What is the standpoint for Seventh-Day Adventists in regard to sports?
The historic viewpoint of Seventh Day Adventists is that competition in general is in opposition to the working of the Holy Spirit. We believe that
competition originated with Lucifer.
Isa 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
Isa 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
Isa 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Lucifer felt that he wanted to be like God. He wanted to be the best. He wanted to be #1. Competition is normally about exaltation of self. It is about being like the most high. It is generally about stomping someone down.
The grace of God is not with us when we endeavor to participate in these brutish sports. The angel's do not rejoice and jump up and down and exult at the loss of someone else.
The spirit of God seeks to be a servant and is humble and is not seeking to rule or be master over someone else.
Luk 9:48 ... for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.
The difference between the spirit of God and the spirit of Satan is that the spirit of the devil seeks to dominate and rule. The spirit of God seeks to be lowly and a servant.
Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
You'll notice that Jesus was equal with God and he didn't desire it or count it a thing to be equal with the father. Unlike Satan who wanted to be like the most high. Christ who was like the most high, took upon himself the form of a man, and was a servant, made lower than the angels, and even a servant to us.
This is the opposite of the spirit of competition. I will give you a quote from one of our pioneers, Ellen White regarding a bicycle race which really in comparison to rugby is quite mild:
"Who would suppose that any of that party felt their need of Christ? Who would think they realized the value of their time and their physical powers as gifts from God, to be preserved for his service? Who thinks of the danger of accident, or that death may be the result of their wild chase? Who have prayed for the presence of Jesus, and the protection of the ministering angels? Is God glorified by these performances? Satan is playing the game of life for these souls, and he is well pleased with that which he sees and hears." {PH154 27.1}
I pray you'll look more into our message as well. You may see many Adventists joining and even condoning competitive sports today, however the honest truth is there are many calling themselves Adventists who are not truly following the principles laid out to us in God's word.
2Jn 1:3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
Doctrine and Apologetics
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