PERVERTING THE WORD

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 18, 1904

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 30, No. 20.

PERVERTING THE WORD.

ONE of the principal works of the enemy of souls is the perversion of Scripture. He has been engaged in it for a long time. He used it in the temptation of Christ, and we need not expect to see him abandon it in the insidious temptations which he will bring upon the last generation of men.

One of the most subtle perversions of this kind we have seen is that of the following text: "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he." Now the New Thought teacher has perverted that thought into this: "I am that which I think I am." At first glance we may think the two expressions are the same, or at least that they are in harmony; but they are as far apart as righteousness and unrighteousness, as light and darkness, as life and death. The first is light, and the perversion of it is darkness. In the first there is an admonition, which, if heeded, will lead into the path of righteousness and life. The second is a false guide, pointing souls into the way of unrighteousness, presumption, and death.

But wherein do they differ?—The first teaches simply that the thoughts we dwell upon form our character. If we think unrighteous thoughts, unholiness is woven into the very fiber of our life; our soul becomes tainted, and, if we continue the unholy thoughts, the corrupting process goes on until the decay is complete, and we are lost. On the other hand, if we train the mind to dwell upon the pure and good and true, our lives will become pure and good and true. In short, our characters will partake of the character of our thoughts. One has well expressed it thus: "We become like that which we contemplate." Another: "By beholding, we become changed."

But the New Thought perversion of that scripture has in it the very dogma which deceived angels and brought rebellion into heaven and sin into this earth. If "I am that which I think I am," then, by thinking I am God, I can become such. Satan tried that, tried to usurp the throne of God. We know the result. He was cast out and his followers with him. Then he came to this earth, and taught the same doctrine to our first parents, promised them wonderful knowledge, and declared: "Ye shall be as gods." And we know the result of that. We see it in the poverty, misery, strife, and sin that have saturated the human race, and turned man's once beautiful home into a plague-spot and a charnel-house.

If I declare, "I am that which I think I am," then I make myself my own final judge. If I declare, "I am holy," "I am worthy of eternal life," I am seeking to usurp the place and prerogative of God, who alone has the power to judge in the matter. That we have not misjudged the fruits of such teachings may be readily seen from the presumptuous assumptions of divinity by the leaders and teachers of the New Thought.

We may expect to meet many such sophistries and perversions of the Word in these latter times. It behooves the child of God to follow closely the teachings of the Word, and turn a deaf ear to everything that leads away from the pure and simple Gospel.