When the Father of Lies enters the pulpit with a Bible under his arm!

(Arthur Pink, 1886-1952)

The success of a counterfeiter depends largely upon how closely the counterfeit resembles the genuine article.

Heresy is not so much the total denial of the truth, as a perversion of it. That is why a half-lie is always more dangerous than a complete repudiation.

Hence when the Father of Lies enters the pulpit with a Bible under his arm it is not his custom to flatly deny the fundamental truths of Christianity; rather he tacitly acknowledges them, and then proceeds to give an erroneous interpretation and a false application.

False prophets are to be found in the circles of the most orthodox, and they pretend to have a fervent love for souls-yet they fatally delude multitudes concerning the way of salvation! These pulpit hucksters have wantonly lowered the standard of divine holiness and so adulterated the Gospel, in order to make it palatable to the carnal mind.

Any preacher . . .
  who adulterates God's Word,
  who denies repentance to be a condition of salvation,
  who assures the giddy and godless that they are loved by God,
  who declares that saving faith is nothing more mental assent
-is a false prophet, and should be shunned as a deadly plague!

It is only those who truly love Christ who are fitted to minister to His flock!
The work is so laborious,
the appreciation is often so small,
the response is so discouraging,
the criticisms are so harsh,
the attacks of Satan are so fierce,
that only the "love of Christ"-His love for us and our love for Him-can "constrain" to such work.

"Hirelings" will feed the goats-but only those who love Christ can feed His sheep!

    ~  ~  ~  ~

"The World!" J.C. Ryle, superb.
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Compliments of Tony Capoccia and Gospel Gems!