How many have had a family member or friend that was or is currently a Mason? Most people don’t know very much about this group except for their generous works that they do for children. Their hospitals have the most elaborate and state of the art facilities! They provide free medical services to many deserving children.
Again, this teaching is not aimed at this part of Masonry - rather to exposes the spiritual misinformation about this benevolent group and warn Christians that might be in fellowship with this cult!
Most people think that Masonry and Christianity are compatible – or that the Bible is silent on the rituals and system of belief that Masonry holds to.
Did you know that of all the denominations (not including Catholic) in America, Southern Baptists hold the most membership in Freemasonry?
One former Mason (a SBC pastor) wrote, “I for one can never understand how anyone who takes an exclusive view of Christ as the only complete revelation of God’s truth can become a Freemason without suffering from spiritual schizophrenia.”
Francis Paul, a 33rd Degree Grand Commander wrote, “As a fraternity, we are always ready to be judged-severely and critically.”
1. So What Is Masonry?
It is a powerful, centuries old fraternal order starting back in the 18th century. Many of our Founding Fathers were Masons. You were someone if you were a member of a Lodge.
Albert Mackey in the “Revised Encyclopedia of Freemasonry” states, “All Masons unite in declaring it to be a system of morality, by the practice of which its members may advance their spiritual interests, and mount by the theological ladder from the Loge on earth to the Lodge in heaven.”
He continues, “It is a science which is engaged in the search after Divine Truth, and which employs symbolism as its method of instruction. Masonry is that religious and mystical society whose aim is moral perfection…”
2. Is Freemasonry A Religion?
There are 2.5 million Masons in the United States and many of these are Christians. So the question - “As a Christian, are you willingly participating in another religion?”
Most Masons get their dander up when this subject comes up. Alphonse Cerza, a former Grand Historian of Masonry defends Masonry by these 4 points:
· It does not meet the definition of a religion.
· It offers no system or teaching of salvation.
· It has no creed, no confession, no theology, or ritual of worship.
· No symbols that are religious.
Webster’s New World Dictionary defines religion as: “A belief in a divine or superhuman power…to be obeyed and worshiped as the creator and ruler of the universe, belief in conduct and rituals.”
Henry Wilson Coil the most quoted authority in Masonry states as of 1941, “Freemasonry certainly requires a belief in the existence of and man’s dependence upon a Supreme Being to whom he is responsible. What can a church add to that, except to bring into one fellowship those who have like feelings?…that’s exactly what the Lodge does.”
3. Does Masonry Teach Salvation?
Again ask the average Mason this question and he will probably spit cotton!
· This can be documented by looking at any Masonic manual that contains the rituals of the first degree. In it you see the “All Seeing Eye” – a symbol for God. Under it you will find these words, “The All Seeing Eye (God)…beholds for the inmost recesses of the human heart, and will reward us according to our works.”
· The Masonic Ritual ad Monitor under the explanation concerning the lambskin or white apron they wear states, “He who wears the lambskin as a badge of a Mason is thereby continually reminded of purity of life and conduct which is essentially necessary to his gaining admission into that celestial Lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of the universe resides.”
What would you think if you heard this taught in the Lodge? Sounds like a religion to me!
Ephesians 2:8,9 “For by grace you are saved, through faith, not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works, less any man should boast.”
· In Masonry Encyclopedia, Henry Coil argues, “Freemasonry has a religious service to commit the body of a deceased brother to the dust whence it came, and to speed the liberated spirit back to the Great Source of Light. Many Freemasons make this flight with no other guarantee of a safe landing other than their belief in the religion of Freemasonry.”
· Religious symbols can be found in a Lodge. On the Masonic Sacred alter is placed a Bible, a Koran, or other sacred religious books. Hanging over the head of the “Worshipful Master” (the leader of the lodge) is a big letter “G”. This represents the presence of deity. Why not change the name of their meeting place from “Temple” to just building?
