Quotations from the writings of Ellen G. White with the word . . .
M I S R E P R E S E N T G O D ( 3 RELATED PHRASES ) |
The phrase 'misrepresent God' appears 21 times in the writings of EGW page NOT on Original site Related phrase: misrepresent God's character ( ) ( below ) - - misrepresent Him (30)
| As the Spirit of God shall be withdrawn from the earth, Satan’s power will be more and more manifest. The knowledge that he had through being in connection with God, as a covering cherub, he will now use to subordinate his subjects who fell from their high estate. He will use every power of his exalted intellect to misrepresent God and to instigate rebellion against Jesus Christ, the Commander of heaven. In the synagogue of Satan he brings under his scepter, and into his counsels, those agents whom he can use to promote his worship. It is not a strange matter to find a species of refinement, and a manifestation of intellectual greatness, in the lives and characters of those who are inspired by fallen angels. Satan can impart scientific knowledge, and give men chapters upon philosophy. He is conversant with history, and versed in worldly wisdom. { ST May 28, 1894, par. 8 }
|
| |
| From the day the Lord declared to the serpent in Eden, “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed” ( Genesis 3:15), Satan has known that he can never hold absolute sway over the inhabitants of this world. When Adam and his sons began to offer the ceremonial sacrifices ordained by God as a type of the coming Redeemer, Satan discerned in these a symbol of communion between earth and heaven. During the long centuries that have followed, it has been his constant effort to intercept this communion. Untiringly has he sought to misrepresent God and to misinterpret the rites pointing to the Saviour, and with a great majority of the members of the human family he has been successful. { PK 685.1} See entire Chapter 58
|
| |
| Self-righteousness not only leads men to misrepresent God, but makes them coldhearted and critical toward their brethren. The elder son, in his selfishness and jealousy, stood ready to watch his brother, to criticize every action, and to accuse him for the least deficiency. He would detect every mistake, and make the most of every wrong act. Thus he would seek to justify his own unforgiving spirit. Many today are doing the same thing. While the soul is making its very first struggles against a flood of temptations, they stand by, stubborn, self-willed, complaining, accusing. They may claim to be children of God, but they are acting out the spirit of Satan. By their attitude toward their brethren, these accusers place themselves where God cannot give them the light of His countenance. { COL 210.1} Read entire Chapter 16
|
| The world have received the idea from the attitude of the church that God’s people are indeed a joyless people, that the service of Christ is unattractive, that the blessing of God is bestowed at severe cost to the receivers. By dwelling upon our trials, and making much of difficulties, we misrepresent God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent; for the path to heaven is made unattractive by the gloom that gathers about the soul of the believer, and many turn in disappointment from the service of Christ. But are those who thus present Christ believers? No, for believers rely upon the divine promise, and the Holy Spirit is a comforter as well as a reprover. { TM 175.1} also { SpTA02a 24.1 }
|
| The father’s remonstrance to his elder son was heaven’s tender appeal to the Pharisees, taking them for what they claimed to be. “All that is mine is thine,” (R.V.) not as a wage earned by your own efforts, but as a gift which you can receive only as the prodigal receives it, the free, unmerited bestowal of your Father’s love. Your self-righteousness not only leads you to misrepresent God by your false conceptions of him, but makes you cold-hearted and critical toward your brethren. You are constantly questioning, “Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? ... He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Micah 6:6-8. { GCB December 1, 1895, par. 23 }
|
| When Adam and his sons began to offer ceremonial sacrifices ordained as a type of the coming Redeemer, Satan discerned in these a symbol of communion between earth and heaven. During the long centuries it has been his constant effort to intercept this communion, to misrepresent God and misinterpret the rites pointing to the Saviour. The archenemy of mankind has endeavored to represent God as one who delights in men’s destruction. The sacrifices designed to reveal divine love have been perverted as means whereby sinners have vainly hoped to propitiate the wrath of an offended God. At the same time, Satan has sought to strengthen evil passions in order that through repeated transgression multitudes might be led far from God and hopelessly bound with the fetters of sin. { SS 355.1 }
|
