"You
belong to your father the devil, and you want to carry out the desires of your
father. He was a murderer from the
beginning and has never stood by the truth, since there is no truth in him.
Whenever he tells a lie he speaks in character, for he is a liar and the father
of lies." What does this quotation
from Jesus, found in John 8:44, have to
do with the recent election?
It
speaks directly to the condition of our society, especially here in the United
States. The problem is worldwide, but
more marked here because this nation was founded on better principles. Righteousness, doing what is right, exalts a
nation. While this country was never a
"Christian Nation", yet the principles of Christ found in the Bible
were the foundation on which this nation began.
Freedom, freedom of conscience, freedom from outside control, are the
bedrock of our founding. But this
freedom can only continue if people are self governing.
In order to be
free, people must have self control.
They have to be able to govern themselves first of all. This does not come naturally to us in our
fallen sinful condition. Our founding
fathers understood this and tried to put in place a system that would place
checks on our natural tendencies.
However, self governing does not come from rationalism, from education,
from "enlightened" understanding.
It can only come from the Spirit of God placing God's law in our minds
and hearts. Only then can a person truly
have self control, self government.
Without the law
of God being put within us, we are under the control of the Evil One. Satan is bent on our destruction, and he will
do whatever it takes to destroy us. If
we are not under the control of God's law from within, then we are captives to
the devil. He has control. We are his slaves, doing what he
directs. And in this world, and more and
more in this country, we see his control being exercised more than ever because
as a society we have forsaken God and given ourselves over to Satan's
control. Here is a description written
150 years ago, but is even more true today: "A train of cars was
shown me, going with the speed of lightning. The angel bade me look carefully.
I fixed my eyes upon the train. It seemed that the whole world was on board,
that there could not be one left. Said the angel, "They are binding in
bundles ready to burn." Then he showed me the conductor, who appeared like
a stately, fair person, whom all the passengers looked up to and reverenced. I
was perplexed and asked my attending angel who it was. He said, "It is
Satan. He is the conductor in the form of an angel of light. He has taken the
world captive. They are given over to strong delusions, to believe a lie, that
they may be damned."
(Early Writings p. 88)
Over 2500 years ago the Bible prophet
Jeremiah, expressing the same idea, pictured the conditions that were the
result of his people having forsaken the Lord, and they apply to us now,
especially the final question: "An appalling and horrible thing has happened in
the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests applaud
their lies; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end
comes?" (Jeremiah 5:30-31)
"The great work from which the mind should not be diverted is the
consideration of our personal standing in the sight of God. Are our feet on the
Rock of Ages? Are we hiding ourselves in the only Refuge? The storm is
coming, relentless in its fury. Are we prepared to meet it? Are we one with
Christ as He is one with the Father?....
The character of Christ is to be our character. We are to be transformed
by the renewing of our hearts. Here is our only safety." (Maranatha p. 108-emphasis mine)
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