The
Moody Bible Institute Monthly, August, 1922.
In
the February Monthly there was a letter under the heading "A Christian and a
Freemason at the Same Time," in which the writer gives John 18 :20 as the
Scripture regarding his stand against the Freemasons. Any Scripture that will
convict one of sin and cause him to repent and turn unto God in the name of
Jesus Christ has accomplished that for which God purposed it (Isa. 55 :n), but
John 18:20 and the other Scriptures cited, except 2 Cor. 6:14-18 and 2 Cor.
7:1, would convince very few Masons that Freemasonry would hinder them from
being Christians.
On
page 819, under "Practical and Perplexing Questions," Grant Stroh, answering
R. S., Moorestown, N. J., says, "Yes, it is possible for a Christian to be
a Mason, unless he is obliged to take oaths contrary to the spirit of
Christ."
Prof.
Stroh Answered.
In
the full and complete light (not more light) of Leviticus 19:12 and Matthew
5 :33~37, how could any oath be anything but contrary to the Spirit of Christ? I wish to say that it is as impossible for a
Christian to be a Freemason as it is for water to run up hill. Not because Christ
did nothing in secret, not because Christ said swear not at all, but because the
order of Freemasonry will not accept Christ as the Son of God.
A
Masonic Reply.
A
very large percentage of Masons in reply to the above statement would say: "True,
but where can you find anything that will surpass or even equal Freemasonry in
exemplifying the teachings of Jesus Christ? Our order was founded at the
building of Solomon's Temple. The Bible is one of the great lights of Masonry.
Its tenets are brotherly love, relief, and truth. Its religion is a firm belief
in the one true and living God. Look at the thousands
of young men our order has lifted to a higher moral plane, made them men that
are men. Look at our homes for the aged and destitute brethren and their widows
and orphans. Even the preachers who belong to our order will tell you that
Freemasonry will make any man better."
Blind
Leaders of the Blind.
Oh,
ye blind leaders of the blind, how many Masons have passed on into the dark
valley believing that the religion of Freemasonry would save them from the judgment
to come (Rev. 20:11)!
Take
your funeral ceremony and read it carefully and tell me what else it teaches.
I will give you one example. A man in
this community died. He was a morally clean man, liked by every one, his business
integrity above reproach, a prominent Freemason, but he would not have anything
to do with the Christian religion.
His
funeral was from the federated church (Presbyterian and Congregaional).
The pastor was a Freemason. For his
Scripture lesson he used Ecclesiastes 12, and for a text Psalm 133, and preached
the Mason to heaven through the lodge. The name of Jesus Christ was mentioned
neither in song, prayer, nor sermon. The -entire service was a rejection of
Jesus Christ, but the most appalling thing was his closing. I will give you his
exact words : "Rejoice, brethren, in these words, for there is hope of a
tree if it be cut down, that it will sprout again and the tender branch thereof
will not cease"
(Job. 147).
At
this point he leaned over the pulpit and extended his arm until his hand was almost
over the body, and then said, "Brethren, in the resurrection the grip will
not slip, the grip will not slip!"
How
is that for exemplifying the teachings of Christ?
Speculative
Masonry Not Older Than A. D. 1700.
Speculative
Masonry cannot be traced back to the 17th century, and it must rely on
tradition to some extent to get that far. There is no proof whatever that it was founded
at the building of Solomon's Temple. But if it could be proved beyond a shadow
of a doubt, what benefit could come from it? The curse of God came upon the
Temple, and remains on it, and on Jerusalem, and on the Jews and on all who
reject Christ in this age of grace. God's
hand is still stretched forth in love and mercy, however, to all who will believe
on the Son and confess His name (Rom. 10:9, 10).
It
is said that the Bible is one of the great lights of Masonry. It is blasphemy to
place anything temporal or worldly on the same level with the Word of God and say
it is only one of many.
The
tenets of Masonry, brotherly love, relief and truth. What is love? "Love suffereth
long and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh
no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth" (1 Cor.
13:4-7).
O
love, thou art a jewel with a heavenly setting, -but thou art not found in Freemasonry
! Policy is the word to use. Relief without love profiteth nothing.
Truth, in worldly affairs ? Yes, because it is the best policy.
The
Masonic Creed Not Sufficient.
The
religion of Masonry is a belief in the one true and living God ; but this is not
enough. "Thou believest that there is one God ? Thou doest well ; the
devils also believe and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith
without works is dead" (James 2 :io„ 20) ?
You
say you believe in God and that truth is one of the tenets of Masonry? But
God says, "This is my beloved Son," and you will not believe it. What
a travesty on truth ! "Every one that is of the truth heareth my
voice" (John 18:37).
You
claim to reverence and teach the Bible, yet you discard the* key, for the key
to the Bible is Jesus Christ. "Search the Scriptures," said He,
"for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which
testify of me" (John 5 139).
The
Writer's Confession.
How
often have I heard men say (I am ashamed to confess, I have said it myself),
that if one will live up to the teachings of Freemasonry, one is good enough. I want to say right here that it cannot be done.
But suppose it could, and for the sake of argument I will grant you the privilege
of hiding behind your self-righteousness, yet you are as far from Christ as the
east is from the west, "for in the flesh dwelleth no good thing"
(Rom. 7:18). "Without the shedding of blood is no remission."
Wrap
your cloak of self-righteousness about you, live your lives out of Christ, having
the form of godliness, but denying the power thereof (2 Tim. 3:5), and present
yourselves to Christ and lay your trophies at His feet and hear this answer: "In
that day many will say unto me, Lord, Lord, and then will I profess unto them, I
never knew you" (Matt. 7:22, 23).
To
the child of God, the true believer in Jesus Christ, every promise belongs. Christ is yours, God is yours, the Holy Spirit
is yours, this world and the world to come is yours, time and eternity is yours,
everlasting glory is yours.
What
if Masons Refuse the One Promise of Mercy?
But
to those who refuse to believe in Jesus Christ, there is neither in this age nor
in the ages to come one promise of mercy, for as you reject Christ in this age
of grace, so will God reject you through the ages to come. "I am the way, the
truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me" (John 14:6).
Jesus
Christ will save you if you will lay aside your cloak of self-righteousness and
come unto Him, confessing your sins and accepting Him as our Savior. "He that
belie veth on the Son of God hath this witness in himself" (I John 5 :io).
Has
your cloak of self-righteousness given you this witness? I think not. Why?
Because you are not the sons of God through faith in the propitiation of Christ.
Does
living the teachings of Freemasonry give you this spirit of His Son in your
hearts whereby you cry continually, Abba, Father ? No ? Then are you not yet
in your sins and therefore lost? Is there anything in the teachings of Freemasonry
that promises you a place in the family of God as a son ; an heir, and joint heir
of Jesus Christ? (Romans 8:17.) No ?
Then are you not lost?
It
is a fact well known by all the true saints of God that the greatest hindrance of
the gospel of Jesus Christ is self-righteousness. What saith the Word ?
"Having the form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such
turn away" (2 Tim. 3:5).
How
can your name be written in the Lamb's book of life if you deny Him before
men? "I say unto you, whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the
Son of man also confess before the angels of God" (Luke 12:8, 9).
"Wherefore,
come out from among them, and be ye separate," saith the Lord.
(2 Cor. 6:17, 18.)
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