CAN SAINTS APOSTATIZE? by S. Osborn

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 6, 1879

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 53, No. 10.

Read the full edition

CAN SAINTS APOSTATIZE?

By S. Osborn

ELD. S. OSBORN.

(Continued.)

We will now take our leave of Dr. Beard, and turn our attention to the examination of the subject affirmatively.

I will state some propositions, which, if sustained, will accomplish all I design here:—

1. Eternal life is promised conditionally, the condition being continuance in righteousness unto the end. Proof: Matt. 19: 16, 17: “Behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” The Saviour says: “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” No one will deny that it was the young man’s duty to keep them to the end in order to enter into eternal life. Matt. 24: 13: “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” This needs no comment. Eze. 18: 24–26: “But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned. In his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.”

I know it is contended that this kind is legal righteousness and has no reference to conversion. But in verse 20 it is shown to be that kind of sin that kills the soul, and from verse 27 we learn that he can save his soul alive by turning away from those sins. Verse 26 shows that this kind of sin reaches unto the second death. “When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.” Now whether these sins are legal or not, they produce the same final end that the sins of an unconverted man produces (see Heb. 6: 8), viz., the loss of eternal life. So it is useless to try this dodge.

But I will now prove that it does refer to conversion. Verses 30, 31: “Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed, and make you a new heart and a new spirit; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” If these terms do not show true conversion, I despair of finding words to convey the idea. Repent—turn—cast away—make a new heart and a new spirit. This is decisive on the point.

2. Those who are converted to God, and who enjoy his favor, have their names written in the Lamb’s book of life while on this earth. Proof: Dan. 12: 1: “And at that time shall Michael stand up. . . . Thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” Here it is evident that no new names are written at the time of the Judgment; but destiny is decided by what was written before. Phil. 4: 3: “I entreat thee also, true yoke-fellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow-laborers, whose names are in the book of life.” Luke 10: 20: “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven.”

These texts need no comment. They are plain enough, and fully sustain the second proposition.

3. There is at least a possibility that some of these names will be blotted out. Proof: Rev. 3: 5: “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” Ps. 69: 28. The Psalmist is speaking against his enemies in Israel, whose names were once written in the book of life, as we will show. He says: “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.” Ex. 32: 32, 33. Moses says: “Yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.” These were God’s chosen people, truly converted to God, as we shall soon show.

4. Those whose names are not found in the book of life at the Judgment suffer the second death. Rev. 20: 14, 15: “Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire.” It is plain from these texts, first, that when a person is converted his name is enrolled in the book of life; secondly, that it will be retained there only on condition; thirdly, that if these conditions are not complied with, their names will be blotted out; fourthly, that if their names are not found in the book of life at the Judgment, they will suffer the second death.

I will now illustrate this by several examples. Saul of Kish was a converted man and a child of God, as the following facts will show: 1st, he was the anointed of the Lord. Samuel anointed him (1 Sam. 10: 1); 2d, God let his Spirit come upon him, and he prophesied; and 3d, he was a changed man. Verse 6. Read also verse 7, which says, “God is with thee.” In verse 6 it says that he should be turned into another man. In verse 7, God was with him. In verses 15 and 17, we read that Saul was little in his own sight when he was first anointed to be king.

These points prove Saul to have been a converted man. Now for his apostasy. It is summed up in 1 Chron. 10: 13, 14: “So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, and against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit to inquire of it; and inquired not of the Lord; therefore he slew him.” Surely he died in his sin.

Hear Christ on this point. John 8: 21: “Then said Jesus, . . . I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins. Whither I go, ye cannot come.” So Saul is a lost, apostate man.

(To be continued.)