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The Author of Liberty

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 19, 1895

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 21, No. 37.

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The Author of Liberty

Lesson I.—Sabbath, October 5, 1895.

The Author of Liberty

General Note.

No attempt has been made in this series of lessons to treat the subject exhaustively. This would be an impossibility in so small a compass. The subject of religious liberty is a great subject, we might say, an almost inexhaustible one. Neither has any attempt been made to make an application of even all the principles brought out to the present-day movements, and bring matters, so to speak, “up to date.” The idea has been rather to set forth clearly the principles themselves from a Bible standpoint, thus giving the student a good foundation upon which to build. The application of a principle is not difficult after the principle itself is once thoroughly understood.
The student will find it highly profitable and greatly to his advantage during the study of these lessons to read the work by Elder A. T. Jones entitled “The Rights of the People; or Civil Government and Religion.” This is “Civil Government and Religion” revised and much enlarged.
1. What was Christ’s mission to this world?
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” Luke 4:18. See Isa. 61:1.
2. What will make men free?
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31, 32.
3. In what condition, therefore, are those who know not the truth? Ans.—In bondage; the servants, or slaves of sin. See John 8:33, 34; 2 Peter 2:19.
4. How many of the human family, in their natural condition, are slaves of sin?
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Rom. 3:23.
5. Since Satan is the author of sin (John 8:44), whom do men serve while practicing sin?
“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” Rom. 6:16.
“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8.
6. What was the salvation Christ brought to this world?
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matt. 1:21.
7. Since sin is of Satan, and Christ came to save men from sin, from whose dominion did he come to free them?
8. In what does all sin originate?
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” 1 John 2:15–17.
“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, 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. See note .
9. What is covetousness, or selfishness? Ans.—The love of self to the disregard of the rights of others.
10. Since selfishness is the root of all sin, and Christ came to save men from sin, what really was his mission? Ans.—To save men from the inordinate love of self, and enable them to recognize and respect the rights of others.
11. What are the rights of others? Ans.—The same as our own. Note .
12. By what scriptures is this clearly shown?
“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord.” Lev. 19:18.
“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.” Matt. 7:12.
13. How does God estimate a man’s religion?
“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27.
“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” 1 John 4:20. See Matt. 25:40, and note .
14. What, then, must men have taken from their hearts before they will recognize the equal rights of their fellow-men? Ans.—Selfishness.
15. Who alone can cleanse the heart from selfishness, or sin?
“Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.
16. Who alone, then, can give men real freedom?
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:36.
17. If all men would recognize the equal rights of their fellow-men, would there not be perfect and universal liberty on earth?
18. Could there be any tyranny or persecution under such circumstances?
19. Therefore, to whom alone must we look for genuine, universal, and lasting liberty?