The Last Apostacy
1854 Great Controversy By Ellen G. White
CHAPTER 21
The Church and World United
“I saw that a very large company professed the name of Christ, but God does not recognize them as his. He has
no pleasure in them. Satan seemed to assume a religious character and was very willing for the people to think
they were Christians. He was very willing that they should believe in Jesus, his crucifixion, and his resurrection. Satan
and his angels fully believed all this themselves and trembled. But if this faith does not provoke good works and lead
those who profess it to imitate the self-denying life of Christ, he is not disturbed, for they merely assume the Christian
name while their hearts are still carnal, and he can use them in his service better than if they made no profession. Under
the name of Christian, they hide their deformity. They pass along with their unsanctified natures and their evil passions
unsubdued. This gives occasion for the unbeliever to throw their imperfections in the face of Jesus Christ, to criticize him, and to cause those who do possess pure and undefiled religion to be brought into disrepute.
The ministers preach smooth things to suit carnal professors. This is just as Satan would have it. They dare not
preach Jesus and the cutting truths of the Bible, for if they should, these carnal professors would not hear them. Many of
them are wealthy and must be retained in the church, although they are no more fit to be there than Satan and his angels.
The religion of Jesus is made to appear popular and honorable in the eyes of the world. The people are told that those
who profess religion will be more honored by the world. Very widely do such teachings differ from the teachings of
Christ. His doctrine and the world could not be at peace. Those who followed him had to renounce the world. These
smooth things originated with Satan and his angels. They formed the plan, and nominal professors have carried it out.
Hypocrites and sinners unite with the church. Pleasing fables are taught and readily received. But if the truth should
be preached in its purity, it would soon shut out hypocrites and sinners. But there is no difference between the professed
followers of Christ and the world. I saw that if the false covering could be torn off from the members of the churches,
there would be revealed such iniquity, vileness, and corruption that the most timid child of God would have no
hesitancy in calling them by their proper name, children of their father, the Devil; for his works they do.
Jesus and all the heavenly host looked with disgust upon the scene, yet God had a message for the church that was sacred and important. If received, it would make a thorough reformation in the church to revive the living testimony that would purge out hypocrites and sinners, and bring the church again into favor with God.
See Isaiah 30:8-21; Lamentations 4:1; Titus 1:16; James 2:19; Revelation chap.3