Jun

Christian Masons?

Current Mood: Faith-filled & Anointed & Determined & On Fire 4 God! & Still-Standing

Written by Elder Jonathan L. Williams

Should A Christian Become a Mason?

Should a Christian be a Mason? This is a seldom discussed topic in the Church, even avoided by some. The average parishioner might be astounded to know just how many fellow worshippers have ties to freemasonry. Many merely view freemasonry as a social organization with benevolent causes seeking to promote self-enlightenment and development, contribution to society, and friendship among the brotherhood/sisterhood. Others contend that is evil or are cautious of any mysterious organization. The purpose of this article is to provide biblical perspective to the issues pertaining to freemasonry.

Christians that oppose freemasonry will often cite its secrecy as a primary reason not to join, even insisting that any organization outside of the Church is unnecessary and evil. The Bible teaches that God is love and we are therefore to help the disadvantaged. The Shriners, a group within freemasonry, raise billions world-wide each year for its Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, specializing in burns, spinal cord injury, cleft lip and palate, and orthopedics. This is one of a number of charitable causes supported by Masons. How many churches raise significant funds for causes other than those which benefit the church or its pastors? What is the percentage of the churches in your city that are united to sponsor large-scale charitable enterprises? How much can the Church criticize this organization for its unified efforts aiding the disadvantaged?

As stated, the purpose is not to criticize but provide insight into the Word of God on issues concentric to freemasonry. Candidly speaking, Masonic Lodges in some communities give more money to social initiatives than churches within the same communities. Sadly, many churches are more concerned with building funds and where they will worship than whether God truly honors their worship. Churches invest millions of dollars in the edifice while investing only hundreds of dollars in the communities surrounding the edifice. Many churches offer no outreach at all, giving only limited help to members. If it is true that through benevolence freemasonry conceals its real agenda, likewise in many churches selfish agendas are hidden behind the stained glass and muffled by the sound of the praise service.

The question before us is should a Christian be a Mason? This article is intended for those with a desire according to 1Pet. 3: 15 to, “Sanctify [or separate from everything else] the Lord God in your hearts and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear [of God].-NKJV” Though this article will only survey information relative to the topic, it will provide useful knowledge to anyone serious about growing in the faith. 2Tim. 2: 15 instructs us to “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a worker that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.-KJV” It is dangerous to take a lax approach to study and growth in understanding the Word. “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge, because you have rejected knowledge I will also reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God I will also forget your children. Hosea 4:6.-NKJV” As an aside, I suppose the latter part of that verse helps some youth minister better comprehend the trouble within the youth group. While this article may be an interesting read it is faith food for the serious believer.

Having a bad feeling about freemasonry is not enough because feelings can change. Freemasonry is not wrong because your minister preaches against it. Freemasonry need not meet the approval of a stronger brother/sister in Christ. It is validated or invalidated by the Word of God alone. Before freemasonry can be evaluated according to Scripture one must gain insight into the organization itself. The fact is that most know very little about freemasonry or its tenets. Much concerning freemasonry is shrouded in secrecy. Masons actually swear an oath of secrecy, so most of what is learned of it is shared by current or former Masons. While this composition required many hours of research on freemasonry, it would quickly become a book if it included all the information examined. A survey of the information will suffice the purpose of this article.

What Do Masons Say About Freemasonry?

Let us begin with what Masons say about freemasonry. Any number of Masonic websites will share some basic information. This article will quote Masons regarding freemasonry. This way it cannot be said that an anti-mason group influenced the conclusions of this discourse. Most of the following was gathered from www.grandlodge-nc.org. First, Masons do not ask others to join.

“Many good men over the years have had their feelings hurt because close friends whom they knew to be Masons never invited them to join Freemasonry. They did not know, of course, that these close friends were prohibited by Masonic law from issuing such invitations. A man must seek Masonic membership of his own free will and accord.”

Further, going to a meeting will not guarantee membership. Members are chosen through secret ballot. Once selected the individual joins the Blue Lodge, the entry Lodge for all Masons. In the Blue Lodge the Mason learns the craft of freemasonry. Freemasonry is aimed attaining greater self and spiritual knowledge or as they refer to it, the light.

The first degree is that of entered apprentice and during it the candidate is introduced to the basic principles of Freemasonry. As noted in an earlier chapter, symbolic use of various building tools is employed to impress upon him moral truths and doctrines. The degree is serious throughout and, contrary to some wild tales occasionally circulated, there is never any horseplay or frivolity involved (this is true of all three symbolic degrees). Upon completion of the degree, the candidate begins learning a catechism in which he must become proficient before he may receive the next degree.

