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"To the law and
to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is
because there is no light in them." Isaiah 8:20. The people of God
are directed to the Scriptures as their safeguard against the
influence of false teachers and the delusive power of spirits of
darkness. Satan employs every possible device to prevent men from
obtaining a knowledge of the Bible; for its plain utterances reveal
his deceptions. At every revival of God's work the prince of evil is
aroused to more intense activity; he is now putting forth his utmost
efforts for a final struggle against Christ and His followers. The
last great delusion is soon to open before us. Antichrist is to
perform his marvelous works in our sight. So closely will the
counterfeit resemble the true that it will be impossible to
distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures. By their
testimony every statement and every miracle must be tested.
Those who endeavor to obey all the
commandments of God will be opposed and derided. They can stand only in
God. In order to endure the trial before them, they must understand the
will of God as revealed in His word; they can honor Him only as they
have a right conception of His character, government, and purposes, and
act in accordance with them. None but those who have fortified the mind
with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great
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conflict. To every soul will come the
searching test: Shall I obey God rather than men? The decisive hour is
even now at hand. Are our feet planted on the rock of God's immutable
word? Are we prepared to stand firm in defense of the commandments of
God and the faith of Jesus?
Before His crucifixion the Saviour
explained to His disciples that He was to be put to death and to rise
again from the tomb, and angels were present to impress His words on
minds and hearts. But the disciples were looking for temporal
deliverance from the Roman yoke, and they could not tolerate the thought
that He in whom all their hopes centered should suffer an ignominious
death. The words which they needed to remember were banished from their
minds; and when the time of trial came, it found them unprepared. The
death of Jesus as fully destroyed their hopes as if He had not
forewarned them. So in the prophecies the future is opened before us as
plainly as it was opened to the disciples by the words of Christ. The
events connected with the close of probation and the work of preparation
for the time of trouble, are clearly presented. But multitudes have no
more understanding of these important truths than if they had never been
revealed. Satan watches to catch away every impression that would make
them wise unto salvation, and the time of trouble will find them
unready.
When God sends to men warnings so
important that they are represented as proclaimed by holy angels flying
in the midst of heaven, He requires every person endowed with reasoning
powers to heed the message. The fearful judgments denounced against the
worship of the beast and his image (Revelation 14:9-11), should lead all
to a diligent study of the prophecies to learn what the mark of the
beast is, and how they are to avoid receiving it. But the masses of the
people turn away their ears from hearing the truth and are turned unto
fables. The apostle Paul declared, looking down to the last days: "The
time will come when they will not
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endure sound doctrine." 2 Timothy 4:3.
That time has fully come. The multitudes do not want Bible truth,
because it interferes with the desires of the sinful, world-loving
heart; and Satan supplies the deceptions which they love.
But God will have a people upon the
earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all
doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The opinions of learned men, the
deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical
councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they
represent, the voice of the majority--not one nor all of these should be
regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before
accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain "Thus saith
the Lord" in its support.
Satan is constantly endeavoring to
attract attention to man in the place of God. He leads the people to
look to bishops, to pastors, to professors of theology, as their guides,
instead of searching the Scriptures to learn their duty for themselves.
Then, by controlling the minds of these leaders, he can influence the
multitudes according to his will.
When Christ came to speak the words of
life, the common people heard Him gladly; and many, even of the priests
and rulers, believed on Him. But the chief of the priesthood and the
leading men of the nation were determined to condemn and repudiate His
teachings. Though they were baffled in all their efforts to find
accusations against Him, though they could not but feel the influence of
the divine power and wisdom attending His words, yet they incased
themselves in prejudice; they rejected the clearest evidence of His
Messiahship, lest they should be forced to become His disciples. These
opponents of Jesus were men whom the people had been taught from infancy
to reverence, to whose authority they had been accustomed implicitly to
bow. "How is it," they asked, "that our rulers and learned scribes do
not believe on Jesus? Would not these pious men receive Him if He were
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the Christ?" It was the influence of such
teachers that led the Jewish nation to reject their Redeemer.
The spirit which actuated those
priests and rulers is still manifested by many who make a high
profession of piety. They refuse to examine the testimony of the
Scriptures concerning the special truths for this time. They point to
their own numbers, wealth, and popularity, and look with contempt upon
the advocates of truth as few, poor, and unpopular, having a faith that
separates them from the world.
Christ foresaw that the undue
assumption of authority indulged by the scribes and Pharisees would not
cease with the dispersion of the Jews. He had a prophetic view of the
work of exalting human authority to rule the conscience, which has been
so terrible a curse to the church in all ages. And His fearful
denunciations of the scribes and Pharisees, and His warnings to the
people not to follow these blind leaders, were placed on record as an
admonition to future generations.
