Good Reasons, but They May Not Appeal to Him
By Editor
A WRITER in an Adventist exchange, referring to an article on the lack of evidence for first-day observance, says: "But why did not the same writer tell his readers that the New Testament is as silent as the grave concerning it [its] being the duty of any man or woman under Christ (not Moses) to keep the Sabbath? Did Jesus or His apostles ever command any man to keep the Sabbath after the expiration of the old law with Christ's death upon the cross?" First of all, the SIGNS OF THE TIMES believes in a consistent, unchangeable God, unchangeable in love, in justice, in mercy, in wisdom, in truth. He has not one code of morals to-day and another to-morrow and another next day, as our critic seems to believe. While His revelation and development of the plan of saving sinners has been progressive, His code of moral character has been, and in the nature of the case must be, eternally unchangeable. 2. That code in its positive form was written in the beginning in man's nature, until through sin it became so marred and corrupted that man's very sense of sin was in danger of extirpation. Then God gave that same law written largely in negative form to condemn man's sin and lead him to God. When there came to be danger of the world's losing God's standard, the great Jehovah took the particular pains to come down Himself, speak His law with His own voice, write it with His own finger on tables of imperishable stone, and to commit it to the chosen people, the best in the world, to preserve it. 3. Of Christ it is prophesied that He should say when He came, "I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My heart." Ps. 40:8. Another prophet declares of Him, "He will magnify the law, and make it honorable." Isa. 42:21. Jesus said the first and did the second. 4. Then, that man might not by measuring God with himself declare that a change had taken place in God's government, the Ruler of the universe sent His Son into the world to teach His law and to live His law before all men. Christ taught its perpetuity. "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." See Matt. 5:17-20. Heaven and earth have not passed. All the prophets have not been fulfilled. God's law in every jot and tittle abides. "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail." Luke 16:17. Then Jesus lived the law; kept it in every jot and tittle; did only that upon the Sabbath which was "lawful," in harmony with the law of God; and then He died upon the cross to save men from the transgression of that law—sin. But He did not break the law to do that; He saved man from the law's transgression, and wrote the law in his heart. 5. Then He died, died to vindicate God's law, to show that God could be unchangeably just, and yet the justifier of the believer in Jesus, who does not make "void the law through faith," but by faith it is established in the heart. Rom. 3:31. And this is the law which in Paul's day the Jews had the form and the knowledge of the truth of. Rom. 2:20. 6. Jesus Christ confirmed the new covenant upon the cross. All that was in the covenant when He died upon the cross, remained forever sealed. All change that would seek entrance one moment this side of "It is finished," is fraudulent. The seventh-day Sabbath was in the covenant sealed and in the character of Christ. The first-day sabbath, or pseudo "Lord's day," has no place in it. 7. Finally, tho it is not the last which might be said, our Lord observed the seventh-day Sabbath, and thus left us in that respect an example. Therefore, "He that saith he abideth in Him [Christ] ought himself also to walk even as He walked." 1 John 2:6. And this ought to be sufficient. It is Biblical and consistent. But our critic believes in a changeable God. Such a God must have several standards by which to judge men. To be consistent our critic should look for a change in the Constitution of the United States whenever a new president or new administration takes office in Washington. When a new governor is elected in the Golden State, our critic should look for radical changes in the Constitution and laws. If the people of the state were all worthy of death, and the governor should give his son to die to ransom them from death, the death of that son would blot out all the laws the people were transgressing, and Constitution and civil code would be done away!! And the same thing would occur repeatedly. Think of such logic! A simple, just, honest, true conception of God's matchless government, would find no room for the worse than useless argument for a shifting, changing moral code.