for no argument , however conclusive , could convince them . " The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God : for they are foolishness unto him : neither can he know them , because they are spiritually discerned ." 1 Corinthians 2:14 . None who hold this error can have a true conception of the character or the mission of Christ , or of the great plan of God for man ' s redemption .
Still another subtle and mischievous error is the fast-spreading belief that Satan has no existence as a personal being ; that the name is used in Scripture merely to represent men ' s evil thoughts and desires . The teaching so widely echoed from popular pulpits , that the second advent of Christ is His coming to each individual at death , is a device to divert the minds of men from His personal coming in the clouds of heaven . For years Satan has thus been saying , " Behold , He is in the secret chambers " ( Matthew 24:23-26 ); and many souls have been lost by accepting this deception .
Again , worldly wisdom teaches that prayer is not essential . Men of science claim that there can be no real answer to prayer ; that this would be a violation of law , a miracle , and that miracles have no existence . The universe , say they , is governed by fixed laws , and God Himself does nothing contrary to these laws . Thus they represent God as bound by His own laws--as if the operation of divine laws could exclude divine freedom . Such teaching is opposed to the testimony of the Scriptures . Were not miracles wrought by Christ and His apostles ? The same compassionate Saviour lives today , and He is as willing to listen to the prayer of faith as when He walked visibly among men . The natural cooperates with the supernatural . It is a part of God ' s plan to grant us , in answer to the prayer of faith , that which He would not bestow did we not thus ask .
Innumerable are the erroneous doctrines and fanciful ideas that are obtaining among the churches of Christendom . It is impossible to estimate the evil results of removing one of the landmarks fixed by the word of God . Few who venture to do this stop with the rejection of a single truth . The majority continue to set aside one after another of the principles of truth , until they become actual infidels . The errors of popular theology have driven many a soul to scepticism who might otherwise have been a believer in the Scriptures . It is impossible for him to accept doctrines which outrage his sense of justice , mercy , and benevolence ; and since these are represented as the teaching of the Bible , he refuses to receive it as the word of God .
And this is the object which Satan seeks to accomplish . There is nothing that he desires more than to destroy confidence in God and in His word . Satan stands at the head of the great army of doubters , and he works to the utmost of his power to beguile souls into his ranks . It is becoming fashionable to doubt . There is a large class by whom the word of God is looked upon with distrust for the same reason as was its Author--because it reproves and condemns sin . Those who are unwilling to obey its requirements endeavour to overthrow its authority . They read the Bible , or listen to its teachings as presented from the sacred desk , merely to find fault with the Scriptures or
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