The Great Hope (Adapted)

19/79

Dangerous Errors

The lying wonders of spiritualism are among Satan’s most successful agencies. When people reject the truth, they become easy targets for deception. GrH_a 11.1

Another error is the doctrine that denies the deity of Christ, claiming that He had no existence before He was born into this world. This theory contradicts Jesus’ own statements about His relationship with the Father and His pre-existence. It undermines faith in the Bible as a revelation from God. If people reject the testimony of Scripture about the deity of Christ, it is useless to argue with them. No argument, however strong, could convince them. None who hold this error can have a true understanding of Christ or of God’s plan for our redemption. GrH_a 11.2

Still another error is the belief that Satan does not exist as a personal being, that the Bible uses that name simply to represent people’s evil thoughts and desires. GrH_a 11.3

Some teach that the second advent of Christ is His coming to each individual at death. This is a deception to divert minds from Jesus’ personal coming in the clouds of heaven. By this means, Satan has been saying, “Behold, he is in the secret chambers” (see Matthew 24:23-26 KJV), and many have been lost by accepting this deception. GrH_a 11.4

Again, many scientists claim that there can be no real answer to prayer, because this would be a violation of law—a miracle, and miracles have no existence. The universe, they say, is governed by fixed laws, and God Himself does nothing against these laws. So they represent God as limited by His own laws—as if divine laws could exclude divine freedom. GrH_a 11.5

Did not Christ and His apostles work miracles? The same Savior is as willing to listen to the prayer of faith today as when He walked visibly on the earth. The natural cooperates with the supernatural. It is a part of God’s plan to grant us, in answer to the prayer of faith, what He would not give if we did not ask in faith. GrH_a 11.6