p. 16 | Loyalty or Knowledge

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jan 17, 1911

Loyalty or Knowledge.

It is sometimes asked, "If the Seventh-day Sabbath is important, if it is a requirement of God, what will become of the devoted men and women who have not observed the Sabbath in past generations, but rather have observed Sunday, a spurious sabbath, in its stead?" The question is not difficult if we will but remember that the foundation principle in character in God's government on the part of His subjects is loyalty rather than knowledge. God does not say to the Sardis church — imperfect in both knowledge and devoted service — Remember "what thou hast received," but, Remember "how thou hast received." Rev. 3:3. The how is more important than the what. Mere "knowledge puffeth up." The devil is a learned divine. But "love buildeth up." It is more important that a man should be lovingly loyal, tho ignorant, than to possess great knowledge and external form and still not be devotedly loyal. The truly honest, patriotic citizen may pass in good faith a counterfeit bill, and die none the wiser for it. He is considered none the less a good citizen. But his loyalty, when he is apprised of the fact — and evidence of the spuriousness of a bill — will lead him promptly to discard the bill, even tho it be a total loss. So it is regarding God's truth. The man who in his heart "doeth the truth," even tho in error in knowledge, "cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." John 3:21. Meeting every seen or known duty is the surest evidence of a loyal soul. Many souls who have unwittingly transgressed God's law in the past were loyal, and the will was accepted as the deed. They were right in the how if not in the what.