The Sermon by James White

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 19, 1867

The Sermon.

By James White

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom, PREACH THE WORD. 2 Tim. iv, 2.

SERMON

BY ELD. JAMES WHITE.

The Warfare and Victory.

“Abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul.” 1 Pet. ii, 11.

In briefly presenting this subject, we shall notice the following points, designated by the italicised words:

Abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul.
Abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul.
Abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul.
Abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul.
Abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul.

1. The word FLESHLY does not refer in particular to flesh-meats, but doubtless includes them, as the flesh of dead animals is one of the things that man has lusted for. The Israelites loathed the healthful food which God gave them from heaven, and lustfully looked back into Egypt for the flesh they ate there.

The term fleshly refers to fallen man with all the corruptions that his mortal nature is heir to, and is in the text used in contrast with the soul. Men lust for worldly gain, hence the inquiry of Jesus, “What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” Mark viii, 36. Here soul means life, embracing the future life. To yield to lust is sin, the wages of which is death; but to abstain from lust, or from sin, so as to be partakers of the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ, is eternal life. “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like, of the which I tell you before, as I have told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain-glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” Gal. v, 19–26.

Here the flesh is represented as being in opposition to the Spirit of God, as in chapter vi, 7, 8: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”

2. LUSTS. These are said to war against the soul, or life; and, if left to carry on their warfare unrestrained, will surely get the victory. The apostle James says that “every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” Chap. i, 14, 15.

Lust, or inordinate desire for that which is wrong, must be crucified, and the old man be slain, or it will overcome the new man, or mind of Christ in us. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Rom. vi, 6. “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” Gal. v, 24.

3. WAR. In a war there are two contending parties, who, when in battle, exert themselves to the utmost, employing the most deadly weapons to destroy each other. On one side is general lust, with three principal aids, namely, the world, the flesh, and the devil. On the other side is the soul, aided by Christ, the Holy Spirit, and good angels. But thanks be to God, Christ and good angels conquered Satan and his angels, and through him strengthening us we can do all things. He also overcame Satan’s temptations as he offered him the kingdoms of the world, and although tempted on all points as we are, he escaped the lusts of the flesh. Satan is a mighty foe, but Christ is mightier. Fallen angels are strong, but there are angels that excel in strength. And although the Christian warfare is fierce, the victory is sure to the true and faithful who have the heavenly armor on.

The Apostle to the Romans, chapters vii, and viii, delineates Christian experience, in which this warfare is also clearly brought to view. In chapter vii, 14–25, and viii, 1–5, he says: “For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do, I allow not; for what I would that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If, then, I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now, then, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me, that is my flesh, dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now, if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find, then, a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man; but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. Oh! wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So, then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh, the law of sin. There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit; for they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”

Thousands are in Rom. vii, where the battle goes hard for want of experience and consecration. God grant that they may get into chapter viii, where in freedom and fullness of joy they can exclaim, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh, the law of sin. There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit; for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

And at the close of the war there is an all-glorious victory. Our conquering King comes to triumphantly gather to himself the loyal and true soldiers of the cross, and takes them to their everlasting reward. “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Redemption is now completed, the earth is made new, Christ’s foes, including Satan, his angels, and all wicked men, are destroyed. The war is over, the reign of the King of peace has come, and earth’s jubal songs of victory peals forth from the discharged victors

without a jarring note from one of God’s enemies, for they are all as though they had not been. “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”

Go forth, now, ye blood-washed saints, and view your reward. The new earth is yours. Enter the golden city and gather round the tree of life; and with the golden cup of God drink of life’s flowing river. Join with the angels in singing of creating love. But it is yours to strike your harps a note higher than the angels can, and sing of redeeming love. This, oh! this, will constitute your most rapturous joy throughout the ceaseless rounds of endless ages.

4. THE SOUL. In the eyes of popular theology the soul is very small, but the Bible represents it as being, as a brother in Vermont expressed it, just as large as the body. We do not design to dwell on the nature and destiny of the soul, but quote a few texts to the point. The theme is too vast. The Review and Herald, and several ably written works at the Review Office, have done the subject far better justice than we can in the limits allowed us.

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.” Gen. ii, 7. Here no distinction is made between body and soul, but the man Adam, entire, formed of the dust, constituted the soul. And the statement that eight souls were saved in the ark, simply means that eight persons were saved from the waters of the flood. God, by his holy prophet, has said, “The soul that sinneth it shall die,” yet popular theology everywhere affirms that the soul is immortal, and whether it dwells in glory, or suffers in hell, can never die.

