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THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH

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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 10, 1868

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 32, No. 20.

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THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH.

By J. S. Miller

BY J. S. MILLER.
TEXT.—“And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming; even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thess. ii, 8-13.
Although the above text is somewhat lengthy, it seems necessary to quote the whole of it, in order to show the force of that portion which contains the ideas upon which my remarks will be based. I shall not attempt to notice all the thoughts suggested, but simply to inquire,
I. What is it to receive the love of the truth? and, II. What will be the results of failing to receive the love of the truth?
I. What is it to receive the love of the truth?
Before this question can be properly answered, it will be necessary first to inquire, whether the apostle had any special truth in view, and if so, what that special truth is. While the warning of the apostle, to those who receive not the love of the truth, may apply to truth in general, it is evident from the reading of the text and its connections, that he had some definite point of time, and some special truth in view.
From the first and second verses of the chapter, we learn that the subject of the Lord’s coming was being agitated in the minds of his Thessalonian brethren, and, from his manner of address, we may conclude that some one had been preaching the immediate coming of the Lord. “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.” Verses 1, 2. The object of this letter, or at least this portion of it, seems to have been to correct this error, and to instruct them with regard to what must take place before he could come. Hence, in verses 3 to 6 we read: “Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that Man of Sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that when I was yet with you I told you these things? and now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.”
No one, conversant with the subject, will deny that the Papacy is here the subject of prophecy. Verse 7 seems to be thrown in by way of explanation, to give his readers to understand that a portion of time would elapse before the rise of this power, and thus he leaves the way clear for settling the chronology of the rise of the Papacy. “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work; only he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way.” The words, “letteth” and “will let,” being obsolete in the sense in which they are here used, the sense will, perhaps, be made clearer by giving a more modern rendering. The Bible Union translation renders this verse as follows: “Only until he who now withholds shall be out of the way.”
The withholding ceased with the establishment of the Papacy in A. D. 538. From this point he proceeds: “And then shall that Wicked be revealed.” And what then? The mind of the apostle at once glances over the entire space of time occupied by this power, even to the time of Christ’s coming. He continues, “Whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and destroy with the brightness of his coming.”
Having shown the rise and destiny of the Papacy, his attention is again turned to the coming of Christ, and the scenes that will immediately precede that event. Verse 9: “Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders.”
The question may here arise, Through whom is Satan to work, as described in this verse? Is it the Papacy? I think not, for several reasons.
1. This working of Satan was to be in immediate connection with the second coming of Christ; and it is well known that the work that Satan had to perform through that power is mainly in the past. The days of Papal power to persecute ended in 1798, and the tribulation of those days ended at a still earlier period; and for many years it has been suffering with consumption, from which it will never revive.
2. He was to work “with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish.” There is no way in which this can be made to apply to the Papacy; for in order to deceive all those that perish, he must have the confidence of all that class; and it is well known that the reverse of this is true, for there is, perhaps, no power on earth for which the world at large has less respect.
3. Another power has arisen which bids fair to fully answer the specifications in this prophecy, and hence has a claim to our attention. I need not tell you that I refer to modern Spiritualism. True, Satan does not work through Spiritualism with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, but it is already sufficiently successful, while only twenty years have elapsed since its rise, to claim eleven million followers in America alone. And that its miraculous feats are beyond the power of science to explain, is beyond dispute. That it opposes the religion of the Bible is equally well known; and, therefore, it must be the working of Satan.
Taking it for granted that this is the beginning of the working of Satan that Paul speaks of, we are prepared to consider the question, What is the truth, the love of which will save us from the strong delusion into which all will be led, who do not receive the love of the truth?
The truth that will be in order at the time when Satan is at work with this last and strongest delusion, will be such as will save those who heed it from being deceived. Hence, to find the nature of the truth needed, we must inquire into the nature of the delusion. What does Spiritualism claim to do that is contrary to the word of God? The leading feature of Spiritualism is, that it professes to commune with the spirits of the dead, while the Bible plainly declares, that “the dead know not anything.” Eccl. ix, 5.
This being the delusion, what will be the truth that will save us? Let Isaiah answer, “And when they shall say unto you, seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and that mutter; should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? 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. viii, 19, 20.