In the second degree he becomes a fellow craft, learning still more of the principles and teachings of Freemasonry, especially of its close alliance with the arts and sciences. Again, he must commit a catechism to memory before proceeding to the next degree.

The third and final degree is that of master mason, teaching still more of the moral truths of the fraternity, culminating with an impressive lesson concerning the rich rewards awaiting all good men.

Freemasonry is about learning as the words doctrines, teachings, and truths are mentioned. Just as one earns a degree upon achieving a level of knowledge, a Mason is conferred degrees for successfully completing levels of learning. Upon having earned the third degree in the Blue Lodge becoming a Master Mason, an individual can seek to further his Masonic education in other Masonic Orders, mainly the Scottish Rite or the York Rite. The Masonic Lodge is a place where teaching occurs and lots of it!

“The catechisms a Mason is required to learn as he progresses through the degrees are often, at the outset, regarded as considerable chores and candidates sometimes wonder why they are required at all. But, they serve useful purposes for the fraternity and—although he may not realize it at the time—they are particularly useful to the Mason all through his life.”

What Does the Bible Say About the Philosophies and Doctrines Adopted by Masons?

Masons will generally argue that the path to enlightenment is the same as referenced in scripture. John 1: 9 refers to Jesus as, “That True Light which gives light to every man that comes into the world.-NKJV” The issue is whether the light of freemasonry is in fact the True Light or what is described in 2Cor. 11: 14-15, “For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers transform themselves into ministers of righteousness.-NKJV” In fact, John 1: 9 and verses like John 14: 6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Me-NKJV” are problematic for Masons because these verses assert that Jesus is the only true way to God, thus nullifying [cancel out] any other path to God. On their website www.grandlodge-nc.org, the Masonic chapter of North Carolina contends

In a Masonic lodge, he will not hear one religion advanced as being superior to any other.

How can a Christian be involved in anything that claims all religions or paths to God are the same? The God of the Bible does claim in Isa. 45: 5, “I am the Lord and there is no other; there is no God besides Me.-NKJV” One is wrong, either the Word of God or the Masons.

Oaths and Degrees

Next we will examine another critical aspect of freemasonry, the oaths taken to pass from one degree to the next. The first degree, or Entered Apprentice, places his hand on the sacred book of his religion (the Bible, Koran, etc.) and swears an oath stating various obligations including:

“I do most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, without the least equivocation, mental reservation, or self evasion of mind in me whatever; binding myself under no less penalty than to have my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by the roots, and my body buried in the rough sands of the sea at low watermark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four hours; so help me God, and keep me steadfast in the due performance of the same.” (Captain Morgan, “Freemasonry Exposed,” pages 21-22.)

Oaths for the second degree, the Fellow Craft and the third, Master Mason have similar yet more serious oaths. Subsequent degrees require even more severe oaths to be taken.

Once a man becomes a Master Mason, he is eligible to join the Scottish Rite or the York Rite. Scottish Rite Masonry has twenty-nine more degrees and York Rite has ten more degrees. Each of these degrees includes initiation, with a blood oath. (Theresa Morgan, “Freemasons Roots and links to the Occult”)

Matt. 5: 33 says, “Again you have heard it was said to those of old, You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord. But I say to you do not swear at all; neither by heaven for it is God’s throne,; nor by earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King; nor shall you swear by your head (as is required in freemasonry) because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your Yes be yes, and your No be No. For whatever is more than these is from the evil one (directly categorizes such Masonic oaths as from Lucifer).-NKJV” Furthermore, 1 Cor. 11: 25 speaks of commemorating the only blood covenant directly we as believers are to partake in (though some may include marriage). “This cup is the new covenant in My blood [referring to the death of Jesus for our sins]. This do as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me [and His sacrifice on Calvary].-NKJV” The Scripture clearly commands in 2 Cor. 6: 14-18:

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? ¹⁵ And what concord hath Christ with Belial [aka Baal]? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel [unbeliever]? ¹⁶ And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ¹⁷ Wherefore come out from among them , and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. ¹⁸ And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.-KJV”

What Exactly is Freemasonry?

