Combating Erroneous Teaching
Meet Sophistries With Truth—I am instructed to say to you that
it is not best to dwell upon the spiritualistic sentiments, the strange,
misleading theories, which have for years been coming in among us.
It is not best to preach on the subject of Pantheism or to read
quotations from authors who write on this subject, and the specious,
deceptive errors that lead to it. The statements made in Testimonies,
volume 8, are sufficient to warn our people to avoid these errors. These
statements will do more to enlighten minds than all the explanations
or theories that our ministers and teachers may put forth concerning
these matters.
If you try to handle these subjects, you will be led to repeat the
sophistries of Satan, and thus you will help Satan to present his false
theories to the people. Resolve never, never to repeat error, but always
to teach the truth. Fill hearts and minds with the solemn, sacred truth
for this time.
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Dwell on present truth, on Christ’s second coming. The Lord is
coming very soon. We have only a little while in which to present the
truth for this time—the truth that is to convert souls. This truth is to be
presented in the utmost simplicity, even as Christ presented it, so that
the people can understand what is truth. Truth will dispel the clouds
of error.
Give the people present truth. Talk the truth. Fill their minds with
truth. Build up the strongholds of truth. And do not bring Satan’s
theories to minds that should not hear in regard to them. What the
people need is not a representation of the seductive arts of Satan, but
a presentation of the truth as it is in Jesus. Remember that the devil
can be served by a repetition of his lies. The less we handle these
objectionable subjects, the purer, cleaner, and less tainted will be our
minds and our principles....
And I have been shown that we are not to enter into controversy
over these spiritualistic theories, because such controversy will only
confuse minds. These things are not to be brought into our meetings.
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