Pamphlets

THE
DECEITFULNESS
OF SIN

-
— BY

LOUIS F. WERE

JAMES WHITE LIBRARY

ANDREWS UNIVERSITY
BERRIEN SPRINGS, MICHIGAN

HERITAGe ROOM

"THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN."
"Whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
—John 16:2.
The deceitfulness of sin is tragically illustrated by the fact
that Satan succeeded in enlisting a third of the angels of heaven
under his banner, and also by his deceiving "the whole world."
(Rev. 12: 4, 7-9.) We are specifically warned against "the deceit-
fulness of sin." (Heb. 3:13.) Our Lord warns us: "Take heed
that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name,
saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." (Matt. 24: 4.5.)
"There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew
great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they
shall deceive the very elect." (Matt.: 24: 24.)
How strong the delusion that man could change God's Law
to His glory! Describing the work of Anti-Christ, the prophet
Daniel declared: "He shall . . . think to change the times and
the law." (Dan. 7: 25, R.V.) It is not mere human laws to which
the prophecy refers, but the Law of the Most High! Not changed
by an avowed enemy, but by a church professing His name! "The
deceitfulness of sin!" Warring against God and actually believing
that service is being rendered to God! It seems incredible that
one could be so deceived that he actually would violate an explicit
command of the Decalogue and "think that he doeth God service."
Yet, as Jesus said they would "think" (see John 16: 2), the papal
church, thinking it was doing God service, has slaughtered millions
of martyrs in crusades, in horrible dungeons, torn upon racks, and
burned at the stake. "Will think that he doeth God service!"
"The deceitfulness of sin!"
The horribly deceptive character of sin is demonstrated by
the fact that a large number of those who feel that they are certain
of a place in the eternal kingdom will deceive themselves concern-
ing their fitness to enter into the Saviour's presence, and to live
in the sight of a holy God. ". . . and holiness, without which
no man shall see the Lord." (Heb. 12: 14.) Jesus said: "Many
will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy
name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto
them, I never knew you; depart from Me, ye that work iniquity."
(Matt. 7: 22, 23.) How deceitful sin must be when "many" can
apparently be doing God service and yet be rejected by Him!
The prophetic word abounds with warning to God's children
'concerning "the deceitfulness of sin" in the closing phases of the
great controversy between Christ and Satan. Satan will work
"with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish;
because they received not the love of the truth, that they might
be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion,
that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who
believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (2
Thess. 2: 9-12.) Inspired by satanic power, though with a zeal
for God, apostate Protestantism will deceive "them that dwell
on the earth by the means of those miracles which He had power
to do in the sight of the beast." (Rev. 13: 13, 14.) In joining
hands with the papacy in the enforcement of the papal Sabbath,
apostate Protestants will be fired with a false zeal for the service
of God.
The great drama of sin will close with the final act upon the
world's stage—the greatest deception of all times. Satan, appear-
ing as an "angel of light" (2 Cor. 11: 14) will deceive the world
into passing stringent Sunday laws, which will bring great distress
to the people of God. The Lord's servant says:
"As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan
himself will personate Christ ... Now the great deceiver will
make it appear that Christ has come ... and then, in his assumed
character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to
Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed.
He declares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh
day are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels
sent to them with light and truth. This is the strong, almost over-
powering delusion ... the multitudes, from the least to the greatest,
give heed to these sorceries, saying, This is the great power of
God.' " G.C. 624.
The terribly deceptive character of sin is further illustrated
in the facts revealed in the following statement from the Spirit
of Prophecy: "Those who honour the law of God have been
accused of bringing judgments upon the world, and they will he
regarded as the cause of the fearful convulsions of nature and the
strife and bloodshed among men that are filling the earth with
woe . . .
"When God's presence was finally withdrawn from the Jewish
nation, priests and people knew it not. Though under the control
of Satan. and swayed by the most horrible and malignant passions,
they still regarded themselves as the chosen people of God . . .
So when the irrevocable decision of the sanctuary has been pro-
nounced, and the destiny of the world forever fixed, the inhabitants
of the earth will know it not. The forms of religion will be
continued by a people from whom the Spirit of God had been
finally withdrawn; and the satanic zeal with which the prince of
evil will inspire them for the accomplishment of his malignant
designs will bear the semblance of zeal for God." G.C., 614, 615.
