Secret Societies by Ellen G. White

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 30, 1916

Secret Societies

By Ellen G. White

Their Influence Not Conducive to Spiritual Growth

MRS. E. G. WHITE

The Lord’s injunction, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers” (2 Cor. 6: 14), refers not only to the marriage of Christians with the ungodly, but to all alliances in which the parties are brought into intimate association, and in which there is need of harmony in spirit and action. The Lord gave special direction to Israel to keep themselves distinct from idolaters. They were not to intermarry with the heathen nor form any confederacy with them. “Take heed to thyself, lest thou make

a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: but ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: for thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” Ex. 34: 12-14. “For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: but because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, . . . Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.” Deut. 7: 6-9.

Again the Lord declares through the prophet Isaiah:—

“Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to naught; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us. For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.” Isa. 8: 9-13.

There are those who question whether it is right for Christians to belong to the Free Masons and other secret societies. Let all such consider the scriptures just quoted. If we are Christians at all, we must be Christians everywhere, and must consider and heed the counsel given to make us Christians according to the standard of God’s Word.

The people of God on earth are the human agents that are to cooperate with divine agencies for the salvation of men. To the souls that have joined themselves to him, Christ says, “You are one with me, laborers together with God.” God is the great and unperceived actor; man is the humble and seen agent, and it is only in cooperation with the heavenly agencies that he can do anything good. It is only as the mind is enlightened by the Holy Spirit that men discern the divine agency. Hence Satan is constantly seeking to divert minds from the divine to the human, that man may not cooperate with heaven. He directs the attention to human inventions, leading men to trust in man, to make flesh their arm, so that their faith does not take hold upon God. “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” Matt. 6: 22, 23. And when our light becomes darkness, how shall we be a light to the world?

The work of our personal salvation also depends upon our cooperation with the divine agencies. God has imparted to us moral powers and religious susceptibilities. He has given his Son as a propitiation for our sins, that we might be reconciled to God. Jesus lived a life of self-denial and sacrifice, that we might follow his example. He has given the Holy Spirit to be in Christ’s stead in every place where help is needed. He employs the heavenly intelligences to bring divine power to combine with our human efforts. But we must accept the gift of God, we must repent, and believe in Christ. We must watch, we must pray, we must obey the requirements of God. We must practice self-denial and self-sacrifice for Christ’s sake. We must grow up into Christ by constant connection with him.

Whatever turns the mind away from God to trust in man, or conform to a human standard, will prevent us from cooperating with God in the work of our own salvation. This is why the Lord forbade his people to form any alliance with the heathen, “lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee.” He said, “They will turn away thy son from following me.” And the same principle applies to the association of Christians with the ungodly.

When we accepted Christ as our Redeemer, we accepted the condition of becoming laborers together with God. We made a covenant with him to be wholly for the Lord; as faithful stewards of the grace of Christ, to labor for the upbuilding of his kingdom in the world. Every follower of Christ stands pledged to dedicate all his powers, of mind and soul and body, to him who has paid the ransom money for our souls. We engaged to be soldiers, to enter into active service, to endure trials, shame, reproach, to fight the fight of faith, following the Captain of our salvation.

In your connection with worldly societies are you keeping your covenant with God? Do these associations tend to direct your own mind or that of others to God, or are they diverting the interest and attention from him? Do they strengthen your connection with the divine agencies, or turn your mind to the human in place of the divine?

Are you serving, honoring, and magnifying God, or are you dishonoring him and sinning against him? Are you gathering with Christ, or scattering abroad? All the thought and plan and earnest interest devoted to these organizations have been purchased by the precious blood of Christ; but are you doing service for him when uniting yourselves with atheists and infidels, men who profane the name of God, tipplers, drunkards, tobacco devotees?

While there may be in these societies much that appears to be good, there is, mingled with this, very much that makes the good of no effect, and renders these associations detrimental to the interests of the soul. We have another life than that which is sustained by temporal food. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.” Jesus said, “Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life.”

Our bodies are built up from what we eat and drink. And as in the natural, so in the spiritual economy; it is that which our minds dwell upon which sustains the spiritual nature. Our Saviour said, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” John 6: 23. Spiritual life must be sustained by communion with Christ through his Word. The mind must dwell upon it, the heart must be filled with it.

The word of God laid up in the heart and sacredly cherished and obeyed, through the power of the grace of Christ, can make man right and keep him right; but every human influence, every earthly invention, is powerless to give strength and wisdom to man. It cannot restrain passion, or correct deformity of character. Unless the truth of God controls the heart, the conscience will be warped. But in these worldly societies the mind is turned away from the Word of God. Men are not led to make it the study and the guide of life.—Bible Students’ Library.

(To be continued)