p. 6 | STANDARD OF RIGHT by O. E. Jones

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 27, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 21.

STANDARD OF RIGHT.

By O. E. Jones

“SIN is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4. “All unrighteousness is sin.” 1 John 5:17. Christ’s life of perfect obedience to the law (“who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth,” 1 Peter 2:22) won for him the title “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS;” and all claims that God’s rule was arbitrary and his law unjust were proven to be groundless. And when Satan took the life of the innocent Son of God, it was then manifest to the intelligences of the universe that Satan was in the wrong, and he is now an outcast in the sight of all the holy and the good.

The exceeding sinfulness of sin may be seen by its fruits. “Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” James 1:15. The sin may appear otherwise, but in every sin are the seeds of death.

In disregarding God’s word and hearkening to the voice of a stranger, Adam and Eve transgressed the first commandment, which says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

And in partaking of the forbidden fruit, that which was not given to them, they violated the commandment which says, “Thou shalt not steal.” In yielding to a desire for the supremacy, they violated the commandment which says, “Thou shalt not covet.”

Our first parents were not ignorant of their sin. The record says, “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” Gen. 3:6. Adam and Eve did not plead innocent, but sought an excuse for their disobedience. “And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.” Gen. 3:12, 13. Adam, in excusing himself by placing the blame upon God, or more directly upon the woman whom God had given to be with him, shows clearly that he was not ignorant of the sin which he had committed. The same was true of Eve. Now Paul says, “By the law is the knowledge of sin.” Rom. 3:20. And again, “I had not known sin, but by the law; for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” Rom. 7:7.

In the above text the apostle shows clearly that the Decalogue, that law which says, “Thou shalt not covet,” is the standard of right, and that to transgress that law is sin.

The apostle James teaches the same thing, for he says: “If ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he [margin, “that law”] that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.” James 2:9-11. The reasoning which James applies to the sixth and seventh commandments may, with equal propriety, be applied to all the commandments.

That perfect obedience to God’s law is perfect righteousness or right-doing, and that disobeying it is sin is seen by the following: “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” Rom. 6:16. “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Rom. 8:4.

But perfect obedience is accomplished only as we have the mind of Christ. “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Rom. 8:7. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 2:5. He kept his “Father’s commandments.” John 15:10. O. E. JONES.