By Ann-Marie Ballantyne
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In her book Great Controversy, 19th Century inspired religious writer, Ellen G. White counselled us to make the scriptures our safeguard. She reminded us that scriptures protect us “against the influence of false teachers and the delusive power of spirits of darkness”. Moreover, the Bible admonishes us to beware of doctrines of devils and to heed the inspired Word which is profitable for “doctrine … and instruction in righteousness…” (2Timothy 3:16,17).
The doctrine of the immortality of the soul has no root in the Bible. It is a widespread belief by the religious and non-religious. The falsehood originated in the mind of Satan who taught it to Eve in the garden of Eden. That devil contradicted the declared word of God. He deceived Eve into thinking that in dying she will not really die, and she will be as God. This satanic error has been weaved into the teachings of various societies and false religions — Egyptians, Greeks, Roman Catholicism and fallen Protestantism. With slight variations, they all teach that when a person dies, a soul comes out of him and lives on somewhere.
About a month ago, it was reported in one of our local newspapers that some villagers in a northern community of SVG, claimed to have had encounters with “strange figures”. They reported apparitions of five men. It was also alleged that the men were expressing their desire “to go home”. Some persons linked these apparitions to five men who died in a vehicular accident in the area last year. There are those who believe that the “spirits” of these men are still with us and that they are roaming the area. Can the dead really walk among us?
The Bible tells us that only God is immortal and that “… the dead know not anything, neither have they anymore a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.”. David also instructs us that when we die our thoughts perish ( Psalm 146:4). We go to the grave until God resurrects us. The dead person is not conscious and, therefore, cannot think or communicate with anyone. They cannot visit us or walk among us. They cannot give us any message of warning or comfort. We cannot be tormented or guided by the dead soul or person.
Satan and his evil angels have supernatural powers and often create mischief. They sometimes impersonate our dead loved ones to trick us into accepting the immortality of the soul doctrine. They can appear like our family members, speak like them and behave like them. In this supernatural activity, Satan’s aim is to get us to believe that man is immortal and that he can be God. Consequently, Satan can push his deceptive claim that creation can be God with God. It was what he always wanted – to “be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:12-14). In addition to seeking to exalt creation as God, the doctrine of the immortality of the soul encourages a person to be irresponsible and unprepared to face death and God’s judgement.
We are living in dark and perilous times. The true teachings of the scriptures must be embraced with urgency for salvation from personal sins and for preservation from errors. As we draw near the end of this earth’s history, spiritual manifestations will increase to hook minds into spiritualism- deceptive work of evil angels. The aim of Satan is for us to accept him as God with God. It is time to dedicate time to studying the Bible. Let God convert you to live by His revealed scriptural truths that you may be saved from the delusive workings of evil angels. Too many are trapped in the web of deception because of disbelief and ignorance of the Word of God.
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I have not read an article so profoundly written and well scripted as this one for quite some time now. Thank you for those words of guidance and inspiration. We are now more comforted. God bless you!
Having read this published article, I am rather curious as to the correctness and thus the representation of the statements it contains, some of which to say the least, are quite questionable, and reads as follows:
“The doctrine of the immortality of the soul has no root in the Bible. It is a widespread belief by the religious and non-religious. The falsehood originated in the mind of Satan who taught it to Eve in the Garden of Eden”.
For sure, I am rather somewhat curious as to how Ann-Marie Ballantyne contrast the Biblical story of The Rich Man and Lazarus with her article: The same could be found in Luke 16. And is noted here below :
The Rich Man and Lazarus: Luke 16
“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
“Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”
Indeed one may very well ask Ann-Marie Ballantyne, what are the doctrines that she thus advocates? And could she give us a clearer explanation for the additional statement as stated by her; “That devil contradicted the declared word of God. He deceived Eve into thinking that in dying she will not really die, and she will be as God.” Where o’ where in the Bible could that exchange be found?
And further, how would Ann-Marie Ballantyne reconcile her views with that in Mark 12: 26 -27 that reads; “ But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living”. What was the status of those individuals in her doctrine?
I am rather truly perplexed by it all!