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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, December 5, 1980
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begotten sons of God (Rom. 8:14). The Spirit of God, by lighting up the
Bible, leads us a step at a time into more and more truth, and a step at
a time out of error and�in.�t if and when you reject one point of
truth, it is like stepping aside in the dark woods. You are no longer
being led by the Spirit of God opening the Bible to right understanding.
The light--the Spirit of God--leaves you. God's TRUTH marches on! It
leaves you behind. You are in darkness again. Lost again in the darkness
of sin! You stumble around in the thick dark woods trying to find the
lighted lantern. But every step you now take is taking you farther away
from the lighted lantern, proceeding on the SURE path out of the woods.
In other words, if you reject one point of truth, or take one step
aside into a point of error--unless you repent inunediately and get back
to the light--you will take more and more steps into erroneous beliefs,
and one by one give up the points of TRUTH you had seen and accepted.
Take the example of some ministers who left God's Church. Some
tried to incorporate new "churches" of their own. But they were not
GOD'S churches. These men had all rejected one or more points of truth,
or Church doctrine. They almost inunediately began to add new points of
false doctrine of their own--not of God. Soon theyl)egan rejecting points
of TRUTH. Perhaps it was tithing. Perhaps healing. Perhaps voting in
this world's governments. Perhaps it was God's Government in the Church.
Soon they were rejecting God's annual holy days and feasts. Soon they
were rejecting more and more of GOD'S TRUTH and turning to more and more
FALSE doctrines and errors. THEY, PROFESSING TO FOLLOW CHRIST in their
new way, WERE GOING FARTHER and FARTHER AWAY FROM HIM. They were going
closer and closer to Satan and Satan's WAY.
Now HOW DID IT ALL START?
It started, in every case, by taking one first step in Satan's
direction--comprornising--becoming "liberal''--or resenting and rebelling
against GOD'S GOVERNMENT in His Church--or letting a spirit of SELF enter
in--it could be self-righteousness, or self-centeredness in COVETING
P O W E R. More than one has been led into spiritual darkness by covet
ing POWER in God's Church. Unfortunately, conferring on leading ministers
such rank or titles as "Evangelist" or "Vice-President" went to some
heads, sparking a coveting of POWER in the Church. It almost seems
strange--it was NOT in these men a lust or greed for more money--it was
a coveting of POWER--of the TOP SEAT--of AUTHORITY--or of the resentment
of authority over them.
This makes me think of our little shortlegged dachshund, "Sir Hans
Armstrong," who wears a badge (around his neck), as "deputy sheriff."
He "owns" our home, and always wants the chief seat. He will leap up
into it and curl up in it. These men wanted "the chief seat"--at least
in a certain department or part of the Work, and wanted to build their
own little "empire."
HOW, then, do we "let our guard down'' to let Satan deceive and lead
us out of the Church?
It all gets back to THE LAW OF GOD, and the "SIN QUESTION." Sin is
the transgression of the Law" (I John 3:4). The Law is Spiritual (Rom.
7:14). It is A WAY OF LIFE!