p. 300 | The Terror of the Lord by R. F. Cottrell

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, Cal. · Jul 29, 1875

The Terror of the Lord.

By R. F. Cottrell

SOME complain of the preaching of terror; and others think it a virtue to avoid giving alarm. One minister remarked in my hearing, "I am not an alarmist." Still I believe the apostle Paul was sound in faith, and that he preached the gospel with the Spirit sent down from God. He taught that "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." 2 Cor. 5 : 10, 11.

The terror of the Lord is not in the gospel. The gospel is good news; there is no terror in good news or glad tidings. The terror consisted in the fact that men are to be brought to Judgment; that they will be judged by the law of God; and that those who fail to avail themselves of the joyful provisions of pardon and salvation, offered in the gospel, will finally be judged and condemned to perdition by the law. "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 according to my gospel." See Rom. 2 : 12, 16. No. The terror of the Lord is not in the gospel; but the apostle knowing the terror of the Lord persuaded men to embrace the gospel as their only hope of escape from the fearful judgment and condemnation of the law.

Those who teach that the gospel has superceded the moral law and abolished it, have no terror in their preaching. It is all peace and safety and no terror of the Lord. But their gospel is not the same that Paul preached. The pardon of transgression and the abolition of the law transgressed are distinctly two things, though some seem to fail to see it. A sermon recently published in the American Christian Review has the following language :—

"But if, as Sabbatizers and Judaizers contend, the moral law, or decalogue, is, as a system, still of force and binding upon all people,"

"WHO WILL EVER BE SAVED?"

"Is it not this very law that all are condemned by? Who has lived up to all the requirements of this law? Who, therefore, can be saved by it? But I am answered, 'Christ has died for us.' So he has, and when Christ comes in for justification by faith in him, does not that break up the binding force of the law that was against us on account of our transgressions? Judged by the moral law, 'the whole world becomes guilty before God, and so long as the law remains in force, the whole world will remain guilty before God. Christ came to fulfill the law and did fulfill it in the sense of performing what was required by it, and accomplishing its end or intention, and took it out of the way; so that we who believe in him 'are not under the law but under grace.' The Sabbatizers, who, to bind on Christians the old Sabbath law of Moses, fall back upon the decalogue and contend that they who are still under that as a law, 'are falling from grace.'"

What confusion of ideas is here! To sift it out as thoroughly as possible, the teaching is, that the law is not of force upon the believers in Christ only. Unbelievers are not under grace; therefore the law is in force against them. Our faith in Christ breaks up the binding force of the law. Why then speak of holding the law as being "still in force," and as though Christ "took it out of the way," by something which he did? If the faith of believers breaks up the binding force of the law, then it was broken up in the times of Abraham and David, who were believers in Christ. If being justified by faith breaks up the binding force of the law of ten commandments, then it was broken up in the days of Abraham, for he was justified by faith; and therefore no change in this respect was effected when Christ was nailed to the cross. If faith in the sacrifice of Christ can now release the believer from obligation to keep the precepts of the decalogue, especially the fourth commandment, it would do the same thing for Abraham. He believed, but he did something else. The promise to Abraham was renewed to Isaac, "Because," said God, "that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." Gen. 26 : 5.

But, says our writer, if the "moral law or decalogue," is "still of force and binding upon all people, who will ever be saved?" We are "condemned by it," he argues; "who, therefore, can be saved by it?" "No one," is the implied answer to the last question, and we freely respond, No transgressor ever was or ever was to be saved by the law he has transgressed; for it condemns and it cannot both condemn and save him from condemnation. But if it be impossible, as he implies, for any to be saved, if this law is "still of force and binding," how can any be saved who were so unfortunate as to live when it was binding? If the ancients who lived when the decalogue was of force could be saved by faith in Christ, cannot we, though it yet remain unabolished? Is it universal damnation to all upon whom the moral law was, and universal salvation to all who live since it was abolished? Since the death of Christ, are all the world under grace? He does not claim it. The believer only is under grace. But believers were under grace before Christ died; and therefore no change in this respect was effected by his death. The ancients could be saved by faith, though bound to keep the ten commandments; so can we.

But it is not claimed that it is wrong to keep any one of the ten commandments, except the fourth. We may keep all but that and not fall from grace. The Sabbath was binding upon the Jews. This, then, must be the reason they all fell from grace, and none of that nation can be saved!

But to return to the subject. Paul knew the "terror of the Lord." The terror is in the law, by which all will be judged; "for there is no difference." He persuaded men to believe and obey the gospel and escape the terror. We preach the same gospel, and for the same reason. By it ancients and moderns will be saved—all who "keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." All have the offer of pardon through Christ; but pardon of transgression and the abolition of the law transgressed are two things; they cannot exist together. There is only one mode of salvation, and that is by "repentance toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." The good news of salvation has been proclaimed to all, ancients and moderns. But while we have the glad tidings of offered salvation through Christ, the terror of the Lord has not been abolished. The Judgment is between us and the kingdom of God; and all who have neglected repentance toward God, and faith toward Jesus Christ will find themselves given over to the law they have transgressed, and by it consigned to perdition. "Sin is the transgression of the law;" and "the wages of sin is death." "But the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." Thank God for the gift! R. F. COTTRELL.