Untitled article by Eld. Albert Stone

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · January 7, 1868

The Sermon.

By Eld. Albert Stone

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.

THE WAGES OF SIN.

BY ELD. ALBERT STONE.

TEXT. Rom. vi, 23. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

This text will lead us to speak

I. Of the nature of death.

1. Death, in whatever light it may be viewed, is an enemy to the race of man. It is a penalty inflicted on the whole race, on account of the sin of the first pair. It is a solemn testimony to all generations of God’s displeasure on account of sin. Its approach is heralded by dreadful diseases, and racking pains of body and derangement of mind. It takes in pieces, levels with the dust, and destroys the greatest piece of mechanism that the eyes of men ever beheld. It disrobes beauty, severs the strongest ties of affection, causes moans, tears, and mental agony, breaks the loving circle, wrenches from decrepid age and helpless infancy their only support; the beautiful voice, and the harmonious step are no more, and weeping mourners exclaim with one of old, “Bury my dead out of my sight.”

2. Death is not, as some suppose, complex in its nature, consisting of “death natural, death spiritual, and death eternal,” by which last is intended eternal conscious suffering under the displeasure of God. Such a view introduces confusion into the plan of salvation, thwarts the purpose of God, and makes the blood of Christ of no avail.

This will appear plain, if we consider one important truth, which by many, has been overlooked or forgotten, and that is, that original sin, as it is termed, or the sin of the first pair, which is the sole cause of death, finds no atonement in the blood of Christ. The plan of God contemplates no mercy, no pardon for that sin. The sentence, “In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die” (“dying thou shalt die,” margin), whatever is intended by it, must be suffered by man in his own person.

Proof of the above is seen in the following facts:

1st. If atonement for original sin had been included in God’s plan of redeeming the world by his Son, then man would not have died; the execution of the sentence would have been stayed, and the race effectually and forever reprieved.

2d. But man dies and pays the debt in his own person. All men die; the righteous and the wicked, the old and the young, the high and the low, the rich and the poor, the slave and his master, the hardened sinner and the harmless infant, all, all, without distinction, are called to meet the exaction, and satisfy the imperious demand, in their own persons.

Man dies, not because he has sinned personally, but because the first pair broke God’s prohibitory law. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (marginal, “in whom” all have sinned).

3dly. We inquire again, to what condition does death reduce the race of man? or, in other words, what does death take from man? Answer,

First, Probation. Man, when created, was placed in a state of probation for the achievement of a character, gifts and possessions, which, when achieved, would have placed the race in an exalted position. Properly speaking, he had no character, no confirmed mortality, or immortality, but was a candidate for either of these, and they could be developed only by his action toward law. The formation of character is man’s own work, not God’s. God gave to man a law which he broke, and thus became a sinner. “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

Now, the execution of this penalty, takes from man just what God gave him in the day when he created him, neither more nor less. He gave him, first, life; secondly, a kingly dominion. “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. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Gen. i, 26. In being deprived of life, he becomes just what he was before life was given, “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

Secondly. In losing his life he loses his dominion and inheritance. The curse of the Creator rests on man and on the world, and the whole creation groans and travails in unutterable agonies. The six days’ work of the Creator is spoiled. Sin reigns unto death, and, lost! lost! lost! is written on creation’s brow.

Now suppose for a moment that man is created in the possession of innate immortality; that he has a mortal body, and an immortal soul; that the threatening for disobedience includes not only the death of the body, but also that of the soul, by which is understood its eternal conscious punishment in the torments of hell. If such be the case, the conclusion is unavoidable that God has never revealed a plan by which such beings can be saved.

Do not forget that no atonement is made for original sin by the death of Christ. If, then, the threatening includes eternal conscious suffering, it follows that man cannot be saved by any plan which does not include in itself an atonement for original sin. The gospel of Christ can do nothing for men possessing natural immortality.

Again, if man possesses an immortal, deathless soul, and as God created all things that were created during the first six days of the world’s history, and consequently has not exercised his creative power since that time, it follows, as a matter of course, that the souls of the entire race of mankind, including the generations of the past and the future, have had a conscious existence since the world began. Who is prepared to credit such an absurdity? Yet the idea of man’s innate immortality shuts us up to this very faith; for as God is the Creator of all things, and as all things were created in six days, it follows that the souls of the entire race of man have had an active, intelligent, and conscious existence for nearly six thousand years. Common sense, and the experience of every person is a refutation of such a theory.

God’s plans are perfect, and in their executions, will prove to be without defect. But when men undertake to make improvements upon God’s plans, they will unavoidably introduce confusion.

Thus we see that fallen man lives, and dies, and goes into the grave, and there is where the gospel of redeeming grace finds him, with this one exception, viz.: that in the present life the children of God are regenerated, or begotten by the incorruptible seed, which is the word of God: “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.” James i, 18. “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever.” 1 Pet. i, 23.

The above, with other like texts, show how immortality is brought to light, and the process through which men have to pass in order to obtain it. By the first Adam, the light of immortality was obscured and put out just as it began to dawn upon him and upon his race through the tree of life which was planted in Eden, and to which he had access.

