p. 582 | Christ and the Law by John Nevins Andrews

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 23, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 37.

Christ and the Law.

By John Nevins Andrews

The following from the pen of Elder J. N. Andrews appeared in the Review and Herald years ago, but age has not caused it to lose any of its force or point. Elder Andrews was the pioneer Seventh-day Adventist foreign missionary, and died in Switzerland a few years ago. He was one of the first to advocate the doctrine of the Third Angel’s Message, by means of the pen, and though he was a prolific writer, he wrote with the greatest care. His History of the Sabbath is justly regarded by all who have read it as a classic on that subject. The article which follows is an extract from a review of one who had argued for the abolition of the law. It shows that Christ is truly honored only by those who acknowledge and insist upon the fact that God’s law is now and forever binding upon all men.

“The doctrine stated by Paul in the third chapter of Romans is worthy of careful study, and lasting remembrance. The great truth that the law of God condemns the whole world, is here unequivocally stated. The reason is also given in distinct terms: ‘All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.’ Verse 23. And such is the justice of this condemnation that ‘every mouth’ is ‘stopped.’ What is now brought to view as the hope of lost men? Is it that God will take back his law, and receive those into his favor who are now condemned before him? Sooner would heaven and earth pass ‘than one tittle of the law’ of God. How then may men be justified before God who now are condemned and guilty in his sight? The apostle answers: ‘Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.’ Verses 24–26. That God, instead of abolishing his law, should give his own Son to die in the place of those who have broken it, and should offer pardon to such only as should avail themselves of this propitiation, is proof of the strongest character possible, that that law is immutable. Those only who avail themselves of this propitiation are ‘delivered from wrath;’ the claims of the law remain good on all beside; for they are left to answer the demands of the broken law. The great idea held out in the New Testament, is that of pardon through faith in the blood of Jesus; but if his death abolished the law, the consequences are precisely the same, whether men avail themselves of pardon or not. If they are pardoned it is well; if they are not, there is no law which condemns them. The fact that we are so urgently entreated to seek pardon through the blood of Jesus, shows that we may expect the fearful sentence of the law to be executed upon us, if we do not avail ourselves of it. Paul has settled the question, however, as may be seen by reading on to verse 31: ‘Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, WE ESTABLISH THE LAW.’

“But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident; for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith; but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law.’ Gal. 3:11–13.

“This abundantly proves the doctrine that the law condemns the whole world, and that none can be justified in the sight of God, except through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He has ‘redeemed us from the curse of the law.’ But how? By abolishing it? No! verily. By offering up himself in our stead. 1 Peter 2:24. He took the curse upon himself. Gal. 3:13. He did not ‘destroy the law;’ he submitted himself to its penalty. But how many are delivered from the curse of the law? Is it all the world? or is it such only as make a personal application of the atonement to themselves? If the former view be correct, then the doctrine of Universalism is true, for the atonement avails equally for those who do not, as for those who do, accept it. If, however, it is those only who believe on the Son of God, who are redeemed from the curse of the law, then the world is left under it, and remains in the fearful state described in Rom. 3:19, and will have to answer, not only for breaking the law, but also for treading under foot the Son of God, who died to redeem them. The reason why the law could not give life, was not because the law was not ‘holy,’ ‘spiritual,’ and ‘perfect,’ but because men had broken it; and it could only condemn them, and show their guilt before God. Hence the apostle says that ‘by the law is the knowledge of sin.’ There is seen, therefore, the absolute necessity of the death of Jesus Christ. When, therefore, the New Testament holds out pardon through him, it is because the law condemns us, and we are exposed to its just sentence.

“The idea that the law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith, is often urged as proof that the law is abolished. How is the law our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ? We answer, it shows our guilt and just condemnation, and that we are lost without a Saviour. Hear the apostle Paul, who was converted since the time when it is said the law was abolished. ‘I HAD NOT KNOWN SIN BUT BY THE LAW.’ Rom. 7:7. ‘BY THE LAW IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN.’ Rom. 3:20. Read a full account of Paul’s experience in this school, also his deliverance from the carnal mind, which ‘is not subject to the law of God.’ Rom. 7:7–25; 8:1–7. The instruction of the law is absolutely necessary, for without it we can never know our guilt in the sight of God. It shows our just condemnation, its penalty hangs over our heads; we find ourselves lost, and fly to Jesus Christ. What does he do to save us from the curse of the law? Does he abolish the law that he may save its transgressors? He assures us that he did ‘not come to destroy’ it; and we know that the law being ‘holy, just, and good,’ cannot be taken back without destroying the government of him who gave it. Does the Saviour modify its character and lessen its demands? Far from it. He testifies that ‘one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.’ Matt. 5:18; Luke 16:17; James 2:10. And he knows that those who in heart commit any act of iniquity, are transgressors of the law. Matt. 5:22, 27, 28; 1 John 3:15. If the Saviour did not abolish or relax the law, how can those who have fled to him ‘for refuge,’ hope for salvation? What does he do, to save the transgressors from the sentence of the law? He gives up himself to die in their stead. He lays down his own ‘life a ransom for many.’ Matt. 20:28. ‘God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ John 3:16. Man, though justly condemned, can now be pardoned without dishonoring God, or making void his law. God can be just, and yet the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Rom. 3:25, 26. Had the law been abolished at the death of Christ, it could not have been a schoolmaster many years afterward to bring the Galatians to Christ. Paul testifies that he ‘HAD NOT KNOWN SIN, EXCEPT THE LAW HAD SAID, THOU SHALT NOT COVET.’ But an abolished law could never have convinced him of sin as a transgressor. James 2:8, 9; Rom. 4:15. We cannot know sin ‘but by the law;’ but if the law was abolished by the death of Christ, the world has never known its sinful state, or realized its need of a Saviour. We may state on the highest authority, that the law brings us to faith for justification, and that faith does not make void the law, but establishes it. Gal. 3:23; Rom. 3:31. The fact that the law is our schoolmaster to show us the claims of God, and our own just condemnation, is direct evidence that it has not been abolished; hence though we have been pardoned through the death of Jesus, and thus rescued from its righteous sentence, we can never violate its precepts without being convinced by it as transgressors.”