Basic HTML Version
John Met Errors Unflinchingly, December 15
This ... is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you,
that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
1 John 1:5
.
John was not to prosecute his work without great hindrances. Satan was not
idle. He instigated evil men to cut short the useful life of this man of God, but
holy angels protected him from their assaults.... The church in its peril needed his
testimony.
By misrepresentation and falsehood the emissaries of Satan had sought to stir
up opposition against John and against the doctrine of Christ. In consequence
dissensions and heresies were imperiling the church. John met these errors un-
flinchingly. He hedged up the way of the adversaries of truth. He wrote and
exhorted, that the leaders in these heresies should not have the least encourage-
ment.
There are at the present day evils similar to those that threatened the prosperity
of the early church, and the teachings of the apostle upon these points should be
carefully heeded. “You must have charity” is the cry to be heard everywhere,
especially from those who profess sanctification. But charity is too pure to cover
an unconfessed sin.
John’s teachings are important for those who are living amid the perils of the
last days. He had been intimately associated with Christ, he had listened to His
teachings and had witnessed His mighty miracles. He bore a convincing testimony,
which made the falsehoods of His enemies of none effect.
John enjoyed the blessing of true sanctification. But mark, the apostle does
not claim to be sinless; he is seeking perfection by walking in the light of God’s
countenance. He testifies that the man who professes to know God, and yet breaks
the divine law, gives the lie to his profession. “He that saith, I know him, and
keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (
1 John 2:4
).
In this age of boasted liberality these words would be branded as bigotry.
But the apostle teaches that while we should manifest Christian courtesy, we are
authorized to call sin and sinners by their right names—that this is consistent with
true charity. While we are to love the souls for whom Christ died, and labor for
their salvation, we should not make a compromise with sin. We are not to unite
with the rebellious, and call this charity.
God requires His people in this age of the world to stand, as did John in his
time, unflinchingly for the right, in opposition to soul-destroying errors.—
The
Sanctified Life, 64, 65
.
[364]
370