| From the day the Lord declared to the serpent in Eden, “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed” ( Genesis 3:15), Satan has known that he can never hold absolute sway over the inhabitants of this world. When Adam and his sons began to offer the ceremonial sacrifices ordained by God as a type of the coming Redeemer, Satan discerned in these a symbol of communion between earth and heaven. During the long centuries that have followed, it has been his constant effort to intercept this communion. Untiringly has he sought to misrepresent God and to misinterpret the rites pointing to the Saviour.... { LHU 26.4} |
| The beginning of yielding to temptation is in the sin of permitting the mind to waver, to be inconsistent in your trust in God. The wicked one is ever watching for a chance to misrepresent God, and to attract the mind to that which is forbidden. If he can, he will fasten the mind upon the things of the world. He will endeavor to excite the emotions, to arouse the passions, to fasten the affections on that which is not for your good; but it is for you to hold every emotion and passion under control, in calm subjection to reason and conscience. Then Satan loses his power to control the mind. The work to which Christ calls us is to the work of progressive conquest over spiritual evil in our characters. Natural tendencies are to be overcome.... Appetite and passion must be conquered, and the will must be placed wholly on the side of Christ. { OHC 87.3}
|
| God has given His people great light on His Word. But this light is a benefit to the believer only as he practices the truth, purifying his soul by obedience. Is Satan always to triumph because parents misrepresent God by following worldly plans, failing to show the power of Christ to cleanse the heart? The whole church suffers when the children of one family are unruly. Christ is soon to come. Our schools are to reach the high standard of dependence on Bible principles. { TDG 293.3} |
| Satan has cast his shadow athwart the pathway of every human being, in order that he may misrepresent God to the world. He has clothed the character of God with attributes that are satanic, and wholly at variance with the truth. He has pictured him as a being full of revenge, as a lawgiver whose law is beyond the power of man to keep, and he has implanted enmity in the heart of the sinner, so that man unregenerated is in rebellion against God. This is the impression that Satan has made upon the human mind. Those who present the law of God as a transcript of the divine character will blend with their teaching that which belongs with the subject, and will present the love of the Father and the Son. When this is done, the shadow of the evil one will be removed from the hearts of men, and the clear light of Christ’s love, illuminating the understanding, will reveal the character of God as of one who is infinite in mercy. Sinners will behold Christ as one able and willing to cleanse from all sin. They will behold God not in his wrath, but in the sunshine of his love. His love will be seen as beyond all human love, and without a parallel. { RH February 10, 1891, par. 1 }
|
| The beginning of yielding to temptation is in the sin of permitting the mind to waver, to be inconsistent in your trust in God. The wicked one is ever watching for a chance to misrepresent God, and to attract the mind to that which is forbidden. If he can, he will fasten the mind upon the things of the world. He will endeavor to excite the emotions, to arouse the passions, to fasten the affections on that which is not for your good; but it is for you to hold every emotion and passion under control, in calm subjection to reason and conscience. Then Satan loses his power to control the mind. The work to which Christ calls us is to the work of progressive conquest over spiritual evil in our characters. Natural tendencies are to be overcome; for the natural disposition is to be transformed by the grace of Christ. Appetite and passion must be conquered, and the will must be placed wholly on the side of Christ. This will not be a painful process, if the heart is opened to receive the impression of the Spirit of God. “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” { RH June 14, 1892, par. 3 }
|
| Our Saviour does not promise that those who follow him shall have no difficulties. Satan will continually seek to misrepresent God to every mind. The apostle says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Satan would make the Christian warfare as hard as possible for every one who is determined to follow Christ; for it is his purpose to fasten every soul in deception. { RH July 5, 1892, par. 9 }
|
| In this prohibition Satan saw a chance to misrepresent God. Disguised as a serpent he came to Adam and Eve, saying, The reason God has forbidden you to eat of that fruit is because He knows that if you do eat of it, you will be as gods. You will become wise. And they did become wise — wise in knowing the evil which God meant them never to know. { 1SAT 319.1 } |
| The Lord calls upon you to work in holy, upright lines, in every transaction following the pure, elevated principles given in the Word of God. No business that will misrepresent God and harm his people will bring a particle of honor to you or to the cause which you love. The less you have to do with plans and documents drawn up in accordance with the policy of lawyers, the better it will be for you. { SpM 297.4 } |
