When the Father of Lies enters the pulpit with a Bible under his arm!
(Arthur Pink, 1886-1952)
The success of a counterfeiter depends largely upon how closely the counterfeit resembles the genuine article.
Heresy is not so much the total denial of the truth, as a perversion of it. That is why a half-lie is always more dangerous than a complete repudiation.
Hence when the Father of Lies enters the pulpit with a Bible under his arm it is not his custom to flatly deny the fundamental truths of Christianity; rather he tacitly acknowledges them, and then proceeds to give an erroneous interpretation and a false application.
False prophets are to be found in the circles of the most orthodox, and they pretend to have a fervent love for souls–yet they fatally delude multitudes concerning the way of salvation! These pulpit hucksters have wantonly lowered the standard of divine holiness and so adulterated the Gospel, in order to make it palatable to the carnal mind.
Any preacher . . .
who adulterates God’s Word,
who denies repentance to be a condition of salvation,
who assures the giddy and godless that they are loved by God,
who declares that saving faith is nothing more mental assent
–is a false prophet, and should be shunned as a deadly plague!
It is only those who truly love Christ who are fitted to minister to His flock!
The work is so laborious,
the appreciation is often so small,
the response is so discouraging,
the criticisms are so harsh,
the attacks of Satan are so fierce,
that only the “love of Christ”–His love for us and our love for Him–can “constrain” to such work.
“Hirelings” will feed the goats–but only those who love Christ can feed His sheep!
When the Father of Lies enters the pulpit with a Bible under his arm!
Admire The God Of Free Grace
Admire The God Of Free Grace
(Edward Payson, 1783-1827)
“Look to the rock from whence you were hewn, and to the pit from whence you were dug!” Isaiah 51:1
It is profitable for the children of God often to . . .reflect on what they formerly were, meditate on their once wretched and helpless condition, look to the rock whence they were hewn, and to the pit whence they were dug.
Look back, then, Christians, to the time when you were . . .
the enemies of God,
the despisers of His Son,
the willing slaves of the father of lies,
and children of disobedience!
Look back to the time when . . .
your hearts were as hard as the nether millstone;
your understandings were darkened;
you were alienated from the life of God;
your wills were stubborn, perverse and rebellious;
your affections were madly bent on the pleasures of sin;
every imagination of the thoughts of your heart were only evil, and continually evil!
Look back with shame and self-abhorrence to the time when you . . .
lived without God in the world,
drank in iniquity like water,
served various lusts and vanities,
fulfilled the sinful desires of the flesh and mind,
cast God’s holy law behind your backs,
stifled the remonstrances of conscience,
quenched the influences of the Spirit,
neglected the Holy Scriptures, and
mocked God with pretended worship, while your hearts were far from Him.
A rebel against God,
a resister of the Spirit,
a slave of Satan,
a child of wrath,
an heir of Hell
such, O Christian, was once your character!
Nothing was then before you, but a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation!
Admire the God of free grace–who save you from such a dreadful plight!
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