Going Beyond What Even the Devil Would Do !

[Stewart (SDA)]

"...even Satan with his knowledge of the divine law would not dare to make the speeches which some law-hating ministers make from the pulpit, yet he exalts in their blasphemy."

 

(4Testimonies p.14, EGW.)

 

It is quite amazing to me, to think that we can go beyond what the Devil himself would do. (In terms of blasphemy, etc.) Nevertheless, I believe that we can do it! In some areas he is even more restrained than some of his free-lance human agents.

 

Can we be an inspiration to him? Yes, I think this is entirely possible too.

 

Can we be a "tempter" to him? Again, I believe it is possible. There are people that want to feel the "heat" of temptation, and unbeknown to them, these act as tempters to the great Apostate. 

 

"Those who have tempted the devil to tempt them will have to make desperate efforts to free themselves from his power." (1Testimones p.301)

 

These things may represent an unexpected feature of the Great Controversy, but to me it seems quite important.

[Stewart (SDA)]

What is deceitful "above all things"? It is the heart of man, isn't it? (Jer 17:9.) The heart of man is potentially more deceitful than the Devil's mouth. Now I don't want to understate the dangers of the Devil's work and strategies (these things are very real, very active), but is self-deception even more dangerous to us than the external deceptions of Catholicism, or Secularism, or what-ever? I believe it is... very much so. Especially today, while we are living in the Laodicean period. Our period is characterized, more than any other, by self-deception. We live in an age when the tendency is to think we are one thing, when in fact we are quite the opposite.