p. 1 | FAITH AND WORKS by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 17, 1874

FAITH AND WORKS.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

BY ELD. D. M. CANRIGHT.

TEXT: “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” James 2:24.

My text naturally leads me to speak of the relation between faith and works. This is an important subject—one which we believe is but poorly understood by many Christians. We often hear the old covenant spoken of as the covenant of works, while the new covenant is regarded as the covenant of faith. The idea seems to be that before the death of Christ men were justified by their good works and by a strict and exact obedience to God’s law; but since the death of Christ we are justified, not by the law, but by faith in Christ. An examination of the Scriptures will expose the fallacy of this position.

Before the fall, Adam was placed where simple obedience to God’s law, without faith in Christ as a Saviour, would have secured to him eternal life; for the Lord placed him in the garden in which was “every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food.” Gen. 2:8. “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Gen. 2:16, 17.

The tree of life was among those of which Adam could freely eat. See verse 9. As long as he could eat of this, he would not die. See Gen. 3:22. The day of his death would not come till he disobeyed God by taking of the forbidden fruit. Suppose, then, that Adam had not eaten of the forbidden fruit for one thousand years, then the day of his death would not have come for that one thousand years. And if he had never partaken of that forbidden fruit, the day of his death would never have come. Hence, by simple obedience he would have secured eternal life. He would have needed no Saviour. The Lord says that he gave man a law which, if he would do, he should even live in it. Eze. 20:11. So Paul says: “The doers of the law shall be justified.” Rom. 2:13. Certainly, if Adam had always kept the law of God, for what could the Lord have condemned him? Nothing. Hence, he would have been justified by works and not by faith.

But Adam sinned. He and Eve took the forbidden fruit. What law did they violate here? The principles of the moral law, the ten commandments. Look at the facts: That tree belonged to God. It was not theirs. They had no right to it. God forbade them to touch it. But Eve looked upon the tree till she greatly “desired” it. Gen. 3:6. That is, she coveted it, and thus broke the tenth commandment, “Thou shalt not covet.” Next she “took” of it, and thus broke the eighth commandment, “Thou shalt not steal.” In doing this, she obeyed Satan rather than God, and thus broke the first commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

Now they are sinners, and now they need a Saviour. But why does a sinner need a Saviour? Why can he not work out his own salvation? Or why cannot God forgive a sinner without Christ’s dying for him? Christ says, “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do.” Luke 17:10.

It is a self-evident fact that it is the duty of an individual to do just right all his life, from his first day to his last. But suppose he should do wrong, commit various sins, the first half of his life. Now he concludes to reform. He leaves off all his sins, and does really do just right every way all the last half of his life. Now, will not the good deeds of the last half of his life atone for the sins of the first part of his life? No, indeed; for was it not his duty to do just right through all his life? Yes. Then, in doing just right the last half of his life, he is only doing that which was his duty to do during that time, provided he had not done wrong the first half of his life. Hence, no amount of right doing can atone for one wrong deed.

To illustrate: I trade with Mr. Jones a year, running in debt for all I get. New Year’s day, I decide not to get into debt any further, but to pay Mr. Jones for every article I get as I go along. I do so a year. I do not get into debt another cent. At the end of the year, Mr. Jones asks me to pay up what I owed him on the first year’s trade. Would he not be astonished if I should tell him that I did not owe him anything now because I had ceased to run in debt to him during the last year? Simply ceasing to contract further debts does not pay up past ones; so ceasing to sin does not remove past sins. In short, no amount of future obedience to a law can justify a past transgression of it.

To illustrate again: Forty years ago, Mr. Smith killed a man in this town. Not being suspected of the crime, he continued to live in the town till now when he is arrested, convicted, and is about to be sentenced. He confesses that he killed the man, but pleads that he justly ought to be set free because he has never killed a man since then, but has carefully kept the law. How much weight would such a plea have? The judge would tell him that he had no right to violate the law, even once, to kill one man. The fact that he had kept the law ever since did not justify his violation of it that once. So the sinner, having violated God’s law even once, can never save himself by his good works, by obedience to the law. This Paul forcibly argues in Rom. 3. He first proves that “all have sinned,” then he draws this conclusion: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Verse 20.