What exactly is freemasonry? At its onset the fraternity appears to promote social enhancement, then personal enlightenment, and finally somewhat of a religion with its own belief system that seems to encompass all faiths. Albert Pike, a 33^rd degree Mason, founding father of the Illuminati (an exclusive group of Satanist 33^rd degree Masons), and leader of the Scottish Rite in the South during and after the Civil War, is one the most renown figures in Masonic history. He outlined, through a vision received from Satan, a blueprint to establish One World Order after the chaos of 3 world wars. He also authored a book on freemasonry regarded by some a Masonic guide for daily living entitled Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Masonry. Masonic doctrine has changed little since its inception. Pike, one of the greatest leaders in Masonic history declares freemasonry to be a religion, a hidden, universal, eternal, religion.

[Masonry is] … the custodian and depository (since Enoch) of the great philosophical and religious truths, unknown to the world at large…. Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, by Albert Pike, Washington D.C., 1958, p. 210.

Every Masonic Lodge is a temple of religion, and its teachings are instructions in … the universal, eternal, immutable religion…. Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, by Albert Pike, Washington D.C., 1958, pp. 213, 219.

This is where most Masons will disagree as they are assured all faiths are accepted as freemasonry is not about religion. Even the oaths were said to be merely symbolic. Many are sincere in their efforts to improve themselves and their society, unaware of the realities of the freemasonry. How should Christian Masons conduct themselves? Allow Masons to explain.

Conflicts Between Freemasonry and the Teachings of Christ

A Christian Mason is not permitted to introduce his own peculiar opinions with regards to Christ’s mediatorial office into the lodge. (Albert G. Mackey, “Lexicon of Freemasonry,” page 404)

It is further explained that once a Mason drops the teachings of Jesus, he will find that Masonry is rooted in the ancient occultism known as Kaballah.

Drop the theological barnacles from the religion of Jesus, as taught by Him, and by the Essenes and Gnostics of the first centuries, and it becomes Masonry, Masonry in its purity, derived as it is from the old Hebrew Kaballa as a part of the great universal religion of the remotest antiquity. (J. D. Buck, “Mystic Masonry,” page 119)

Whether you swear or take God’s name in vain don’t matter so much. Of course the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, as you know, don’t amount to anything, but Mah-hah-bone–O, horror! You must never, on any account, speak that awful name aloud. That would be a most heinous crime–unmasonic–unpardonable. (Edmond Ronayne, “Masonic Handbook,” page 184)

John 17: 17reveals that the word of God is truth. Masons share a different perspective.

Freemasonry is not Christianity, nor a substitute for it. It does not meddle with sectarian creeds or doctrines, but teaches fundamental religious truth.“ (Albert G. Mackey, “Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, page 162)

God is known as “the nameless one of a hundred names.” Henry Wilson Coil, “A Comprehensive View of Freemasonry,” Richmond: Macoy Publishing, 1973, p. 192.

The symbolism of the Master’s Degree, as we have it now, is necessarily restricted to the First Temple and to the present life; although it reaches a climax in the assurance of a future life all without the aid of the Bible, God, Jesus Christ or the church.” (John A. Hertel Company, The Masonic Bible,’ pages 10-11)

Pay close attention the last sentence in the excerpt from the Masonic Bible. Ultimately, the goal of Masonry is a life without the Bible, God, Jesus, or the Church. Masons teach that God is the nameless one of many names, or a hundred names. This doctrine suggests that the god(s) of all religions and the God of the Bible are one and the same. Every religion simply has a unique name for the same Deity. Hence, Buddha, Allah, Hare Krishna, and Yahweh are referring to the same Deity in a different name. The Bible declares in Acts 4: 12 of Jesus, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. –NKJV” Why are most Masons unaware of this? Again, let us not presume to know the secrets of Masonry, rather let us allow a Mason to explain.

Secrets and Deception

Masonry, like all the religions, all the Mysteries, Hermeticism and Alchemy, conceals its secrets from all except the Adepts and Sages, or the Elect, and uses false explanations and misinterpretations of its symbols to mislead those who deserve only to be misled; to conceal the Truth, which it calls light, from them…. Truth is not for those that are unworthy….” Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, by Albert Pike, Washington D.C., 1958, p 104-105.

Simply put, the secrets of freemasonry are hidden form all except those in the highest of degrees of Masonry, as truth as they call it is reserved for only those who are worthy or have attained the highest degrees. The meanings and symbolism taught throughout most of the degrees of freemasonry are intentionally false and misleading. Masons are not taught the truth concerning their own practices and tenets.

The Blue Degrees are but the outer court…of the Temple. Part of the symbols are displayed there to the [lower] Initiate, but he is intentionally misled by false interpretations. It is not intended that he shall understand them, but it is intended that he shall imagine he understands them… Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, by Albert Pike, Washington D.C., 1958, p. 819.

