Our Message by John H. Waggoner

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Mar 9, 1876

Our Message.

By John H. Waggoner

The third angel’s message is present truth. By this the Advent people have been led to take their position on the commandments of God. It has given great light on those commandments. While the pious of all ages have taken a strong stand in favor of the moral law of God, the ten commandments, it has been reserved for the reformation under the third angel’s message to more clearly develop the light upon the sacredness and spirituality of this law. And especially has it been the work of this message to clear away the errors which have befogged and ensnared so many in this age, by which the distinction is so often denied between the moral and the typical or ceremonial law. The glorious truth of the sanctuary and its cleansing, so graciously opened to this people, has done much to aid in the demonstration of this distinction, and to lead the minds of the people to reverence that holy law which is the center of all revelation, and which in “the Ark of the Testament,” was the strength and glory of God’s favored people.

It is to be much regretted that the ideas of the majority of the professors of religion are so vague in regard to what is meant by “the commandments of God.” The term is to them as intangible and shadowy as is their hope of our future inheritance. It is this mystifying and spiritualizing the Word of God in the church which makes it so difficult to reach the world with the plain truths of the Bible. “The commandments of God” with most have no special reference, and with many no reference at all, to those moral and eternal precepts which God spoke with his own voice; very often the term is referred to the counsel and precepts of the Saviour in the gospel, notwithstanding the New Testament enjoins the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Both are to be kept by the remnant against whom war will be made in the last days.

As a people, we recognize this distinction. And we affirm that they who truly keep the commandments of God, keep all of them; that he who breaks one of them “is guilty of all,” because it takes them all to constitute the perfect law of God. Here is the difference between developing a character as a law-breaker and a law-keeper. We do not need to break all the precepts of the law to be law-breakers, we are convicted of sin if we break one of them. But this very fact shows that we do need to keep them all to be law-keepers. Disobedience to one will bring condemnation in the Judgment; obedience to all is necessary to our acceptance with God in that day. “The commandments of God” embrace more than three-fourths or nine-tenths of his commandments. The apostle says, “This is the love of God that we keep his commandments;” and the Saviour says, “all the law” hangs on love. Here we have a foundation strong and sure, and so definite and tangible that no trusting soul need be mistaken.

But it has often struck our mind that there is nearly as much indefiniteness and uncertainty with us in regard to “the faith of Jesus” as there is with the generality of professors in regard to “the commandments of God.” We do not say that it is more so with us than with others; but it should not be so with us at all, as these two together constitute the burden of our message. If the distinction we claim means anything, if the expression, “the commandments of God,” embraces all his commandments, must not “the faith of Jesus” just as certainly embrace all the counsel and precepts of Jesus in distinction from the commandments of the Father? If we are right in affirming that they do not keep the commandments of God who reject or neglect the fourth of his commandments, are we not equally right in affirming that they do not keep the faith of Jesus who reject or neglect some of the plain teachings of the Son of God!

We believe in the law, and in the Sabbath of that law. We do not believe that any one can claim the protection offered in the third angel’s message who does not keep that law, and all of that law. We think that they who claim to be living in obedience to God while they reject one precept of his law, are laboring under a terrible deception, and the great day of God’s wrath will prove their blindness and their folly. May God pity them, and open their eyes, and lead them to full obedience before it is too late.

But how, then, can the conclusion be avoided that they who neglect some of the plainest teachings of the Saviour are not keeping the faith of Jesus? And if so they are not truly in the third angel’s message. We know that faith without works is dead, and therefore, to profess the faith of Jesus without keeping the commandments of God, is but vain worship. Matt. 7: 21–23; 15: 3–9. But we affirm also that works without faith is lifeless, spiritless formality, and were we to keep all the commandments of God, that would prove of no avail if we did not likewise keep the faith of Jesus—yes, all the faith of Jesus. We are certain that no one can show any defect in this reasoning.

This train of reflection has often passed through our mind, and we have often thought that our people would have to be aroused to the importance of this subject. How this would be accomplished we had no idea, but we rested under this conviction that God, who, in his own time, and by the instruments of his own choice, had brought out the light on the commandments of God, would, in the proper time, and by those whom he chose, bring to the attention of the remnant the importance of waking up to the full truth of our message—to keeping all the faith of Jesus, as well as all the commandments of God. Without this the time of trouble will reveal to us that we have neither lot nor part in the third angel’s message.

We believe that the light is now breaking on our pathway; that the key note has been struck which will lead to a great and glorious work in this respect. We have no words of our own to offer on the subject. We invite every one who has any love for the present truth, who hopes to be shielded in the coming day of wrath, to read with care and with a prayerful spirit the “Earnest Appeal from the General Conference Committee relative to the Dangers and Duties of our Times.” This is published in pamphlet form, and, together with the Appeal for the Fast Day, is sent out from the Office of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. Every believer in the present truth should have these. We do not say that these appeals cover all the ground; other light may yet be given on this truth. But we give it as our most earnest conviction that this is the opening to our view of great light, which, if carefully and judiciously acted upon, will give an impetus to this work, such as we have long prayed for, and which will cause every faithful heart to rejoice. We say, judiciously acted upon, for hasty, impulsive, imprudent movements are greatly to be deprecated in such a work as this.

God himself has led in this work, and he will yet lead us if we follow the light he gives us. He has wrought by his own means, and we are thankful for the assurance that he has not deserted his people, but is still impressing the minds of his chosen instruments to give “meat in due season” to the “little flock.” Let us all humble ourselves before the Lord, and heed his counsel, that our Father, in his good pleasure, may give us the kingdom.

J. H. WAGGONER.