God’s Law and Forgiveness
By F. M. Oliver
Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshiper of God, and doeth His will, him He heareth. John 9:31. HE young man who stated this grand truth, was just a short time before only a poor, blind beggar. From his birth he had not been able to see the light of day or to view the beauties of nature; but now this poor blind beggar could not only see, but could discern enough spiritual truth to bring condemnation to the hearts of the proud Pharisees. These men had turned away not only from the Lord Jesus, but from His law as well; and they would do almost anything to keep the people from believing on Christ. Thus they said, “Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.” Verse 24. They were ready to cast any one out who would confess Jesus as the Christ; and the parents of the young man, fearing excommunication, said, “By what means he now seeth, we know not; . . . ask him: he shall speak for himself.” Verse 21. The parents here lost a golden opportunity of confessing Christ. Like many another, not only of that day but of ours, they feared the people, and loved the praise of man more than the praise of God. The son represents the true follower of Jesus. He faced the frowning Pharisees, and with undaunted courage pressed the truth home to their hearts. “Will ye also be His disciples?” They who had closed their eyes to God’s Word, and were as blind spiritually as this man had been physically, reviled him, and cast him out; but Christ, knowing that he had been cast out, came to him with such comforting words that the young man believed on Him and worshiped Him. When friends, father, and mother forsake us, then the Lord will take us up. We must be willing “to speak for ourselves,” and to choose the right, no matter if all the world should forsake us. Mark 10: 29, 30. The wise teachers of Christ’s day would make people believe that Jesus was a commandment breaker. John 9: 16. They were trying to destroy the work that Christ came to do. This is why He told them, just a short time before, that they were of their father the devil; and it is certain that they were carrying out the works of the evil one. The prophecy of Zech. 7: 11-13 was surely fulfilled in their case. If ever a people stopped their ears and hardened their hearts so they would not hear the law of the Lord, it was this people. They had turned their backs upon the true God. They had forgotten His law, and were teaching instead the traditions of men. Mark 7: 5-9. The day Christ healed this man, was the Sabbath; and for this act of mercy the Jews said He was a sinner. Yet at the very time, they were planning how they might take His life. They were blind to the demands of God’s spiritual law; and when the goodness of God was manifested, they were ready to denounce the good as the works of the wicked one. O, the awfulness of departing from God to the extent that we will call evil good, and good evil! The Lord is ever ready to hear and to lead those who will give heed to His law; but those who close their ears to the law, He knows afar off. “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” Prov. 28: 9. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Ps. 66: 18. Christ had His Father’s law written in His heart. Ps. 40: 7, 8. And every true follower of Christ to-day, as well as at all other times, is to have the law written in his heart and in his mind. Jer. 31: 33; Heb. 8: 8-10. Jesus came to keep and to save us from the guilt of the broken law. He came to “magnify the law, and make it honorable.” Isa. 42: 21. He came to take away our sins (Isa. 43: 25); and “sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3: 4. He swept away the traditions of the Jews, saying, “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition,” while they claimed that Christ’s act of healing on the Sabbath was sin. Christ, who would have them see the broadness of God’s law, showed that it was the very best way of observing the Sabbath. As He said on another occasion of the like, “It is lawful [according to law] to do good on the Sabbath days.” When those who were bowed down by sickness and sin, and were in need of a Saviour, came before Christ, He was always ready to help. Thus He was doing the work of Him who had sent Him. Blindness covered the minds of the Pharisees, as blindness covers many in our day, and they will not come to Him that they may have life. The young man was not only healed of his physical blindness, but his spiritual eyes were opened, and he saw Christ and worshiped Him. Reader, have your eyes been opened to God’s truths? Are you willing to forsake all things that would keep you from the kingdom of God? Would you know your duty? Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. His Word is the Guide-book, and it will not lead us in the wrong way. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Eccl. 12: 13.