DO WE KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS?
By J. G. Wilson
The evil habit of judging and criticising and condemning others comes not from hearts filled with the love of God. It is of the works of the flesh, and comes under that head, as stated in Gal. 5:19-21. Notice the contrast between these things and the fruit of the Spirit, in verses 22, 23. “He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.” James 4:11. Are we keeping the commandments? “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Respect of persons, partiality, a thing very common, is not consistent with our profession of keeping the commandments. James plainly declares that if we have respect to persons, we sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. James 2:9. Do transgressors keep the commandments? If we offend in one point, we are guilty of all. Verse 10. We claim to keep the Sabbath, but if we violate any other commandment, of what value is our profession? Are we willing to stand before the Judge with our record of Sabbath-keeping? Read Isa. 58:13. We are not to speak one word of our own, not to seek our own pleasure, not to do our own ways. Surely, what the law says is sufficient to “stop every mouth,” and show the whole world to be guilty before God. Rom. 3:19. “But that no man is justified by the law in the SIGHT OF GOD, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.” Gal. 3:11. The gift of tongues, the gift of prophecy, the giving of all our goods to feed the poor and to clothe the naked, unless love is the source of such gifts and such benevolence, amount to nothing. The way of love is the perfect way, and this love is of God, and is shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost. This love alone fulfills a perfect law. We have desired to fulfill the law. We have longed to do good; but try our best, we have failed completely. We can not hope to do better than we have done, and to try again is but to fail again. Yet there is hope set before us. Let us all lay hold upon it. Let us look no longer to our fruitless efforts, neither consider our own weakness and failure, but consider Him faithful who has promised. He laid on Jesus Christ all the iniquity of us all (Isa. 53:6); and he who knew no sin became sin for us. 2 Cor. 5:21. He exchanged places with the human race, and by his death, the wages of our sins, paid the full penalty for every soul. He died for all, and his death was the death of all (2 Cor. 5:14), and “he that is dead is freed from sin.” Rom. 6:7. This has been accomplished for all. It is good news, glad tidings, for all; but all will not believe it. Isaiah foresaw it, and asked the question, “Who hath believed our report?” Paul wrote, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” Let us thank God for a full and COMPLETE and FREE salvation, a fact for all, that is only waiting to be received by all. And let us remember that commandment-keeping flows only from hearts renewed by the Spirit of God, and that, without such renewing, all our efforts to keep the commandments will be of no value.