p. 327 | WHY NOT OBEY?

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 25, 1904

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 30, No. 21.

WHY NOT OBEY?

It is sometimes passing strange that gifted men, able to frame a masterly argument, are either unable to see the ultimate logic of the argument or too impractical to lay hold of it in a practical way. A contributor to the Christian Work, in course of a timely article on “Personal Liberty,” says:—

God imposes upon us certain obligations, and it is not within our legitimate province to question His commands. That hypercritical and arrogant spirit, which would summon the very God before mortal tribunal to vindicate the justice of His law to man, is the outgrowth of a liberty run mad, the child of a presumption which is blasphemous. Is the Judge of all the earth to be judged? Is an ill-conceived notion of man’s prerogative to dictate the meaning of the extent of God’s jurisdiction over His creatures? Are we to balance our argument against the eternal logic of Him whose very essence is truth? Shall man, who is right only as God inspires him, take issue with Him who is the source of all the light which dwells within us? Shall the fountainhead give reason to the stream wherefore it flows? Is it not sufficient that we obey, since He who bids has alone given us power to act? Where is our vaunted liberty if the Eternal frown? Since, then, our freedom lives in the sunshine of God’s smile, shall we not rather rejoice in the benignity of His love than by a too nice questioning prove rebellious to His will? God has said, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” It is not a question of what is expedient, but what is commanded. Expediency is the makeshift of man. God recognizes no hedging. It is to make a travesty of the law of God to allow expediency to determine its efficacy. No nice construction upon the rights of man will suffice to annul the mandate of Him who made man. What God has decreed, mortal can not improve upon.

Then why not obey what “God imposes”? He not only has said, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” but He just as plainly says, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work,” etc. To emphasize the intent of the commandment, He “blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.” Gen. 2: 3; Ex. 20: 11. Furthermore, as a man upon earth, Christ observed the seventh day, thus definitely locating it beyond all question; and His disciples “rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment,” which was the day before the first day of the week. Luke 23: 56; 24: 2; Mark 16: 1, 2. Truly did the writer of the foregoing sentiment say, “What God hath decreed, mortal can not improve upon.” Then why not obey?