The Whole Duty of Man by I. Sanborn

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 24, 1875

The Whole Duty of Man.

By I. Sanborn

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man [margin, the end of the matter, even all that hath been heard]. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Eccl. 12: 13, 14.

We are here told why we are required to fear God and keep his commandments. It is because God is going to bring into judgment all our works and words.

All our words are to be brought into judgment as well as our works. Proof: “But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of Judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Matt. 12: 36, 37.

Reader, pause a moment and consider how your case will stand in the Judgment according to the facts thus stated by our Saviour. Who among the thousands that profess to follow Jesus will not stand condemned at the Judgment on account of idle words?

Let us consider this matter seriously in the light of God’s law. Of this law James says, “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” James 2: 10. That the apostle is speaking of the ten commandments is evident from the next verse: “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.” Verse 11. God has shown us what importance he attaches to our words by giving two commandments to regulate the use of the tongue: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain;” and “thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” James says, “The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity.” James 3: 6. And again, “If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.” Chap. 3: 2.

With the tongue the first lie was told to Eve. With the tongue, Eve misrepresented the Lord’s word; for she told the serpent that God had said that she should not touch the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But God had simply said, “Thou shalt not eat of it.” Gen. 2: 17; 3: 3. Eve carelessly misrepresented what the Lord had said, and the devil was quick to take advantage of it. To prove that God had lied to her according to her statement, he plucked some fruit, handed it to her, and after she had held it in her hand and felt no harm, he said, Do you not see that it does not hurt you to touch it? So Eve decided that, as it did not hurt her to touch the fruit, it would not hurt her to eat it. From this act, it being a transgression of God’s command, or sin, all the misery and death which has been in the world has resulted.

The serpent obtained a victory over Eve, mainly through her own careless words, in which she misstated what God had said. And how many there are at the present day who profess to be obeying God, but, like Eve, are careless in speaking of what the Lord’s word teaches, saying, “Thus saith the Lord,” when the Lord has not spoken. To such the words of the prophet may apply: “Have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The Lord saith it; albeit I have not spoken?” Eze. 13: 7.

Many are getting themselves entangled in the snares of the devil by misrepresenting the requirements of God’s word, and mixing up with it the doctrines of the devil. The apostle says, “Touch not, taste not, handle not (which all are to perish with the using); after the commandments and doctrines of men.” Col. 2: 21, 22. That is, we must not try to justify our actions by the commandments or doctrines of men, and misrepresent the word of God to do it, as thousands are doing at the present day, whose sin, for so doing, is much more aggravating in the sight of God than Eve’s was. God had simply told Eve what to do; but he has given us his written word to read at our leisure.

Paul declares that when God judges the world by Jesus Christ it will be in righteousness. Acts 17: 31. Then it must be judged by a righteous rule which God had previously given man, which we find to be the character of the ten commandments. Proof: “Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful.” Ps. 119: 138. The testimonies here referred to were testimonies commanded. “And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon Mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.” Ex. 31: 18. What was the testimony in this text? Why, that which was written in the tables of stone. “And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.” Deut. 4: 13. Then the ten commandments are the testimonies commanded, which David says are righteous and very faithful.

Of this law the psalmist says, “Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them forever.” Ps. 119: 152. “My tongue shall speak of thy word; for all thy commandments are righteousness.” Verse 172. “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” Ps. 19: 7. Paul says, “I had not known sin, but by the law; for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” Rom. 7: 7. This is the same law of ten commandments which David says was “founded forever.”

Again, Paul says, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God, [margin, subject to the judgment of God].” Rom. 3: 19. “For we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin.” Rom. 3: 9. “Sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3: 4. There are two ways in which man may be under the law. He may be a loyal citizen of the State in which he lives, and as long as he is so, its law is a law of liberty to him as well as a rule of action; but when he transgresses the law, he is judged by it, and brought under its condemnation, just as all the world are under condemnation because they have transgressed the law of God.

To illustrate: Suppose we should ask all the world that had never disobeyed parents or guardians to say they had not. Would not every mouth be stopped? Yes; and the fifth commandment would condemn them. In like manner, Paul says that the law of ten commandments stops every mouth, and makes all the world subject to the judgment of God. Therefore, the Lord says, “Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.”

But what shall the transgressor do to obtain pardon and forgiveness for his transgressions of that holy law? Let him repent and turn from all his transgressions, not part of them, but all. Let him believe that Jesus died for man’s transgressions and sins, that God might be just, and yet for Jesus’ sake forgive the repenting sinner. Let him believe on Jesus, and be baptized for the remission of his sins, that he may render unto God acceptable obedience through faith in Jesus. If those who thus repent and believe continue faithful unto the end, they will stand in the Judgment, because they delight themselves in the law of the Lord. “But the ungodly are not so;” therefore “the ungodly shall not stand in the Judgment.” Ps. 1: 4, 5.

If God will bring every work into Judgment, and try it by that law, what will become of the work of Sunday-keeping? Do you think it will stand the test? Will it not be reckoned among the traditions, commandments, and doctrines of men? And will not the Lord say to those who observe it as he did to the scribes and Pharisees, “Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition,” and therefore have worshiped me in vain? Matt. 15: 1–7. Did I not tell you that unless your righteousness should exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, who broke the fifth command, you should in no case enter into the kingdom of Heaven? Matt. 5: 20.

Our Saviour says, “Verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Heaven and earth have not passed away, the prophecies are not all fulfilled, hence, not a jot or tittle has passed from that holy law of ten commandments. Does not Christ here plainly teach the perpetuity of the fourth commandment? And is not the seventh day the Sabbath according to the teachings of Christ, who says, “The words that I speak unto you, they shall judge you at the last day”?

Dear reader, if the keeping of the ten commandments is the whole duty of man, is there any other way of keeping the Sabbath according to the commandment than to keep the seventh day? May the Lord help the reader to answer this question in harmony with God’s requirements, and help both writer and reader to obey God, that our work, when tried in the Judgment, may stand the righteous decision, which will be in accordance with the requirements of that law and the words of Jesus concerning it. Then may Jesus say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant; . . . enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”

I. SANBORN.