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Church and the World United
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power of the Holy Spirit which was imparted to the disciples would
still be with her. The sick would be healed, devils would be rebuked
and cast out, and she would be mighty and a terror to her enemies.
I saw a very large company professing the name of Christ, but
God did not recognize them as His. He had no pleasure in them.
Satan seemed to assume a religious character and was very willing
that the people should think they were Christians. He was even
anxious that they should believe in Jesus, His crucifixion, and His
resurrection. Satan and his angels fully believe all this themselves,
and tremble. But if this faith does not provoke to good works, and
lead those who profess it to imitate the self-denying life of Christ,
Satan is not disturbed; for they merely assume the Christian name,
while their hearts are still carnal, and he can use them in his service
even better than if they made no profession. Hiding their deformity
under the name of Christian, they pass along with their unsanctified
natures, and their evil passions unsubdued. This gives occasion for
the unbeliever to reproach Christ with their imperfections, and causes
those who do possess pure and undefiled religion to be brought into
disrepute.
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The ministers preach smooth things to suit carnal professors.
They dare not preach Jesus and the cutting truths of the Bible; for if
they should, these carnal professors would not remain in the church.
But as many of them are wealthy, they must be retained, although
they are no more fit to be there than Satan and his angels. This
is just as Satan would have it. The religion of Jesus is made to
appear popular and honorable in the eyes of the world. The people
are told that those who profess religion will be more honored by
the world. Such teachings differ very widely from the teachings of
Christ. His doctrine and the world could not be at peace. Those
who followed Him had to renounce the world. These smooth things
originated with Satan and his angels. They formed the plan, and
nominal professors carried it out. Pleasing fables were taught and
readily received, and hypocrites and open sinners united with the
church. If the truth had been preached in its purity, it would soon
have shut out this class. But there was no difference between the
professed followers of Christ and the world. I saw that if the false
covering had been torn off from the members of the churches, there
would have been revealed such iniquity, vileness, and corruption