Many Masons never earn degrees beyond the Blue Lodge degrees, or the entry level degrees of freemasonry. Consequently, they are misled into a false understanding of what freemasonry teaches. By the time a Christian Mason is exposed to the real doctrines of freemasonry he is just a Mason, having lost Christianity in the pursuit of the Masonic light.

What drives people to join such organizations? Is it the fellowship, the friendships, the sense of belonging? Could it be networking to advance a business or career? Maybe it is an emptiness or void, perhaps a family tradition. Tell me, which of those benefits are not available in Christ? Why do we resort to idolatry, giving our hearts, commitment, and affection to things and people other than Jesus?

God Adds by First Taking Away

In my conclusion I want to convey a spiritual principle. John 10: 10 declares, “The thief does not come except to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.-NKJV” God comes into the lives of men to give or add life to them. Satan, on the contrary, comes into lives of men to steal and take way. The principle lies in how they accomplish their purpose. A search throughout the Old and New Testament will confirm this principle. God adds by first taking away and Satan takes way by first adding. The truth is that God’s method of adding to is by taking from and is exemplified in John 15: 2, “Every branch that does not bear fruit He takes away [to make room for more branches that are bearing fruit]; and every branch that bears fruit He purges [cuts back and trims away useless growth], that it may bear more fruit.-NKJV” Even regarding His covenants, Heb. 10: 9 states, “…He takes away the first that He might establish the second.-NKJV” God calls the second a better covenant in Heb. 8: 6 , ”But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.-KJV”

Time will not permit me to call the entire host of witnesses that loss in order to gain, that God took away from in order to add to their lives. Men like Abraham, who was sent away from his kin and native country but inherits a promise to father the nation of God through which the Son of God would come. There was Joseph who was his father’s favorite but sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. He ends up in prison for a crime he did not commit just for God to elevate him to second only to Pharoah himself. Nearly 400 years later there was Moses whose calling required him to forfeit the wealth of Egypt as son to Pharoah, but God chose him to lead His people in deliverance from bondage. Consider Ruth who loses her husband and decides to take care of her mother-in-law, ending up in a field working for a rich man who marries her and takes care of her the rest of her life.

Remember the widow about to make a cake for her and her son and die of famine caused by drought. The prophet Elijah asks her to take from her last meal and to make him a little cake first and prophesies that her oil and flour would not be used up until God sent rain on the earth. And it was so. Job, the most righteous man in the Earth and the richest in the East (“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you-NKJV”) lost everything he had, all his children, and his friends. After praying for mercy on his friends turned enemies, God restored him twice as much as he had before. We haven’t begun to exhaust even the Old Testament examples of this principle. My last example is a living epistle, You! How many times has God had you to let go of things, people, and associations. Your heart was broken just to later find that if it had not been taken away, you would have missed a greater blessing!

Satan Takes Away by First Adding

Likewise how many examples in scripture do we find Satan offering to add something of desire only to take away what mattered most. Satan did this in the Garden with Eve. How many kings did he turn from God with power, wealth, and women? Consider Ahab who gains a powerful alliance through a marriage to Jezebel but would later lose his life and his soul. What of Solomon and Sampson whose desires were fulfilled through ungodly relationships that would later ensnare them and cost them God operating through their gifts? How many of God’s prophet’s and people the same way? Lucifer even tried it, though unsuccessfully, with Jesus in the wilderness. He would later offer Judas Iscariot 30 pieces of silver to betray the Lord, of which Jesus remarked it would have been better for him if he had not been born. How many men and women were and are willfully used by Satan in Scripture in exchange for the enjoyment of sin for a season? How many pages would be required to list them all?

How many times has what looked to be a blessing turn into a curse? How many circumstances and situations have we experienced which were easy to get into but hard to get out of? This is how Satan ensnares Christians into the bondage of freemasonry and fraternal orders like it. He makes the Christian an offer. Nevermind the fact that what he offers is usually promised in the Word of God. After all, this decision could make your desire a reality now as opposed to an unspecified amount of time. Ultimately, Christians join for what it appears to add only to discover the loss of something far more valuable than the temporary gain.