Hence, Adam having sinned, he could not justify himself by keeping the law after that. He could indeed, in his own person, pay the penalty of the law, which is death; but this would destroy him. God could not set aside the penalty of his holy law, nor let sin go unpunished; for this would give license to iniquity, and break down the authority of God and his government.

God valued his law, and could not set it aside. He pitied the poor sinner, and did not wish him to perish. There was only one more thing that could be done; viz., to let the penalty of his holy law be executed upon his own innocent Son, and thus open the way for the sinner to be forgiven. And this is just what was done. Hence, as soon as man sinned, God made the precious promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head. Gen. 3:15. This evidently refers to Christ, as is generally agreed. Indeed, it was the first announcement of the gospel to the fallen race.

From this time, the children of God began to offer sacrifices, by which to show their faith in the promised Deliverer. Thus we read in the next chapter, concerning Cain and Abel: “And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel, and to his offering; but unto Cain, and to his offering, he had not respect.” Gen. 4:3–5. Cain had no faith in Christ; hence he simply brought to the Lord a thank-offering of the grains and fruits he had raised. The offering of these showed no faith in the promised Redeemer; therefore, God rejected them. But Abel brought a lamb and slew it in sacrifice to God. In the death of this lamb was typified the death of the Lamb of God. This showed Abel’s faith in the Redeemer to come. So Paul says he offered it by faith. Heb. 11:4.

Now, we ask the reader carefully to consider this question: Can any sinner be saved without faith in Christ? Certainly not. Was not Abel a sinner? Surely, he was. Can a sinner be saved by the law? No, indeed. This we have already seen is impossible. Then, could Abel, or Noah, or Moses, or any other man under the old dispensation, be justified or saved by the law? Of course not. Then how will they be saved? By faith in Jesus Christ, the same as men are saved now. Will there be two companies of redeemed saints in Heaven, one from the Mosaic dispensation, saved by the law; and another, from the Christian dispensation, saved by faith in Christ? This is so manifestly absurd that to state it is to refute it. No; all the redeemed host, from Abel down, will unite in giving the glory of their salvation to Jesus Christ.

Neither the sacrifices nor the law in the Old Testament ever took away one sin or justified a single soul. Says Paul, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” “And for this cause He is the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” Heb. 10:4; 9:15. Then all the virtue there was in those sacrifices was simply as types to point men’s faith to Christ. They shadowed forth the gospel. As we have seen, the first announcement of the gospel was made in the promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head. Gen. 3:15. The gospel was preached to Abraham, for so Paul says: “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham.” Gal. 3:8. So then the gospel was not first preached by the apostles. Jesus says of Abraham, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad.” John 8:56.

By faith, Abraham looked forward to Jesus’ first advent, and rejoiced. Of his faith, Paul bears this testimony: “For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” Rom. 4:2, 3. So, then, Abraham was not justified by his good works, nor by the law, but by faith. But did he, therefore, disregard and break God’s law and commandments? No; for God says of him: “Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” Gen. 26:5. If neither faith nor the gospel freed Abraham from keeping the law of God, why should these free us from keeping it?

The gospel was also preached to the Israelites in their passage from Egypt to Canaan at the very time the law of God was proclaimed to them from Sinai. “But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, AS WELL AS UNTO THEM; but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” Heb. 3:17–19; 4:1, 2. The gospel was, then, preached to the Hebrews in the time of Moses; but the most of them did not believe it, though some did.

But, says one, do you mean to say that the holy men of those times under the law believed in Jesus Christ as Christians do? That they ate and drank of him spiritually as his disciples now do? Certainly, only that we have greater light than they. Paul settles this point. “Moreover, brethren, I would not that you should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Christ.” 1 Cor. 10:1–4.

