Justified Without the Law.
By Uriah Smith
It is considered a very foolish fish that will bite a bare hook. But how must the enemy of all truth regard those whom he can lead to oppose the law of God, on the ground that Paul says that we are justified by faith. A person writes to have his paper stopped, and quotes this text: “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Rom. 3:28.” Then he adds, “As we see the day approaching, why cause a division among those who are looking for his second personal coming?” The utter misapprehension, both of our position, and the meaning of the apostle’s language, revealed in these lines is marvelous indeed. Who claims that we are to be justified by the deeds of the law? We certainly do not. Justification by faith is our sole dependence, and ever has been. But, on the other hand, who can take so superficial a view of Paul’s language as to suppose that when he says “without the deeds of the law,” he means that we are at liberty to do those things which the law prohibits. Friend, do you believe you have liberty now to commit any of the sins forbidden by the ten commandments? You do not; neither do we. Would you expect to be justified by faith while living in the commission of those sins? You would not; neither would we. This is the real question in this matter; and in this we are agreed. The difference arises from your misapprehension of our position. Why make a division? What a question is this to come from an Adventist! It might be used to gag down any truth that was ever introduced into the world. The Jews opposed our Lord himself with it; and he met them by saying that he came not to send peace on earth, but a sword, not union but division. Romanists tried to block the wheels of the Reformation in the same manner. Away with such a question when raised in opposition to the truth. Truth has claims paramount to all others in this world; and the divisions which the truth makes are not to be laid to its charge. The trouble is not with the truth; that is only bringing men back into the right path and into union with Heaven; but the trouble is with error which has led men away from God and the right path. That division which the Bible condemns is the division which error makes in leading men away from the right; and this division, once made ought to be undone as soon as possible. Error having secured its victims would no doubt be glad enough to have no further division made. But truth is bound to get them back if it can. Don’t make God the author of the work of the enemy. Ahab charged Elijah with being the troubler of Israel, but Elijah, under the impulse of a divine indignation against the insult thus offered to the truth of God, retorted, “I have not troubled Israel; but thou and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.” So now the trouble is not with the truth, but with error which has drawn men away, and rendered it necessary that there should be a division if any would be saved; for the masses are going down to ruin; and they who would gain eternal life must tread another path from which they are following. Why, then, make division among those who are looking for the Lord? Because but few who profess to be looking for him, are ready for his coming. They are in error on a vital point of that law of liberty by which we are all to be judged. Their practice must be reformed. The idea that God’s people in the last days are coming up to the second coming of Christ to be translated, while not conforming to the whole law of God both in theory and practice, is preposterous. No; the distinguishing characteristic of these, as compared with other religionists, will be their keeping of all the commandments of God, as brought to view in that message in Rev. 14, which last precedes the appearing of the Son of man on the great white cloud. Very indifferent views must we have of the importance of truth, the danger of error, and the value of eternal life, who can complacently fold his hands and say, The coming of the Lord is near; so let us not have division, but if we are wrong, let us all go to perdition together.