4. Is This The Same God As In The Bible?
Masonry teaches 3 things about God:
a. God is defined as G.A.O.T.U.
Great Architect of The Universe.
Coil’s Mason Encyclopedia states, “Men have to decide whether they want a god like the ancient Hebrews Yahweh, a partisan god, with whom they can talk and argue…or a boundless, eternal, universal, undenominational and international Divine Spirit so vast remove from the speck of man…The Masonic test is a Supreme being, and any qualification added is an innovation and distortion…Monotheism violates Masonic principles, for it requires belief in a specific kind of Supreme Deity.”
b. God’s secret name is “Jahbulon”.
The new candidate is instructed to learn the term “Jahbulon” composite of “Jah” for Jehovah and “bul” for Baal. They even admit that Bul or bel refers to the Canaanite or Assyrian deity. “On” refers to the Egyptian deity, Osiris.
In Masonic Rituals and Monitor, “This compound name is an attempt to show by co-ordination of divine names…the unity, identity and harmony of Hebrew, Assyrian and Egyptian god ideas…Brahma, Jehovah, Baal, Bel Om, On, denotes the generative principle, and that all religions are essentially the same in their ideas of the divine.”
c. Their God is not the Christian God.
An article that I found fascinating on this subject was by Mason G.A. Kenderdeine, he says, “Masonry holds and teaches that with all and above all there is God, not essentially a Christian God.”
The Lost Keys of Freemasonry, by Mason Manly P. Hall, pages 92, 54-5, "Man is a god in the making, and as in the mystic myths of Egypt, on the potter’s wheel he is being molded. When his light shines out to lift and preserve all things, he receives the triple crown of godhood and joins that throng of Master Masons who, in their robes of Blue and Gold, are seeking to dispel the darkness of night with the triple light of the Masonic Lodge."
"The glorious privileges of a Master Mason are in keeping with his greater knowledge and wisdom...For Him the Heavens have opened and the Great Light has bathed him in its radiance. The Prodigal Son, so long a wanderer in the regions of darkness, has returned to his Father’s house. The voice speaks from the Heavens, its power thrilling the Master until his own being seems filled with its divinity, saying, ’This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ He [The Master Mason], in truth has become the spokesman of the Most High. He stands between the glowing firelight and the world. Through him passes Hydra, the great snake, and from its mouth there pours to man the light of God."
Instructions to the 23 Supreme Councils of the World, Albert Pike, Grand Commander, Sovereign Pontiff of Universal Freemasonry, July 14, 1889… "To you, Sovereign Grand Inspectors General, we say this, that you may repeat it to the Brethren of the 32nd, 31st, and 30th degrees - The Masonic Religion should be, by all of us initiates of the high degrees, maintained in the purity of the Luciferian Doctrine.
"Yes, Lucifer is God, and unfortunately Adonay is also god. For the eternal law is that there is no light without shade, no beauty without ugliness, no white without black, for the absolute can only exist as two gods: darkness being necessary for light to serve as its foil as the pedestal is necessary to the statue, and the brake to the locomotive.
"Thus, the doctrine of Satanism is a heresy; and the true and pure philosophical religion is the belief in Lucifer, the equal of Adonay; but Lucifer, God of Light and God of Good, is struggling for humanity against Adonay, the God of Darkness and Evil."
2 Chronicles 6:14 “O Lord, the Lord of Israel, there is no god like Thee in heaven and earth…”
Isaiah 42:8 “I am the Lord, Thy name; I will give My glory to another.”
For the Christian, how can he in good conscience continue in a false religion? If a man agrees in the teaching of the Masonic Lodge, he logically must deny Christ!
5. Where Does The Mason Get His Spiritual Light?
Again from the Masonic Encyclopedia, “Spiritual light is everywhere, the symbol of intelligence, information, knowledge and truth and is opposed to darkness which symbolizes ignorance and evil. So, in the ceremonies, the candidate is said to be brought from darkness to light.”
