September 3, 1894

Try the Spirits

EGW

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God; and every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God; and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”ST September 3, 1894, par. 1

In this age of the world we see every grade and degree of skepticism. There are rank infidels, those who believe in the lying wonders of Spiritualism, and those who reject the claims of divine truth. All these are placed among the class that John has written of, and are controlled by the spirit of antichrist. Ignorance of the character of God, pride of understanding, and the love of sin, are the source of infidelity. Men deny the divinity of Christ, cast away the Bible, and thus seek to free themselves from personal accountability to God. They bring the Bible into conflict with “science, falsely so called.” These doubters can start inquiries which the most humble and pious Christian would be perplexed to know how to answer. But because their queries cannot be answered, is no evidence that the Bible is not true. A little child has asked questions in regard to God, the soul, and the future, that the most learned could not answer. The truth of God's word will be revealed to those who are of a lowly heart, who will comprehend its duties and obey its precepts. It is pride of opinion that leads to skepticism, and to the denial of the divinity of Jesus Christ. Skepticism has its origin in love of sin, love of ambition, and self-exaltation.ST September 3, 1894, par. 2

Jesus, the world's Redeemer, is the channel through which all our blessings come, and those who refuse to acknowledge him as the divine Son of God, virtually say, “I will not have this man to rule over me.” Those who are self-willed, puffed up with pride and self-importance, while they will not give up their wills to be in harmony with God's will, yet will accept the delusions of false prophets, and be led to refuse to acknowledge Christ as the Son of God. Skeptics and infidels may profess to be doing good work, but they are greatly deceived. They are trampling upon the blood of the covenant, and counting that which should have sanctified them as an unholy thing. There are many who have not taken the ground that infidels take, and yet they are in the first stages of infidelity. They question everything that is of a divine character, seeking to bring down everything to the level of that which is common and natural. Their minds are like a sponge, and absorb every suggestion of unbelief. They pass these suggestions to others, and thus sow the seeds of skepticism, and what they sow they will reap. When a believer seeks to answer one question started by a skeptic, he will propound another and another. The only way to do is to let skeptics alone until they truly desire light. Let those who engage in controversy with these wily opponents remember that they are not meeting men, not wrestling “against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” The confederacy of evil is seeking to poison human minds with error, and obscure the light of truth.ST September 3, 1894, par. 3

Skeptics think that they can mingle their darkness with light, and thus confuse the believer in the Bible. It is not because they have so great a depth of reasoning that they do not believe, but because they are ignorant both of the Scriptures and power of God. The truth of God will be assailed by the cavils of infidelity. It is considered a special proof of intellectual greatness to be bold in denying the divinity of Christ; but this is not a proof of intellectual greatness, but is an evidence that the mind is bound about with earthliness so that it does not comprehend spiritual truth. God does not require men to believe the Scriptures without giving them abundant evidence of their truth, and the evidences of Christianity would overwhelm the most gifted man who diligently sought for truth, and was willing to consecrate himself to its promulgation. Those who do accept the evidences of God's word will have an experience that will be as a barrier against infidelity, for they will be translated out of darkness into the precious light of faith, hope, and assurance. The converted soul can say, I needed help, and I found that help in Jesus. He has met every want, satisfied the hungering of my soul, and the Bible to me is the revelation of Jesus Christ. He can say to the infidel, “You ask me why I believe in Jesus? and I answer, Because he is to me a divine Saviour. The Bible to me is the voice of God. I have the witness in myself that the word of God is true, and that Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God. I am following no cunningly devised fable.”ST September 3, 1894, par. 4

When men pour contempt upon Christianity, tell them what you know by experience. The beings of the celestial world are amazed when those whom Christ has purchased with his own blood, whom God has invited with the voice of mercy, turn into a jest the messages of the gospel, and deny the divinity of their Redeemer. They are building upon a sandy foundation, with threads and fragments of human reasoning, but their theories will vanish like dew when the glory of the Lord is revealed. Believers do not claim that every question and objection which Satan can invent and instill into the minds of men can be answered in so many words. Men will be given sufficient evidence on which to found their faith; but if they are determined to doubt, they will stumble on the dark mountains of unbelief. They will show that they have never submitted their proud hearts to Jesus Christ, and make an excuse for not doing so the fact that with their finite minds they cannot solve all the difficulties which they imagine are in the Bible.ST September 3, 1894, par. 5

Spiritualism is a dangerous phase of infidelity, and we should not go into the assemblies of Spiritualists prompted by motives of curiosity. In so doing we are placing ourselves on Satan's ground, and cannot expect help from God unless he has a work for us to do to speak some message to those who are ignorant and deceived, and immediately leave the assembly. “They are of the world; therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.” The erroneous doctrine that the soul is immortal is almost universally received by the world, and the belief that the dead go immediately to heaven gives Spiritualism a deep hold upon the people. Believing this doctrine men have nothing with which to shield themselves from the errors of Spiritualism. Through evil spirits they receive communications, and accept them as messages from their lost loved ones. Satan and his agents personate their dead friends, and thus impart to them Satanic delusions. But God has given us a rule whereby to test what is truth. The prophet says: “To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” “He that is of God heareth God's word.” “We are of God; he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.” “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.[”] “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God; and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God; and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”ST September 3, 1894, par. 6