The gospel of Jesus Christ sets life and death before the sinner. Popular theology sets life only before him; either life in happiness, or life in misery. But we must pass from this part of the subject, and notice, lastly,

5. ABSTINENCE. The battle proves successful, and day is gained only in obedience to the injunction, “Abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul.” The subject of abstinence is nearly the same as that of human probation, and is sufficient to fill a volume. A few thoughts only must suffice, on the present occasion. God taught it to the holy pair in Eden. Life with them depended upon abstinence from the fruit of a single tree, while they were allowed free access to that of all the other trees of the garden. Life and death were set before them. Abstain and live, or eat and die. But through the subtlety of another they ate, and introduced to the world, beautiful from the hand of God, the reign of death, and the curse, whose blight is seen upon man and beast, and upon every living substance. The whole creation groaneth, and will groan, until redemption’s morn shall burst upon a ruined world, and the Redeemer shall make all things new.

The first offspring of the fallen pair, Adam and Eve, was moved with jealousy, anger, and wrath. These works of the flesh moved the bosom, and maddened the brain of Cain; and his brother, who walked with God, fell by his murderous blow. And as the fallen sons of Adam multiplied, each successive generation feeling the curse more deeply, violence filled the land, and the people, with the exception of a very few, gave themselves up to all the lusts of the flesh. The lesson of abstinence taught to Adam and Eve in Eden was lost upon them, notwithstanding they saw and knew the terrible results of their transgression. They had been driven from Eden, and the earth, once beautiful, had been stained with blood from a want of that abstinence taught by a righteous God; yet they rushed on in crime.

The few who abstained from the lusts of the flesh are mentioned in sacred history like the following: Abel’s works are said to be righteous. It is said of Enoch, the seventh from Adam, that he walked with God. Lot’s righteous soul was vexed. Noah was a preacher of righteousness. And the prophets are called holy. Their lives of abstinence also stand out in bold relief upon the sacred page.

The history of each is also written. One is visited with visible marks of God’s displeasure, with the fire of his wrath, and with flood. They are also reserved till the day of God, at the close of which they will be cast into the lake of fire which will consume them. The other class, true to the great law of abstinence, suffer from the ungodly, yet toil on in hope of the bright future. These all died in faith, of whom the world was not worthy. But their final destiny! we will not attempt to describe it! “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man.” The inspired words of the apostle probably reach nearest to it, as he weighs all the tribulations of a short life of abstinence, and the endless reward to be given. “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

The ancients gave themselves up unrestrained to the lusts of the flesh. These we will notice as follows:

1. The eating of meat. It was not the design of God that the life of any living creature should be taken. The spilling of blood, and the eating of meat, is sin. The first permission to eat the flesh of animals was to Noah when he left the ark, which, under the circumstances, was a matter of necessity. But that God designed that his ancient people should leave its use is evident from the history of the Israelites in leaving Egypt. While in slavery they ate that which was given them to eat. As they left the house of bondage, God gave them manna. But they loathed the light food and lusted for the flesh meats which they ate in Egypt. God could as easily have rained from heaven the flesh of dead animals as he did angels’ food. But he gave them the manna because it was best for them. He finally gave them the flesh of quails, the simplest kind of meat, to prove to them that manna was better for them than flesh. It made them sick; yet they lusted, and murmured, and the result was that but two adults that left Egypt, out of the many thousand, ever entered the land of promise.

2. Covetousness. Satan coveted the place of Jesus Christ, and fell. And to guard men against this sin, the tenth precept of the moral law was given. The brother who covets after more of the corruptible things of this world, pierces himself with many sorrows. His feeble efforts to overcome grow feebler, until he falls in the spiritual warfare, and is lost. The thorny cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches have pierced him to death.

But, be assured, it is not the rich only who are guilty of the sin of covetousness. The poor among Seventh-day Adventists are in the greatest danger of coveting the things of the wealthy. They should rather rejoice that they have fewer thorns, fewer responsibilities, and less dangers than their wealthy brethren. Godliness, with contentment, will be great gain to them, while he who should gain the whole world and lose his own soul, would suffer great loss.

3. Sexual lusts. We cannot refrain from speaking out against this soul-and-body-destroying sin, from delicate feelings, as it comes in direct range of our subject. Bible history presents a fearful picture. The character of many, even of the servants of God, has been marred by this loathsome sin. While the lives of a few, such as Abel, Enoch, Elijah, and Daniel shine in purity, that of others is darkened with a cloud. But some of these, such as faithful Abraham, who was tried and proved as no other man has been, a wrestling Jacob, and a repenting David, finally overcame. At the same time thousands have rolled in moral uncleanness, and have called down upon their heads the wrath of God in fire upon the cities of the plains, and the flood of waters in the days of Noah.

We close our remarks by saying that we do not cherish the wild ideas of some relative to the future improvement of the race, should time continue. But the sufferings of the present generation, married and single, can find relief only in abstinence.

God will help all those who help themselves, and press the warfare to the salvation of the soul, and abstain from fleshly lusts. Amen.