A Sweeping Condemnation Considered.
By G. D. Ballou
IT is well known to all the readers of the SIGNS that there is at the present time a large class of people engaged in the work of religious reform, who are endeavoring to teach the people "repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ"—in other words, sorrow and contrition for the transgression of God's law, and faith in the merits of Christ's blood to atone for such transgressions. It is well known, too, that this people have on the very front of their banners, and as their rallying cry, "The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." Their sole endeavor is to lead men and women to prepare for the coming of Jesus, by turning away from their sins, taking him as their advocate and friend, and walking in his example of perfect obedience to the law of the Father. As a natural consequence of these principles, it is not strange that this people should cry out against any and every violation of the law of God—the ten commandments. It is not strange that they should raise the voice of warning loud and clear against the violation of that commandment which alone brings God to view as the maker of the heavens and the earth. The Sabbath commandment being the one which all classes, both professors and non-professors, are trampling under foot with such utter disregard, will certainly be honored and defended by a people who are trying to follow the example of Christ and his apostles. Wherever they go their work is to turn men away from every sin. To accomplish this their first effort is to lead the people to understand their relations to God and to show their loyalty to the Creator of the universe, by keeping his holy day in commemoration of the work of creation. But because they teach that the fourth precept of the decalogue is binding on all men in all ages, just as the other nine, and show this by plain statements of Scripture, they are accused of judaizing and proselyting, and not working to convert people but only to get followers. To discourage people from favoring such a work, it is said that none who unite with this people are ever converted, and that keeping the fourth commandment is no part of conversion. These accusations are very uncharitable, not to say unchristian, and coming as they often do from a people the results of whose revival methods show that not more than one in twenty of their professed conversions prove genuine, they betray great weakness on the part of those who make them. Is it really true that turning from sin to obey the commandments of God, and especially the fourth commandment, is not a work of conversion? Let us see. Suppose a man in your community has been accustomed to violating the third commandment—taking God's name in vain. This has been the one great sin of his life. Suppose there is also another man in your community who has been given to lying—breaking the ninth commandment. Nobody trusts the man's word, and every one despises him for his duplicity. Now suppose your church should have a revival and the blasphemer should profess faith in Christ and publicly renounce his blasphemy and fully reform, and suppose the liar should renounce his lying and profess faith in Christ, and prove himself a true friend and neighbor, would not you and all other good people rejoice for months over the conversion of these men? would you not call them really converted, and if they were the only fruits of the revival would you not think it had been a profitable season to your community? And now suppose again that a Seventh-day Adventist minister should hold meetings in a community of sinners and was successful not only in turning men from the sins of lying and swearing, but also from the sin of Sabbath-breaking, leading them to accept of Jesus as their advocate and friend, and follow his example, who will stand up and say that such men are not converted? Conversion is turning away from sin and seeking pardon through Christ. It is not a strange and unaccountable feeling that possesses us instantly and makes us holy in a moment. Conversion is turning from our own wills and ways and obeying God's will and walking in his way. It is walking by firm principle and not by feeling. Who shall say that those who turn away their feet from trampling on God's holy day—the seventh day of the week—and are trying to make that preparation of heart and life which is necessary to meet the Lord Jesus when he returns—who shall say that such are not converted men? Surely none who are led by the spirit of God will bring such an accusation.