QUESTION AND ANSWER

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 16, 1900

QUESTION AND ANSWER.

THERE are four sisters in our church who have unconverted husbands who must have meat, tea, and coffee: in fact, everything contrary to health reform. What should we do about our cooking?

Concerning the food, and any indulgence required by your husbands, which you recognize as contrary to the principles of health and purity in life, the instructions contained in 1 Corinthians 7, Ephesians 5, and 1 Peter 3, will cover all points. You can not be a conscience for your husband. You can not compel him to obey in your place. Obedience is of the heart instead of the act; although the principle in the heart will, of course, determine the character of the act.

God recognizes the true spirit of obedience in the heart even if, through ignorance, the conduct seems to be entirely contrary to it; so that if you are compelled to do things for your husband that you would never do for yourself, the spirit of self-sacrifice and loyalty in you is accepted of God; and that which, if done for your own sake, would be sin, is counted as obedience and righteousness in the sight of God, because of the motive in your own heart. This is plainly taught in 2 Kings 5:15-19. The Lord, through his prophet, excused Naaman for going through the forms of worship in the house of Rimmon when it was necessary for him in his duty to his master to appear to worship the idol, because his heart was true to the living God. In this there is plain instruction, as well as comfort, for those lovers of the truth who are in hard places in their domestic life.