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How Sin Is Condemned

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International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 21, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 40.

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How Sin Is Condemned.

A CORRESPONDENT of the Congregationalist writes to that paper as follows:—
“There is one thing which I cannot comprehend, and that is, why, if the New Departure doctrine of probation after this life is not true, it is not more distinctly condemned in the Scriptures.”
We don’t propose to make any comment on the doctrine of future probation, which many professed Christians have recently borrowed from Papacy and Paganism, but to clear up a very common difficulty, which is implied in the above quotation. That is, the idea that a thing is not wrong unless the Bible distinctly names that thing in terms of condemnation. This is a grave error. The Bible condemns error in two ways. First, by prohibiting it in express terms. By this means we know that it is wrong to steal, to lie, to swear, break the Sabbath, etc. Second, by inculcating something which is directly the opposite of the objectionable thing. One of these ways is really no stronger way of condemning error than the other. If the Bible tells us that a certain thing is true, it by that means just as forcibly tells us that everything which in any way differs from the thing commended is wrong.
Thus the Bible does not say in express terms that it is wrong to keep the first day of the week; but it plainly says: “Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt not do any work.” The command to keep the Sabbath is a prohibition against keeping any other day. And so we might go through the whole list.
One thing however will be noticed by every one who carefully and conscientiously studies the Bible, and that is, that in reality both methods of teaching are used on about every subject. While by the commendation of good all evil is condemned, it is a fact that there is no form of evil that is not in some place in the Bible distinctly condemned.