In contradistinction (a “gospel” that is distinctly contradictory) to the Gospel of Christ, the gospel of Satan teaches salvation by works. It teaches justification before God on the ground of human merits. Its sacramental phrase is ‘Be good and do good’; but it fails to recognize that in the flesh dwelleth no good thing. It announces salvation by character, which reverses the order of God’s Word—character, the fruit of salvation. Its various ramifications and organizations are manifold. Temperance, reform movements, ‘Christian Socialist Leagues’, ethical culture societies, and ‘Peace Congresses’ [movements of the past, which have permeated modern religious schemes] are all employed (perhaps unconsciously) in proclaiming the gospel of Satan (salvation by works). The pledge-card is substituted for Christ, social purity for individual regeneration, and politics and philosophy for doctrine and godliness. The cultivation of the old man is considered more ‘practical’ than the creation of a new man in Christ Jesus, while universal peace is looked for apart from the interposition and return of the Prince of Peace. The apostles of Satan are not saloonkeepers and white slave traffickers, but are for the most part ordained ministers. Thousands of those who occupy our modern pulpits are no longer engaged in presenting the fundamentals of the Christian Faith, but have turned aside from the truth and have given heed unto fables. Instead of magnifying the enormity of sin and setting forth its eternal consequences, they minimize it by declaring that sin is merely ignorance or the absence of good. Instead of warning their hearers to “flee from the wrath to come” (Luke 3:7 & Matt. 3:7) they make God a liar by declaring that He is too loving to send any of His own creatures to eternal torment. Instead of declaring that “without shedding of blood is no remission” of sin (Heb.9:22), they merely hold up Christ as the great Exemplar and exhort their hearers to ‘follow in His steps’. Of them it must be said, “…they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Rom. 10:2-3). Their message may sound very plausible and their aim appears very praise-worthy, yet we read of them, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves (imitating) into the apostles of Christ” (2 Cor.11:13). Mr. C.H. Spurgeon said this: “Satan shows the bait, but hides the hook. He is far too crafty to let men see the naked sin, or the unveiled punishment. He covers the hook with the bait of pleasure, or profit, or philosophy, or progress or even piety (religion).”
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