How to Detect Them! by J. M. Avery

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 26, 1875

How to Detect Them!

By J. M. Avery

We read in Gal. 1 : 8: “Though we, or an angel from Heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” By turning to 1 Cor. 15 : 1-4, we find this gospel plainly stated. Paul here says: “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain; for I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” Paul does not say that his body died, and his soul went immediately to paradise. If any come preaching this doctrine, shall we be deceived by them?

Again, we read in Rom. 16 : 17, 18, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” Webster defines gospel to be any system of religious truth or doctrine, hence Paul refers to the gospel, or system of truth, that they had been taught.

We read that the time is coming when men will not endure sound doctrine, but shall be turned unto fables. Said a minister, some time since, “There is something so repulsive in the doctrine of the sleep of dead that it cannot be true!” It seems that he could not endure the sound doctrine of life and immortality through Christ. In another instance, while preaching the funeral discourse of a child, he said, “For aught I know, the babe may now be perching on the top-most bough of the tree of life.” Notwithstanding all the caution of the apostle, it seems that the true gospel has been lost sight of. But we have great reason to thank God that he is leading a people into the true light; and if the people have the Spirit of God with them, how long will they reject the light when it is presented?

Again, those who have from childhood been taught to observe the fourth commandment, and the aged who have for a quarter of a century professed obedience to the law of God, after joining themselves to the class above mentioned feel secure in open rebellion against that law! What a deplorable condition is theirs! They suppose themselves without sin, and yet are in so great error! We believe that there are honest ones among them, and wonder not that God spake by the prophet, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” Isa. 58 : 1. It seems that a trumpet voice is needed to arouse such from their self-righteous condition, and convince them that they are transgressing the law, and, consequently, are condemned as sinners in the sight of God. But we will hold up the light before them, hoping and praying that they may heed it; and that they may not be, in the last day, of the disappointed ones, who suppose that they have in the name of the Lord cast out devils, and done many wonderful works.

In Testimony No. 9, p. 153, noisy exercises are spoken of disapprovingly, and it is said that the influence of such meetings is not beneficial, as the enjoyment comes from a wrong source. We also read, page 157, “Their fruits are such as to disgust unbelievers.” “They are boastful, and pray and talk in a self-righteous manner, exalting themselves, and virtually thanking God, like the Pharisee, that they are not as other men.” Here is the greatest deception that can affect the human mind, for persons to believe that they are right when they are wrong. They think they are doing a great work in their religious life. Finally, Jesus tears off their self-righteous covering, and vividly presents before them the true picture of themselves, in all their wrongs, and deformity of religious character. They are found wanting when it is forever too late to have their wants supplied.

As long as people believe and preach the first falsehood Satan told to man, “Thou shalt not surely die,” be not deceived by them. May the Lord give us wisdom, that by his word we may detect all deceivers. We will fear not to keep the commandments of God, and to speak of them before “kings.” If the third angel’s message brings out the light of truth just as the eye brings light to the body, can we expect that God will cause those to see who reject the message, any more than he would cause us to see the light of the sun if we persisted in closing our eyes? Before God sent the message, such persons might have enjoyed his Spirit. Should we not beware that we say or do nothing to make them feel any more secure in their self-righteousness? The Lord pity and save the honest, and let us do all we can to bring them to a knowledge of the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. Let us be more deeply in earnest, in the work of the Lord. Let us remember the exhortation of Peter: “Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.”

J. M. AVERY.