Confidence In Men Is Satan’s Sure Trap
Introduction
Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? Thus saith the LORD; Cursed [be] the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD (Isa 2; Jer 17:5 respectively). The all-knowing God gave us these precepts for our own safety and salvation. Our soul salvation as is not dependent upon the arm of flesh rather on God through His inspired Word. Christendom found herself in a quagmire of confusion owing to the fact that the leaders of the religious sects continue to stand upon the pulpits and be looked upon as gods, that is, men and women follow them, each one his/her own without asking what saith the Lord but what saith my pastor? Seventh-day Adventists members are not an exception from this pitfall, ministers have been looked upon as “divine”, thus, what they say whether be it a “thus saith the Lord” or not, has been swallowed in with but little if no questioning leading us to crucifying Christ anew in many occasions. Surely, history repeats itself for the chosen nation, the Jews, crucified even the very Son of God after blindly following their leaders of their day, however, the question is—having all these ensamples before us of the failures of our forefathers are we going to profit by them or they will be a stumbling block on our pathway? (1 Cor 10:11). This study is taken from Shepherd’s Rod volume 2, pages 103 to 105.
“We may search as far back as we desire and it is certain that we shall discover to our surprise and sorrow, that the church leadership has been so greatly deceived that in each period they failed to recognize the unrolling of the scroll; and as the blinded multitude took the side of the corrupted leaders against the revealed truth, they split God’s church in numerous sections. Thus by defeating the foremost, Satan has been able to engage them to labor for him, and thereby to overthrow the church as a body. To ascertain the accuracy of the foregoing statement it would not be necessary to comment on facts beyond the first advent of Christ. Therefore, a brief survey of the Christian era shall be considered here. {SR21: 102.2}
“Satan had drawn the “dirt brush” over the eyes of the highest human intellect at the close of the Old Testament dispensation. Their spiritual eyes were so skillfully plastered that they could not see a bolt of lightning as bright as the sun, in the darkest night. The fulfillment of prophecy, the miracles surrounding the birth of Christ, His spotless character, His unselfish labor and wonders in every step, touch, look and act, filled the very atmosphere with divine love. Men who were destitute of the sense of sight from their birth, felt the healing power of the Infinite One. The blind saw the Lord of glory and praised God, but the religious teachers of Israel were not affected by the power that moved even inanimate objects. The earth quaked; and the sun veiled its face; the rocks were rent and the graves were opened; the dead arose and beheld the Son of God. But the proud Pharisees, priests, and rabbis, esteemed as never erring, could neither feel, see, nor hear. There is no wonder greater than the one written by the actions of the blind leaders of that age. John, speaking of the experience, says: “In Him was life and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness: and the darkness comprehended it not.” (John 1:4, 5.) {SR2: 103.1} 1 2SR stands for Shepherd’s Rod volume 2.
“Every possible ray of light pointing to the coming of the “Lamb of God” had been given to the once-chosen people; but it profited them not. Said Jesus: “If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” Would that these experiences could arouse the leaders and the people at this present time from self confidence and counterfeit security to an earnest search of positive Bible truth. {SR2: 103.2}
“The early Christian church in like manner was dragged into the dark ages. As soon as the Apostles passed away Satan marshaled his agents, men of renown, into the church. The already-blinded leaders laid their hands on men, not from the viewpoint of consecration, but from distinction, and thus made them shepherds of the flock. In the darkest hour of the Christian church God, by the hand of Luther, called the attention of the multitude to the terrible deception, but few were ready to listen to the humble monk. One would imagine that the most intellectual would have been the first to see the light in the plain “thus saith the Lord.” Luther, with a great struggle, and at the risk of his life, founded the Lutheran denomination. But as he passed away, that movement in like manner was corrupted and hardened against new light on the Word of God. {SR2: 103.3}
“As John Knox came with additional truth, the leaders of the church refused to be interested, thus necessity gave birth to the Presbyterian denomination. These experiences have been repeated with Wesley, Campbell, Miller, and White. (See “The Shepherd’s Rod,” Vol. 1, pp.
