Acceptable false beliefs:

[John317]

"Closely connected with Christ's warning in regard to the sin against the Holy Spirit is a warning against idle and evil words. The words are an indication of that which is in the heart. But the words are more than an indication of character; they have power to react on the character. Men are influenced by their own words. Often under a momentary impulse, prompted by Satan, they give utterance to jealousy or evil surmising, expressing that which they do not really believe; but the expression reacts on the thoughts. They are deceived by their words, and come to believe that true which was spoken at Satan's instigation. Having once expressed an opinion or decision, they are often too proud to retract it, and try to prove themselves in the right, until they come to believe that they are. It is dangerous to utter a word of doubt, dangerous to question and criticize divine light." Desire of Ages, p.323.

"Skepticism and unbelief are not humility. Implicit belief in Christ's word is true humility, true self-surrender." Desire of Ages, p.535.

I've found these words to be true in my own personal experience.

Scientists know today that the brain keeps all the information it has ever taken in, and this information can affect the thinking without the person even being aware of it. Since realizing this, I am much more careful about what I read, watch, and listen to. I used to read and watch everything without considering their spiritual and moral implications, but I understand better now how those things influenced me without necessarily being conscious of it.

[Gail]

I agree with you, John317. I have also found that principle, which I first read about in Mrs. White's work, to be true in my life also.

Thus I try to bless and not to curse when I speak.

[skyblue888]

Thanks Gail and john for your comments!

This thought, this illustration, does not stop here. The first two letters of the Greek alphabet are Alpha and Beta. Dropping the "a" from Beta, these two Greek letters give us our word Alphabet. This word "alphabet" signifies all the letters of the English language.

How comes this, when the word itself is derived from only the first two of the letters of the Greek language? It comes in a very simple way. When we in our language wish to ask whether a person knows, or we wish to say that a person does not know, the alphabet, we most commonly ask not, 'Does he know the alphabet? nor, 'Does he know the A B C D E F G H I J K L M N,' and so on through to Z? but we ask, 'Does he know his A B C's? or we say, 'He does not know his A B C's. The Greeks did the same way: When they wished to express the same thought, they did not say, 'Does he know the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon,' and so on to 'Omega?' but simply, 'Does he know the Alpha Beta? or 'He does not know the Alpha Beta.' And this Greek abbreviation of the whole list of the letters of that language into only 'Alpha Beta' comes down to us with the dropping of the 'a' from Beta; and so becomes our word 'alphabet,' the abbreviation of the whole list of the letters of our language.

In common English there is a concise way of saying that a person knows little or nothing of a subject, in the expression, 'He does not know the A B C of it.' On the other hand, there is a concise way of saying that a person is thoroughly informed, or knows all of a subject, in the expression, 'He knows the subject from A to Z.' The Greeks had the same, 'He knows that subject from Alpha to Omega.'--he knows all there is to be known of it. And this is the basis and the thought in the expression of Christ in the book of Revelation, 'I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.' Jesus is the alphabet of God. As the expression 'Alpha and Omega' signifies the whole alphabet, and embraces all there is in the Greek language; and 'A to Z' signifies the whole alphabet, all that there is in the English language; so Jesus Christ, the Alphabet of God, embraces all that there is of the language or knowledge of God. As in the twenty-four letters of the Greek alphabet from Alpha to Omega there are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in the world of that language, and as in the twenty-six letters of the English language there are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that there are in the world of the English language, so in Jesus Christ, the Alphabet of God, there are 'hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge' that there are in the universe of the language of God.

And this Alphabet of God is learned in precisely the same way and with precisely the same faculty as is the alphabet of Greek, or English, or any other language. The Alphabet of God is the truth. "Thy word ist truth."

It is only as a little child that we learn, it is only as a little child any one can learn the alphabet of the English language. Though a man was a thousand years old, and fully possessed of all his faculties, and yet did not know the A B C's, the alphabet of English, he would have to become as a little child in order to learn it, in order to receive the knowledge that A is A: he would have to simply believe it as does the little child, and by believing that each letter is what it is, when he were told, he would know. And if he should refuse to believe this, by this very refusal--by his unbelief itself--he would be condemned--he would thus condemn himself--to everlasting loss of all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are hid in the world of English.

So also it is with the Alphabet of the language and knowledge of God. It is only by believing this Alphabet that any person can ever know Him. If any one refuses to believe, he can not know. And whosoever believeth not is by this very unbelief condemned--he by this condemns himself--to everlasting loss of all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge of God: all of which lie hidden in the Alphabet of God. For as it is by various combinations of the contents of the alphabet that words are formed, and words express thought; so the manifold combinations of the contents of the Alphabet of God form the word of God, and the Word of God express the thought of God.

Therefore Jesus announced the eternal principle of true learning when He declared, 'Whosoever shall nor receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in nowise enter therein.' The little child does receive the kingdom of God. He receives it by simply believing the simple statement of the Word of the kingdom. This is how every one receives, and how every one must receive, the kingdom of English or of any other language. It is how every one must receive the kingdom of God. To receive the kingdom of God, and to know the Alphabet of God, is as easy as to know the A B C's. Therefore to learn, not as a philosopher, but as a little child, is the true way to knowledge. The truth and faith, working together--the truth believed--is forever the true way to knowledge." A.T. Jones, The Bible in Education, p.18-22.

"Thy word is truth." John 10:17.

So if I understand what brother Jones said, I must receive every verse of the Scriptures as a letter of the Alphabet of God and simply believe that letter because it is the truth. I am to believe it because it is the truth, because God says it. And then He will give the understanding. Right?

[jasd]

>>"Thy word is truth." John 10:17.<<

And blessed is he to whom it is given to understand..., which might eliminate many of the OT prophets who, veritably, held the "word" in their mouth; and which same 'understanding' gives rise to over 30,000 Protesting .orgs. One also wonders about

the wondering of angels -- "What is man, that thou art mindful of him?"

>>... And then He will give the understanding. Right?<<

Is it? that is, "Right"? Perhaps there is a temporal bearing upon that "understanding".

[David Koot]

"Thy word ist truth."

Ja wohl, mein herr!

[jasd]

>>the wondering of angels -- "What is man, that thou art mindful of him?"<<

Psalms 8:4

Oops! guess I oughta not juxtapose men and angels