Tuesday, February 25, 2014

No One is Accountable to the Truth, Until They Know the Truth

Our very important study on the Mark of the Beast mentioned in the Messages of the Three Angels, continued…

Taken from-  'Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith, written in 1897'

'It will be said again, Then all Sunday-keepers have the mark of the beast; then all the good of past ages who kept this day had the mark of the beast; then Luther, Whitefield, the Wesleys, and all who have done a good and noble work of reformation, had the mark of the beast; then all the blessings that have been poured upon the reformed churches have been poured upon those who had the mark of the beast; and all Christians of the present day who are keeping Sunday as the Sabbath, have the mark of the beast. We answer, NOT SO! And we are sorry to say that some professedly religious teachers, though many times corrected, persist in misrepresenting ... on this point. ... Give ear:  

The mark and worship of the beast are enforced by the two-horned beast.

The receiving of the mark of the beast is a specific act which the two-horned beast is to cause to be done.

The third message of Revelation 14 is A WARNING mercifully sent out in advance to prepare the people for the coming
p 607 -- danger.

There can therefore be no worship of the beast, nor reception of his mark such as the prophecy contemplates, TILL IT IS ENFORCED BY THE TWO-HORNED BEAST.

We have seen that intention was essential to the change which the papacy has made in the law of God, to constitute it the mark of that power; so INTENTION is necessary in the adoption of that change to make it, on the part of ANY INDIVIDUAL, the reception of that mark. In other words, a person must adopt the change knowing it to be the work of the beast, and receive it on the authority of that power, in opposition to the requirement of God.

But how is it with those mentioned above, who have kept Sunday in the past, and the majority of those who are keeping it to-day? Do they keep it as an institution of the papacy? No.

Have they decided between this and the Sabbath of our Lord, understanding the claims of each? - No.

On what ground have they kept it, and on what do they still keep it? - They suppose they are keeping a commandment of God.

Have such the mark of the beast? - By no means.

Their course is attributable to an error unwittingly received from the Church of Rome, not to an act of worship rendered to it.

But how is it to be in the future?

THE CHURCH WHICH IS TO BE PREPARED FOR THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST MUST BE ENTIRELY FREE FROM PAPAL ERRORS AND CORRUPTIONS.

A reform must hence be made on the Sabbath question.

The third angel proclaims the commandments of God, leading men to the true in the place of the counterfeit.

The dragon is stirred, and so controls the wicked governments of the earth that all the authority of human power shall be exerted to enforce the claims of the man of sin. Then the issue is fairly before the people. They are required to keep, on the one hand, the true Sabbath; on the other, a counterfeit. For refusing to keep the true, the message threatens the unmingled wrath of God; for refusing the false, earthly governments threaten them with persecution and death. With this issue before the people, what does he do who yields to the human requirement? - He virtually says to God,
I know your claims, but I will not heed them. I know that the power I am required to worship is antichristian, but I yield to it to save my life. I renounce your allegiance, and
p 608 -- bow to the usurper. The beast is henceforth the object of my adoration; under his banner, in opposition to your authority, I henceforth array myself; to him, in defiance of your claims, I henceforth yield the obedience of my heart and life.

(((My interjection-

Here it is. The truth, and the huge wall of opposition that shouts out very loudly to us that this is an impossibility! This can NEVER happen, not here, not now in the United States of America! We are fast giving up so many Biblically sanction morals, laws here, laws there they are changing but not in the direction of keeping any law based on worship. We are more and more embracing the idea of separating church and state, taking prayer out of places we never thought it possible, refusing the allowing of our Savior's name in prayers, taking away various emblems of Christianity from places they've been in for many years. We've a president that gives an appearance of Christianity but at the same time by actions says he holds other faiths dear. We live with all this and then we come face to face with the truth of God's word and we are left to believe it is all but an impossibility, and THAT is what Satan wants us to believe.

We must remember this-

Mat_19:26  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Mar_10:27  And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

Luk_1:37  For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Truth!

We must hold fast to the profession of our faith…

Heb 10:23  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

We don't HAVE to comprehend how it is going to all fall into place. We have to comprehend the truth and then through the Holy Spirit keep our eyes opened, watching and praying. We know the truth, we cannot turn our backs on the truth because it doesn't fit in with our imaginations. Also, we know that we cannot imagine we don't have anything to unlearn or more to learn, we do and we will until the end. But one thing is true and always will be- God's truth is God's truth. God's commandments are sure and steadfast to the very end, always and NOTHING can change them, NOTHING.

All by the GRACE of our SAVIOR!

All though HIS love!

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