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The Love of the Truth

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Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 11, 1883

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 9, No. 38.

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The Love of the Truth.

By EPSILON.

In 2 Thess. 2d chapter, Paul speaks a prophecy. He speaks of the tendency to apostasy already at work, even in the days of the apostles. The apostasy would grow strong, and exalt itself, and become dictator as God himself. Paul here uses the present time. The influence of the great apostasy will extend to the coming of the Lord. The false prophet says the world will be converted. But true prophecy says that the apostasy will be destroyed only by the brightness of the Lord's coming. Why will not the Protestant leaders acknowledge the great influence of the past that has molded their minds? Why will they not see the truth? Have we not made it plain enough? O the truth has been proven and reproven to them; but they will not receive it. "The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not."
Why did not those who burned at the stake, and tortured to death in many ways, those that did receive the love of the truth, see their own darkness? Was it God's fault, or was it their own fault? Was the Bible, that they tried to hide from the people, not plain enough for them? Is not the Revelation a looking-glass in which they might have seen themselves? Does not prophecy point them out? Again I ask, Why do not Protestant leaders see the great influence of the past age that has molded their minds, and tear themselves away from tradition, and receive that light that shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not? The Bible must answer: "With all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." 2 Thess. 2: 10. It is reasonable that many who were put to death really knew but little of the truth, but they received the love of the truth. Some in the Protestant churches will be saved, not because they know much truth, but because they receive the love of the truth. Says one who stands in darkness, "I love the truth, and, according to your own words, I will be saved." God will prove you, my friend, whether you really love the truth, or merely profess to love. You will not deceive him. Study your Bible, and you will see by the face of the angel in Rev. 10: 1 that God will try you with a light like that of the sun. EPSILON.