OHN CROFTON WAS A STRONG MAN; strong of will and strong in his belief and defense of Adventism and its teachings. So strong was his confidence that he was convinced a crown and a home awaited him in heaven. Although others might fail the faith, he was convinced he would not.

John had been a Seventh-day Adventist for a long time. Now approaching his mid-90s and not nearly as robust as he used to be, he was still strong in his beliefs.

Allan Andrews was weak; at least that's how he seemed to himself. Allan came from an Adventist home; his parents had brought him up to honor the Lord. But like many, he became rebellious in his teens, quit attending church, and over a period of time gradually drifted away from God. Allan married a nonbeliever, and for a time he and his wife enjoyed the world's pleasures together. The church held little attraction for Allan, nor did he have much interest in religion.

But God had not lost interest in Allan. In time Allan became aware of God's unconditional love, and gradually an appreciation for his parents' church and his parents' God began to take root in his heart. As God continued appealing to him, Allan slowly began to respond to His love. He finally surrendered and became a new man in Christ. He returned to the church of his childhood, and his wife joined him.

Brothers in Faith
John Crofton, as a member of Allan's home church, was part of Allan's earliest memories. He knew of John's strength and stability. As a new Christian Allan gravitated toward John. Feeling his own vulnerability, he looked to John for help and strength. Week after week for two or three years the two spent long hours together, one "young" in Christ, the other old and, one would assume, mature in the faith.

One of John's favorite topics was heaven. As he talked to Allan of this and other matters of religion, he radiated hope and cheerfulness.

But after a time Allan began to realize another side of John, a somewhat disquieting side. While John believed in the teachings of Adventism, Allan discovered he was preoccupied with the sins of the church, finding fault with the organization and its leaders. John spent a lot of time reading materials about how the church had fallen; he had come to the conclusion that those pamphlets were right.

"There are two groups in the church," John told Allan, "the Laodiceans and the Philadelphians—a remnant within the remnant. The Laodiceans will be lost, and the Philadelphians will be saved." John classified himself with the Philadelphians, and he said he believed Allan belonged to that group also.

Allan knew there are indeed two groups in the church, variously described in the Bible by such terms as the sheep and the goats, the wheat and the tares, the marked and the sealed, etc. There always had been, and there always would be—until Jesus returned. Allan had no illusions: he knew that some leaders were unfaithful to their trust. But he was also convinced that even though many leaders and members had failed in the past and many others would fail in the future, the church was not as fallen as John was leading him to believe. When John began to talk to him in that tenor, Allan turned to the Bible and the counsels of Ellen White. Without much success Allan shared his findings with his friend John.

Beyond Belief
As John continued to communicate his beliefs about the church and salvation, Allan began to fear that his old friend's confidence—a place and a crown for him in heaven—was based on a legalistic understanding of their faith. Without his recognizing it, John's trust seemed to be in his own goodness and efforts rather than in Christ's merits. Allan's own experience in coming to Christ had taught him that one must be ever on the alert to the subtle dangers of falling back upon human works and goodness to earn salvation. Allan's sensitivity gave him serious concerns about John's spiritual condition.

The dozens of times Allan had visited with John in his home led him to know what to expect when he called. John would meet Allan at the door with a cheery welcome and invite him in. They would pray together, then John would begin discussing whatever topic happened to be on his mind. Often he talked about God.

Then came a morning when things were different. As soon as John came to the door Allan knew something was wrong. John had no cheery greeting, his face was somber, and his invitation to come in was subdued.

Wake-up Call
"John, what's wrong?" Allan inquired. But John gave no answer.

Seated in the living room, John was silent. Again Allan asked, "John, what's wrong?" Still John was silent, obviously struggling under some great emotion.

Finally John spoke: "An angel visited me last night." He explained how, having said his prayers, he had just climbed into bed and closed his eyes when he became aware that standing beside his bed was a being that could only be an angel. The being spoke only six words: "John, you are a lost man." Then he was gone.

There was no sleep for John the rest of that night, and now, sitting there with Allan, he reflected an attitude of near hopelessness.

Searching his mind for something to say, Allan suddenly recalled a story he had read recently in the Review and Herald (now Adventist Review). As he thought about it Allan realized that the story was remarkably like John's.

In the story an Adventist believer, confident of his salvation, had nevertheless been caustically critical of the church. One night he was visited by an angel, who told him he was a lost soul. The man fell into a deep depression that lasted for days. Then he began to realize that the appearance of the angel was God making one last effort to get through to him about his legalism. He began to experience a sense of gratitude that God cared enough about him to give him another chance. He found repentance and forgiveness, and died with a confidence not in his own goodness, but in the salvation provided by Jesus Christ.

John listened as Allan related the story to him, but it seemed to have little effect. John felt that his vision was an indication that he had committed the unpardonable sin. Days passed, during which Allan visited John frequently. But John's depression continued.

Then one day Allan found John's attitude completely changed. His cheerfulness and hopefulness had returned, but with a buoyancy not seen before.

John was, as Paul described, "a new creation" (2 Cor. 5:17, NIV). He at last saw the significance of Jesus as his Savior. He realized the meaning of forgiveness and the cleansing of sin through the blood of Christ, not by his own virtues or efforts but through the power of the living Christ. John's critical attitude toward the church disappeared as dew before the morning sun. He knew that his hope of heaven and a crown was settled on a sure foundation, his faith in Jesus.

In a few weeks, in that confidence and hope, John went to sleep in Jesus, perhaps to be awakened by the same angel who brought him the terrible tidings that he was a lost man. Maybe that angel will be waiting by John's sleeping place to tell him how happy he is that God's last effort to save him had worked.

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Thomas A. Davis is a former associate editor of the Adventist Review. He is retired and lives with his wife in Armstrong, British Columbia.