Warnings Against Sensational Teachings and Emotional Religion

Clear discernment is needed that things new and strange shall not be laid alongside of truth as a part of the
burden of the message to be given at this time. The very messages we have been giving to the world are to be made prominent.—An
Appeal for Canvassers, pp. 1, 2.

Every phase of fanaticism and erroneous theories, claiming to be the truth, will be brought in among the remnant people of God.
These will fill minds with erroneous sentiments which have no part in the truth for this time. Any man who supposes that in the strength
of his own devised resolutions, in his intellectual might united with science or supposed knowledge, he can start a work which will
conquer the world, will find himself lying among the ruins of his own speculations, and will plainly understand why he is there….

From the light given me of the Lord, men will arise speaking perverse things. Yea, already they have been working and speaking
things which God has never revealed, bringing sacred truth upon a level with common things. Issues have been and will continue to
be made of men’s conceited fallacies, not of truth. The devisings of men’s minds will invent tests that are no tests at all, that when the
true test shall be made prominent, it shall be considered on a par with the man-made tests that have been of no value. We may expect that
everything will be brought in and mingled with sound doctrine, but by clear, spiritual discernment, by the heavenly anointing, we must
distinguish the sacred from the common which is being brought in to confuse faith and sound judgment, and demerit the great, grand,
testing truth for this time….
Never, never was there a time when the truth suffered more from being misrepresented, belittled, demerited through the perverse dis-
putings of men than in these last days. Men have brought themselves in with their heterogeneous mass of heresies which they represent as
oracles for the people. The people are charmed with some strange new thing, and are not wise in experience to discern the character
of ideas that men may frame up as something [ 2SM 17 ]

As we near the time when principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places will be brought into warfare against the
truth, when the deceiving power of Satan will be so great that if it were possible he will deceive the very elect, we must have our
discernment sharpened by divine enlightenment, that we may know the spirit that is of God, that we may not be ignorant of Satan’s
devices. Human effort must combine with divine power, that we may be able to accomplish the closing work for this time.
Christ uses the wind as a symbol of the Spirit of God. As the wind bloweth whither it listeth, and we cannot tell whence it cometh
or whither it goeth, so it is with the Spirit of God. We do not know through whom it will be manifested.

But I speak not my own words when I say that God’s Spirit will pass by those who have had their day of test and opportunity,
but who have not distinguished the voice of God or appreciated the movings of His Spirit. Then thousands in the eleventh hour will see
and acknowledge the truth. [ 2SM 18 ]

The reason why I hang out the danger signal is that through the enlightenment of the Spirit of God I can see that which my
brethren do not discern. It may not be a positive necessity for me to point out all these peculiar phases of deception that they will
need to guard against. It is enough for me to tell you, Be on your guard; and as faithful sentinels keep the flock of God from accepting
indiscriminately all that professes to be communicated to them from the Lord. If we work to create an excitement of feeling, we shall
have all we want, and more than we can possibly know how to manage. Calmly and clearly “Preach the word.” We must not regard
it as our work to create an excitement.

The Holy Spirit of God alone can create a healthy enthusiasm. Let God work, and let the human agent walk softly before Him,
watching, waiting, praying, looking unto Jesus every moment, led and controlled by the precious Spirit, which is light and life.—Letter
68, 1894. [ 2SM 19 ]