The Jews accused Christ—"the Lord of the Sabbath"—of
being a Sabbath-breaker; they persecuted Him and finally put
Him to death because they thought He was a Sabbath-breaker and
a blasphemer. (John 5: 16, 18; 9: 16; 10: 33; 19: 7; Matt. 26: 65,
etc.) In the last days the people of God, by their refusal to observe
the false Sabbath, will be regarded as blasphemers and worthy
of death. (See G.C. 591, 592, 615, 624, etc.) "Those who honour
the Bible Sabbath will be denounced as enemies of law and
order, as breaking down the moral restraints of society, causing
anarchy and corruption, and calling down the judgments of God
upon the earth. Their conscientious scruples will be pronounced
obstinacy, stubbornness, and contempt of authority. . . . In legis-
lative halls and courts of justice commandment-keepers will be
misrepresented and condemned. A false colouring will be given
to their words; the worst construction will be put upon their
motives." G.C., 592.
"While Satan seeks to destroy those who honour God's law,
he will cause them to be accused as law-breakers, as men who
are dishonouring God, and bringing judgments into the world."
G.C., 591.
"I saw the sword, famine, pestilence, and great confusion in
the land. The wicked thought that we had brought the judgments
upon them, and they rose up and took counsel to rid the earth
of us, thinking that then the evil would be stayed."—Farly Writ-
ings, pp. 33, 34.
Well might all ponder the deceitfulness of sin. Satan works
with "all deceivableness of unrighteuuness," and those who have
not "the love of the truth" God permits to receive a strong delusion,
that they should believe a lie." ( 2Thess. 2: 9-12.) In these verses
Paul shows the importance of heeding the truth. Jesus declared:
"the truth shall make you free." (John 8: 32.) Nothing but good
can come from receiving and "obeying the truth." (1 Pet. 1: 22.)
HOW SATAN WORKS TO OPPOSE TRUTH.
Why did not Jesus have greater success in His work when
He was on the earth in person? "If the priests and rabbis had
not interposed, His teaching would have wrought such a reforma-
tion as this world has never witnessed. But in order to maintain
their own power, these leaders determined to break down the
influence of Jesus. . . . They represented Him as trying to over-
throw the established customs, thus causing divisions among the
people." D. of A.. 205. (Emphasis mine.)
"When Jesus was upon earth, the Jews were ever acting as
spies on His track. They gathered up every false report, and
charged Him with one crime after another. They were constantly
endeavouring to turn the people away from Him." ST., 291.
"They affected to understand His words in the same literal
sense as did Nicodemus. . . . To some extent they comprehended
the meaning of Jesus, but they were not willing to acknowledge it.
By misconstruing His words, they hoped to prejudice the people
against Him. Christ did not soften down His symbolical represen-
tation. . . .
"The unbelieving Jews refused to see any except the most
literal meaning in the Saviour's words. . . . They [His followers
who rejected His testing, spiritual truths] cared not for the mys-
terious spiritual kingdom of which He spoke. . . . They misinter-
preted His words, falsified His statements, and impugned His
motives. They sustained their course by gathering up every item
that could be turned against Him; and such indignation was
stirred up by these false reports that His life was in danger. The
news spread quickly, that by His own confession Jesus of Nazareth
was not the Messiah. And thus in Galilee the current of popular
feeling was turned against Him, as ,the year before, it had been
in Judea." D. of A., 389-393. (Emphasis mine.)
The Lord's servant has written: "We should never permit
the spirit to be manifested that arraigned the priests and rulers
against the Redeemer of the world. They complained that He
disturbed the people, and they wished He would let them alone;
for He caused perplexity and dissension. The Lord sends light
to us to prove what manner of spirit we are of. We are not to
deceive ourselves." (Gospel Workers, pp. 297-304.) Thus the
Spirit of Prophecy warns us against the danger of being deceived
by the enemy when God sends light to His people. We, too, like
others deceived by the enemy, can be led away from God's
standard of righteousness by permitting "the enemy to come in
with suspicion and prejudice." This occurs whenever light is re
jected.
 "We need never expect that when the Lord has light for His
people, Satan will stand calmly by and make no effort to prevent
them receiving it. He will work upon minds to excite distrust
and jealousy and unbelief. Let us beware that we do not refuse
the light God sends, because it does not come in a way to please
us." 5T., 728. (Emphasis mine.)