The Roman Church reserves to the
clergy the right to interpret the Scriptures. On the ground that
ecclesiastics alone are competent to explain God's word, it is withheld
from the common people.[*See
Appendix Note for Page 340.]
Though the Reformation gave the Scriptures to all, yet the selfsame
principle which was maintained by Rome prevents multitudes in Protestant
churches from searching the Bible for themselves. They are taught to
accept its teachings as
interpreted by the church; and
there are thousands who dare receive nothing, however plainly revealed
in Scripture, that is contrary to their creed or the established
teaching of their church.
Notwithstanding the Bible is full of
warnings against false teachers, many are ready thus to commit the
keeping of their souls to the clergy. There are today thousands of
professors of religion who can give no other reason for points of faith
which they hold than that they were so instructed by their religious
leaders. They pass by the Saviour's teachings almost
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unnoticed, and place implicit confidence
in the words of the ministers. But are ministers infallible? How can we
trust our souls to their guidance unless we know from God's word that
they are light bearers? A lack of moral courage to step aside from the
beaten track of the world leads many to follow in the steps of learned
men; and by their reluctance to investigate for themselves, they are
becoming hopelessly fastened in the chains of error. They see that the
truth for this time is plainly brought to view in the Bible; and they
feel the power of the Holy Spirit attending its proclamation; yet they
allow the opposition of the clergy to turn them from the light. Though
reason and conscience are convinced, these deluded souls dare not think
differently from the minister; and their individual judgment, their
eternal interests, are sacrificed to the unbelief, the pride and
prejudice, of another.
Many are the ways by which Satan works
through human influence to bind his captives. He secures multitudes to
himself by attaching them by the silken cords of affection to those who
are enemies of the cross of Christ. Whatever this attachment may be,
parental, filial, conjugal, or social, the effect is the same; the
opposers of truth exert their power to control the conscience, and the
souls held under their sway have not sufficient courage or independence
to obey their own convictions of duty.
The truth and the glory of God are
inseparable; it is impossible for us, with the Bible within our reach,
to honor God by erroneous opinions. Many claim that it matters not what
one believes, if his life is only right. But the life is molded by the
faith. If light and truth is within our reach, and we neglect to improve
the privilege of hearing and seeing it, we virtually reject it; we are
choosing darkness rather than light.
"There is a way that seemeth right
unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Proverbs 16:25.
Ignorance is no excuse for error or sin, when there is every opportunity
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to know the will of God. A man is
traveling and comes to a place where there are several roads and a
guideboard indicating where each one leads. If he disregards the
guideboard, and takes whichever road seems to him to be right, he may be
ever so sincere, but will in all probability find himself on the wrong
road.
God has given us His word that we may
become acquainted with its teachings and know for ourselves what He
requires of us. When the lawyer came to Jesus with the inquiry, "What
shall I do to inherit eternal life?" the Saviour referred him to the
Scriptures, saying: "What is written in the law? how readest thou?"
Ignorance will not excuse young or old, nor release them from the
punishment due for the transgression of God's law; because there is in
their hands a faithful presentation of that law and of its principles
and claims. It is not enough to have good intentions; it is not enough
to do what a man thinks is right or what the minister tells him is
right. His soul's salvation is at stake, and he should search the
Scriptures for himself. However strong may be his convictions, however
confident he may be that the minister knows what is truth, this is not
his foundation. He has a chart pointing out every waymark on the
heavenward journey, and he ought not to guess at anything.
It is the first and highest duty of
every rational being to learn from the Scriptures what is truth, and
then to walk in the light and encourage others to follow his example. We
should day by day study the Bible diligently, weighing every thought and
comparing scripture with scripture. With divine help we are to form our
opinions for ourselves as we are to answer for ourselves before God.
The truths most plainly revealed in
the Bible have been involved in doubt and darkness by learned men, who,
with a pretense of great wisdom, teach that the Scriptures have a
mystical, a secret, spiritual meaning not apparent in the language
employed. These men are false teachers. It was to
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such a class that Jesus declared: "Ye
know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God." Mark 12:24. The
language of the Bible should be explained according to its obvious
meaning, unless a symbol or figure is employed. Christ has given the
promise: "If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine."
John 7:17. If men would but take the Bible as it reads, if there were no
false teachers to mislead and confuse their minds, a work would be
accomplished that would make angels glad and that would bring into the
fold of Christ thousands upon thousands who are now wandering in error.
We should exert all the powers of the
mind in the study of the Scriptures and should task the understanding to
comprehend, as far as mortals can, the deep things of God; yet we must
not forget that the docility and submission of a child is the true
spirit of the learner. Scriptural difficulties can never be mastered by
the same methods that are employed in grappling with philosophical
problems. We should not engage in the study of the Bible with that
self-reliance with which so many enter the domains of science, but with
a prayerful dependence upon God and a sincere desire to learn His will.
