Every week, every day, we move closer to that blessed moment when the Lord will come and call His own to meet Him in the air; and so shall we be "forever with the Lord." We recently called attention to the infidelity that is taking over Sunday Schools as exemplified by the modern trends in some Canadian churches. Now our attention is called to the strides that are being made in the "Lutheran Church in America" which has recently introduced "the most modern and most comprehensive Christian education program in the nation's history." It has been nine years in the making, at a cost of more than $5,000,000. For some Lutheran conservatives, the new program is painfully modern in tone. Some of the same language used about the Canadian program is used in this. Everything today must be geared to "modern" methods and ideas, while the simple, perfect Word of God is bypassed.
The new teaching methods inform leaders that the four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) have considerable discrepancies in their accounts of the resurrection of Christ. So this is higher learning, and great erudition, to be able to find fault with the infallible Scriptures, of which it is said in truth, "Thy word is true from the beginning." Psalm 119:160160Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. (Psalm 119:160). Mankind is willing to believe human sophistry, and reject the unerring and faithful Word of God. We need to remember that if the plain facts of the resurrection are not the truth of God, then our salvation is not sure; and we who believe in Christ have believed in vain. "If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins," and "we [Paul and the other inspired apostles] are found false witnesses" (1 Cor. 15:17, 1517And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. (1 Corinthians 15:17)
15Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. (1 Corinthians 15:15)). Either Christianity is true in toto, or it is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated; but we believe God, and find no difficulty in labeling these others "false witnesses." "Let God be true, but every man a liar." Rom. 3:44God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. (Romans 3:4).
The whole trend in the modern curriculum for every teaching age is to falsify the truth of God and set up that which leads on to the great delusion which is soon to come upon Christendom when "God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie;... who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (2 Thess. 2:11, 1211And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:11‑12).) God is going to allow men to believe the devil's lie because they will not believe the truth. Christendom is faced with the coming rank and despicable apostasy-a giving up of the truth for a lie. The new scheme substitutes a central theme of inter-faith working together. Jewish feasts are to be explained to scholars while they are taught what is being prepared now, that the Jewish people are not responsible for the death of Christ. As we have recently explained, all the world is guilty of rejecting Christ, and Protestantism with Catholicism is seeking to exonerate the Jews of particular guilt. The Lord-He who cannot lie-said to Pilate, "He that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin"-not the only sin, but the greater one. Christendom is filling up the measure of its wickedness. When God promised the land of Canaan to Abraham, He said then, the "iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full" (Gen. 15:1616But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. (Genesis 15:16)). It is a principle with God to allow mankind to fill up his sin before He executes judgment. And Christendom is fast filling up her sins now.
The Lutheran new departure is also explaining to students the present Vatican Council, and what ecumenicity means. And the latest adventure toward the great confederacy was in the Vatican Council very recently when, in St. Peter's Basilica, Martin Luther, who led the Reformation, was commended publicly for having spoken favorably of Mary as leading men to God through herself. All religion-Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic—will soon find common ground in "RELIGION" while anything but the Christ of God will be acknowledged. There is strong agitation at present in Rome to call Mary "Mediatrix of All Graces." And this, notwithstanding the Word of God which solemnly affirms, "There is one God, and ONE mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." 1 Tim. 2:55For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (1 Timothy 2:5). All others are false, for there is only ONE way, and one means of grace.
At the same time there was a historic meeting in Nottingham, England, to explore what means were at hand to unite Christendom in the near future. "The younger delegates—nearly 100 under 35-coaxed their colleagues to pass a resolution agreeing to unite in 'one church renewed in mission... not later than Easter Sunday, 1980.' "
The present avalanche of efforts to unite all Christendom under one banner-yea, with Paganism thrown in for good measure—reminds us of God's word to Isaiah: "Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.... Take counsel together, and it shall come to naught; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us. For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.... And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken." (Isa. 8:9-159Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. 10Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us. 11For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, 12Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. 13Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken. (Isaiah 8:9‑15).) All the uniting of religions will only make for a bigger bundle of tares to be burned in the fire (see. Matt. 13:3030Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. (Matthew 13:30)).
The word of God to Isaiah regarding Israel's adventurous attempts to build up what had fallen down fits the present state of Christendom: "Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria,... that say in the pride and stoutness of heart, The bricks are fallen down, but we will build them with hewn stones." (Isa. 9:9, 109And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart, 10The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars. (Isaiah 9:9‑10).) This is the spirit of the present time, when whatever men devise in their hearts to do is usually accomplished. The bricks fell down, but they said, We will not only rebuild, but we will do it better; we will build with hewn stones. Christendom's history is a sad history of failure and declension; yet now it speaks of reunion, confederation, and greatness, but all will be broken to pieces.
All the modernism and infidelity that will be put into the mortar of the new building will only hasten its complete collapse. For "God is not mocked," and "The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to naught: He maketh the devices of the people of none effect." Psalm 33:1010The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. (Psalm 33:10). The trend now is to get rid of God. Religion may survive according to their theory, but God is to be cast out. Infidelity and atheism are in the ascendancy, even in the profession of Christianity; but its doom is sealed.
1 In a recent editorial we commented on the frailty of man and the constant probability of changes of great men. Men in high places are no more secure against the incursion of death than those in low places; in fact, sometimes it seems the reverse is true. We mentioned a number of prominent world figures who in the natural sequence of things would be supplanted by others in a short space of time. One name we mentioned was that of the communist boss in Italy, Palrniro Togliatti, who headed the most powerful Communist party in Western Europe. But the ink was scarcely dry before he was gone and another had to be chosen to take his place-Luigi Longo, 64. Newsweek quoted an observer of Togliatti's funeral to the effect that " 'Mussolini would have been envious.' It was, indeed, the biggest non-Christian procession in Rome since Fascist days. Half a million solemn-faced people marched with waving red banners past Catholic churches which had closed their doors in mute protest."
Thus we see anti-religious forces showing their hand, while Roman religion continues to surge forward. These two forces will eventually come into collision when the "beast" of the revived Roman Empire will attain international acclaim, while the woman of Rome will still hold sway. We call your attention to an article by Mr. C. H. Brown, entitled, "Toward the Man and Toward the Woman," which is still obtainable through our publishing office. The man will represent the deification of man, backed by an atheistic program, when the new Roman power is exerted. But Scripture informs us that the "beast" will hate the woman and burn her with fire (see Rev. 17:16-1816And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 17For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 18And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. (Revelation 17:16‑18)). This will be the final conflict between religion and the forces of atheism. It is true that as of yet many Communists of Italy are still loyal to the church, but we go by the Word of God. Atheism is on the march in the world, and a conflict is certain to come between the secular and the religious powers of the Western world.
Speaking of political unrest throughout the world, the two greatest Western powers are due for national elections in October and November. No matter which sides win, changes will take place; and all will further God's purposes. Men may strive and battle on both sides of the Atlantic, but God's "purposes will ripen fast" (Cowper). His will will stand, and He will do all His pleasure. How good for the Christian to be able to trust all in His all-wise and all-powerful hand, knowing that ere long we who know Christ shall be off for our heavenly land, leaving the scene of confusion, which will then fall into greater consternation, when men's hearts will fail them for fear, as they anticipate the calamity of coming events which are already casting dark shadows across the international landscape. "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Rev. 22:2020He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20).