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Friday, July 24, 2009

Unity In Apostasy


“Ye adulterers, and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4:4

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

“If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.” Proverbs 29:12

“For the leader of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.” Isaiah 9:16

“A nation's sin and a nation's ruin were due to the religious leaders.” Christ's Object Lesson, p.305

“We are to recognize human government as an ordinance of divine appointment, and teach obedience to it as a sacred duty, within its legitimate sphere. But when its claims conflict with the claims of God, we must obey God rather than men. God's word must be recognized as above all human legislation. A “Thus saith the Lord” is not to be set aside for a “Thus saith the church” or a “Thus saith the state.” Gospel Workers, p.389-90

“The word of the Lord is to be our guide. Any connection with infidels and unbelievers that would identify us with them, is forbidden by the Word. We are to come out from among them, and be ye separate. In no case are we to link ourselves with them in their plans of work… Again and again Christ had been asked to decide legal and political questions; but He refused to interfere in temporal matters…” Gospel Workers, p.394, 396

“The wicked are being bound up in bundles, bound up in trusts, in unions, in confederacies. Let us have nothing to do with these organizations. God is our Ruler, our Governor, and He calls us to come out from the world and be separate… If we refuse to do this, if we continue to link up with the world, and to look at every matter from a worldly standpoint, we shall become like the world. When worldly policy and worldly ideas govern our transactions, we cannot stand on the high and holy platform of eternal truth.” SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p.114 (MS 71, 1903)

“The mingling of churchcraft and statecraft is represented by the iron and clay (Daniel 2:43). This union is weakening all the power of the churches.” SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p.1168-69 (MS 63, 1899)

“By His own example the Saviour has shown that His followers can be in the world and yet not of the world. HE came not to partake of its delusive pleasures, to be swayed by its customs, and to follow its practices, but to do His Father's will, to seek and save the lost.” Acts of the Apostles, p.467

“The great conflict is between the commandments of God and the requirements of the beast. It is because the saints are keeping all ten of the commandments that the dragon (satan, Rev. 20:2) makes war upon them. IF THEY WILL LOWER THE STANDARD AND YIELD THE PECULIARITIES OF THEIR FAITH, THE DRAGON WILL BE AT PEACE; but they excite his ire because they have dared to raise the standard and unfurl their banner in opposition to the Protestant world, who are worshipping the institution of papacy.” Testimonies to the Church, vol. 1, p.223

“What are you doing, brethren in the great work of preparation? Those who are uniting with the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast.” Testimonies to the Church, vol. 5, p.216

“The government under which Jesus lived was corrupt and oppressive: on every hand were crying abuses, extortion, intolerance, and grinding cruelty. Yet the Saviour attempted no civil reforms. He attacked no national abuses, nor condemned the national enemies. He did not interfere with the authority or administration of those on power. He who was our example kept aloof from earthly governments. Not because He was indifferent to the woes of men, but because the remedy did not lie in merely human and external measures.” Desire of Ages, p.509

“There is to be no change in the general features of our work. It is to stand us clear and distinct as prophecy has made it. We are to enter into no confederacy with the world, supposing that by so doing we could accomplish more.” Testimonies to the Church, vol. 6, p.17

“The world must not be introduced into the church and married to the church, forming a bond of unity. Through this means the church will become indeed corrupt, and as stated in Revelation “a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” (Rev. 18:4,5) Testimonies to Ministers, p.265

“Christ demands all. If He required less, His sacrifice was too dear, too great to make to bring us up to such a level. Our holy faith cries out, SEPARATION. We should not be conformed to the world, or to dead, heartless professors." Testimonies to the Church, vol. 1, p.240

“On the basis of Bible prophecy and the writings of Ellen G. White, SDA's anticipate the eventual success of the ecumenical movement, both in eliminating the divisions of Protestantism and in reuniting Christendom by bridging the gulf that separates non-Catholic communions from Rome. The ecumenical movement will then become a concerted effort to unite the world and to secure universal peace and security by enlisting the power of civil government in a universal religio-political crusade to eliminate all dissent. SDA's envision this crusade as the great apostasy to which John the revelator refers as ‘Babylon the great.' They understand, also, that God's last message of mercy to the world prior to the return of Christ in power and glory will consist of a warring against this great apostate movement, and a call to all who choose to remain loyal to Him to leave the churches connected with it. (See Rev. 13:15-17; 14:6-11; 16:12-14; 17:1-6; 18:1-4; GC 444, 445, 573, 588, 589, 615)” SDA Encyclopedia, vol. 10, p.411

“Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean things; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.” Isaiah 52:11
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