When False Christianity Presents
Itself to the World
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. 1 Timothy 4:1.
There is another development
in Satan's working in the last days, separate from paganism, and separate
from the papacy. In what form does Satan work in the last days?
Spiritualism. Yes, and this will exalt self. But will spiritualism always
work in the name of Satan? No. The nearer we come to the second coming of
the Saviour the more fully spiritualism will be professing Christ.
Who is it that comes before
the Saviour comes, many of them? False Christs. There will be many coming
and saying, "I am Christ"; and at last Satan himself comes—as
Satan? No. As Christ. He comes as Christ, he is received as Christ.
The people of God must be so
well acquainted with the Saviour that no profession of the name of Christ
will be received or accepted where it is not the actual, genuine thing. But
when false Christianity is presenting itself to the world, when every kind
of a false Christ appears, then how alone can a person be safe? How shall a
man know that these are false? Only by Him who is the true; only by having
His mind itself.
We have seen the
manifestation of the natural mind--the carnal mind—in two of its ways:
paganism and papacy. We have read the other two; we have read the pagan and
the papal. Now when we read this last then we will have all three of the
stages; we will have before us the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.
And then there will be no shadow of an excuse for any one of us after that,
taking any position but that which is openly and itself alone the mind of
Jesus Christ and the righteousness of God according to His idea of
righteousness. No excuse.
When we see before us the
direct expression of the false way in all three of its forms, then, even
though we be not able to understand or see the other, we will know that well
enough to let it alone.
A.T. Jones, 1893 General
Conference Bulletin, p. 342 |
