p. 7 | Written on the Heart by Prof. J. A. L. Derby

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jul 5, 1910

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 37, No. 26.

Written on the Heart

By Prof. J. A. L. Derby

BEHOLD, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. . . . This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people." Heb. 8: 8, 10.

Most serious consequences to one's attitude toward the law of God, and consequently toward the rule of moral guidance, result from a misunderstanding of one sentence in the scripture copied above; namely, "I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts."

It is easy to infer from a superficial view of this promise, that in the Gospel dispensation, the written will of God, as it is recorded in the Old Testament, is abolished, and is replaced by a new code of morality, a code with no copy external to one's own mind and heart.

It is evident that both the content and the authority of such a code or law of conduct must rest either on individual inspiration or on one's impressions. We do not, of course, doubt the power of God to teach all men by direct inspiration; but His actual method, as explained by Jesus and Paul, is surprisingly more in accord with what we should regard as natural means. The following scripture is in point: "Go ye," was the last commission of Jesus to His disciples, "and teach all nations, . . . teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Matt. 28: 19, 20. And Paul's only rule for getting to men a knowledge of God and His requirements, is by carrying it to them; as he clearly showed not only by his own missionary zeal, but by explicit statements like the following found in Rom. 10: 14, 15: "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?"

Nothing can be plainer from even a general knowledge of the purport and tenor of the New Testament writings, than that to ignore the written law of God given in the Decalogue, and to put in its place the promptings and impressions of our human hearts, is not only to open wide the door to fanaticism, but to impose on the Holy Spirit an office never undertaken by Him.

"But," inquires the person anxious to evade the law of God as it stands, "isn't the new law to be written on the heart?"

Most decidedly no!

"But doesn't the Bible say so?"

Nowhere, brother.

"But didn't you just quote that promise above?"

No; the promise is, to write the old law on the heart. And it is precisely this change of the old law that constitutes the new covenant.

"At any rate, we don't need any Old Testament; for if even the old law is in our hearts and minds, the written records are entirely superfluous."

But are you quite sure that your implied meaning of this writing on the heart is correct? Your interpretation of the phrase evidently is, that the verbal commands of the divine law can somehow be known merely by meditation, introspection, or intuition—by simply looking into our own minds.

With all regard to the wonderful grace of a Spirit-filled church, we are yet constrained to admit that we find no warrant in Holy Writ for such a view of the source of our knowledge of the will of God.

What, then, is the meaning of the promise to write His laws in our minds and hearts?

We answer: Just the motive power to the doing of the divine will—found either in Scripture or received from the mouth of His prophets—which is inspired by the all-compelling strength of a love generated by the transcendent force of a Living Example of our highest ideal.

Let us try to simplify the meaning of this rather long and involved sentence.

As Carlyle has said, all men are hero-worshipers. "No nobler feeling than this of admiration for one higher than himself, dwells in the breast of man. It is to this hour, and at all hours, the vivifying influence in man's life. Religions, I find, stand upon it; not paganism only, but far higher and truer religions—all religion hitherto known. Hero-worship, heartfelt, prostrate admiration, submission, burning, boundless, for a noblest, godlike form of man—is not that the germ of Christianity itself?"

"If I be lifted up," said the Master of men, "I will draw all men unto Me."

The contrast between the old covenant and the new is that between the power of a written code alone (or enforced chiefly by a manifestation of power, as at the Exodus) and that of a person to excite enthusiastic obedience.

Which has the more power over conduct, theories or examples, creeds or deeds, codes or persons, abstractions or concrete illustrations, law or love?

Which has more power to excite devotion and loyalty,—a thundered prohibition, or the infinite sacrifice for love's sake?

Jesus did not ask His prospective disciples what they believed. "Follow Me" was His requirement; not a theory, but a life; not adherence to a code or creed primarily, but willingness to accept the inspiration and compelling power of love to undertake any code or any creed for love.

Philosophies, creeds, and abstract principles are cold, lifeless, powerless. Commands and advice are alike weak. But love, the love that endures the cross for me—that warms, glows, fires, moves. Love is triumphant.

And so "I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts." How easy any yoke for love's sake! how light any burden!

"The Son of Man"—why? Because He is what humanity means; what it is intended to be; its highest product, its finest fruitage, its noblest expression.

This Ideal our own longings, aspirations, our truest selves recognize and acknowledge as our completest self-realization. And when, through forgiveness of sin and the promise of power to keep from sinning, we may attain to the holiness and purity of our divine Exemplar, we are proud, with Paul, to be "slaves" of Christ, with no desire to avoid His laws; only longing to know, that we may do.

Perhaps no better interpretation of the principle we are trying to explain can be given than the words of one who knew from blessed experience what it is to have the law of his God written on his heart:

"When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of Glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride. "Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a tribute far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my life, my soul, my all."

It must not, of course, be thought that the new covenant is only an example and an enthusiasm—no, not even the enthusiasm of loyalty or the "enthusiasm of humanity"—which Seelye declares to be "the source from which all right action flows." He speaks more truly when he says, "The Christian law is the Spirit of Christ." But we must add even to this that it is not a spirit (disposition) imitated. It is the Spirit lived. It is a life whose source and power are Christ. Paul declares, "For me to live is Christ." Jesus proclaimed, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." It means conquest over sin in the heart now, and everlasting life in heaven. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3: 16.