Paul E. Penno
July 2010
Is it possible that the six little chapters of Galatians which shook the ancient world of the Apostle Paul, could do it again with its “present truth” for our time?[1] The gospel truth of Galatians is yet to “lighten the earth with His glory” (Rev. 18:1).
A terrific tension has erupted worldwide over the truth of the gospel. Is Christ truly the Saviour of the world? Or is He a “wanna-be” Saviour who offers salvation to all, but only becomes an individual’s Saviour when he does something right in believing upon Him? In other words, are we co-saviors? Is salvation by faith and works? Or is it faith alone? What is true faith? What is its origin and source?
The great controversy between Christ and Satan has infiltrated every level of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Satan used to mask his deceptions in crude ways during the 19th century with rapping’s on the walls and séances. But he has become much more sophisticated in his fine arts by cloaking the religion of “self” as righteousness by faith.
In an article in the Sunday-School Times of May 7, 1932, there is a remarkable statement in regard to Satan making a change in his plans in 1888 as to the future. “In 1888 Satan changed his plan, and prepared to take advantage of the Age of Intellectual Egotism, which is now in full bloom. Orders were given to appeal to the Intellect and Reason in high places. Christian churches are to be changed into synagogues of Satan. The devil desires a Federation of Churches. This Federation eventually will merge into a Brotherhood of Religion.”[2] It is the religion of “self” that binds all the “Christian” religions and pagan religions of the world into one grand Federation of Spiritualism. It was Lucifer who invented the religion of the “ego” when he said “I [ego] will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High” (Isa. 14:14). The religion of ego is the religion of Satanism. It is this religious combine that will make an image to the beast—the union of church and state—and enforce “the mark of the beast.”
In the early church of the apostles the religion of “self” or “the works of the law” (Gal. 2:16), was a subtle temptation. The seeds of the full-flowering of the papacy were planted in the first century church of the apostles. It was over the issue of circumcision of the Gentiles in the Antioch church that this religion of “self” was manifested.
For a brief moment in time there was harmony between Peter, Paul and Barnabas in their proclamation of the gospel among the Gentiles. They pressed together in the unity of the faith. They lived and taught “the faith of Jesus” by uplifting the cross among the Galatians. The principle of God’s self-denial was supreme in the Gentile-Jewish Christian community.
But the gospel was never intended to produce “holy flesh” before the second coming of Christ. The gospel teaches Christians to say “No” to ungodliness and worldliness. It teaches us to say “No” to the temptations of the flesh. Consequently, Peter gave in to the flesh when certain “historic Christian” brethren visited the Antioch mission from Jerusalem headquarters.