The Moral Law, and Man Made in His Maker’s Image
By E. Hilliard
THE Ten Commandments, spoken by God, and written with His own finger upon tables of stone, have received the appellation of “moral law,” because of their very nature. They demand morality in the superlative degree, and positively prohibit everything that is immoral. They are the epitome of all righteousness. Every soul on earth should exclaim with the psalmist, “All Thy commandments are righteousness.” “O how love I Thy law! it is my meditation all the day.” Ps. 119: 172, 97. These ten immutable precepts are the very elements of God’s character. God created man in His own image. Therefore the law of God is a transcript of the Adamic character in its original perfection. That is, God formed dust into bodily parts, and infused the breath of life, for man to act on the principles contained in the moral law. Man acted upon these principles as naturally as he inhaled and exhaled the atmosphere of his Eden home. He needed only to heed the injunction not to touch the forbidden fruit. He needed no further command nor any written law, for the elements of the law were inherent within him. HE MARRED THE IMAGE OF GOD
When he yielded to the tempter, and partook of the tree of knowledge, he not only transgressed the law of his being, but marred the image of God in which he was formed. Adam could not restore this, for lack of creative power. Even angels were powerless to remedy the defect. After the sin was committed, according to the decree of the Creator, it must accomplish its work of dissolution upon the physical man. “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” His fate would have been eternal death had not Heaven interposed in man’s behalf. The promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head was a gleam of light that brightened the dark valley of death. Man had placed himself in a helpless, hopeless condition. He had marred the image of God beyond reproduction, except by the power of his Creator. Our loving Redeemer, who was Co-creator with His Father, offered Himself for man’s redemption. In the garb of humanity, He kept inviolate the principles of the moral law. Ps. 40: 7, 8. Otherwise He would have marred His own character beyond recovery. Oh, what a risk He encountered to reproduce His image in fallen, sinful men! He who declares the law abolished, denies the character of God — the image in which he was made — and makes his own redemption null and void. During the time of the plan of redemption, countless millions have accepted God’s terms of deliverance from sin. Such will reënter Eden, where no intruding foe will ever enter. All who coöperate with Christ in re-forming the principles of the moral law as elements of their characters, will finally have access to the tree of life, and the freedom of the city of God. Happy inhabitants of the royal city, clothed in the spotless robes of Christ’s righteousness! “Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”