GRACE AND TRUTH by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, Cal. · Dec 6, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 49.

“GRACE AND TRUTH.”

By Editor

Another “Edition” Needed.

BEFORE us lies a little tract with the above title, several copies of which have been sent us. It is said to be “the first edition, 1905.” Here is the statement on which the teachings of the tract are based (Italics ours):

“The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17) is the brief and weighty way in which the Bible sets before us the change in the dealings—or rather the contrast in the dealings—of God with man consequent upon the coming of the Son of God into the world.

The dispensation of the law begins and ends with Moses. The dispensation of grace is not a development of that which preceded it. It begins where the other ends, and is in entire contrast with it in all its features.

It is of the utmost importance to Christians to understand the true character and object of the moral law. There is a tendency in the mind to confound or mix the principles of law and grace, so that neither the one or the other can be rightly understood. Law is shorn of its stern and unbending majesty, and grace is robbed of all its divine attractions. God’s holy claims remain unanswered, and the sinner’s deep and manifold necessities remain unreached, by the anomalous system framed by those who attempt to mingle law and grace. In point of fact, they can never be made to coalesce, for they are as distinct as any two things can be.

Law sets forth what man ought to be, grace exhibits what God is. How can these ever be wrought up into one system? How can the sinner ever be saved by a system made up of half law, half grace? Impossible. It must be either the one or the other. The law, like everything else emanating from God, was perfect so far as it went—perfect for the object for which it was administered; but that object was not, by any means, to unfold, in the view of guilty sinner, the nature and character of God. There was no grace, no mercy. “He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy.” Heb. 10:28.

The writer of the above does not stand alone in holding that God gave the law, and dealt with man by law from Moses to Christ; then law was dropped and people were dealt with by grace. There was not mere change in God’s dealings, but actual “contrast” in God’s dealings with His children.

The strange declarations are made in the light of such wonderful truths as these:

“I am Jehovah; I change not.” Mal. 3:6. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.” James 1:17. “Hear, O Israel; Jehovah our God is one Jehovah; and thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” Deut. 6:4, 5. “Jesus answered, The first [commandment] is, ‘Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.’” Mark 12:29, 30.

The requirements given by Moses are the requirements given by Jesus, as they were given by Christ to Moses.

Yet according to the tract under review God was gracious up to the time of Moses; but from that time till Christ came He was ungracious, without mercy. Moses and Samuel and David and Elijah and Isaiah knew naught of God’s grace and mercy. That writer would have us believe that these men were deceived by the Word of Jehovah given to and through Moses:

“Jehovah, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving-kindness and truth; keeping mercy for thousands [of generations, Deut. 7:9], forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin.” Ex. 34:6, 7.

Over and over is it sung in that dispensation that “His mercy endureth forever,” and that He is “full of compassion and gracious,” and “gracious and full of compassion;” over and over the psalmist sang it. Yet in it all, according to this tract he was mistaken; for he also believed in law, and sang:

“O how love I Thy law, It is my meditation all the day;” “I delight to do Thy will, O my God, Yea, Thy law is within my heart.”

Of course none of the men of God living in that age knew aught of this double system; they believed in God’s grace and kept His “commandments and statutes and laws.” And yet mistaken as they were (according to the tract referred to) that mixed—divinely mixed—system made men fit for translation without seeing death, as Elijah, for instance. Of course, Jesus tells us that neither one jot nor tittle could pass from the law (Matt. 5:17-20). Paul declares that we do not make it void by faith (Rom. 3:31); John declares that “this is the love of God that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:3). We read, too, that there is justice in this dispensation; for while he who despised Moses’ law died without mercy, “of how much sorer punishment” is he thought worthy who slights the work of Christ. Heb. 10:29. More than this, the law is itself an expression of God’s “mercy” unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments.” Ex. 20:6. Jesus declared to the Jews who were doing so many little things punctiliously, that they had omitted the weight

ier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith,” “and the love of God.” Matt. 23:23; Luke 11:42.

God is ever the same, the great I AM, His law always demanding the highest conduct; His grace and mercy ever pardoning the repentant sinner. His law has ever condemned the sinner; His grace has ever wrought to bring the receptive heart back to Him. The broken law makes necessary the abounding grace; the healing grace binds up the wounds of transgression and establishes law in the heart of the believer.

What does the text at the beginning of our quotation mean?—Simply this: All that God could do through mortal man was to give His law as mere outward precepts. That is all that Moses could do. Christ came down to give God’s precepts as enabling acts to the heart of faith. Moses so received them, and the law from Christ became a Gospel of power, shining from his face. But the people would not hear God’s voice; hence, they received it as outward law only; and law without is always death; while law within is power and peace and rest. Outside of man it is to him mere fact; within his heart it is living “truth.” Ps. 119:142. And “grace and truth” came not through or by, but to Moses as truly as it did to John or Paul.

Surely we hope this tract will pass to its second edition, a messenger of truth, not error.

O, why not see God as He is, just, good, merciful, gracious, loving, and eternally unchangeable?