Abolishing the Law

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 9, 1908

_Abolishing the Law_

THE offhand way in which some writers abolish the divine law, and substitute a new plan of government, would be highly entertaining if it did not involve such serious consequences. As an example of this kind of treatment of the ten commandments, we submit a paragraph from an article contributed to The World's Crisis:—

Beyond controversy, the facts are that the whole of the decalogue, as an ordinance of statutory law, did pass away when our Lord arose on the first day of the week. From that time forward the law of the new covenant was written, not on tables of stone, but put into the hearts and minds of the people.

Not a word of proof is vouchsafed. There is no “Thus saith the Lord” brought forward in justification of such a sweeping assertion, and yet on this uncertain basis of authority, men are asked to disregard the plain letter of God's commands. If the law passed away, then sin ceased at the same time; for, “Where no law is, there is no transgression.” When sin ceased, there was no longer any need of a Saviour. Thus, therefore, according to this logic, the work which Christ accomplished was really to make himself entirely unnecessary as a Saviour from sin. How can any one hope to hasten the coming of the kingdom of righteousness by such teaching as this?