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their carnal desires. Too wise in their own conceit to search the
word of God with contrition of soul and earnest prayer for divine
guidance, they have no shield from delusion. Satan is ready to
supply the heart’s desire, and he palms off his deceptions in the
place of truth. It was thus that the papacy gained its power over
the minds of men; and by rejection of the truth because it involves
a cross, Protestants are following the same path. All who neglect
the word of God to study convenience and policy, that they may
not be at variance with the world, will be left to receive damnable
heresy for religious truth. The apostle Paul speaks of a class who
received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” He says
of these, “For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that
they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believed
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not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” [2 Thessalonians
2:10-12.] With such a warning before us, it behooves us to be on our guard as to what doctrines we receive.
Every conceivable form of error will be accepted by those who
willfully reject the truth. Satan has different deceptions prepared
to reach different minds; and some who look with horror upon one
deception will readily receive another.
Among the most successful agencies of the great deceiver are
the delusive doctrines and lying wonders of Spiritualism. Disguised
as an angel of light, he spreads his nets where least suspected. If
men would but study the word of God with earnest prayer that they
might understand its teachings, they would not be left in darkness to
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receive false doctrines. But as they reject the truth, they fall a prey
to these deceptions.
Another dangerous heresy is the doctrine that denies the divinity
of Christ. Men who have no experimental knowledge of Jesus, will
yet assume an appearance of great wisdom, as though their judgment
were beyond question, and boldly declare that the Son of God had
no existence prior to his first advent to this world. This position
directly contradicts the plainest statements of our Saviour concerning
himself; yet it is received with favor by a large class who claim to
believe the Scriptures. With such persons it is folly to argue. No
argument, however conclusive, will convince those who reject the
direct testimony of the Son of God. “The natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him;
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neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
[1 Corinthians 2:14.] Those who persistently cling to such errors, give evidence of their own ignorance of God and of his Son.
Still another subtle and mischievous error is the fast-spreading
belief that Satan has no existence as a personal being; that the name
is used in Scripture merely to represent men’s evil thoughts and
desires.
The teaching so widely echoed from popular pulpits, that the
second advent of Christ is his coming to each individual at death, is
a device to divert the minds of men from his personal coming in the
clouds of heaven. For years Satan has thus been saying, “Behold,
he is in the secret chambers;” and many souls have been lost by
accepting this deception.
Again, worldly wisdom teaches that prayer is not essential. Men
of science claim that there can be no real answer to prayer; that
this would be a violation of law, a miracle, and that miracles have
no existence. The universe, say they, is governed by fixed laws,
and God himself does nothing contrary to these laws. Thus they
represent God as bound by his own laws; as if the operation of divine
laws could exclude divine freedom. Such teaching is opposed to the
testimony of the Scriptures. Were not miracles wrought by Christ
and his apostles? The same compassionate Saviour lives today, and
he is as willing to listen to the prayer of faith as when he walked
visibly among men. The natural co-operates with the supernatural.
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It is a part of God’s plan to grant us, in answer to the prayer of faith,
that which he would not bestow, did we not thus ask.
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are obtaining among the churches of Christendom. It is impossible
to estimate the evil results of removing one of the landmarks fixed by
the word of God. Few who venture to do this, stop with the rejection
of a single truth. The majority continue to set aside one after another
of its principles, until they become actual infidels.
And this is the object which Satan seeks to accomplish. There is
nothing that he desires more than to destroy confidence in God and in
his word. Satan stands at the head of the great army of doubters, and
he works to the utmost of his power to beguile souls into his ranks.
It is becoming fashionable to doubt. There are many who seem to
feel that it is a virtue to stand on the side of unbelief, skepticism,
and infidelity. But underneath an appearance of candor and humility,
it will be found that such persons are actuated by self-confidence
and pride. It is a terrible thing to lose faith in God or in his word.
Unbelief strengthens as it is encouraged. There is danger in even
once giving expression to doubt; a seed is sown which produces
a harvest of its kind. Satan will nourish the crop every moment.
Those who allow themselves to talk of their doubts will find them
constantly becoming more confirmed. God will never remove every
occasion for doubt. He will never work a miracle to remove unbelief
when he has given sufficient evidence for faith.
God looks with displeasure upon the self-sufficient and the un-
believing, who are ever doubting his promises and distrusting the
assurance of his grace. They are unproductive trees that spread their
dark branches far and wide, shutting away the sunlight from other
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plants, and causing them to droop and die under the chilling shadow.
The life-work of these persons will appear as a never-ceasing witness
against them. They are sowing seeds of doubt and skepticism that
will yield an unfailing harvest.
The followers of Christ know little of the plots which Satan
and his hosts are forming against them. But He who sitteth in the
heavens will overrule all these devices for the accomplishment of
his deep designs. The Lord permits his people to be subjected to
the fiery ordeal of temptation, not because he takes pleasure in their
distress and affliction, but because this process is essential to their
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final victory. He could not, consistently with his own glory, shield
them from temptation; for the very object of the trial is to prepare