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Spiritual Gifts, Volume 4b
those who hear the sayings of Christ, but do them not. They profess,
but 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. They recount their good deeds, yet these very ones are crafty,
and overreach in business deal. Their fruits are not good. Their words
and acts are wrong, and yet they seem to be blinded to their destitute,
wretched condition.
I was shown that the following scripture was applicable to such,
who go along under such a deception. “Not every one that saith unto
me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven; but he that
doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven. Many will say to me
in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy
name cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me,
ye that work iniquity.”
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
that 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.
God has provided means to correct the erring, yet if those who err,
choose to do as they think best, and follow their own judgment, and
despise the means of God has ordained to correct the erring and unite
them upon the truth, they will be brought into the position described
by the words of our Lord quoted above.
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God is bringing out a people and preparing them to stand as one,
united, to speak the same things, and carry out the prayer of Christ for
his disciples. “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which
shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one, as
thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us;
that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”
There are little companies continually arising who believe that
God is only with the very few, the very scattered, and their influence
is to tear down and scatter that which God’s servants build up. There
are restless minds who want to be seeing and believing something