But is there any danger, any possibility, that an angel from heaven
would preach any other than the one, true Gospel?—Most assuredly,
although it would not be an angel recently come from heaven. We read of
“the angels that sinned” (2 Peter 2:4), and “kept not their first
estate, but left their own habitation” (Jude 6), and that the habitation
from which they were cast was heaven (Rev. 12:7-9). Now “Satan himself
is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if
his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness.” 2
Cor. 11:14, 15. It is they who come professing to be the spirits of the
departed, and to bring messages fresh from the realms above (where the
departed are not), and preaching invariably “another gospel” than the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. Beware of them. “Beloved, believe not every
spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God.” 1 John 4:1. “To
the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this Word,
it is because there is no light in them.” Isa. 8:20. No one need be
deceived, so long as he has God’s Word. Nay, it is impossible for
anybody to be deceived while he holds to the Word of God. That is a
light to the way.
[Sidenote: Not Men-Pleasers.]
It is admitted by churchmen that in the first three centuries the church
became leavened with paganism, and that, in spite of reformations, much
of paganism still remains. Now this was the result of trying to please
men. The bishops thought that they could gain influence over the heathen
by relaxing some of the strictness of the principles of the Gospel,
which they did, and the result was the corruption of the church.
Self-love is always at the bottom of efforts to conciliate and please
men. The bishops desired (often, perhaps, without being conscious of it)
to draw away disciples after themselves. Acts 20:30. In order to gain
the favor of the people, they had to compromise and pervert the truth.
This was what was being done in Galatia; men were perverting the Gospel
of Christ. But Paul was not of that class; he was seeking to please God,
and not men. He was the servant of God, and God was the only one whom he
needed to please. He who seeks to please men, is the servant of men, and
not of God.
This principle is true in every grade of service. The house-servants or
the shop assistants who labor only to please men, will not be faithful
servants, for they will do good work only where it will be seen, but
will slight any task that can not come under the eye of their employers.
So Paul exhorts: “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to
the flesh; not with eye service, as men-pleasers; but in singleness of
heart, fearing God; and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the
Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the
reward of the inheritance; for ye serve the Lord Christ.” Col. 3:22-24.
He who cares for nothing else but to serve and please God, will render
the best service to men.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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