Judged by the Law by Ellet Joseph Waggoner

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 26, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 45.

"Judged by the Law."

By Ellet Joseph Waggoner

"For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; . . . in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ." Rom. 2:12-16.

In the two verses here quoted, there is matter for our most serious consideration, which does not appear from a casual reading. In them are brought to view the Judgment, and the law, which is to be the standard in the Judgment. We speak of the day of Judgment as "The day of wrath, that dreadful day," and it is doubtful if any one can really think of that day without feelings of awe or terror; yet no one can have any just appreciation of its awfulness unless he has carefully studied the law of God, by which men are then to be judged; and our sense of the terrors of that day will be exactly in proportion to our understanding of the far-reaching sanctions of that holy law.

The verses before us mention two classes,—those who have sinned without law, and those who, having sinned in the law, are to be judged by the law. The second class is the one with which we are specially concerned; but before we can fully comprehend what is said of it, we must briefly notice the class with which it is contrasted.

This text gives no authority whatever for the theory that there are any people in the world on whom God's law has no claims. The term "without law" is fully explained in verses 14 and 15, which are parenthetical. "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves; which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another."

In the first chapter of Romans, the heathen, here spoken of as those "without the law," are described. There it is plainly shown that their ignorant blindness is due to their own willful disobedience. "Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was

darkened." Rom. 1:21. There was a time when all men knew God; but now many have been given over to "a reprobate mind." Notwithstanding this, every man who has not driven the Spirit of God from him forever, has as a legacy from Adam in his purity, some trace of the law of God in his heart. It was not alone in outward form, but in character as well, that Adam was formed in the image of God. Man in his first estate was like God, holy, because God's law, which is the transcript of his character, was within his heart. When he fell, this image was marred. Each successive sin makes an additional blot upon that copy of the law in the heart, until, by a long course of sin, it is completely obliterated. Christ, the sinless One, said, "I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart." Ps. 40:8. The work of the gospel is to bring men back to their lost allegiance, to reconcile them to God (2 Cor. 5:20), and write the entire law once more in their hearts (Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:10), that thus they may be wholly conformed to God's image,—"partakers of the divine nature."

Paul says that the heathen, who have not the written law, give evidence of traces of the law written in their hearts, from the fact that when they do things that are commanded or forbidden by the law, their conscience bears witness, and their thoughts either accuse or else excuse the commission of those deeds. The contrast, then, between "without the law" and "in the law," is simply a contrast between no revelation and God's written word; and the two classes brought to view are those who have not the Bible, and those who have the full light of the written word of God.

It is evident, then, that those who "perish without law," are those who are punished for the sins which they have committed in face of the light which they had by nature. They had the law; for sin is imputed to them (verse 12), and "sin is not imputed when there is no law." Rom. 5:13. But they did not have the written law; consequently the written law, in its wondrous breadth, is not brought against them in the Judgment; they are judged simply by as much of the law as they had, and this alone is sufficient to condemn them.

Now it is still further evident that this judgment of the heathen can go but little, if any, further than the bare letter of the law. That is, for instance, the law will take cognizance, in the case of the heathen, only of the actual murder which he committed when he knew that he ought not to kill, and will not bring before him the envy and jealousy, which, in the absence of the written word, he perhaps did not recognize as being wrong. But "all unrighteousness is sin" (1 John 5:17), and "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23), and therefore "for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die." This, in brief, is what is meant by "not having the law," and by perishing "without law."

Now what of those who, having "sinned in the law," are to be "judged by the law"? We have already seen that this class comprises those who have the light of the written revelation. Then since they are to be judged by what they have, it is evident that they are to be judged by all that may be learned from the word of God. Instead of being judged according to the mere letter of the law, i. e., by that which may be understood by merely reading the law, they are to be judged according to the fullest intent of the law,—by all that may be understood by earnest, prayerful meditation in the law.