Stephen says the church was there in the wilderness, and Christ was in the church. Acts 7:37, 38. So these men had the gospel preached to them, and they spiritually ate and drank of Christ, who was there present with them. Now it is a fact worthy of careful notice that at the very time they enjoyed all these gospel blessings, they also had the law of God, the ten commandments, delivered to them by God to be kept. If, then, the gospel and faith in Christ did not free them from the obligation to keep this law, why should they free us from keeping it?

But does not Paul say that since Christ came “the just shall live by faith”? Rom. 1:17. If we can now live by faith, why keep the law? And even stronger, Paul says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not by works, lest any man should boast.” Eph. 2:8, 9. Do not these declarations prove that no man can now be justified by good works, or by keeping the law? Yes; but have we not seen that since the fall of Adam no man could be saved by the law? Was Abel, or Abraham, or any other man, ever saved by the law? No; they were all saved by grace through faith, as I have abundantly shown. In Paul’s use of the phrase, “The just shall live by faith,” he simply quotes from the Old Testament, Hab. 2:4, where it was first written B.C. 626. This proves that it was just as true before the advent of Christ as it was after, that the just lived by faith. But did not those holy men keep the law of God while at the same time they were justified, not by the law, but by faith? Certainly. This shows that justification by faith and obedience to the law do go together and are in harmony.

What, then, is the difference between the old dispensation and the new? Simply this: Before the death of Christ, it was necessary that men should look forward by faith to that event for justification from their sins; hence, it was necessary to have sacrifices, types, and shadows, pointing them forward to his death. This is exactly what all those sacrifices were for, and

this was all the virtue there was in them. See Heb. 10:1–5; Col. 2:17. They never took away a single sin. Men of faith who offered them did not look to those sacrifices as anything, but through them they looked to Christ. Ps. 40:6–9.

But as soon as Christ had come and died, it became necessary to look no longer forward, but back to his death. Hence those sacrifices must of necessity cease. There must now be something to point our faith back to his death as an accomplished fact of the past. Therefore the Lord’s supper was instituted for this purpose. Says Paul, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come.” 1 Cor. 11:26. The broken bread and poured wine fitly commemorate Christ’s broken body and spilled blood. Baptism illustrates and commemorates the burial and resurrection of Jesus. Rom. 6.

So, since the death of our Lord, we have these ordinances pointing back to the cross instead of the old sacrifices pointing forward to it. This change was made necessary by his death. But this is all that was necessary. The moral law of God as the rule of conduct and faith in Christ for justification from past sins is in no way changed. And why should it be? No; but prophets, representing the old dispensation, and the apostles, representing the new, are both built upon the same foundation. So Paul declares: “And [ye] are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone.” Eph. 2:20. The great foundation, then, of the church of Jesus Christ was laid away back in the old dispensation and remains unchanged in the new.

The gospel means “the good news.” Good news of what? Of salvation. Salvation from what? From sin. But what is sin? Transgression of the law. 1 John 3:4. The gospel does not offer to save us from a transgression of the gospel, but from transgression of the law.

To illustrate: A man, for murder, is condemned to death. But the governor sends him a pardon. That is good news to the murderer; for it offers him salvation from the penalty of the law which he had violated. If he accepts the pardon, he will be saved, not by the law, or by his good deeds, but by the pardon. Now, suppose that as soon as he was out of prison he should begin berating the law because it could not save him, at the same time highly extolling the pardon for saving him, and then declare that he should no longer regard the law, but make the pardon the rule of his life! How absurd! Yet his position would exactly illustrate that of those who reject the law because it does not save them, and then propose to make the gospel their law.

The gospel is not given to succeed the law, but to save men from their sins, the violations of the law. Hence faith in Christ and obedience to the commandments of God should always go together as they will in the remnant church as shown by Rev. 14:12. “Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” The object of faith is to lead men to work. Gal. 5:6. “Faith which works by love.” A faith which does not do this is dead. James 2:17. The rule and test of good works is the law of God, the ten commandments. Matt. 5:16–19; James 2:8–24.

Be it understood, then, that we are not seeking to be justified by the law, but by faith, as was Abraham, Rom. 4:1–4; and yet we keep God’s law as did Abraham the father of the faithful.