Your Measure of Faith

We tend to lament letting go of things, opportunities, and people that we really want in our lives. All of these fraternal orders like freemasonry can seem to provide. The connections within the secret society often promise economic opportunity, favor when in legal trouble, on the job, or when seeking admission into universities to name a few. Often, the desires we hold on to are fleshly. Fleshly desires are can only be enjoyed in the body or in time. They are not of eternal consequence or are unnecessary for salvation and a relationship with God. Money, houses, cars, even relationships and marriages all provide time-based enjoyment. None of these will be in heaven. On the contrary, a spiritual desire or the spiritually minded, “…do not look at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2Cor. 4: 18- NKJV” When we get what we want we offer God praise claiming it as a blessing. We have to be careful when receiving things in this category. Surely God gives us the desires of our heart. Though, this is only after He has given our heart what to desire. Too often believers are deceived into thinking God has added, when in reality Satan has added something carnal to take away something spiritual from us. Remember, when God adds it looks and hurts like a loss first!

The real issue is not whether a Christian can be a Mason but whether a believer can be a Mason. Believers or disciples were first called Christians at Antioch according to Acts 11: 26. Christian is a title, an observation by others at best. I challenge you to find a verse wherein Jesus calls his disciples Christians, rather He called them believers. What do you really believe about Jesus, about His Word? Not the answer you would give in Sunday School but the real answer. Perhaps one that sounds closer to the exasperated man who cried out with tears in Mark 9: 24, “Lord I believe but help my unbelief!- NKJV”

It is imperative to understand what the Bible reveals concerning faith. For sake of brevity, I will present scriptures that bare principles confirmed throughout the Bible regarding faith. God gave to every man the measure of faith according to Rom. 12: 3. It is a fixed amount. In Luke 8: 25, as His disciples were in a storm Jesus asked, “Where is your faith?-KJV” These verses reveal that we have been given a fixed amount and can misplace our faith. You will believe something. The question is what you will believe. When a person loses faith in the Word of God, it does not cease to exist it but is placed elsewhere. Understand that Satan’s desire is to move your faith out of God’s Truth and put it someplace else. Satan will try to get you to believe the words of anyone else, even another Christian. Thus, many have more faith in what their preacher, church, or other Christians say about God than in the Word itself. How much of what people believe about God, whether accurate or not, is believed simply because they have always heard it and thought it to be true? If an individual does not know what the Bible actually states, their faith in that subject is not rooted in Christ.

In Luke 8: 4-15, (I challenge you to read it) Jesus teaches a parable describing three types of ground that the seed, representing God’s Word, will fall on. The ground represents people and the way individuals receive or hear God’s Word. Verse 13 is speaking to those who would call themselves Christians but have faith which is not rooted. “But the ones on the rock [seed which fell among rocky soil and the birds of the air devoured/stole the seed] are those who when they hear, receive the Word with joy and these have no root, who believe for a while and in the time of temptation [when facing circumstances that challenge that belief] fall away.-NKJV” Faith not rooted in the Word provides Satan the opportunity to steal or cause us to lose it. The grace of God is the opportunity to find it or get it back! That’s right. Get your faith out of disappointment, times when you failed, your Plan B, and the words and lives of others. Just because someone else did not make does not mean that you won’t. It doesn’t matter how righteous they were or are in your sight. Place your faith exclusively in the Grace given to you because of what Jesus did on the Cross. It is not whether God’s Word is in agreement with freemasonry but whether freemasonry, or any other thing for that matter, is in agreement with the Word. People tend to search the Scripture to find a verse proving that God supports or agrees with their desires, as if their will is the priority. In actuality, what matters is whether or not a person’s will or desires support or agrees with God’s Will as expressed in His Word. What will you choose to believe regarding whether freemasonry rests in agreement with the Word of God?

Final Thought

Listen, when I began to compose this article after many hours of research, I took on illness. I assure that I have been sick before. However, I have never had a sickness like this one. At one point, I lay bedridden feeling too weak to get up or speak and the only words I could utter with strength was the Word of God. I spoke to any demon in my presence, “Go give your master a message from me. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God. Even if you kill me, no matter what you do mankind, you are still going to kneel and confess Jesus is Lord. The difference is I will do so willfully.” Yet suffering symptoms I began to transcribe this article. I want you to know that as I wrote my body began to strengthen and I wrote virtually nonstop from mid-evening to mid-morning about 3: 30am. The further I progressed to completion, the stronger my body felt. It became evident to me that a Satan did not want me to write on this subject. Do not allow Satan to steal your faith regardless of how crafty his form. Beloved, I pray the love and power of God’s Word will cause freedom and victory to erupt in your life.

Christian Masons? Written by Elder Jonathan L. Williams of Shekinah Glory Outreach Ministries International Inc.

Written by: Guest Writer, of Shekinah Glory Outreach Ministries on June 24, 2010.