Understand the Difference to Faith and Presumption

Christ Triumphant - A Devotional by E.G. White

Understand the Difference to Faith and Presumption Today's Text: Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Psalm 19:13 The Message:      The great truth of our entire dependence upon Christ for salvation lies close to the error of presumption. Freedom in Christ is by thousands mistaken for lawlessness; and because Christ came to release us from the condemnation of the law, many declare that the law itself is done away, and that those who keep it are fallen from grace. And thus, as truth and error appear so near akin, minds that are not guided by the Holy Spirit will be led to accept the error and, in so doing, place themselves under the power of Satan's deceptions. In thus leading people to receive error for truth, Satan is working to secure the homage of the Protestant world.      Every soul needs to be on guard against his devices. We must be Bible readers, and obedient to the Scriptures. However much it may inconvenience us, every question is to be settled by the law and the testimony. The inquiry should rise from every heart, What is truth? If we would stand against the deceptive teaching that now meets us on every side, that is turning the truth of God into a lie, we must have the heavenly anointing. The Holy Spirit alone will enable us to distinguish truth from error, sin from righteousness. It is of the greatest consequence that we avail ourselves of every means and every facility for learning what is truth. And if we do seek for the truth as for hidden treasure, we have the assurance that our light shall shine more and more, unto the perfect day.      Those early reformers, whose protests have given us the name of Protestant, felt that God had called them to give the light of the gospel to the world, and in doing this they were ready to sacrifice their possessions, their liberty, and their own lives. Are we, in this, the last conflict of the great controversy, as faithful to our trust as were the early reformers to theirs?      The Word of God was carried to the people; all classes, high and low, rich and poor, learned and ignorant, studied it eagerly for themselves, and those who received the light became in their turn messengers to impart it. In those days the truth was brought home to the people through the press Luther's pen was a power, and his writing, scattered broadcast, stirred the world. The same agencies are at our command, with facilities multiplied a hundredfold. Bibles and publications in many languages setting forth the truth for this time are at our hand and can be swiftly carried to every part of the world. We are to give the last waning of God to men; and what should be our earnestness in studying the Bible, and our zeal in spreading the light!      Let every soul who has received the divine illumination seek to impart it. Let the workers go from house to house, opening the Bible to the people, circulating the publications, telling others of the light that has blessed their own souls. The preaching of the Word will have power in reaching a class who would not receive the truth through reading; but the ministers are few, and where the preached Word cannot come, the published truth can reach. Personal effort will accomplish far more than could be accomplished by preaching without it.      The truth must be proclaimed in the dark places of the earth. Obstacles must be met and surmounted. A great work is to be done, and those who know the truth should make mighty intercession for help now. The love of Christ must be diffused in their own hearts. The Spirit of Christ must be poured out upon them, and they must be making ready to stand in the judgment. While they are consecrating themselves to God, a convincing power will attend their efforts to present the truth to others. We must sleep no longer on Satan's enchanted ground, but call into requisition all our resources, and avail ourselves of every facility with which Providence has furnished us. The last warning is to be proclaimed, "before many peoples and nations, and tongues, and kings;" and the promise is given, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." [Revelation 10:11; Matthew 28:20.] "-Manuscript 100, 1893. Commentary: My friend, the path of truth and error lay very close together.  Satan endeavors to lead people away from the truth, little by little, introducing a little error here and there to get us off of the foundation of Christ.  Once errors are accepted as truth, he continues to use that error to led us farther and farther until we are in open rebellion against God.  This is as true today as it was in the time of the reformation. Though we believe we have come out of the influence of Rome and are in opposition to her; we in fact more in harmony with her today then were the pioneers of our faith.  Our church pioneers clearly identified the Roman Catholic Church as the beast of Revelation, and the beliefs that we held were in direct opposition to it.  The God that we worshiped was the One true God through His Son Jesus Christ.  Today, we have accepted the trinity as God, believing that God has led us to a better understating of Himself.  By this act we have moved closer to Rome, for the trinity is the foundational teaching of the Catholic Church. Satan has artfully supplanted the One true God for the triune god of the trinity, and though it looks like the God of the Bible, it is not.  "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3).  This text cannot be reconciled with the triune god of the church, for it clearly shows that God is not a trinity.  It shows that there is but one true God who has a son, Jesus Christ the righteous. The churches belief in the trinity has led to all of the abominations that have come into the church today.  Minds that are worked by the belief in the trinity are being led by the spirit of Satan.  This is why the church is in the Laodicean condition.  This is why the Faithful and True Witness counsels them to buy of Him white raiment that they may be clothed.  By their adoption of the trinity, they no longer have His righteousness.  By the churches adoption of the trinity, they are no longer being led by the Spirit of Christ, and as such He is depicted as knocking on the doors of the hearts of His people. My friend, how long will you ignore the knocking of Jesus upon your heart?  Open the door of your heart and let the One true God into your heart through His Son Jesus Christ. God bless, Video of the Week Sin, Jesus & You - Nader Mansour These three words summarize the Gospel message. In this study Nader explores the practical aspects of how our understanding shapes our experience.