The place of Seventh Day Adventism within the story of the church is difficult to assess. Some scholars argue that those who embrace the teaching of Adventism are cultic, while others argue they are part of the mainstream Christian heritage, but with some distinctive doctrinal differences. One of the main doctrinal differences from orthodox Christianity is a failure to embrace the concept of an eternal hell. Five reasons are given for their position in Questions on Doctrine, first published in 1957:

1. Because everlasting life is a gift of God (Romans 6:23). The wicked do not possess this—they "shall not see life" (John 3:36); "no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him" (1 John 3:15).
   
   
2. Because eternal torment would perpetuate and immortalize sin, suffering, and woe, and contradict, we believe, divine revelation, which envisions the time when these things shall be no more (Revelation 21:4).
   
   
3. Because it seems to us to provide a plague spot in the universe of God throughout eternity, and would seem to indicate that it is impossible for God Himself ever to abolish it.
   
   
4. Because in our thinking it would detract from the attribute of love as seen in the character of God, and postulates the concept of a wrath which is never appeased.
   
   
5. Because the Scriptures teach that the atoning work of Christ is to "put away sin" (Hebrews 9:26)—first from the individual, and ultimately from the universe. The full fruition of Christ’s sacrificial, atoning work will be seen not only in a redeemed people but in a restored heaven and earth (Ephesians 1:14).

As attractive as these ideas are to the sensitive soul, the question remains, "But is it true?" For the conservative Christian, it is difficult to reconcile the five arguments advocating the annihilation of the wicked with the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 25:46. "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal." It is instructive to note that the same word qualifying the punishment of the unbelieving also qualifies the life of the righteous. If there is everlasting life, there is everlasting punishment for individuals. "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (Matt. 9:44, 46, 48). Moreover, the annihiliation theory fails to consider how the wrath of an almighty and infinite God can be placated through the temporal punishment inflicted on finite creatures. "Oh it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 10: 31), which is why the gospel must be embraced.

"Therefore, come ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore,
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, and love, and power.

Come you weary, heavy laden,
bruised and broken by the Fall,
If you tarry till you’re better,
You’ll never come at all.

Let not conscience make you linger,
Or of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth,
Is to feel your need of Him.

Come ye thirsty, Come and welcome!
God’s free bounties glorify.
True belief, true repentance,
Every grace that brings you nigh,
Without money,
Come to Jesus Christ and buy."

The selling of Indulgences was the spark that ignited the Protestant Reformation. However, it is a terrible mistake to believe the issue of Indulgences is now relegated to the past, so says Robert H. Brom, Bishop of San Diego, August 10, 2004. 

Indulgences are Part of Catholic Dogma. "Those who claim that indulgences are no longer part of Church teaching have the admirable desire to distance themselves from abuses that occurred around the time of the Protestant Reformation. They also want to remove stumbling blocks that prevent non-Catholics from taking a positive view of the Church. As admirable as these motives are, the claim that indulgences are not part of Church teaching today is false.

This is proved by the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which states, ‘An indulgence is obtained through the Church who, by virtue of the power of binding and loosing granted her by Christ Jesus, intervenes in favor of individual Christians and opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of the temporal punishment due for their sins.’ The Church does this not just to aid Christians, ‘but also to spur them to works of devotion, penance, and charity’ (CCC 1478)."

Damnation Awaits a Rejection of Indulgences. The importance of believing in indulgences is manifested with the threat of damnation. Again, Bishop Brom: "Indulgences are part of the Church’s infallible teaching. This means that no Catholic is at liberty to disbelieve in them. The Council of Trent stated that it ‘condemns with anathema those who say that indulgences are useless or that the Church does not have the power to grant them’(Trent, session 25, Decree on Indulgences). Trent’s anathema places indulgences in the realm of infallibly defined teaching."

A Right to be Concerned. There are several good reasons why a Christian has a right to be concerned with the religious threat of eternal judgment for not believing in indulgences. First, there is the late origin of the theological construct of indulgences. As far as I can discover, it was during the First Crusade, in 1095, that Pope Urban II remitted all ecclesiastical penance for the armed "pilgrims" setting off for the Holy Land. Later, as the equally questionable and disturbing doctrine of purgatory evolved the practice and teaching on indulgences shifted to the shortening of punishments in purgatory for oneself or somebody else in exchange for a good deed done in this life. By the late Middle Ages the practice was filled with abuses by such gospel hawkers as the Dominican Johann Tetzel who would proclaim, "As soon as a coin in the coffer rings a soul from purgatory springs." With such techniques money was raised to build St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

A second concern is the lack of clear Biblical teaching on indulgences. If all faith and practice is to be based on Scripture alone, one looks in vain for justification to teach that the church can open to individuals some treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints so they can obtain the remission of the temporal punishment due for their sins.

"What can wash away my sins?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!"

Third, if indulgences are efficacious, then salvation is not by grace through faith alone in Christ alone. Rather, salvation becomes a synergism of the redemptive work of Christ at Calvary plus the good works of an individual. On this point the Scriptures are crystal clear. Ephesians 2:8, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

For those who are taught to fear a religious organization and its alleged power to damn, there is this gospel word of comfort. "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house" (Acts 16:31).