p. 165 | Is the Heart Right? by Roswell F. Cottrell

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · May 30, 1878

Is the Heart Right?

By Roswell F. Cottrell

THIS truly is the great question; for “God looketh on the heart, not on the outward appearance.” A person may appear to men to be righteous, when the heart is not right in the sight of God; but in the soon coming day God shall judge the secrets of men. It is the hidden motive of the heart that weighs in God’s account. Evil men may constrain themselves to do right actions to be seen and praised of men; but the vail of hypocrisy cannot hide the heart from the omniscient Judge.

But upon this great truth, that God judges from the secret motives of the heart, Satan has constructed a sophistical argument by which thousands are deceived to their everlasting ruin. All are inclined to think favorably of their own heart; and from the fact that God knows the heart and judges accordingly, they infer that all will be well, though they be not very particular as to outward acts and observances. These amount to nothing, say they, God looks upon the heart; and God knows my heart, that I want to be saved.

My friend, you may desire life, and yet not love the way that leads to life. We may all learn this truth, if we will: That though outward acts of obedience can avail us nothing unless the heart is right, yet it is vain to think that the heart can be right, while there is not a willing obedience to all the outward acts required in the revealed will of God. The heart cannot be right with God, while we are unwilling to obey him; and to obey him we must do just what he says, and not offer him a substitute for what he has commanded.

Our duty is made plain in the word of God. To say it is not, is to impeach its Author. If the reader cannot understand what I am saying in this article, the fault is either in my expression, or in his education. The fault may be mine, for I am not infallible. But when men, out of so-called charity, look with complacency upon the conflicting creeds of men, all said to be founded upon the revelation which God has given, and say that each and every one is right, or just as good, if the heart is only right, they derogate from the character of that revelation, while they do not benefit men, but only aid them in their self-deception, and encourage them in the way to ruin.

And yet it is thought to be a real virtue to say of outward acts of obedience: “It is non-essential; one way is as acceptable as another, if the heart is only right.” You may be sprinkled, poured, immersed, or not baptized at all, if the heart is only right. You may keep the Sabbath on which God rested, and which he sanctified and commanded to be kept holy, or the one that the doctrines and commandments of men have put in its place, or you may say that there is no Sabbath in this dispensation, if the heart is only right.

To the question why Abel and his offering were accepted of God, the answer is, “Because his heart was right; and the evidence that his heart was right was, that he did just what God had instructed him to do. He obtained witness that he was righteous—that he was pardoned and accepted—God testifying of his gifts. He had the testimony of God concerning the gifts he offered, a bloody sacrifice, a type of the promised Christ, and doing exactly according to his instructions he was accepted. Cain’s substitute was not accepted, though it may have been fully equal to, or even exceeding, in value the offering of Abel.”

“Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness.” But he did something more than merely to say that he believed. Faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect. And God commended Abraham, “Because,” said he, “that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” Gen. 26:5. He did the very things which God required. On the contrary Saul, when sent to destroy utterly the Amalekites and all that they had, took the liberty to vary a little from his specific instructions, by saving alive some of the sheep and oxen, and this for the pious reason of offering them in sacrifice to God. He may have fancied that his heart was right and therefore that a trifling variation from the strict letter of his instructions was a matter of no essential importance. But what was the word of God to him? “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams;” and, “Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath rejected thee.” Neglect to obey the revealed will of the Lord is proof positive that the heart is not right in his sight. Reader, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

The Spirit has testified, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Said Jesus, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Many, he assures us, will come to that fearful moment to be undeceived too late. What shall be done to avert so terrible a fate? When Jesus was asked the way to eternal life, he replied, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” See Matt. 19:16-19. He referred the inquirer to the ten commandments, repeating five of them. As recorded by another witness, he said, “Thou knowest the commandments.” Dear reader, we also know them; and we know that the same moral code says, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” “The seventh day [not the first], is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” With the Bible in our hand, and all the light beaming from it in these last days of the nineteenth century, we have no excuse for longer following the dictates of an apostate church, instead of the clearly expressed will of God. Do not, I beseech you, be deceived with the glaring sophistry, that the heart can be right with God, while living in disobedience to his known requirements. “Little children, let no man deceive you; he that doeth righteousness is righteous.” Right acts may be performed, while the heart is wrong; but it is impossible for our heart to be right, while we neglect to do a single thing which God commands.

R. F. COTTRELL.