I feel it a duty to bear my solemn testimony against the spirit of the day we live in, to warn men against its infection. It is not Atheism I fear so much, in the present times, as Pantheism. It is not the system which says nothing is true, so much as the system which says everything is true. It is not the system which says there is no Savior, so much as the system which says there are many saviors, and many ways to peace! It is the system which is so liberal, that it dares not say anything is false. It is the system which is so charitable, that it will allow everything to be true. It is the system which seems ready to honor others as well as our Lord Jesus Christ, to class them all together, and to think well of all.
It is the system which is so careful about the feelings of others, that we are never to say they are wrong. It is the system which is so liberal that it calls a man a bigot, if he dares to say, “I know my views are right.” This is the system, this is the tone of feeling which I fear in this day, and this is the system which I desire emphatically to testify against and denounce. From the liberality which says everybody is right, from the charity which forbids us to say anybody is wrong, from the peace which is bought at the expense of truth – may the good Lord deliver us!
~ J.C. Ryle
Knots Untied, “Only One Way of Salvation” [Cambridge, England: James Clarke & Co., 1977], 30, 31.
January 31st, 2011 at 12:11 pm
This is really good.
Most people do not like it when you are confident and settled in your beliefs. They mistake that confidence and “rest” as arrogance and call you all sorts of names. (i.e. bigot, legalistic, hard-nosed, etc.)
Praise God for absolute truth!
January 31st, 2011 at 3:35 pm
So you got hit by the same Berean Gal this morning too, huh? Yeesh. Anyway, yes this is a good quote. And it’s very true with what we see today. That was almost 40 years ago, can you imagine the look on Ryle’s face if he could witness what is happening in today’s culture and churches. Can it get any worse?
January 31st, 2011 at 9:07 pm
Isn’t it interesting how if you don’t accept and “tolerate” everyone’s truths, then you are called a leagalist? That’s what we were recently accused of for being committed to following the Bible literally.
February 1st, 2011 at 11:47 am
Let’s take the whole idea of reincarnation and karma that is taught in these schools of thought. Reincarnation says you never truly die but are on a road of endless lives until you learn enough to “graduate” to nirvana. Karma is really just brownie points. The more good you do, the better life you get next time. Instead of coming back as batteries in a flashlight, you might come back as an eagle. Now, this is truly frightening, the Bible says that men will kill others and think they are doing good. Those who believe in these two concepts believe that they can be justified in killing another who is steeped in religious superstitions (as they put it) and give them a fresh start in the next life where they will have the opportunity to escape that religious trap. In “killing” the man, they are just releasing him to live again and have a new start. This can be justified in this society of circumstantial ethics, because what is right in one man’s eyes has to be respected. Just because you don’t think it’s right, means nothing. That is circumstantial ethics at its best (or worst). I can punch a man in the face and because I thought it was the right thing to do at that moment, then I cannot be charged with battery. There will come a time, when man will go about killing Christians and will be impervious to any punishment by law because it was the right thing to do at that time. Fear the future, but in the same sense be happy, our redemption draweth nigh.
February 2nd, 2011 at 3:15 pm
Good point. When I consider that verse, I can’t help but think of this Age of Aquarius we find ourselves in. Transcendental Meditation is being practiced in every religion, and has now “transcended” into Christianity via contemplative prayer. All 7 billion people on this planet (barring the remnant believers), so 6.99999 billion people, have become enlightened through this practice, and are ready to transcend to the next level. Those who refuse to transcend will be those they view as inhibiting god’s will- so, in his name, they will kill those who don’t cooperate. Get them out of the way for the great Earth Awakening. Google Earth Summit 2012. Get ready, friends. Maranatha!
February 2nd, 2011 at 3:19 pm
I love the line of this quote, “It is not the system which says nothing is true, so much as the system which says everything is true.” Wow! Is that not exactly what we are witnessing today? Everything is true, except for fundamentalist, Bible-believing Christians. They can stay outside. I abhor what we are witnessing! I hate the blasphemy of God that says that believing in pantheism is acceptable! Years ago, we would talk about if and/or when Christ would return. Would we be the generation to see it? I sometimes cannot fathom the things I am seeing- all indicative that we are in the last of the last days. We are ever looking up!
Thanks, BG, for this post.
February 2nd, 2011 at 6:54 pm
The whole idea of circumstantial ethics can’t work. There always needs to be a measuring stick. Let’s say we use circumstantial ethics in track and field. An athlete is gearing up to do a long jump and just as he comes down in the sand, they move the whole thing ten feet further down the track. Or how about in hurdles, when the runner is just about to jump a hurdle, someone makes it twice as high? The athlete will complain, but they just shrug him off and say, “Eh, we felt like it. It was what we thought was the right decision”. You can use this idea in everything, but you notice, it is only put into practice when id is practical for the person who is going to benefit from the favorable outcome? “Just because you say the light was green for you and red for me…” I felt like killing him, it felt good…” Society as it stands now knows full well that this philosophy doesn’t work. It can’t or we would have anarchy. We would literally self destruct far faster than anything we see today.
February 2nd, 2011 at 6:58 pm
I find it funny as well that we still have court, jails and police. Why? If one cannot ever determine what is right and wrong, then these safety measures are useless, judgmental and intolerant. How on earth can a judge ever get away with passing sentence on a rapist? It felt good to him, he enjoyed it and we all know that those are the two prevailing prerequisites to making decisions in this day and age, but ask any humanist if so and so raping a certain woman was right and without batting an eye they will say no. It just doesn’t make sense to me, the whole mess is just that…a mess!
February 4th, 2011 at 9:06 am
Mom, you’re right, everything, no make that EVERYTHING is accepted/tolerated and everyone along with EVERYTHING…unless you are a true saint of God and have definite convictions, morals, standards, adherence to the BIBLE.
It sickens me.
How much must the stench sicken the Lord Jesus Christ as the smoke from their sacrifice (NOT obedience) reaches His nostrils.
I am like the Psalmist….”how long Oh Lord?”
Praying it is “not too many days”
February 4th, 2011 at 9:33 am
Please pray for us today that God will bring something glorious out of this meeting. May He be ever glorified, but it would be nice from time to time to leave one of these meetings happy for a change. Thanks all!
February 4th, 2011 at 1:11 pm
BG-
With all circling the 2012 phenomenon, one has to wonder. Not as far as divining dates, but the plans of the globalists. They are planning something. I keep reading that 2011 is a critical year for the globalists to implement their plans in 2012. I know God can intervene, of course, but I wonder how much He will. We feel such an urge to prepare while we keep watching for him. True remnant Christians feel “something” in the air.
I agree with you in prayer.
February 4th, 2011 at 1:12 pm
R+R-
I have been watching the clock today, wondering what was happening. I’m sure the meeting is over by now, so I’m hoping for word soon.
February 4th, 2011 at 6:22 pm
There has been a stirring in the air, a paradigm shift, if you will, waiting in the wings waiting for the okay to make its entrance. Who will give it this okay? All depends if you believe that God is omnipotent, sovereign or both. Remember, He wrote the script, we have it in all of our hands. He has planned every single event, decision, word, thought and deed with perfect accuracy. He is in control and that means total control not just mostly. M4T check email!