The Great Hope (Condensed)

Appeal to Intellect

To persons of culture and refinement the prince of darkness presents spiritualism in its more refined and intellectual aspects. He delights the fancy with enrapturing scenes and eloquent portrayals of love and charity. He leads men to take so great pride in their own wisdom that in their hearts they despise the Eternal One. GrH_c 20.7

Satan beguiles men now as he beguiled Eve in Eden, by exciting ambition for self-exaltation. “Ye shall be as gods,” he declares, “knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5. Spiritualism teaches “that man is the creature of progression ... toward the Godhead.” And again: “The judgment will be right, because it is the judgment of self.... The throne is within you.” And another declares: “Any just and perfect being is Christ.” GrH_c 21.1

Thus Satan has substituted the sinful nature of man himself for the law of God as the only rule of judgment. This is progress, not upward, but downward. Man will never rise higher than his standard of purity or goodness. If self is his loftiest ideal, he will never attain to anything more exalted. The grace of God alone has power to exalt man. Left to himself, his course must be downward. GrH_c 21.2