| When Adam and his sons began to offer ceremonial sacrifices designated as a type of the coming Redeemer, Satan recognized in these a symbol of a close relationship between earth and heaven. During the long centuries he has constantly tried to intercept this relationship, to misrepresent God and misinterpret the rites that point to the Savior. The chief enemy of the human race has portrayed God as one who delights in destroying people. God designed the sacrifices to reveal His love. But Satan has perverted them into a means by which sinners have hoped—in vain—to appease the wrath of an offended God. At the same time, he has worked to strengthen evil passions so that, through repeated transgression, he can lead multitudes far from God and keep them hopelessly bound with the chains of sin. { RR 242.5 }
|
M I S R E P R E S E N T G O D's c h a r a c t e r
|
Related phrase: misrepresent His character ( )
| From the opening of the great controversy it has been Satan’s purpose to misrepresent God’s character and to excite rebellion against His law, and this work appears to be crowned with success. The multitudes give ear to Satan’s deceptions and set themselves against God. But amid the working of evil, God’s purposes move steadily forward to their accomplishment; to all created intelligences He is making manifest His justice and benevolence. Through Satan’s temptations the whole human race have become transgressors of God’s law, but by the sacrifice of His Son a way is opened whereby they may return to God. Through the grace of Christ they may be enabled to render obedience to the Father’s law. Thus in every age, from the midst of apostasy and rebellion, God gathers out a people that are true to Him — a people “in whose heart is His law.” Isaiah 51:7. { PP 338.2}
|
| |
| From the opening of the great controversy it has been Satan’s purpose to misrepresent God’s character, and to excite rebellion against His law.... But amid the working of evil, God’s purposes move steadily forward to their accomplishment; to all created intelligences He is making manifest His justice and benevolence. Through Satan’s temptations the whole human race have become transgressors of God’s law, but by the sacrifice of His Son a way is opened whereby they may return to God. Through the grace of Christ they may be enabled to render obedience to the Father’s law. Thus in every age, from the midst of apostasy and rebellion, God gathers out a people that are true to Him — a people “in whose heart is his law.” { AG 130.3}
|
|
Diseased Imaginations Misrepresent God — There are persons with diseased imaginations who do not rightly represent the religion of Christ; such have not the pure religion of the Bible. Some are scourging themselves all through life because of their sins; all they can see is an offended God of justice. Christ and His redeeming power through the merits of His blood they fail to see. Such have not faith. This class are generally those who have not well-balanced minds. { 1MCP 291.3 }
|
misrepresented God's character |
| Those who justify their course of action in going to law, and that with their brethren in the church, are acting out the spirit that developed the rebellion in heaven. God calls upon those who have light and are followers of Jesus to represent the perfect model upon which every character should be formed. But men have misrepresented God’s character by adopting in their life practise a course of action militating against the truth, while at the same time claiming to be loyal. Some are loyal to the enemy of righteousness, but not to the God of truth. { SpTA12 5.1 } Related Phrase: character of God
|
| Those who justify their course of action in going to law, and that with their brethren in the church, are acting out the spirit that developed the rebellion in heaven. God calls upon those who have light and are followers of Jesus to represent the perfect model upon which every character should be formed. But men have misrepresented God’s character by adopting in their life practise a course of action militating against the truth, while at the same time claiming to be loyal. Some are loyal to the enemy of righteousness, but not to the God of truth. { SpTB07 27.1 }
|
| The Jews robbed the world by a counterfeit of the gospel. They had refused to surrender themselves to God for the salvation of the world, and they became agents of Satan for its destruction. The people whom God had called to be the pillar and ground of the truth were doing the work Satan wanted them to do, living in a way that misrepresented God’s character and caused the world to look on Him as a tyrant. Priests in the temple lost the meaning of the service they performed. They were like actors in a play. Laws and ceremonies that God Himself had established were made the means of blinding the mind and hardening the heart. God could do no more for humanity through these channels. { HH 14.7 } |
Return to Selected Quotations from writings of EGW page
