For the influence of God’s Holy Spirit to fill us we must be careful regarding our whole manner of life, not to be subject to anything false or evil. Other influences such as drugs, fellowship with other religions, and angel worship can all quench the influence of the Holy Spirit. We must also choose good friends, and not waste our energies obeying rituals.
The Lord commands: whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8) It is impossible to keep this commandment if our company is unjust and impure. So we must limit our friendship with those who are evil.
I do not say that we should have no friendship with any non-Christian (King David had friendship with Hiram, king of Tyre and King Solomon with the queen of Sheba,) but only that such friendships should be limited. And if such friendships are exerting an evil influence upon us they should be cancelled almost completely.
Christianity means more than just not stealing, lying, killing or committing adultery. It means devoting our lives to goodness. And even if the heathen are not a positively bad influence upon us they can hardly be expected to be a good influence or to: provoke unto love and to good works (Hebrews 10:24) in our heart. Yet this should be the result of Christian friendship, without which our hearts tend to grow cold.
Our friends should also remind us of God and His goodness. Do we understand what true Christian communication should be, fragranced by: speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in you heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father. (Ephesians 5:19,20)
When we are careful to obey God, the Devil may try to make us worry about what does not matter. This is to distract and discourage us. So it is important that our striving for perfection be based upon the commandments of God and not upon commandments of man that serve no purpose. Paul writes: why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. (Colossians 2:20-23) Such doctrines merely distract us from our true focus. This should be on heaven: where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1) and upon the word of God so that: when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)
Such self-imposed religion can even blind us to what is really important, as illustrated when: the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandments of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups, and many other such like things ye do. (Mark 7:5-8) The Lord then reproved the Pharisees for failing to keep God’s command, to honour father and mother. Such a failure is a common trait of false sects and even of Roman Catholic monasteries, where some of God’s commandments are replaced by the interpretations of leaders.
Whenever self-imposed religion is not facilitating true religion, the question must be asked: Has God’s word been added to? And God says: Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. (Proverbs 30:6)
God speaks to us through the bible and through our conscience. But discernment or awareness of His voice or will is enhanced by clear thinking. Drugs and alcohol blind our minds to logic and how can logic be contrary to God? So drugs and alcohol reduce the influence of God upon us and reduce our defence against evil. Is it little wonder that Paul writes: be not drunk with wine. (Ephesians 5:18)
Although God forbids drunkenness, He does not completely forbid the drinking of alcohol. This is clear from the Old Testament where a priest could not be under the influence of wine or strong drink when ministering to God. (Leviticus 10:9) Nor could a Nazarite drink during the days of his vow (Number 6:3). These commandments are only meaningful if the command not to be drunk does not exclude light drinking at other times, when work is finished and when not reading the bible or praying.
I have wondered, although not yet concluded, whether some forms of music overpower the senses, leaving a person vulnerable to evil. Let the listener beware.
Our Lord Jesus Christ said: I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)
Jesus Christ is the truth. Adam learned some of the truth and would have communicated this to his children. But as the generations continued that truth would have become more and more corrupted. Only direct revelation from God could reverse the decline. After the exodus from Egypt that revelation was given through the Old Testament prophets such as Moses; and after Christ’s baptism that revelation was given through Christ until completed for the church age by the Revelation given to John. Further revelation is promised as his return draws nigh.
This does not mean that other religions possess no truth, but only that they possess an incomplete version of the truth. And some religions are further from the truth than others. Even Christians do not possess all truth. Paul writes: now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. (1 Corinthians 13:12) Because of this, corruption can even enter Christianity.
Perhaps it was because Christianity, the true religion, had become so corrupt during the dark ages, that God gave to Mohammed a partial revelation of truth, to preserve the Arab peoples from wickedness. One day, when Christianity has blossomed, these good people will find that their true rest is in the revelation, that the Messiah has come, and will soon come again.
The general truth is that the Spirit descends upon us to baptise us into a new life of goodness, being transformed by the Spirit of God to humility, prayer, devotion, purity, and concern for others. This happens when the knowledge of the truth is able to counter the Devil's devices. And where Christians walk in such truth, transforming power is available to them which is not generally available to those of other religions. This power was given at Pentecost.
But there is an exception. Some, like John the Baptist, were filled with the Holy Spirit from their mother's womb, and David, speaking before Pentecost, said: take not thy Holy Spirit from me. I believe that one in a fifty Christians have the Holy Spirit before birth. They may not believe, but the transforming power in them exceeds all other Christians.
It is also possible that great men of other religions, were angels, sent not to guide into all truth, as Christianity seeks to do, but to help them on their journey. These messages last only until greater revelation comes to Christianity, until Christianity becomes fit again to empower its servants and handmaidens to become a nation of priests to the whole earth.
While it is good to believe in Jesus Christ, and to believe the bible, it seems almost better not to believe than to believe in a God that tortures people with fire for all eternity for the slightest fault. So while Jehovah’s witnesses are wrong to teach that Jesus Christ was not born of God but merely created by God, at least they believe in a loving God, and the importance of righteousness.
Jesus Christ is the only: mediator between God and men. (1 Timothy 2:5) Mohammed cannot mediate. But Jesus said: he that doeth truth cometh to the light. As most Moslems do what is good and true, one day, in this life or the next they will see the light of Jesus. Who can tell the mind of God. But our mission now is to teach in this life the truth of God and of His only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, to those who worship him, with some understanding, as well as to those to whom he is: THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore they ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. (Acts 17:23)
While some religions could be classified as ignorant worship of the true God, others must be classified as the worship of false gods. Any religion which teaches of gods who are evil, or limited in power, or plural, is the worship of false gods. And any man, except Jesus Christ, who claims to be God, is a false god. They are not, of course gods at all, but only demonic deceptions.
In the next life, Jesus said, we shall be: equal unto the angels. (Luke 20:36) But now, temporarily, angels have a higher station than mankind. Nevertheless they are creatures, that is created, rather than gods. There is only one God, the Father, and one Lord Jesus Christ His Son, of whom the Father says: Let all the angels of God worship him. (Hebrews 1:6) So angels are not to be worshipped but to worship.
It is not difficult to be deceived into false worship. Even the apostle John, after being given a revelation of the future by an angel: fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant . . . worship God. (Revelation 19:10) So we must be careful not to be led astray by emotions or wonder. Paul writes: Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels. (Colossians 2:18)
Whatever the validity of visions of angels or visions of saints such as Mary, such visions should not be allowed to direct our minds from Christ. When Peter, James and John saw Moses and Elijah with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration, the Father spoke to them, focussing their minds not on the saints but on Christ, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. (Matthew 17:5)