Throughout the centuries, God's servants have been "de-
nounced as evil-doers; they were declared to be in league with
Satan; and every possible means was employed to cover them with
reproach, to cause them to appear, in the eyes of the people, and
even to themselves, as the vilest of criminals. So it will be now."
G.C., 591. Writing of the hard things that were said about Luther
by those who opposed his teachings, the servant of the Lord says:
"With such weapons the advocates of truth in every age have
been attacked." G.C., 148. (Emphasis mine.)
Notice how Satan worked when God sent "clearer light"
in 1844:•
"Satan was seeking by this means to oppose and destroy the
work of God . . . and in order to bring reproach upon the cause
of God . . . his agents stood ready to seize upon every error, every
failure, every unbecoming act, and hold it up before the people
in the most exaggerated light, to render Adventists and their faith
odious." G.C., 395.
Sin is so- deceitful that those who employ this satanic means
in opposing the truth of God fail to see that they are committing
a grievous sin against God, and that the continuance of this sin
will cause them to be rejected by the Lord. The Lord's servant
declares:
"Such are Satan's right-hand helpers. Accusers of the breth-
ren are not few; and they are always active when God is at work
. . . They will put a false colouring upon the words and acts
of those who live and obey the truth. They will represent the
most earnest, zealous, self-denying servants of Christ, as deceived
or deceivers. It is their work to misrepresent the motives of every
true and noble deed, to circulate insinuations, and arouse susptcion
in the minds of the inexperienced. In every conceivable manner
they will seek to cause that which is pure and righteous to be
regarded as foul and deceptive." G.C., 519. (Emphasis mine.)
When brethren Waggoner and Jones presented "clearer
light" upon the teaching of Righteousness by Faith, they were
(to use the language employed by Mrs. E. G. White) "taunted"
"with being fanatics, extremists, and enthusiasts." The Spirit of
Prophecy supported these brethren against the prevailing oppo-
sition. God's servant bore testimony against those "resisting light
and cherishing the spirit of opposition. How long will you hate
and despise the messengers of Cod's righteousness? God has
given them His message. They bear the word of the Lord." T.M.,
pp. 96, 97.
"This light from heaven was rejected with ail the stubborn-
ness the Jews manifested in rejecting Christ, and there was much
talk about standing by the old landmarks. . . . Now at the present
time God designs anew and fresh impetus shall be given His
work. Satan sees this, and he is determined it shall be hindered.
He knows that if he can deceive the people who claim to believe
the present truth (and make them believe that) the work the Lord
designs to do for His people is a removing of the old landmarks,
something which they should, with most determined zeal, resist,
then he exults over the deception he has led them to believe. The
work for this time has certainly been a surprising work of various
hindrances, owing to the false setting of matters before the minds
of many of our people. That which is food to our churches is
regarded as dangerous, and should not be given them. . . . Never
can the heart (be) stirred up with envy, with evil-surmising, with
evil reports, but the intellect becomes unbalanced, and cannot
decide correctly any controverted point.",—E. G. White, MS. 13,
1889. Quoted in "The Ministry," January, 1944. (Emphasis mine.)
"God means that testing truth shall be brought to the front,
and become a subject of examination and discussion, even if it is
through the contempt placed upon it. The minds of the people
must be agitated. Every controversy, every reproach, every slander
will be God's means of provoking inquiry, and awakening minds
that otherwise would slumber." 5T., 453.
"I saw that those who oppose the Sabbath of the Lord could
not take the Bible and show that our position is incorrect, therefore
they would slander those who believe and teach the truth, and
would attack their characters. Many who were once conscientious
and loved God and His word have become so hardened by reject-
ing the light of truth that they do not hesitate to wickedly misrep-
resent and falsely accuse those who love the holy Sabbath, if by
so doing they can injure the influence of those who fearlessly de-
clare the truth . . . those who hate the commandments of God will
triumph over our missteps and faults, as the wicked did in 1843."
E.W., 69, 70.
HOW WE MAY KNOW ON WHICH SIDE WE STAND
IN THE CONFLICT BETWEEN TRUTH AND ERROR.
