CAN WE HONOR CHRIST FROM BENEATH THE REFUGE OF LIES?
By T. E. Bowen
ALTHOUGH deeply covered by the rubbish of the "traditions of men," there is in the earth to-day a beautiful line of pure, eternal truth, which shines brighter, and becomes more and more precious to him who examines and tests it the most thoroughly. When fully uncovered from sin's perverting falsehoods, not a flaw can be found in it. What may appear as serious defects, when they are carefully and prayerfully studied, will be found to exist not in the truth itself, but in the false coloring placed upon it by man. Instead of hiding beneath the truth, some have always chosen the refuge made by the enemy of God. Isaiah says: "Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves; therefore thus saith the Lord, . . . Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place." Isa. 28:15-17. When will hail come as a judgment from the Almighty? "And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. . . . And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell; and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great." Rev. 16:17-21. By comparing these texts we learn there will be a "refuge of lies," where men will feel perfectly secure, notwithstanding God pronounces it unsafe. Also a time will come when this refuge will be swept with hail. In the last text we learn that the vengeance of God in the plague of the hail comes from his presence as his final destruction; for it is accompanied with, "It is done." Hence, just prior to Christ's coming in power and glory, there will exist a "refuge of lies," and, as Isaiah says, this refuge shall be swept with hail, and as the Scripture calls the object of God's wrath "great Babylon," we must conclude that in "great Babylon" is this refuge beneath which men are hiding for shelter. By reading Rev. 14:9, 10 it will be seen that the "fierceness" of God's wrath is to be poured out upon those who "worship the beast and his image." By other texts it can be clearly shown that this worship is the honor and reverence paid the first day of the week as the Sabbath, this being the "sign" of the authority of the "beast." Very well, then, we have just prior to Christ's second advent a "babylon" (confusion of doctrines among churches), in which is a "refuge of lies" (or false doctrines), beneath which men are seeking shelter, and in this refuge is found the false sabbath, against which we have the promise of the "fierceness" of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation." In conversation with a well-informed gentleman, at one time a local preacher, upon the obligation of now keeping the Sabbath (the seventh day), the following reason was given by him for his keeping the first day:— "One of the great reasons why I keep Sunday is this: Every Sunday morning when I hear all these church bells ringing, what do you suppose is the first thing that comes to my mind?" As, of course, I could not tell, he continued: "Well, I will tell you. I think of my Saviour as a risen Saviour, and so I keep Sunday to honor my Saviour." I was disappointed; for this was his "great reason," and I thought it might be a new one. "But," I replied, "how do you think of your Saviour to-day [Monday]?" "Why," he replied, "as a risen Saviour." "Well, did he rise from the dead yesterday?" "No." Again I inquired, "Was he not then a risen Saviour last Saturday just as truly as yesterday?" He replied, "Yes." "Then why not think of him Saturday as a 'risen Saviour'?" "Oh," said he, "I can't think that way!" Precisely. How many there are like this man who will not "think that way." They could if they would, but no, they prefer to hide beneath the "refuge of lies." They choose to cling for doctrine to the traditions and teachings of men. Christ likens them to foolish builders, content with dirt foundations, not willing to dig a little and find rock. Oh, how great will be the fall of such false hopes! Weeping and wailing, the fury of the Almighty will sweep them and their refuge with destruction. Hear what God saith concerning these patched-up reasons for observing as holy the day substituted for the eternal and holy rest day of Jehovah that was torn from its setting in his law by the presumptuous hand of man: "Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered mortar; say unto them which daub it with untempered mortar, that it shall fall; there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it. Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it? . . . So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I am the Lord." Eze. 13:10-14. When this foundation is laid bare in that day, then it will be apparent who have truly been honoring Christ. "If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be; if any man serve me, him will my Father honor." John 12:26. Did Jesus ever keep holy the first day of the week? All must answer, "No." Has he since led his servants to go contrary to his whole life of teaching and practice without one word of holy writ authorizing such change? If so, you pronounce him a changeable God. Then how can he be honored by his servants casting aside his divine example and teaching, and assuming to honor him by keeping as holy, a day he never made holy? Instead of it being honor, it is dishonor. It is pure presumption. Think you God will let such things go unpunished? Hear his sentence against those who willingly pursue such a course: "Her priests [teachers] have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things; they have put no difference between the holy and the profane, neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths [then they could have seen his Sabbath; for it was in their sight], and I am profaned [not honored] among them." Eze. 22:26. "Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you, in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you. Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, . . . and ye shall know that I the Lord have poured out my fury upon you." Verses 19-22. To the sincere seeker God will unfold his truth in its beauty. Every honest soul will be found; for this is God's work of seeking them out, and he knows where they all are. These will gladly reject "human traditions," and will become purified by "obeying the truth." Of the other class, "because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved," it is said: "And for this cause God shall send [by permitting it to come] them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie." 2 Thess. 2:10, 11. We have a risen Saviour, who is Lord of the Sabbath day, and to do him honor we must turn unto him with all our hearts, and follow him in all things. He is inviting us to enlist in his service, and seek for meekness and righteousness, and it may be we shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger. Satan is also enticing souls to seek shelter beneath the "refuge of lies." There will be only the two classes. Where, dear reader, will you be found when destruction cometh from the Almighty?