Is the Law Done Away? by D. F. Quinby

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 30, 1873

Is the Law Done Away?

By D. F. Quinby

THERE are many who affirm that the law is no longer a rule of life; that Christ is the end of the law, and that whosoever believeth in him is freed from the law. The effort of these persons is apparently to do away with the idea that the ten commandments are any longer obligatory upon the professed followers of Christ. Almost have they persuaded some of the children of God to adopt these loose doctrines.

What is there in the commandments of God which should offend the renewed man? Did not Christ keep the Father's commandments and abide in his love? And is it possible to follow Christ and not walk as he walked? If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all unrighteousness.” How blessed is this fellowship! And how blessed the hope that animates the breast of him who tries to keep all the commandments.

But we are told that it is impossible to do this. Why? Has God required us to have no other gods besides him? and can we not obey? Has he told us that we must not make any graven image, or attempt any likeness of God, or fall down before such likeness? and can we not strictly obey him? We might pursue this inquiry through all the commandments, and even those who are so

zealous to destroy the law will confess that all can be kept but the fourth. And why not this? Is it any more difficult to keep the seventh day holy than the first day?

If the man of sin had never put his foot on God's holy day, and substituted another day, this effort to do away with that which Christ came to establish would never have been thought of. Paul says, “Wherefore the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good.” And again, “Do we then make void the law? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” Could he do this and destroy it at the same time? Every one says, No! Then why try to make him stultify himself?

Is it not far better “to look into the perfect law of liberty, and continue therein,” “being not forgetful hearers, but doers”? Turn to Rev. 22:14, and read: “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and enter in through the gates into the city.” The next verse shows that without are the vile and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. Query, Did not Eve love a lie? and was not this the reason why she was compelled to go outside the garden, where she could not taste of the fruit of the tree of life?

D. F. QUINBY.