Correct Motives in Religion.
By John Harvey Kellogg
THIS is a subject of greater practical importance than may appear to those who do not carefully examine its bearings. It is generally supposed that if the action itself be right there is little or no need of further consideration; or if there is honesty of purpose it does not so much matter what the course of action may be. But there is danger that individuals may be lulled into carnal security and ruined by self-deception. Paul said: "And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully." 2 Tim. 2:5. A man may worship in blindness; he may be very devoted, and "bow down to wood and stone;" very self-sacrificing, and voluntarily perish under the wheels of the car of Juggernaut. He may even worship the true God, yet not at all to divine acceptance. John 4:23, 24. He may worship Christ, and still worship him in vain. Matt. 15:9. He may, with great earnestness, call upon Jesus as his Lord, and yet be banished as a worker of iniquity. Matt. 7:22, 23. Worldliness or selfishness may be so intermixed in our religion as to make it even abominable in the sight of God. Prov. 28:9. While almost every one acknowledges the utility and necessity of nine of the ten commandments, the remark is frequently made that they are not to be obeyed as commandments; that is, men do not keep the things contained therein because they are commanded, but because they love to do them. To obey a commandment, is, in the estimation of some, too low for a Christian; it is inconsistent with the freedom of the gospel. Christian service, they say, should be that of love only. Every act should be voluntary,—a free-will offering,—and not by any feeling of compulsion. This position is sometimes avowed by those whom we very highly esteem, and whose zeal and service in the cause of Christ are assurance to all of the honesty of their intentions. Yet we consider the position so deeply erroneous that we fear the religion of many is greatly vitiated by this motive, which is really a selfish one. Let us examine a few passages of Scripture bearing on this subject. "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments." 1 John 5:3.
"If ye love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15.
"If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love." John 15:10.
"Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?" Matt. 15:3.
"If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." Matt. 19:17.
"Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven." Matt. 5:19.
"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" Luke 6:46.
"Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14:12.
"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Rev. 22:14. All these speak of them, not as mere abstractions, but as commandments, and the duties contained therein are enjoined because they are commanded. But if the decalogue is not now binding as commandments, it is because the Lord has, in some manner, released us from the obligation. If so, why do the things, or any of the things contained therein? We have a case exactly in point. There is a prophecy in Isa. 1:10-15, which, when compared with chap. 66:1-4, and Hosea 2:11, and others, teaches the abrogation of certain duties once enjoined. The question there proposed applies to all false worship, or will-worship: "Who hath required this at your hands?" The truth is that there are no optional duties in the service of God. "All good works" are marked in the holy Scriptures. "To the law and to the testimony," is the constant and only appeal in the Christian life. That which is done, not as a matter of commandment, but as a matter of choice, may be omitted without sin. This is a fact which no one can contradict. And then comes the question: Can a Christian omit the duties enjoined in nine of the ten commandments and not be guilty? Every one will say that he cannot, and yet it is true that "by the law is the knowledge of sin." But one fact, worthy of remark, may always be noticed in these cases, namely, with all their love to do these things, they never love to do what is enjoined in the fourth commandment! So uniformly is this the case that we have been driven to this conclusion that the position is not taken because of any special love to God, but because of a special aversion to the Sabbath. Now let us further ask such an one: Why do you love to do the things contained in nine of the commandments? We cannot imagine what answer can be given but this: Because we love to do that which is pleasing to God. But how do you know it is pleasing to God? Where may we learn that God will be pleased to have his servants do those things? This can only be answered in one way: We know it because we find it in his word. He has spoken it and left it on record. And so, after all, we must come to the commandment to learn that it is duty, and that God will accept it as service to himself. And this destroys the position completely. And now we will ask another question: Why do you not also love to keep the Sabbath? What is the ground of your being thus "partial in the law"? Mal. 2:9. God spake this as well as the other nine. It is left on the same record. The Saviour gave it the same sanction in his life and teachings. Are you sure that your motive is pure,—that it is not alloyed with worldly or selfish considerations? We think it unnecessary to pursue these questions further. The truly conscientious may easily determine this matter for himself by careful self-examination. But we must say, and we think we shall be sustained by every considerate, God-fearing person, that the whole position is inexcusably faulty; so much so that it vitiates the religion of the person who takes it, and must endanger his acceptance with "the Judge of all," in the great day. If it is true that they do the great moral duties of life because they choose to do them—they love to do them—and not because God requires them, then it is true that their service is not that of obedience, for that is not, and cannot be, obedience which does not recognize the obligation of a commandment. Long ago an English reformer asked this question, "Can that be obedience for which there is no commandment?" We hazard nothing in saying that such religion is faulty,—that it has no true foundation on which to rest,—is not service done to God. For, if it is done of choice and not by virtue of God's commandment, then the service centers in self and not in God. And that which does not recognize the obligation of a divine requirement is not service to God. It is verily will-worship, and as such strongly and justly condemned in the Scriptures. Melanchton said that those things which are called virtues among the heathen, and among those who reject the authority of God, are of the nature of vices because they have a vicious origin; because they spring from self and not in respect to God's authority. The indictment stands good against the religion of those who do only the things which they love to do, without regard to what God has commanded. If this be not true, it is because the word of God is not a standard of "faith and practice." That word furnishes the test for all human actions; it informs us on what ground we shall appear in the Judgment. It sums up "the whole matter" in these words:— "Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into Judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Eccl. 12:13, 14. Then if we wish to know how we shall appear in the sight of the Judge in that day, let us look to his commandments, and discover how we stand related to them. If we are not in harmony with them here in our probation, they will be against us when our probation ends and we stand where the secrets of the heart are made manifest. And let us never trust to our own hearts, or to our feelings, to guide us in our religion, for this is the height of folly. Jer. 17:9; Prov. 28:26.