Untitled article by C. H. Keslake

Pacific Press Publishing Co. · New York · December 1, 1898

The Holy Spirit and Sunday.—No. 14.

By C. H. Keslake

BY C. H. KESLAKE.

Jesus Christ is the author of religious liberty for all men. In him originates this principle, eternal in its nature, and broad as the universe.

Christ’s mission to earth was for the purpose of setting men free. At the beginning of his ministry he exclaimed, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance [to proclaim liberty] to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised; to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Isa. 61:1, 2; Luke 4:18, 19.

This proclamation strikes at the bondage of sin. This will be seen from the language of Christ in John 8:31–36: “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my words, then are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. . . . Whosoever committeth sin is the servant [lit. bondslave] of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house forever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

Why was this liberty proclaimed to every captive son and daughter of Adam? The answer is: “That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.” Luke 1:74, 75.

This is liberty indeed—liberty so complete that all who choose to do so, may serve the Lord, and serve him in holiness and righteousness all their life long. It is liberty to do right—to do righteousness. Without this liberty it would be utterly impossible to render acceptable service to the Author of our being. Service pleasing to him is that where the heart is yielded up unreservedly to God—service which alone is prompted by love and wrought in faith. Rom. 6:13; Gal. 5:6.

So sacred is this principle of liberty, so important is it that it shall be left untrammeled, that even God will let a man go wrong—will even let him commit sin rather than compel him by brute force to do right. Nay, such a thing as forcing a man to do right is an absolute impossibility—even with Deity. Could this have been done, there would have been no necessity for Christ to have given himself for sinners. The only force that God can possibly use to lead a soul to serve him is love, and love does not coerce; it does not make a man do a thing against his will; it simply makes him willing, and being willing, the service then rendered is a delightsome one.

It follows, therefore, that no one can of right interpose himself between the individual and his God, and by force compel him to render one single duty to God. The man or body of men who would do this—whether in legislative halls, or in church capacity, even though it is done professedly in the name of Christ—any or all such, in that thing, would thereby declare themselves the enemies of both God and man.

The logic therefore is that no man can justly judge another because of his religious belief, or even of his unbelief.

Nor do we need to depend upon mere human deductions, plain though they be. We have the highest authority and example possible in this matter, even that of Christ himself. This is what he says: “If any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not; for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.” John 12:47.

All that Jesus Christ taught was the truth, for he is “the Truth.” In not a single instance did he speak of himself. Thus he testified: “But the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting; whatsoever I speak, therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.” John 12: 49, 50. And all this was in order that souls might be saved, and only that souls might be saved. Even Christ could not judge and save at the same time. And if it is true of Christ, it is equally true of his representatives.

Now as Jesus taught that souls might be saved, there was salvation in all that he taught for all those who would believe it. Yet how few, comparatively, accepted his teachings. But notwithstanding there was salvation in every word he uttered, Christ did not even so much, as it were, turn his hand over to compel people to accept them. He made no appeal to any earthly power. And the reason for all this is plain enough. The Word of God needs no human props. It itself is “living and powerful.” Heb. 4:12, R. V. It can best do its work when untrammeled by the devices of men. But the truth is, the Word of God cannot be bound (2 Tim. 2:9); and whenever any attempt is made to enforce any doctrine professedly based upon the Word of God, such attempt is in itself good evidence that it is not the truth, and is therefore to be rejected.

No one can sit in judgment upon another on account of his religious belief without claiming to be infallible. He must be able to judge to a hair’s breadth the truth or falsity of a doctrine. Christ could have done this, and been infallibly correct; for, as stated above, he is the Truth. John 14:6. But as before stated, he could not have done this, and been the Saviour of mankind. The most therefore that the followers of Christ can be while in this world is to be laborers for the salvation of men. This is possible (Acts 13:46,47), while the other is not.

This, the founders of our Government recognized, and they determined that, so far as lay in their power to do, the principle should prevail in this country which Jesus taught—“If any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not.” Hence, religious liberty in the fullest sense was provided for in the Constitution. This was Christlike; this was lamblike. And we repeat again, that no other nation ever did it, and therefore no other nation but the United States can be the one symbolized by the beast with the two horns like a lamb, of Rev. 13:11.