The above extracts clearly show that one of Satan's greatest
weapons which he employs in his warfare against truth is that of
attacking the characters of those who preach God's truth. By
slandering God's messengers he aims to destroy their influence;
but God, Who overrules the work of Satan, while permitting this
evil work to go on, causes some honest hearts to be awakened by
this cruel satanic work.
It may take time before some truths can be seen thoroughly.
Even honest hearts need time to weigh up evidence presented.
Therefore no one can be regarded as dishonest before God in not
accepting some teaching the first time it is presented. God bears
patiently with men. But he who employs the satanic weapon of
slander is definitely on the side of the enemy. _Concerning this
fact there cannot be the slightest doubt. When a teaching is pre-
sented, if the spirit is provoked to cover the bearer with reproach
it is evident that the heart is not right with God. But sin is so
deceitful that those who stubbornly reject light will manifest a
satanic spirit in attacking the bearer of truth while protesting loudly
that they are standing by the "old landmarks."
"The Lord sends light to us to prove what manner of spirit
we are of. We are not to deceive ourselves."—Gospel Workers,
pp. 297-304.
"Among the lovers of gossip, some are actuated by . . . hatred
against those through whom God has spoken to reprove them. . . .
I saw that the very spirit of perjury . . . is now active. . . . While
condemning the errors of others, they indulge far greater errors
themselves. . . .
"Is there no law of kindness to be observed? Have Christians
been authorized of God to criticise and condemn one another? . . .
Is it Christian charity to gather up every floating report, to unearth
everything that will cast suspicion on the character of another
and then take delight in using it to injure him? Satan exults when
he can defame or wound a follower of Christ. He is the 'accuser
of the brethren.' Shall Christians aid him in his work? . . . To
the Christian every act of fault-finding, every word of censure or
condemnation, is painful . . . you are departing from the old land-
marks." ST., 94-97. (Emphasis mine.)
"A noble nature does not exult in causing others pain, or
delight in discovering their deficiencies. A disciple of Christ will
8 9
turn away with loathing from the feast of scandal. . . . Even facts
may be so stated as to convey a wrong impression. You have no
right to gather up every report against him, and use them to ruin
his reputation and destroy his usefulness. . . . We should not
hastily credit evil reports. These are often the result of envy or
misunderstanding, or they may proceed from exaggeration or a
14
partial disclosure of facts. Jealousy and suspicion, once allowed
a place, will sow themselves broadcast. . . . Thus a doubt, a
reproach, may be cast upon one by whom God would accomplish
a good work, and his influence is blighted, his usefulness destroyed.
. . . They manifest a Pharisaical zeal to stone others less guilty
than themselves. There are some who point to others' faults and
failures to divert attention from their own, or to gain credit for
great zeal for God and the Church." ST., 56-59.
People may possess "great zeal for God and the church," and
yet "be guilty before God of a great sin," "doing Satan's work, not
the work of God." 2T., 106-109.
Satan's chief means of opposing truth are "reproach," "slan -
der," "evil-surmising," "evil reports," "to circulate insinuations and
arouse suspicion," to seek to "injure the influence of those who
fearlessly declare the truth." Satan "will work upon minds to excite
distrust and jealousy and unbelief," and to "hate and despise the
messengers of God" while there is "much talk about standing by
the old landmarks." "The deceitfulness of sin" is revealed, for
those who employ Satanic means of opposing truth "are departing
from the old landmarks." ST., 97.
"Satan's right-hand helpers !" "Will think that he doeth
God service !" "The deceitfulness of sin !"
There is probably no sin more strongly condemned in the
Bible than that which is committed by self-righteous rejectors of
light. "He that hateth his brother is a murderer." (1 John 3: 15.)
"Lord, who shall abide in Thy tabernacle? . . . He that backbiteth
not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up
a reproach against his neighbour." (Ps. 15: 1, 3.) "Whoso privily
slandereth his neighbour, him I will cut off." (Ps. 101: 5.) "He that
r uttereth a slander, is a fool." (Prow. 10: 18.) "Thou shalt not go
up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people." (Lev. 19: 16.)
In his prayer, David said: "I have heard the slander of many." (Ps.
