Great Tribulation and Day of the Lord (see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra).
The CCOG teaches that God is calling the elect now (see God Calling You?), but will call others later (see Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation). The SDAs do not teach that.
The CCOG teaches more fully the meaning of life than the SDAs (see also The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN Why Did God Create Anything? Why did God make you?).
CCOG seems to more clearly teach deification than the SDAs (see The Laodicean Church Era and also What is Your Destiny? Deification? Did the Early Church Teach That Christians Would Become God?).
The CCOG teaches more fully how to live as a Christian than the SDAs (see also Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian).

Officially, “Seventh-day Adventists . . . stress the conviction that many Roman Catholics are brothers and sisters in Christ” (How Seventh-day Adventists View Roman Catholicism. This statement was recorded on April 15, 1997, by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Administrative Committee (ADCOM) and released by the Office of the President, Robert S. Folkenberg).

We in the CCOG have repeatedly warned of the dangers of the ecumenical movement (see, for example, Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction!) and the World Council of Churches (watch the video World Council of Churches Peace Plan), the SDAs have taken steps moving closer to looking to be part of it.

My prayer is for all, including the SDAs, to seek the truth, change, and hold to “the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

Just because both groups do accept the seventh-day Sabbath does not make them very similar.

There are significant and major differences.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is NOT part of the Church of God (though some few of their members possibly could be)–but basically a sect of Protestantism. We in the Continuing Church of God do not trace our history through that church.

Some items of related interest may include:

Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan ; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
COGwriter Position on Other Churches and Religions What is the fate of those who do not know Christ? What about those who profess Christ outside the Church of God?
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L Histoire Continue de l Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
Did the Archangel Michael become Jesus? The Jehovah’s Witnesses teach this, and SDA Ellen White did, but does the Bible allow for this?
SDA/CCOG Differences: Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666 The genuine Church of God is NOT part of the Seventh-day Adventists. This article explains two prophetic differences, the trinity, differences in approaching doctrine, including Ellen White. Did Ellen White make prophetic errors? Did Ellen White make false prophecies? Here is a version in the Spanish language: SDA/COG Diferencias: La bestia de dos cuernos de Apocalipsis y 666. Here are two sermons in the English language: Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?and CCOG and SDA differences and similarities. Here is a link to an article in the Spanish language: Diferencias: SDA/CCOG: La bestia de dos cuernos de Apocalipsis y 666.