|
"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word; it is because there is no light in them." "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." "As we near the end of time, falsehood will be so mingled with truth, that only those who have the guidance of the Holy Spirit will be able to distinguish truth from error. We need to make every effort to keep the way of the Lord. We must in no case turn from His guidance to put our trust in man." "Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." "When a message is presented to God's people, they should not rise up in opposition to it; they should go to the Bible, comparing it with the law and the testimony, and if it does not bear this test, it is not true." "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God." "God's Spirit has illuminated every page of Holy Writ, but there are those upon whom it makes little impression, because it is imperfectly understood. When the shaking comes, by the introduction of false theories, these surface readers, anchored nowhere, are like shifting sand. " "There will be some terrible falls by those who think they stand firm because they have the truth, but they have it not as it is in Jesus." "They were living on a low level, dwelling on the surface truths which call for no thought, no deep research." "God will arouse His people; if other means fail, heresies will come in among them, which will sift them, separating the chaff from the wheat. " "For I know this, that after my departure shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch." "Every wind of doctrine will be blowing. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken, and only those things that cannot be shaken will remain. Satan is making the most desperate efforts to induce souls to range under his banner, and all who yield to his deceptions will wage war against the servants of Prince Immanuel. Watchfulness and prayer must be our safe-guards in these days of peril." "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." "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. . . . "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." "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned to fables." "In order to sustain erroneous doctrines or unchristian practices, some will seize upon passages of Scripture separated from the context, perhaps quoting half of a single verse as proving their point, when the remaining portion would show the meaning to be quite the opposite. " "There be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ." "They prefer their own reasoning to divine revelation, their own plans and human wisdom to the admonitions and commands of God. The piety and conscientiousness of others are called fanaticism, and those who practice truth and holiness are watched and criticized. They deride those who teach and believe the mystery of godliness, 'Christ in you, the hope of glory. ' The principles underlying these things are not discerned by them; and they go on in wrong-doing, leaving the bars open for Satan to find ready access to the soul." "All must obtain a living experience for themselves; they must have Christ enshrined in the heart, His Spirit controlling the affections, or their pro-fession of faith is of no value, and their condition will be even worse than if they had never heard the truth." "Gospel religion is Christ in the life - a living, active principle. It is the grace of Christ revealed in character and wrought out in good works." "If the truth sanctifies the soul, sin is hated and shunned, because Christ is accepted as an honored guest. But Christ cannot share a divided heart; sin and Jesus are never in copartnership. " "Satan deceives many with the plausible theory that God's love for His people is so great that He will excuse sin in them." "Love is dwelt upon as the chief attribute of God, but it is degraded to a weak sentimentalism, making little distinction between good and evil. God's justice, His denunciations of sin, the requirements of His law, are all kept out of sight." "That religion which makes of sin a light matter, dwelling upon the love of God to the sinner regardless of his actions, only encourages the sinner to believe that God will receive him while he continues in that which he knows to be sin. This is what some are doing who profess to believe present truth. The truth is kept apart from the life, and that is the reason it has no power to convict and convert the soul." "Multitudes eagerly accept teachings that leave them at liberty to obey the promptings of the carnal heart. . . . Satan exultingly sweeps into his net thousands who profess to be followers of Christ." "'Believe, believe, believe in Jesus,' is the soothing fallacy that is lulling many to sleep in the cradle of carnal security, and we need to be alarmed." "Where there is not only a belief in God's word, but a submission of the will to Him; where the heart is yielded to Him, the affections fixed upon Him, there is faith - faith that works by love and purifies the soul. Through this faith the heart is renewed in the image of God." "For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith, . . . He who through faith is righteous shall live." "The world is perishing for want of the gospel. There is a famine for the word of God. There are few who preach the word unmixed with human tradition. Though men have the Bible in their hands, they do not receive the blessing that God has placed in it for them. The Lord calls upon His servants to carry His message to the people. The word of everlasting life must be given to those who are perishing in their sins." "Spurious doctrines, spurious faith, much that is fair in appearance, abound all around us. Teachers will come clothed as angels of light; and if possible, they will deceive the very elect." "Without the enlightenment of the Spirit, men will not be able to distinguish truth from error, and they will fall under the masterful temptations of Satan." "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." "He will work with all deceivableness of unrighteousness to mingle errors and incorrect views with the work of God and push men into false positions. " "Do not forget that the most dangerous snares which Satan has prepared for the church will come through its own members." "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies." "It may be that the destroyers are already training under the hand of Satan and only wait the departure of a few more standard-bearers to take their places, and with the voice of the false prophet cry, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace. " "The enemies of Christ are many, who, while they claim to be righteous, have not the righteousness of Christ. They disguise themselves as angels of light, but they are ministers of sin." "For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. " "God will not be trifled with. . . . God is a sin-hating God; and those who will encourage the sinner, saying, It is well with thee, God will curse." "Many tell us, 'You are too particular. God does not expect us to be constantly on guard lest we make mistakes. He is too good to hold us accountable for our course of action day by day.' But we are to remember that the way to destruction is broad, while the way to eternal life is strait and narrow. Listen again to the words of the great Teacher: 'Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.' "They talk of God's love, claiming that He is not severe and exacting, but long-suffering and lenient; at the same time, they echo the suggestion of Satan, . . . 'Ye shall not surely die.'" "With lies ye have . . . strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life." "God will not make the slightest compromise with sin. If He could have done this, Christ need not have come to our world to suffer and die." |