The inspired writers unite their testimony in describing fallen man as the creature of a moment. Thus Job xiv, 1, 2, 4, says: “Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down; he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.” “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower

of the grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away; but the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” 1 Pet. i, 24, 25.

Thus the wages of sin is death—death to the whole man. In death he has no possessions, no enjoyments, hopes, or expectations, no knowledge, or wisdom, or life. Whatever were his endowments in life, either of body, soul, or spirit, they are buried with him in the grave, where he sleeps the long sleep of death. He has been tried, found guilty, punished, and discharged from service. The Creator has no further claims upon him, and he has no further duties to perform, or obligations to discharge.

Independent of the gospel plan, which is a revelation made subsequent to the fall of man, the power of death can never be broken, the door of his prison-house can not be opened, but

“Silence, death, and long despair, Reign in eternal darkness there.”

He waits no shout of victory, no voice of angel, or trump of God, to wake him from the sleep of death. To such a condition of man is the gospel of Christ adapted. We now come to speak,

II. Of some of the successive stages by which death is overcome, or destroyed, and eternal life obtained.

“The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The gospel of Christ is the announcement of the free and merciful gift of God to men. It may be regarded simply as an appendage to human affairs, of which he could have had no knowledge, and to which he could make no claim. Angels could not foresee that God would rescue man from the grave. No attribute of the divine Creator would have been tarnished in the eyes of an intelligent universe, had he left rebellious man without help or hope. The tree of life is guarded by cherubim and a flaming sword, so he cannot immortalize himself in his rebellious state and live forever. He has nothing to do but die, to go back to that state from whence he came, and be no more.

But God created the world with a purpose to make it a permanent habitation of men,—of men who should bear his image, both personal and moral, that as an additional colony of his universe, it might add beauty and glory to his possessions. It could not be in harmony with the plan of God that this purpose should not be executed. And further, the excellency of his nature induced him to love his fallen children with the love of pity and compassion, which moved him to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever would believe in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

The object for which Christ came into the world, was to save the world, in harmony with his Father’s broken law, and thus carry out in effect the original purpose of God by giving his life a ransom for the world. This done, and the sacrifice accepted, the race of man is again placed upon probation for eternal life. The second probationary state differs from the first in one important particular, viz., in the first, Adam was the representative of his race; in the second, each person stands or falls according to his personal deeds. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Eze. xviii, 4.

The penalty for disobedience, in both instances, is the same; disobedience is punished with death, and the holy requirements of God are the test of character.

1. In the fullness of time the meek and lowly Saviour appeared in the manger of Bethlehem; the angel of the Lord announces his birth to the shepherds, saying, “Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people;” for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is “Christ the Lord.” And suddenly the ultimate object of his advent is announced by heavenly messengers, viz.: “Peace on earth, and good will to men.” Luke ii, 10–14. The birth of Christ is an important step in the development and execution of the plan of redemption.

His baptism by John, his temptation by Satan, his public ministry, and the miracles which he did, were indications of his ultimate success and final ejectment of Satan from his usurped authority and power over the affairs of the world.

2. The death of Christ is also necessary, in order to give eternal life to his people. The testimony of inspiration is that the “whole world lieth in wickedness,” and that our Lord Jesus Christ gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father. 1 John v, 19; Gal. i, 4.

In order, therefore, to destroy death and him that hath the power of death, that is, the Devil, the Lord Jesus enters the grave, explores the dominions of death, and by his resurrection saps the foundation of Satan’s kingdom, and takes from him the key of death. He rises a conqueror over death, and brings life and immortality to light. 2 Tim. i, 8–10.

When Adam and Eve sinned, the hope of immortality for the race of man perished; its light was obscured; the tree of life was first guarded, then removed; and the light and hope of immortality were both buried in the grave with the first transgressors, and it can never have a resurrection, unless the second Adam, who is the Lord Jesus Christ, goes into the grave, and, with his own precious life, brings it forth again from its obscurity. This he has accomplished; and thereby made the attainment of immortality a possibility, and set it forth as the greatest of blessings, to be sought for and obtained by the children of men. Thus the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

3. This gift will be bestowed at the resurrection of the just. Then those who have been faithful unto death will receive a crown of life. Rev. ii, 10. Then that which has been sown in corruption will be raised in incorruption. “It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. Behold, I show you a mystery; 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, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. xv.

4. Those who receive the gift of life will receive an inheritance which will consist of,

1st, A new heaven and a new earth. “For behold I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered nor come into mind.” Isa. lxv, 17. “Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” 2 Pet. iii, 13. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matt. v, 5. “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Matt. xxv, 34. “And thou, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.” Micah iv, 8.

2dly, Incorruptibility. “To an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, that fadeth not away.” 1 Pet. i, 4.

3dly, All things made new. “And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.” Rev. xxi, 5. “He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” Rev. xxi, 7.

This subject teaches that life and death are set before us in the gospel, and that if we fail to obtain the one, we must endure the other. Reader, you are invited to join the life-seeking company. Amen.