In Heb. 4:12 we read that the "word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." From the sermon on the mount,—that sermon that moralists are so fond of quoting, we learn that he who is unjustly angry with another is in as much danger of the Judgment as he who takes another's life; and John plainly declares that "whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer." 1 John 3:15. Again our Saviour said: "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery." Matt. 5:27. Here Christ quotes the seventh commandment as something known of old. All knew the penalty for violating it; but the scribes and Pharisees had taught that nothing but adultery as an actually accomplished fact could be considered a violation of the commandment. But Christ said of it, "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

These two instances, which are but samples of what might be said of all the commandments, serve to give us some idea of what the psalmist saw in the law when he said, "I have seen the end of all perfection; but thy commandment is exceeding broad." Ps. 119:96. So broad is it that it takes notice of an unexpressed thought or a single glance of the eye.

We claim that it is the law in its depth and breadth, the law as it discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart, to which Paul refers when he says of a certain class that they shall be "judged by the law." This claim is sanctioned by the verse which says that this judgment shall take place "in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men." It is evident that there is a difference between the judgment of those who sin "without law" and that of those who sin "in the law." Now what can this difference be, since, as we have already seen, the law is the standard of judgment in both cases? The only difference can be that the latter class endure a more rigid test than the former.

Notice, further, that the phrase "in the law" refers to all who have the written word, and that therefore this rigid test, which is going to take into account the remotest thoughts of the heart, is to be applied to every one who has the Bible, that is, to all the inhabitants of so-called Christian lands. This is that which may well cause us all to tremble at the thought of "that dreadful day." Multitudes who pride themselves on their strict morality will be found in that day to be but whited sepulchres, fair without, but full of corruption within. Thousands of professed Christians who stand high in the estimation of their brethren, perhaps also in their own estimation, will then be bidden to depart as "workers of iniquity;" "for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."

In this connection we also have another thought worthy of serious consideration. After enumerating the vices of the heathen (Rom. 1:24-32), Paul continues: "Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest; for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things." Rom. 2:1. Now there is not an individual who has ever read Rom. 1:24-32 who has not decided that the things there set forth are exceedingly wrong. But the apostle says, "Thou that judgest doest the same things." What! have we all committed murder and adultery? are we all guilty of all that list of outbreaking sins? Not openly; so far as the actual deed is concerned, we may have committed scarcely any of those acts. But we have all harbored the thoughts which, if cherished and allowed to pursue their natural course, would develop into those very sins. We have already seen that a wrong desire is counted as a violation of the commandment; but here we learn something further. We learn that the evil thought cherished by one who has the light of God's word, is in the sight of God as great a crime as the actual deed is when committed by a heathen. The professed Christian who indulges in anger or harbors evil thoughts, is as guilty before God as the benighted heathen who kills and eats his enemy.

We begin to see that the commandment is indeed "exceeding broad;" we may also feel a little less satisfied over the superiority above the heathen, which we fancy we enjoy. As we read of the Hindoo throwing himself before the car of Juggernaut, or perchance see the Chinaman bowing before his horrid-looking Joss, or think of the barbarous rites with which savage worship is accompanied, we shudder at the depth of wickedness revealed. But when we read that "rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry," we may well turn upon ourselves the look of pity and scorn. How many professed Christians are there who are never stubbornly set upon carrying out their own plans, regardless of the wishes of their brethren? Comparatively few we fear, always follow the directions laid down in 1 Cor. 1:10 and 1 Peter 5:5. How many who profess to keep "the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus," never indulge any rebellious feelings? It may be rebellion against duty which God has made known through the spirit of prophecy; it may be rebellion against church discipline, or against those placed in authority. Whatever it is, the rebellious or stubborn one is as vile in God's sight as the one who "in his blindness bows down to wood and stone." Is there not cause for us all to cry out, "God be merciful to me, the sinner?"

And to give force to these thoughts we have the assurance that, "the great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly." The Lord is near, "even at the doors," and when he comes, he will "bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts." 1 Cor. 4:5. And what weight against us those hidden and seemingly insignificant thoughts will have. How often we would gladly forget them; sometimes we succeed. But sooner or later they will be made known in all their terrible heinousness. What shall we do? Let us face them now. Let us pray to the Lord, "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." "Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord;" "let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts;" and we have the blest assurance that if we do this God will "abundantly pardon," and will "cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

E. J. W.