gious
exercise for the one who is attempting to make himself Godlike, and
there is endless material for supplication and prayer that all available
assistance may be secured to aid one in that humanly impossible task. A
devout spirit is, therefore, a natural part of the Satanic doctrine, and
the predicted "forms of godliness" will naturally appear.

There is a vast difference between an individual supplicating God to
save him: and one supplicating God to help him save himself. The latter
is a natural part of the Satanic plan and has no promise of Divine favor
upon it. All such religious exercise, though full of outward forms and
deep sincerity, leaves its moral aspirants doomed, alike with the most
degraded, to as everlasting separation and banishment from the presence
of God: "which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and
humility, and severity to the body; but are not of any value against the
indulgence of the flesh" (Col. 2:23 R.V.). Such prayer and religious
practice do not really place the saving work in the hands of God, but
mockingly ask Him to give His sanction and assistance to that which
wholly dishonors and really disregards Him, and which is also both
unreasonable and impossible.

Though the process by which unfallen man would have reached a higher
development has not been revealed, it is certain that he would have been
then, as now, wholly dependent upon the Creator. Man's present
independence toward God is the blindest delusion of the fallen nature;
for complete independence cannot even be assumed in the least of all
temporal things: how much less is it possible in that which is
spiritual!

Again, the self-saving principle is utter folly, since God must demand
a quality which no human can present. God's requirement is not
unreasonable, however, for He also proposes to bestow, in grace, all He
ever demands. The absolute holiness of God demands no less than holiness
in all who are acceptable to Him; yet He has never mocked man by asking
him to make himself acceptable, or even to attempt to do it by Divine
help. True salvation is wholly a work of God. It is said to be both a
finished work and a gift, and, therefore, it lays no obligation upon the
saved one to complete it himself, or to make after payments of service
for it; though the saved one is called upon to serve from another and
more glorious motive.

The Divine terms of obtainment into Godlikeness are clearly stated in
the Scriptur