Every candidate in Masonry is considered in spiritual darkness until he goes through a ritual of knocking at a door 3 times and then the Junior Deacon opens it and says, “Who goes there?” and the answer is as follows, “Mr. Peter, who has long been in spiritual darkness and now seeks to be brought to light, and to receive a part in the rights and benefits of this Worshipful Lodge, erected to God…”
The Manual of The Lodge describes the candidate who seeks to enter the Masonic Lodge; “There he stands outside our portals, on the threshold of his new Masonic life, in darkness, helplessness and ignorance. Having been wandering amidst the errors and covered with the pollutions of the outer and profane world, he come inquiringly to our door, seek the new birth, and asking a withdraw of the veil which conceals divine truth from his sight.”
John 12:46 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will receive the light of life.”
Ephesians 5:8 “For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light and find out what pleases the Lord.” NIV
Colossians 1:12-14
6. Is Christ’s Deity Exalted?
The all important Masonic Ritual called “Maundy Thursday Ritual officially states, “We meet this day to commemorate the death of Jesus, not as inspired or divine…”
Albert Pike, Mason’s great theologian said this about Jesus Christ, “It (Masonry) reverences all the great reformers. It sees in Moses, the Lawgiver, in Confucius and Zoroaster, in Jesus of Nazareth…Great Teachers of Morality and Eminent Reformers…”
He also states, “Masonry, around whose alters the Christian, the Hebrew, The Muslim…the followers of Confucius and Zoraster can assemble as brethren and unite in prayer to the one true God who is above all Baalim…”
“Baalim” = Mason’s definition of the false gods and idols men worship.
Do you realize that he just implied that Christianity is another false religion with the rest, and that Masonry has the true spiritual insight!
This is why former Grand Mason Edmond Ronayne states, “Freemasonry carefully excludes the Lord Jesus Christ from the Lodge…repudiates His mediatorship, rejects his atonement, denies and disowned his gospel ignores the Holy Spirit and sets up for itself a spiritual empire, a religious theocracy…the god of nature…”
John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man gets to the Father except through Me.”
7. What Do We Do If We Find Ourselves In This Cult?
2 Corinthians 6: 14-17
Paul asks 5 what’s to get to the bottom of the issue here. He makes comparisons between righteousness and sin, light and darkness, Christ and Satan.
a. Disassociate your worship with unbelievers within their territory. Vs. 14,15
This verse can apply to any close relationship including marriage!
You will never find me at an event that pulls all religions (I didn’t say denominations) together for different events. I choose to build my relationship outside of this. We need to know where we are the most powerful in our witness to unbelievers!
I’m not calling for spiritual isolationism! That’s the last thing we need to be doing! But some say I’ll stay in this cult and try to reform it! Good luck!
The idea of unequally yoke…
“Belial” = is an ancient name for Satan. In Hebrew it means “worthlessness”.
This principle is so important because Paul is comparing being unequally yoked to Christ and Satan.
b. Display yourself as the temple of the living God. Vs. 16
Masons are temples for false gods and dead gods! Since the resurrection is forfeited by cults there is nothing living about them! So that also means that their worship is dead to God’s ears!
We are living because the Holy Spirit is in us as believers of Christ as Lord over all!
The order here starts with disassociation then display to…
c. Disengage yourself from false teaching within their territory. Vs. 17,18
Paul quotes from Isaiah 52.
Dwight L. Moody said, "I do not see how any Christian, most of all a Christian minister, can go into these secret lodges with unbelievers. They say they can have more influence for good: but I say they can have more influence for good by staying out of them, and reproving their evil deeds. Abraham had more influence for good in Sodom than Lot had."
Then one of his members challenged him saying, "If you talk this way, you will drive all the members of secret societies out of your meetings and out of our churches."
To this the bold pastor proclaimed, "But what if I did? Better men will take their places. Give them the truth anyway, and if they would rather leave their churches than their lodges, the sooner they get out of the churches, the better. I would rather have ten members who are separated from the world than a thousand such members. Better one with God than a thousand without Him."
