Deceiving and Being Deceived.
By Roswell F. Cottrell
It is generally the case that deceivers are themselves deceived. An apostle foretells that evil men and seducers shall grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. If we do not watch against the “evil heart of unbelief,” we are in danger of being hardened through the “deceitfulness of sin.” There are multitudes of professed Christians at the present time that are being deceived by their religious teachers. The doctrine of the conversion of the world before the second advent of Christ, a doctrine untaught by the word of God, is deceiving its thousand and leading them to final ruin. This doctrine which was never heard of three hundred years ago, is so agreeable to the worldly church and the carnal mind that men will not stop to give it a scriptural investigation, but, taking it for granted, they close their eyes to the prophecies that relate to our times and the signs of the approach of the day of wrath that shall follow the close of probation and bring the second advent. The evil signs of our times, together with the proclamation of the advent at hand, do trouble the minds of many; but they turn from the truth to the pleasing fables that are taught on every hand, and persuade themselves that a conversion to a popular sect will do instead of obedience to the truth; and thus they follow the blind leaders of the blind. Conversions abound. But what are they converted from, and what are they converted to? They should be converted from sin, which is the transgression of the law of God, and to obedience to that law. But their teachers turn away their ears from hearing that holy law. They do not keep all its commandments. They teach that the law has been abolished, wholly or in part, or that it has been changed to correspond to the present practice; and they make their converts hope that their word will be confirmed. They rely upon majorities, and seek for civil enactment to retain their creed; and while superficial conversions are filling up the great city of confusion, they will prove to be a real accession of political strength to carry the measure they seek—a “religious amendment,” which will constitute the predicted “image of the beast.” Superficial and partial preaching will produce superficial and partial converts—converts who increase political power, rather than spiritual, and are just fitted to join the crusade against Bible truth, and legislate a proud and boastful nation into the kingdom of God on earth. Thus they are deceiving and being deceived. May the honest of heart escape this wide-spread deception. May the time soon come when those who enjoy a measure of the Spirit of God may fully understand the fact that Babylon is fallen. Rev. 18. R. F. COTTRELL.