31: 13.) Writing of those who persecuted him, Jeremiah said: "I
heard the defaming of many." (Jer. 20: 10, 11.) Paul wrote:
"We be slanderously reported." (Rom. 3: 8.) Paul instructed that
deacons must not be "double-tongued" and their wives must not
be "slanderers." (1 Tim. 3: 8, 11.) Among the great sins which
caused God to destroy Israel was that of slander. (See Jer. 6: 28,
9: 4; Ezek. 22: 9.)
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"The words of a tale-bearer are as wounds.' (Prov. 26: 22.)
"He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeat-
eth a matter separateth very friends." (Prov. 17: 9.) "Where no
wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no tale-bearer,
the strife ceaseth." (Prov. 26: 20. )"The tongue can no man tame;
it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." (James 3: 7, 8.) "Speak
evil of no man." (Titus 3: 2.)
"Let all . . . evil speaking be put away from you, with all
malice." (Ephes. 4: 31.) "Speak not evil one of another, brethren."
(James 4: 11.) These quotations from Scripture show how heinous
is the great sin of speaking against others, condemning and slan-
dering them. But how terrible the deception of those who are
guilty of this against a brother in order to oppose some truth which
he teaches and "think they do God service 1" "The deceitfulness
of sin." "The Lord sends light to us to prove what manner of spirit
we are of. We are not to deceive ourselves."--Gospel Workers,
p. 304. (Italics mine.) It is possible for us to "deceive ourselves"
that we are "standing by the old landmarks" when, by employing
satanic means of opposing truth, we are actually "departing from
the old landmarks."-5T., 97. In the chapter entitled "Danger of
Rejecting Truth," the Lord's servant states that many are so blinded
that they reject truth, persecute the bearers of God's message, and
yet "give full sway to what is supposed to be righteous indigna-
tion."—Test. to Min., pp. 69, 70.
A backbiter violates the Law of God. "Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself." (Matt. 22: 39. ) "Whatsoever ye would
that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." (Matt. 7: 12.)
The Rev. E. M. Goulbourn, D.D., has well written:
"The Decalogue falls, as we know, into two tables, one of
which guides man in his relations to God, the other in his relations
to his fellow-men. Now it is surely observable that in each table
there should be a precept respecting words: in the first, 'Thou shalt
not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain' ; in the second,
'Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.'
"In this article we shall deal exclusively with the Ninth
Commandment. The principle of this is 'We shall in no respect
injure our neighbour's reputation.' Says St. Francis of Sales,
'We live three lives, a corporeal life which stands in the union of
soul and body; a spiritual life which stands in the Grace of God;
and a civil life which stands in our reputation. The corporeal life
is stifled by murder; the spiritual life is stifled by sin ; and the
civil life by slander, which is a species of murder, inasmuch as it
destroys a species of life.' It is most true. A blow aimed at a
man s reputation injures him quite as effectually, though in another
10
form, as a blow aimed at his body; and most men are far more
sensitive to the first of these injuries than to the second; they dread
the tongue of the calumniator much more than the weapon of the
highwayman. The name of the 'accuser of the brethren' is given
in Scripture to the author of evil ; and the title is illustrated in the
holy volume by the narrative of his attempt to ruin the fair repu-
tation which Job enjoyed in the Court of Heaven. The slanderer
then acts in imitation of the devil; and, as children act in imitation
of their parent, he may be truly called the devil's child.
"But the Ninth Commandment reaches to sins which fall far
short of slander. Slander is a false assertion to the detriment of
your neighbour's character. But in fact ANY assertion to the
detriment of his character is forbidden, whether it be true or false.
Consider what a hazard even a true assertion runs of being false
in the general impression made by it. The bare fact alleged may
be true enough, but if none of the evidence in favour of the accused
be placed side by side with the fact, we violate the truth in the
general effect of our words upon the hearer, though the particular
details of them be correct. If we exhibit a man's vices only, and
conceal the proportion which those vices bear to his virtues, we
calumniate him quite as effectually as if we ascribe to him a vice
he does not possess. . . .
"The safe rule is to stand at a very respectful distance from
all such topics as our neighbour's conduct and character, and never
repeat anything to his disadvantage. . . . 'He that backbiteth not
with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up
a reproach against his neighbour . . . he that doeth these things
shall never be moved.' "
The greatest deception—which is actually blasphemy.—is for
a professing Christian to fight against a truth God is sending to His
people by slandering him who bears the message: to be "Satan's
right-hand helper." and yet think "that he doeth God service
to
go
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