Testimonies for the Church Vol 1 - Lansing SDA Church

Philosophy and Vain Deceit 287The only safety now is to search for the truth as revealed in theword of God, as for hid treasure. The subjects of the Sabbath, thenature of man, and the testimony of Jesus are the great and importanttruths to be understood; these will prove as an anchor to hold God’speople in these perilous times. But the mass of mankind despise thetruths of God’s word and prefer fables. 2 Thessalonians 2:10, 11:“Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might besaved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, thatthey should believe a lie.”The most licentious and corrupt are highly flattered by these Satanicspirits, which they believe to be the spirits of their dead friends,and they are vainly puffed up in their fleshly minds. Colossians 2:19:“And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints andbands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increasethwith the increase of God,” they deny Him who ministers strength tothe body, that every member may increase with the increase of God.Vain philosophy. The members of the body are controlled by thehead. Spiritualists lay aside the Head and believe that all the membersof the body must act themselves and that fixed laws will lead them onin a state of progression to perfection without a head. John 15:1, 2,4-6: “I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Husbandman. Everybranch in Me that beareth not fruit, He taketh away: and every branchthat beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. Iam the Vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him,the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered;and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” [301]Christ is the source of our strength. He is the Vine, we are thebranches. We must receive nourishment from the living Vine. Deprivedof the strength and nourishment of that Vine, we are as members of thebody without a head and are in the very position which Satan wishesus to be in, that he may control us as pleases himself. He works “withall deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because theyreceived not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for thiscause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe alie.” Spiritualism is a lie. It is founded upon the great original lie, “Ye