The Most Illustrious Seventh-Day Adventist
By G. W. Reaser
THIS question was raised by the Pharisees of old, relative to the doctrines taught by Christ: "Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on Him?" John 7:47, 48. From the fact that the world's so-called "great men" are not measured according to God's standard of greatness, we do not admit the above question as worthy of consideration in making the vital decision as to "what is truth," or in settling the question as to "what church cherishes God's truth," unless our precedent be taken solely from men who meet God's standard of greatness and righteousness: for the vast majority of the world's great men do not cherish truth, and therefore do not choose to make the necessary sacrifice in order to identify themselves therewith. There is a sense, however, in which this inquiry concerning the attitude of great men toward a certain thing, is vital and well worth weighing in making the important decision as to where we will seek to place our church-membership. The truly great men of all times, are those who have had the fullest approval of Heaven as regards their acceptance with God, and through whom God has spoken by the Holy Spirit, in writing His Word,— the Bible,—and in serving as His messengers. This list would include Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Samuel, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and all other true prophets, also Matthew, Peter, James, John, Paul, and all the rest of the apostles, save Judas. Now let us suppose that the question to be decided, is the claims of the Sabbath of Jehovah upon us, as opposed to the keeping of Sunday, as a sacred day: for many to-day are brought face to face with the making of this important decision. Where will we take our stand, if we are influenced, in making our decision, by the only truthful answer to the following question: "With which of these two institutions, the Sabbath or the Sunday, did the above list of great and good men identify themselves?" There can be but one truthful answer to this inquiry. Every honest Bible student must admit that all of these "worthies" were Sabbath-keepers. None of them were Sunday-keepers. Not one of them ever wrote a single line to teach or to support the holiness of Sunday above other days of the week. But we have yet to cite the most illustrious of the great and good men who have been Sabbath-keepers, or, in fact, who were Seventh-day Adventists. This Person is none other than Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory. The fact that He was a Sabbath-keeper, is indisputable; for in coöperation with Jehovah, He made, kept, sanctified, and blessed the first Sabbath of this world's history, with the first man, in Eden. Gen. 2:1-3 with John 1:1-3. And because He established it "for man"—for the race—in Eden, He said, "Therefore the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath." Mark 2:28. He kept the Sabbath perfectly while He lived as a man among men. John 15:10. He was and is an Adventist, because in conjunction with the Father, He is the Author of the advent. It is His coming which makes, or, better, which is the advent, in which event our hopes are centered. Being, therefore, the Author, both of the seventh-day Sabbath and of the advent, He is, beyond controversy, a Seventh-day Adventist; and being by inherent right as well as in character the Pre-eminent One, "the One altogether lovely," among all the sons of Adam's race, we can safely take Him for our example in all things. He was the most illustrious Seventh-day Adventist. As, therefore, from all Bible revelation, from Eden until the second advent of our Lord, all the great men who meet with the full approval of Heaven must be Sabbath-keepers, the question as to whether the truly great men of all time have been Seventh-day Adventists, throws all its weight of precedent in deciding where to identify ourselves in church fellowship, in favor of casting our lot with those who "keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14:12. Every Bible character who met the approval of Heaven, was in fact, if not in name, a Seventh-day Adventist. And surely, in choosing companionship,—church fellowship,—the illustrious company of prophets and apostles, with Jesus Christ as their living Head, are not to be despised. It can not be an objectionable fellowship9to be identified with Jesus in Sabbath-keeping, but rather, a blessed privilege, a holy communion. Does this fact give occasion for boasting on the part of Seventh-day Adventists?—By no means, but rather for deep humility, and profound thanksgiving for the unspeakable privilege of being associated with the Saviour of men in Sabbath-keeping and in giving the advent message to the world. It is true that men both great and good have been Sunday-keepers; but, lacking the full light of truth, in this they did not follow the example of Christ. We are all more or less prone to follow the example of great men. Why not follow—and especially in those things which pertain to our eternal peace—the example of the truly great, Heaven-approved men? What a striking contrast between following Christ in Sabbath-keeping, and in obeying the Papacy in Sunday-keeping! for the Papacy claims the honor (?) of setting apart Sunday as a holy day. Jesus is the sinless Man, the Law-keeper. The Papacy is the lawless one, the law-changer and law-breaker. Who would care to follow such authority? And now this question of keeping, with our living Head, the true Sabbath, confronts each of us, and each person must decide it for himself. We can not escape the issue; for the message is even now being proclaimed "to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people." Rev. 14: 6-14. There is both absolute safety and profound obligation in following the example of the Crucified One in Sabbath-keeping. "He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked." 1 John 2: 6.