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I Don’t Believe

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Sep 1, 1904

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 81, No. 35.

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“I Don’t Believe”

By G. W. Rogers

G. W. ROGERS
This is a declaration often made, and that too by those who make a profession of Christianity; who make great claims to be believers of the Bible, on truths or doctrines which rest wholly on the authority of the Bible. For instance, when presenting the truth for this time, “I don’t believe that the seventh day is the Sabbath.” Now, the fact is, no Christian can consistently express his mind in that manner. Why?—Because as he believes the Bible, he is bound to believe what the Bible teaches; and it is not a question of belief or disbelief, but a question of Biblical authority.
A man may say, “I don’t believe the Bible;” he may scoff at its entreaties and warnings; he may openly disavow it; then the first thing to be settled with such a one, is the truthfulness and credibility of the Scriptures. And he who does not believe the Bible to be the Word of God, of course may express a disbelief of anything the Bible may teach.
Not so with him who believes the Bible to be the Word of God. To be consistent, such a one must believe and accept whatever the Scriptures teach; and when the proposition is placed before him, that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, the question with him is not whether he believes it or not, but whether or not the Bible teaches it. And as the Bible does teach that the seventh day is the Sabbath (see Ex. 20:8–11; Gen. 2:1–3; Heb. 4:4, 9, margin), he does believe it if he believes the Bible; and if he says he doesn’t believe it, he simply confesses his ignorance of what the Scriptures teach. He confesses that he is not informed on the subject. It is not, then, a matter of belief or disbelief with him, but simply a matter of information.
Let no one who believes the Bible, say therefore that he does not believe that the seventh day is the Sabbath. Let him say, instead, that he is ignorant; that he is not informed. But then let him become informed; let him learn what the Bible does teach on this question; and on that condition, in case of every candid inquirer after truth, the belief will adjust itself to the evidence given.