p. 5 | Just One Condition by M. Leslie Rice

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 26, 1910

Just One Condition

By M. Leslie Rice

M. LESLIE RICE

“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Cor. 2:9. There is only one condition under which this text may be true to us as individuals,—we must love God. And what a blessed promise it is to those who really do love him! The question arises in many minds, “What is it to love God?” The answer is found in the words of the Lord Jesus, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.” In order for the text given above to be true in our case, we must keep the ten commandments. We may say we keep them, we may think we keep them; but let us examine a few of the commandments, and see if we really do keep them.

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Ex. 20:3. To have anything before God is to give that thing the place God should occupy in the heart. The things we think about most, the things we live for, the things we do most often,—these things become our god. We are told by one that the devil will tempt the children of God upon at least one of four things: (1) the so-called pleasures of this world; (2) the cares of this world; (3) the faults of others; (4) their own past mistakes. With how many is this first temptation their god? If you are thinking about the so-called pleasures of this world, living for them, indulging in them, they are your god.

Let us notice the second commandment. Do we bow down to images? It may be true that we do not bow down to the image of the Virgin Mary, or of Peter, or of other so-called saints; but do we bow down to the silver dollar? We find on this coin the inscription, “In God we trust,” but with how many should it read, “In this we trust.”

One test will show us whether or not we keep the third commandment. “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.” James 5:12. How often we hear such expressions as, “O Gee!” “You bet your neck!” “My goodness!” etc. All these and many others are a violation of the principle of the third commandment.

To keep the fourth commandment means more than refraining from work upon the Sabbath. We must be so closely yoked to Jesus that even our thoughts will be upon heavenly things. How many really keep the Sabbath?

“Honor thy father and thy mother.” Do young people always do this? I have noticed around colleges that father and mother are not always made welcome by their own children. Why is this?—Father and mother are common people. Perhaps they had no one to sacrifice for them to go to college, so their education is limited, and the boy or girl for whom they are perhaps making a very great sacrifice would just a little rather they would not come to the school, where their teachers and friends will see them. How much more worthy of respect and honor are those who, with Abraham Lincoln, are willing to say, “All that I am I owe to my mother.”

So we might go on through the list, and examine each commandment. If we really keep them all, which is to love God, then for us the glorious promise is true, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”

San Bernardino, Cal.