4187 — The Importance of the Sabbath
If, as Seventh-day Adventists claim, the Sabbath is of such importance, why did God wait until almost the end before calling the world's attention to it? Will not sincere Sunday keepers be saved? If so, why do Seventh-day Adventists come over here to China and stir up all this discord? Every truth of God is important. Albert Barnes truly says, in his comments on Matt. 5:17-20, that any one who considers any command of God so unimportant as not to be obeyed is unworthy of His kingdom. There are many things which enter into the light which men have and which men have not. In this poor little world, solving the problem of sin, a great incident in God's eternal work, there are many great problems being wrought out. One of the factors in those problems is that man who desires his own way shall be allowed to have it, in order not only that the men of this world, but the beings in other worlds, may see what it means to depart from God and His truth. Consequently God suffered the great apostasy of Christian times; but in great mercy He foretold it, told the character of that apostasy, and what that apostasy would do, how it would think to change the times and the law of God. Dan. 7:25. He forewarned men, so that they need not fall into it. Yet He permitted it to come, that men might see what iniquity would do if allowed to work itself out. But just as truly as He had predicted that, He also predicted the Reformation, predicted the time when those who were among His people should take their foot from the Sabbath, from doing their pleasure on God's holy day, when they would restore the breach, build up again the wall that had been broken down by this apostate power. Isa. 58:12, 13. That is the message that is going to the world at this time. But His people during that time of imperfect light, a time when darkness reigned because of apostasy, a time when so many lost sight of the great truth of the Bible, God will judge accordingly. So was it when Jesus came the first time. Great and important phases of truth had been buried under the traditions of the Jews. Jesus said of them, “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.” If God did not give to the world in the last days His message concerning His Sabbath truth, He would not count as sin those who were transgressing it, yet who with sincere souls thought they were doing God's will. But He must demonstrate to the heavenly beings and to all mankind that notwithstanding all that apostasy has done, God will restore His truth, and will gather out of the last and darkest and weakest generation a class of people who are keeping all the commandments of God and all the faith of Jesus. To him who loves the Lord Jesus Christ, that message is a message of joy and gladness. The everlasting gospel of which this reform is a part is the everlasting good tidings (Rev. 14:6-14); and Seventh-day Adventists, if they would be true to God, must preach this glorious, glad light which God has given them of the blessed Sabbath, the memorial that it is of a great, kind, heavenly Father, and the pledge that it is of a glorious Redeemer who is able to save to the uttermost. So while sincere Sunday keepers who have been unwarned and who do not know God's truth, who are living according to the light which they have with perfect hearts, will be saved, yet God would have His children fully enlightened, and especially in these days predicted by the prophets.