36 . The Impending Conflict
From the very beginning of the great controversy in heaven it has been Satan ' s purpose to overthrow the law of God . It was to accomplish this that he entered upon his rebellion against the Creator , and though he was cast out of heaven he has continued the same warfare upon the earth . To deceive men , and thus lead them to transgress God ' s law , is the object which he has steadfastly pursued . Whether this be accomplished by casting aside the law altogether , or by rejecting one of its precepts , the result will be ultimately the same . He that offends " in one point ," manifests contempt for the whole law ; his influence and example are on the side of transgression ; he becomes " guilty of all ." James 2:10 .
In seeking to cast contempt upon the divine statutes , Satan has perverted the doctrines of the Bible , and errors have thus become incorporated into the faith of thousands who profess to believe the Scriptures . The last great conflict between truth and error is but the final struggle of the longstanding controversy concerning the law of God . Upon this battle we are now entering--a battle between the laws of men and the precepts of Jehovah , between the religion of the Bible and the religion of fable and tradition .
The agencies which will unite against truth and righteousness in this contest are now actively at work . God ' s holy word , which has been handed down to us at such a cost of suffering and blood , is but little valued . The Bible is within the reach of all , but there are few who really accept it as the guide of life . Infidelity prevails to an alarming extent , not in the world merely , but in the church . Many have come to deny doctrines which are the very pillars of the Christian faith . The great facts of creation as presented by the inspired writers , the fall of man , the atonement , and the perpetuity of the law of God , are practically rejected , either wholly or in part , by a large share of the professedly Christian world . Thousands who pride themselves upon their wisdom and independence regard it as an evidence of weakness to place implicit confidence in the Bible ; they think it a proof of superior talent and learning to cavil at the Scriptures and to spiritualize and explain away their most important truths . Many ministers are teaching their people , and many professors and teachers are instructing their students , that the law of God has been changed or abrogated ; and those who regard its requirements as still valid , to be literally obeyed , are thought to be deserving only of ridicule or contempt .
In rejecting the truth , men reject its Author . In trampling upon the law of God , they deny the authority of the Law-giver . It is as easy to make an idol of false doctrines and theories as to fashion an idol of wood or stone . By misrepresenting the attributes of God , Satan leads men to conceive of Him in a false character . With many , a philosophical idol is enthroned in the
405