Guilty of All by A. J. BRISTOL

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 16, 1907

Guilty of All

By A. J. BRISTOL

A. J. BRISTOL

When the binding claims of God's law are brought home to individuals, especially the necessity of obedience to the Sabbath commandment, we sometimes hear persons ask if it is reasonable to suppose that God will bar them from heaven for not keeping the day he commanded when they are doing everything else which a Christian is supposed to do. It is not always sufficient to quote to such persons the plain statement of James, that “whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”

In order to show the unity of that law, and that every wrong act is literally a violation of every one of its ten precepts, let us consider the transgression of our first parents.

From the statement that “the woman saw that the tree was . . . to be desired to make one wise,” it is evident that she broke the tenth command, which forbids coveting. No one will deny that in taking the forbidden fruit they both were guilty of stealing,—a violation of the eighth commandment.

In believing the word of the tempter instead of God's word, they surely were not obedient to that first word of the law which forbids having any other god before Jehovah; for “to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey.” Rom. 6:16. And while we have no record that an image of Satan was set up within the gates of Eden, yet it is certain that they had “set up their idols in their heart,” and were, in spirit at least, breakers of the second commandment.

By seconding Satan's lie about God's purposes concerning them, they bore false witness and added the ninth commandment to the list of those broken in that one act of transgression.

As “sons of God,” they were guilty of a most flagrant violation of that fifth commandment, which enjoins honor to parents. In their innocence it was proper for them to bear the name of God, who was their father, for we read in Luke 3:38 that Adam was the son of God; but by their disobedience they proved that they were taking that “name in vain.” The third commandment was broken.

In reference to the violation of the seventh commandment we read in “Early Writings” that Eve “first erred in wandering from her husband,” and was led to talk familiarly with another than the companion whom God had given her. They were both guilty of breaking that close union existing between God and his true people, which he frequently calls that of husband and wife. “Ye adulterers and adulteresses,” God says to those who are in the “friendship of the world.” James 4:4.

In transgressing the sixth commandment they not only were guilty of killing themselves, but the whole human family as well, for “by the trespass of the one the many died.” Rom. 5:15. And as “no man dieth to himself,” it is certain that sin unrepented of will not only cause us to die the second death, but will also cause us to drag down to perdition some soul whom we might have influenced to choose eternal life; for it is just as true that “none of us liveth unto himself.”

By count we have now seen that every one of the commandments save the fourth was violated in Eden, and this is no exception. This Sabbath commandment, like all the others, is of continual obligation, and not, as some seem to think, applicable to only one day of the week. The command is to “remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” They surely did not “remember” that the Sabbath day was coming, and that to keep it holy they must of necessity remain holy themselves. But in forgetting God and his holy day they became violators of the Sabbath command as well as of every other precept of the decalogue. Truly their guilt was sufficient to warrant their expulsion from paradise.

And “lest we forget” how serious an offense we commit by breaking a single one of the commandments, let us consider that in violating the Sabbath commandment we are guilty of coveting God's “holy day;” we have another god (our own will) before him; we set up the “idol” in our hearts; and, whatever our profession, we are, as shown above, “by swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery,” showing that we shall be “without excuse,” when at last in his presence we plead the “many wonderful works” done in his name. He will say to us then, “Ye do dishonor me.” “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Takoma Park, D. C.