p. 178 | The Law the Standard by P. W. Baker

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 1, 1874

The Law the Standard.

By P. W. Baker

“HOWBEIT in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups; and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death; but ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do aught for his father or his mother; making the word of God of none effect through your tradition.” Mark 7:7–13.

We think that this scripture is as applicable to-day as when it was first spoken. It was for violating one of the ten commandments, or changing one of them, that the Lord condemned them. He said, “In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Is not “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” as positive a command as is the command, “Honor thy father and thy mother”? They are each one of the ten commandments delivered on Mount Sinai by the great Law-giver.

Let us apply the foregoing to our time. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the traditions of men, as the keeping of Sunday, the first day of the week, and sprinkling, and such like things [which God has not commanded]; full well ye reject [margin, frustrate] the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition; for God commanded, saying, Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. The seventh day is the Sabbath. Ex. 20:10. But ye say, If a man keep Sunday, the first day of the week, he is free to violate the Sabbath, the seventh day, or do common labor on that day, thus making void the commandment of God by your tradition. Says James, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.” James 2:10, 11. Let us see how it will read if we apply it to the violation of the Sabbath; for it is the same law. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, is guilty of all; for he that said, Do not commit adultery, and, Do not kill, also said, Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. . . . The seventh day is the Sabbath. Now if thou dost not kill nor commit adultery, yet if thou dost not remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, thou art become a transgressor. Why not? Let us so speak and so do as those that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

P. W. BAKER.

Kellogg, Iowa.