We find, by referring to Rev. xii, 17, that these will be the peculiarities of the remnant people of God—they who are to be the last generation of the church on earth, and that will be alive at Christ’s coming. “And the dragon was wrath with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
Has there a body of Christians arisen, who preach the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ? I answer, there has; and it is a remarkable fact that it had its rise contemporary with Spiritualism. That body is called Seventh-day Adventists. The burden of their message is, “The commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” The faith of Jesus includes the testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy. See Rev. xix, 10.
Having now found the delusion, and the truth that will expose it, the inquiry arises, In what way will the truth save us? Will a mere knowledge of the truth save us? I think not. The apostle does not say that it was because they had not heard the truth, that God should send them strong delusion, but because they received not the love of the truth.
What is the love of the truth? I see no reason why love should not be the same in this relation that it is in any other. I once heard a preacher remark, that love was a passion or emotion drawn out toward that which is in itself lovely. But from this view I dissent. From what I can learn from the word of God, love is as far from being a passion as light is from darkness. Love, as brought to view in the Bible, is not a passion, but a fixed principle. It is ever the same—it never changes. The manifestations of love may vary with the objects with which it stands connected, but love itself is unchangeable. I know of no shorter way of expressing it than to say, that “love is the fulfilling of the law,” the fulfilling of the relation that exists between the lover and the object of love. If God is the lover, and we the recipients, he sustains to us the relation of a father, and hence his love is manifested by exhibiting the care of a father for his erring children. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” 1 Jno. iv, 9.
If we are the lovers, and God the object, the love is the same—we fulfill the relation existing between us and him. We manifest that love by obedience to his commands. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” 1 John v, 3. If the love exists between us and our fellow-beings, the love is still the same. We fulfill the relation that exists between us and them, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Matt. xxii, 39. “And as ye would that men should do unto you, do ye also to them likewise.” Luke vi, 31. What, then, is the love of the truth? It is simply to fulfill the relation existing between us and that truth.
The relations existing between an individual and the present truth may vary somewhat with circumstances. He may be ignorant of what the Bible teaches relative to truth in general, and especially of those truths that relate more particularly to himself and the generation in which he lives. In this case he will manifest his love for the truth by putting forth an earnest effort to learn it. Having obtained a knowledge of the truth, and learning that it teaches him to take a certain course, he will show his love for the truth by obeying its teachings. Finding himself in possession of certain knowledge pertaining to the truth, and finding his neighbor ignorant in this respect, he will manifest his love for the truth, and also for his neighbor, by exerting himself to impart to that neighbor the knowledge he has gained. And so on to the end of the catalogue. All we have to do to ascertain what it is for us to have the love of the truth, is to inquire, what are the relations existing between us and that truth? The earnest inquiry of all connected with the third angel’s message, should be, Have I received the love of the truth?
II. What will be the result of failing to receive the love of the truth?
If the position above taken is true, viz., that the great delusion here referred to is Spiritualism, then we cannot avoid the conclusion, that all who do not receive the love of the truth, will, sooner or later, become so far deceived by Spiritualism as to believe a lie. Verse 11: “And for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie,” and the final result of being so deceived will be their own damnation. Verse 12: “That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
But is it true that all who do not manifest a love for the truth as they should will be deceived? We can easily understand how those in all the anti-advent churches, who are all, in some degree, Spiritualists, may be deceived and drawn into the snare of Satan. But there are the Adventists, not only the Sabbath-keepers, but all of the Advent name, with the exception of one small sect, almost to a man, firm believers in the unconscious state of the dead. Now how can those who have for years been firmly established on the platform of the unconscious state of the dead, who have fought for it until it is almost beyond controversy with all who base their faith entirely on the Bible, how can such be deceived on so plain a truth? I answer, because they received not the love of the truth. Truth, without the love of it, never did, and never will, save any man.
But still it may not be clear to some how Adventists, who have seen so clear light on the immortality question, can ever become so deceived as to believe a lie in regard to the state of man after death.
But, before we attempt to answer this question, let us look at some points in the history of ancient Israel, and see if we can find that anything as strange ever happened to them. It is a fact, that ever since there was a system of true religion, Satan has had a false system. Satan’s counterfeit religion has not always been manifested in the same way; for he is a cunning Satan, and always adapts himself to the people whom he wishes to deceive.