32-114) “We have far more to fear from within than from without. The hindrances to strength and success are far greater from the church itself than from the world.” — Review and Herald, March 22, 1887. If the danger against the church has been from within, through confidence in self-deceived leadership in every age, what would change things at the present time? {SR2: 104.1}
“These facts concerning Satan’s sure traps, echo and re-echo with the loudest wail to arouse the sleeper at this particular time. Hear the trumpet’s sound: “Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion!” (Isa. 52:2) Prejudice, with dependence upon men, in confidence of having all the truth and that there is need of none, has devoured more souls than any trap ever devised by the enemy of mankind. The class who accept the decisions of others without investigating for themselves, and refuse to be interested in hearing and reasoning the Scriptures, have been deceived concerning present truth in every age. “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.” (1 Cor. 3:19, 20) {SR2: 104.2}
“Men who are esteemed great by the world, God can seldom use. In general, the great educators of the age are carnal minded, therefore the product from the schools of men is enmity against God. “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” (Rom. 8:7) If God would use them they must first, with the great apostle, deny themselves. Said Paul: “To preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” (1 Cor. 1:17, 19) “And, I brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” (1 Cor. 2:1-4) {SR2: 104.3}
“God took Moses to the desert and there under His supervision He trained him for forty years — when Moses unlearned all he had learned in the schools of Egypt, then only was God able to use him for an instrument of His mighty arm. When Moses felt capable to deliver Israel from Egyptian bondage he failed; but when he saw himself helpless, then he was strong. If
“God should give great light to a man who is high in his own esteem, and held likewise by the world, man would glorify himself and rob God of the glory. “At this time Jesus answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes.” (Matt. 11:25) God reveals
Himself through instruments and ways least suspected by men. Thus He performs a miracle by making impossibilities possible, revealing His power and arousing the sleeper with light and voice divine. Men of distinction have seldom accepted any light upon the Word of God simply on the value of its truth; this class generally accepts Biblical truth after it becomes
popular and when preached by men esteemed higher than themselves. {SR2: 104.4}
“Said the prophet, “Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” (Isa. 2:22) “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” (Psa. 118:8) The prophet Micah, looking forward to this time of carnal security, says, “Trust ye not in a friend put ye not confidence in a guide. (Micah 7:5) God’s people must learn to look to Him only, depending upon the plain “thus saith the Lord.” He may use the human instrument to communicate light, but it will shine on the never-erring Word of God. Such light will dispel sin and rebuke the sinner, exalt Christ, glorify God, and debase men. “The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and
the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low.” (Isa. 2:11, 12) {SR2: 105.1}
“Satan knows how to deceive so that it can not be easily detected. He studies the inclination of the people, and the thing which appeals most he sets as a trap. Because the generation is trusting in human intellect and are willing that others should think for them, the devil will present to this class the most dazzling personality the world has ever looked upon. Said the
apostle: “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” (2 Cor. 11:14) {SR2: 105.2}
“God’s instruments for communicating light upon His Word will be the opposite to those of Satan’s. “I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth,” said Jesus, “because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” (Matt. 11:25)
To the prophet Isaiah, it was revealed that God will use humble men to debase the proud: “For behold, the Lord the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water. The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, the captain of
fifty, and the honorable man, and the counselor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator. And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbor: The child
shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honorable.” (Isa. 3:1-5) Said Jesus, “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.” (Matt. 18:4, 5)” {SR2: 105.3}
Conclusion
What an admonition brethren! Are we to continue to forfeit our gift of religious liberty, the freedom to exercise our own minds to “prove all things; hold fast to that which is good”, or we will rise like men and women who are hungering and thirsting after righteousness to hear the Lord’s call to “study to shew yourself approved unto God, a workman needed not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” and not forgetting to “try the spirits” through “the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them”. Come now and see; see what? The Shepherd’s Rod message—the startling and timely revelations right from the throne of God for His Church today (S.D.A. Church) —
“hear ye the rod, and who has appointed it?”
End of Study
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