Lineage Journey

The Great Controversy

Adam Ramdin

01 The Destruction of Jerusalem

02 Persecution in the First Centuries

03 An Era of Spiritual Darkness

04 The Waldenses

05 John Wycliffe

06 Huss and Jerome

07 Luther’s Separation from Rome

08 Luther Before the Diet

09 The Swiss Reformer

10 Progress of Reform in Germany

11 Protest of the Princes

12 The French Reformation

13 The Netherlands & Scandinavia

14 Later English Reformers

15 The Bible & The French Revolution

16 The Pilgrim Fathers

17 Heralds of The Morning

18 An American Reformer

19 Light Through Darkness

20 A Great Religious Awakening

21 A Warning Rejected

22 Prophecies Fulfilled

23 What is the Sanctuary?

24 In the Holy of Holies

25 God’s Law Immutable

27 Modern Revivals

28 Facing Life’s Record

29 The Origin of Evil

30 Enmity Between Man and Satan

31 Agency of Evil Spirits

32 Snares of Satan

33 The First Great Deception

34 Can Our Dead Speak to Us?

35 Liberty of Conscience Threatened

36 The Impending Conflict


The Church and the State of Combined Forces Chapter 2 Liberty of Conscience Liberty of conscience is something to be treasured, for the opposite is always tyranny. Any time in history, within a given nation or region, that church and state have combined forces, it has always led to a decline in religious liberty and the freedom for individuals to act according as their conscience guides them. In this chapter we look at the history of this subject from the Dark Ages through to the Reformation, and how even today it's at threat, perhaps more so than ever before. At the heart of the great controversy is the freedom to worship, to love Him freely, and yet as time draws to a close, these rights will be unceremoniously stripped away. 🎵 The Constitution of the United States The Constitution of the United States guaranteed liberty of conscience, and this is what made the United States unique as a nation in that when it was formed, these principles were enshrined in the founding documents.

This was not something copied from Western Europe or any other nation. Europe had in fact, during the Dark Ages and the Reformation, been under the control of various religious persuasions that did not hold this as a cherished value. 🎵 Roman Catholicism in the Middle Ages did not like any competition and ruled supreme in most countries in Europe where the state was under the influence and control of the church. Those who opposed the dominant belief were marginalized and often persecuted in an attempt to bring them into line. Such a strategy is not like Christ.

He never forces anyone to worship, and only accepts worship that is freely given. [♪ music ♪ This caused a response, and in the 16th century Europe underwent a time of great upheaval and change. Religious reformations in England, Scotland, Switzerland, France, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark changed the landscape of those countries, both in the spiritual sphere and also in civil life. Each of these countries' reformations was closely tied to political independence, and while most of the change was good, some things remained unchanged. Even though these nations broke away from the rule of the Holy Roman Empire, each church was often still influenced by the state.

[♪ music ♪ Any time the church has sought the long arm of the state for support, the end result has always seen religious legislation enforced. Most significantly, this took place in the early centuries, from the time of Constantine onwards as Sunday legislation was gradually enforced. This did not happen overnight, but came in slowly through the use of superstition and false claims until it became widespread, with only small pockets of believers such as the Waldensians in Europe or the Abyssinians in Ethiopia holding out. The end result of both of these groups is a sad and painful 1. Why is the Book of Revelation so important?

Revelation 13 outlines 2 beasts, or 2 nations, and we see this fulfilled with the United States of America and also with papal Rome. Papal Rome, it was prophesied, would receive a deadly wound and go into captivity around 1798, and we see this fulfilled with the capture of the Pope and also more importantly, the stripping of Rome's civil power. It was prophesied though that the deadly wound would be healed as Revelation 13 verse 3 says, all the world would wander after the beast. As the US has grown in its cultural, economic, political, and religious significance, the Bible outlines a time when she would unite with Rome in forcing religious practices. [♪ music ♪ Today we can see liberty of conscience under threat, freedom of speech, and laws that protect it have slowly been eroded away.

We see this coming from both the overreach of government powers, but also from the prevailing culture in society whereby it lends itself to groupthink and cancel culture where anyone who does not accept the view of the majority can be cut off. May we fight for the preservation of liberty of conscience, even while we're seeing it eroded away, but also remember that 1 day we'll have to stand for what's right whilst the whole world is against us. May we have courage and trust and faith in Jesus Christ to do this. You You

Series

The Great Controversy

35 Liberty of Conscience Threatened

Parent Series

Sponsor

Recorded

Other Teachings in Series

01 The Destruction of Jerusalem

6m

02 Persecution in the First Centuries

5m

03 An Era of Spiritual Darkness

5m

04 The Waldenses

7m

05 John Wycliffe

6m

06 Huss and Jerome

8m

07 Luther’s Separation from Rome

7m

08 Luther Before the Diet

7m

09 The Swiss Reformer

6m

10 Progress of Reform in Germany

4m

11 Protest of the Princes

5m

12 The French Reformation

6m

13 The Netherlands & Scandinavia

7m

14 Later English Reformers

7m

15 The Bible & The French Revolution

8m

16 The Pilgrim Fathers

7m

17 Heralds of The Morning

6m

18 An American Reformer

6m

19 Light Through Darkness

4m

20 A Great Religious Awakening

4m

21 A Warning Rejected

4m

22 Prophecies Fulfilled

5m

23 What is the Sanctuary?

5m

24 In the Holy of Holies

5m

25 God’s Law Immutable

6m

27 Modern Revivals

5m

28 Facing Life’s Record

5m

29 The Origin of Evil

5m

30 Enmity Between Man and Satan

5m

31 Agency of Evil Spirits

5m

32 Snares of Satan

5m

33 The First Great Deception

5m

34 Can Our Dead Speak to Us?

5m

35 Liberty of Conscience Threatened

5m

36 The Impending Conflict

5m

Sound Doctrine