| Author | Message | ||
| Bb Registered user Username: Bb Post Number: 365 Registered: 7-2004 |
Some of you may not agree with the theology of Hal Lindsey, and I am not sure that I agree with everything he says, but I came upon this older book he wrote in the 70's.(Satan is Alive and Well on Planet Earth) There is a chapter called Doctrines of Demons about grace that I found very enlightening! I shared it with my sda mother, (I couldn't believe she read it) and her response was "Why was I never taught this before!" She was amazed by it! It is broken up in sections and is very profound! I will type it if anyone is interested. This is the first section... (The next section is called "Why Revivals Fizzle" and it talks about legalism.) ************************************************* Satan, in his role as "the god of this age," has conducted a relentless, well-planned strategy to blind mens' minds to the truth about God and how to know Him. If you were Satan, out to control men, where would you launch your heaviest attacks? Against the Bible and those who preach and teach it and against the church, of course! With the Bible generally accepted as a revelation from God, mankind could not easily be blinded. As long as there were ministers who preached and taught the Bible, the Christian would keep growing in his faith, vitally witnessing to the world, and not easily deceived. While churches were organized and functioning according to the New Testament pattern, they could not be swept away from their real purpose of building disciples and reaching out to the world with the "good news" about Christ." When the apostles realized they were nearing the end of their lives, they warned about the coming attacks upon the truth, and the church that would be accelerated in the days just before Christ would return to earth in His Second Coming. In Paul's last session with the elders of the church at Ephesus, he gave the following exhortation: "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears" (Acts 10:28-31) Paul predicted that there would be ministers from within the church who would teach perverted things while posing as teachers of truth. The antidote to this coming apostasy is given in verse 32. "And now I commend you to God and to the WORD OF HIS GRACE, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified." Paul exhorted the church leadership to place heavy reliance upon "God and the WORD OF HIS GRACE." When a minister ceases to teach and emphasize a personal faith-walk with God upon the principle of grace instead of law, he has taken the first step down the road to apostasy. ************************************************** | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 9518 Registered: 12-2003  |
So good Bb. What a thought-provoking excerpt. Thank you. Colleen | ||
| ~angel~ Registered user Username: ~angel~ Post Number: 499 Registered: 3-2008  |
That was really good. I want to read more! Thank you again, ~Angel~ | ||
| Bb Registered user Username: Bb Post Number: 366 Registered: 7-2004 |
Ok Angel, just for you  j/k Why Revivals Fizzle: History is strewn with evidence of movements born in the fires of revivals that after a few generations have departed in to error and eventual apostasy. Many of the great denominations of today bear little resemblance to the faith and fervor of their original founders. Christians have been bewildered at this continual trend away from God and have asked "why?" In most instances the trend began in a departure from the grace of God into "legalism." Legalism-seeking to live for God by the principle of the law-is the first and the worst doctrine of demons. It is the dent in your armor at which Satan will chip away until he has a hole big enough to drive a truck through. I don't know another doctrinal distortion that has been more devastating to believers. The awful thing is that it can sidetrack a mature believer as well as a young one. In fact, this demonic doctrine seems to find especially fertile soil in the life of a growing believer who is intent upon pleasing God in his life. It was concerning teachers of legalism that Paul wrote, "But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ...For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants (literally ministers) also disguise themselves as servants (ministers) of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their deeds" (2 Corinthians 11:3, 13-15) According to this warning, Satan has his own corps of dedicated ministers who masquerade as "ministers of righteousness." What could be more effective than a minister, sincere and moral, quoting the Bible, yet missing the emphasis of grace? Some ministers who truly belong to God's family become tools of Satan by putting their flock "under the law." If we do not understand the difference between the principle of law and the principle of grace when it comes to relating to God, we will not understand why we sin. (Next section is titled "Why do we sin?" |