We must come with a humble and teachable spirit to obtain knowledge from
the great I AM. Otherwise, evil angels will so blind our minds and
harden our hearts that we shall not be impressed by the truth.
Many a portion of Scripture which
learned men pronounce a mystery, or pass over as unimportant, is full of
comfort and instruction to him who has been taught in the school of
Christ. One reason why many theologians have no clearer understanding of
God's word is, they close their eyes to truths which they do not wish to
practice. As understanding of Bible truth depends not so much on the
power of intellect brought to the search as on the singleness of
purpose, the earnest longing after righteousness.
The Bible should never be studied
without prayer. The Holy Spirit alone can cause us to feel the
importance of those
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things easy to be understood, or prevent
us from wresting truths difficult of comprehension. It is the office of
heavenly angels to prepare the heart so to comprehend God's word that we
shall be charmed with its beauty, admonished by its warnings, or
animated and strengthened by its promises. We should make the psalmist's
petition our own: "Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous
things out of Thy law." Psalm 119:18. Temptations often appear
irresistible because, through neglect of prayer and the study of the
Bible, the tempted one cannot readily remember God's promises and meet
Satan with the Scripture weapons. But angels are round about those who
are willing to be taught in divine things; and in the time of great
necessity they will bring to their remembrance the very truths which are
needed. Thus "when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of
the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." Isaiah 59:19.
Jesus promised His disciples: "The
Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My
name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John 14:26. But the
teachings of Christ must previously have been stored in the mind in
order for the Spirit of God to bring them to our remembrance in the time
of peril. "Thy word have I hid in mine heart," said David, "that I might
not sin against Thee." Psalm 119:11.
All who value their eternal interests
should be on their guard against the inroads of skepticism. The very
pillars of truth will be assailed. It is impossible to keep beyond the
reach of the sarcasms and sophisms, the insidious and pestilent
teachings, of modern infidelity. Satan adapts his temptations to all
classes. He assails the illiterate with a jest or sneer, while he meets
the educated with scientific objections and philosophical reasoning,
alike calculated to excite distrust or contempt of the Scriptures. Even
youth of little experience presume to insinuate doubts concerning the
fundamental
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principles of Christianity. And this
youthful infidelity, shallow as it is, has its influence. Many are thus
led to jest at the faith of their fathers and to do despite to the
Spirit of grace. Hebrews 10:29. Many a life that promised to be an honor
to God and a blessing to the world has been blighted by the foul breath
of infidelity. All who trust to the boastful decisions of human reason
and imagine that they can explain divine mysteries and arrive at truth
unaided by the wisdom of God are entangled in the snare of Satan.
We are living in the most solemn
period of this world's history. The destiny of earth's teeming
multitudes is about to be decided. Our own future well-being and also
the salvation of other souls depend upon the course which we now pursue.
We need to be guided by the Spirit of truth. Every follower of Christ
should earnestly inquire: "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" We need
to humble ourselves before the Lord, with fasting and prayer, and to
meditate much upon His word, especially upon the scenes of the judgment.
We should now seek a deep and living experience in the things of God. We
have not a moment to lose. Events of vital importance are taking place
around us; we are on Satan's enchanted ground. Sleep not, sentinels of
God; the foe is lurking near, ready at any moment, should you become lax
and drowsy, to spring upon you and make you his prey.
Many are deceived as to their true
condition before God. They congratulate themselves upon the wrong acts
which they do not commit, and forget to enumerate the good and noble
deeds which God requires of them, but which they have neglected to
perform. It is not enough that they are trees in the garden of God. They
are to answer His expectation by bearing fruit. He holds them
accountable for their failure to accomplish all the good which they
could have done, through His grace strengthening them. In the books of
heaven they are registered as cumberers of the ground. Yet the case of
even this class is not utterly hopeless. With those who have slighted
God's mercy and abused His grace, the heart of
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long-suffering love yet pleads.
"Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, .
. . redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:14-16.
When the testing time shall come,
those who have made God's word their rule of life will be revealed. In
summer there is no noticeable difference between evergreens and other
trees; but when the blasts of winter come, the evergreens remain
unchanged, while other trees are stripped of their foliage. So the
falsehearted professor may not now be distinguished from the real
Christian, but the time is just upon us when the difference will be
apparent. Let opposition arise, let bigotry and intolerance again bear
sway, let persecution be kindled, and the halfhearted and hypocritical
will waver and yield the faith; but the true Christian will stand firm
as a rock, his faith stronger, his hope brighter, than in days of
prosperity.
Says the psalmist: "Thy testimonies
are my meditation." "Through Thy precepts I get understanding: therefore
I hate every false way." Psalm 119:99, 104.
"Happy is the man that findeth
wisdom." "He shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that
spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat
cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the
year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit." Proverbs
3:13; Jeremiah 17:8.
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