In the days of ancient Israel, Satan’s counterfeit religion consisted in the worship of idols made of gold, silver, wood, stone, &c. All the nations outside of Israel worshipped these dumb idols. But God being determined to have his name known in the world, chose the family of Abraham, which grew into the nation of Israel, to receive this law, and prevent his name from being blotted out from the earth. After living in Egypt over four hundred years, he called them forth with so many signs and wonders, that the almost universal verdict now is, that if we had now such miracles performed, we could not help believing in the one God. Now, is there any account that ancient Israel ever became deceived by idolatry? There is, and it is declared, by Paul, that “these things happened unto them for ensamples [types, margin]; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” 1 Cor. x, 11.
After God had led them down to the Red Sea, and had there delivered them by opening the sea for them to pass, and had destroyed Pharaoh; after leading them through the wilderness to Mount Sinai, and feeding them with angel’s food from day to day; and after withholding that manna on the Sabbath, thus from week to week reminding them that they were fed by the God who made the heavens and the earth, and the sea, and all that in them is; after speaking his law with an audible voice at Mount Sinai—even then, before Moses could finish hearing the directions God had to give concerning the administration of that law, they so far forgot God as to make a golden calf, and when Moses came down from the mount he found them dancing around it. Instances equally as striking as this might be multiplied to almost any extent, but this is sufficient.
But how can we account for their so soon turning to idolatry? Truly, they had evidences enough that the God they worshipped was the true God, and that he hated idolatry. How could they be so easily deceived by Satan as to say, “These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt?” It may be claimed that it was owing to their extreme ignorance at this time; but this objection is not valid; for we see the same thing repeated times without number, throughout their history down to the Babylonish captivity.
The cause of idolatry is shown by Paul to be, not ignorance, but the depravity of the human heart. He gives us the reasons thus: “Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools; and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and to four-footed beasts, and creeping things. . . . Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. . . . And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind [a mind void of judgment, margin], to do those things which are not convenient.” Rom. i, 21-28. They were not idolaters because they had not the truth, but because they received not the love of the truth.
Having now shown from the Bible that people may become deceived, even when they have much light on the truth, since such things have happened, is it not fair to presume that they will happen again, especially when we have the sure word of prophecy to sustain us, as we have in this instance in the text?
But, says the objector, you tell us what will be, but you do not tell how it can be brought about. That is what I propose now to notice. You say you firmly believe that the Bible teaches the unconscious state of the dead, and that you can never be brought to believe that it teaches otherwise. Admit this to be true, and what then? Why, I am safe, says the objector. Don’t be too sure here. Don’t you know that Satan understands the Bible just as well as you do? and he must be foolish to attack you on so plain a question as the state of the dead from a Bible standpoint. He knows better than to attack you while you have on the armor, and the sword of the Spirit in your hand, ready to repulse him at the outset.
Here is just where the danger lies with God’s people at the present time. Many of them are saying, I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and know not that they are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. God does not long allow his people to hold the truth in unrighteousness. When we will not be sanctified by the truths with which we have been blessed, he soon withdraws his Spirit, good angels withhold their ministrations, and we are left to be ensnared by Satan. No person can long look upon the Bible as the word of God, who fails to manifest a love for it by obeying its precepts. The backslider becomes a skeptic before he is aware. Hence, we find that while America claims to be a Christian nation, those who believe the Bible to be the inspired word of God are the exceptions, and not the rule.
It will be readily seen that when Adventists have so far backslidden as to lose confidence in the word of God, they are at the mercy of Satan. The arch-deceiver is coming to us with great signs and lying wonders, that will deceive all but the very elect, and if it were possible he would deceive even them.
What is the defense of backslidden Adventists above others? Says the backslider, the Bible says, The dead know not anything; but, says Satan, you have no confidence in the Bible, so you must account for my signs and wonders with something better than that, or admit that they are what they purport to be, the manifestations of departed spirits. There comes the struggle, and the backslider, having no defense, becomes an easy prey. The signs and wonders of Satan through Spiritualism, as we at present behold them, are but small compared with what we may expect before probation closes. Oh! that my brethren were all fully awake to the importance of being clad with the whole armor of God.
But in conclusion let me call your attention to a portion of the text: “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” It is unnecessary for me to dwell on the damnation here threatened. Look in the word of God, and there read the description of the day of the Lord. Everything there described will be visited on those who receive not the love of the truth. Let all who are inclined to look back look first at this and then at the promises to those who endure to the end, and if they have any love for the truth, manifest it by full and perfect obedience. May the Lord help us thus to do. Amen.