in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, who died and rose again that
he might be a "Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel,
and forgiveness of sins" (Acts 5:31). "And that repentance and
remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations,
beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:47). Around this central fact of
salvation from sin through faith in Christ clustered those other
truths and facts which either necessarily resulted from the new
relationship of redeemed humanity with God or were essential to its
visible manifestation and propagation. Prominent among these features
were the entire sanctification of believers, holy life and conduct,
the baptism, gifts, and leadership of the Holy Spirit, and the visible
unity and relationship of believers in one body, the church.

[Sidenote: An apostasy foretold]

I need not take time or space to describe the wonderful successes of
Christianity as long as the primitive purity and power of the
gospel message was sustained and its results realized in a living,
Spirit-filled church. But facts compel me to record a change from that
happy condition. This transition was foreseen by those who "spake as
they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Paul declared: "Some shall depart
from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of
devils" (1 Tim. 4:1); "Also of your own selves shall men arise,
speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them" (Acts
20:30). Peter predicted, "There shall be false teachers among you, who
privily shall bring in damnable heresies" (2 Pet. 2:1). Jesus himself
declared, "Many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many.
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold"
(Matt. 24:11, 12).