p. 10 | The Eternal Law of God

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · May 27, 1908

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 34, No. 22.

The Eternal Law of God

II. Opposition to It and Why?

THE previous article on the law of God is both scriptural and Christian. Its propositions have been recognized by Christians generally.

Why, then, do we find the opposition to that law to-day, as it is given in the Scriptures of truth? The reasons may be stated under two heads:

Some Biblical "Reasons."

1. The first is thus stated by the apostle Paul: "Because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be: and they that are in the flesh can not please God." Rom. 8:7, 8. The natural, unregenerate heart of man loves its own way. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, hold him. He desires to eat, drink, and be merry, to please and gratify his tastes and appetites, to get and gather of the world's varied hoard to his heart's content, to make natural things, which perish with the using, his object in life. Such is the unregenerate sinner, ranging in all grades from the esthetic, refined ranks of what is sometimes called the better class, to the drunkard and libertine. They will often admit the perfection and grandeur of the law, but they do not, nor can they, observe it. They never will observe it or love it till they see the death which inevitably awaits its rejection, and will come to Jesus Christ, lay that carnal heart upon the altar for crucifixion, and let Christ come in with all His blessed righteousness of character, wrought out by faith in obedience to that law. He will then write that law upon the changed heart, and the erstwhile sinner will say, "O how love I Thy law! it is my meditation all the day."

Another class, while professing Christianity, not knowing the power of God, have opened their minds to the poison of "higher criticism," until faith in both the Bible and the law is gone. The foundation reason is found in the words of the apostle Paul quoted in the preceding paragraph.

2. Many sincere Christians, we believe, have found the whole "Christian" world keeping the first day of the week, contrary to the fourth precept of the Decalogue, and they have believed that somehow, somewhere, that commandment has been changed. "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision" are wrestling with the question to-day.

Contradictory Positions.

That they have no satisfactory Bible proof is clearly evidenced by the contradictory positions their divided ranks take upon the question. "It is Jewish," say they, "and was not designed for the Gentiles." But every Bible truth of salvation came to us, as did the Sabbath, thru the Jews. Jesus our Lord and all His apostles were Jews. If we reject the Sabbath because it so came, why not also reject "the Lord of the Sabbath"—Jesus?

"A seventh part of time," they tell us, "is all that is necessary;" but the God who gave the PROPORTION of time gave us the very DAY of the seven, in order to test our faith, bring harmony in His universe, and bring to His people the double blessing of the day. It is a strange fact that so many who argue for the seventh part of time, with no part particularly holy, demand a definite day, Sunday, to be established by civil law, because harmony is necessary. Why not give to God the credit of as good sense as humans possess, and take His definite day, upon which He definitely rested, which He definitely blessed and sanctified? Gen. 2:2, 3.

"The world is round," they tell us; "and we can not keep a definite day on the round world." Yet they demand the keeping of the definite Sunday, on the same round world. Did not God know that the earth was round when He made the Sabbath for man; and did He not know that mankind would scatter over the earth, as He commanded them to do? The charge is not against man but God. The earth is round, but man can not be at one time in two places.

"The law was abolished at the cross," we are told. Why? It is just as good now as it ever was. And where is the proof to that effect?—There is none. At the cross all ceremonial and typical laws expired by limitation, but not God's moral law.

"Redemption is greater than creation," we are again told, and Sunday is the sign of redemption as the Sabbath is the memorial of creation. But, again, there is absolutely no proof that the first day of the week is a sign or memorial of redemption. Redemption, regeneration, IS creation (Eph. 2:10), and the Sabbath is God's memorial and sign of His creative and redemptive work, while HIS memorials of redemption and resurrection are the Lord's Supper and baptism, followed by a regenerate, godly life.

Sometimes all these self-devouring positions are taken by one and the same opponent of the Sabbath of the Lord. Like the false witnesses against our Lord, their witnesses agree not together.

Let us plead with all our Protestant brethren to cling to the old principles; stand by the eternal law of God; let His truth lead you. If there are revealed sins and mistakes, there will also be revealed the truth to take their place. If the idol Sunday be demolished with the hammer of the word, let it fall; truth will erect in its place God's own Sabbath temple, radiant with His glory and filled with the power of His endless life.

Our Catholic friends claim to hold to the unchangeable law, and then permit poor, erring, blind, fallible tradition to substitute for a day founded in a precept of that law, by which we must be judged, another day which as a holy day has no semblance of recognition in the truth of God, but bears every evidence of a usurper and counterfeit. Protestants who depend upon tradition for one single moral duty are on Catholic ground, and can give no reason why they should not yield all, and accept the Catholic rule for everything. We plead with both Protestants and Catholics to walk in the light of His word. That will reveal to us the whole truth, the change which God has not wrought but has permitted apostasy to make, and the great fact that His truth, hidden by apostasy, is yet to shine out in the last days in clearer light than ever before for acceptance or rejection. Why not accept it, and stand with Him?

The Results of Opposition.

It is seen in the rampant, increasing lawlessness in the world to-day; in the increase of crime among the criminal classes; in the increase of criminals from all the various grades of society; in the corruptions in municipal, state, and national organization; in the greed and graft of every phase of commercial enterprise; in the dishonesty confessedly existing in religious circles—all these are sadly yet mightily evident in declaring that lawlessness abounds, and the love of the many has waxed cold. The eighteen sins of Paul's declaration among those who have a form of godliness but deny its power, are everywhere in witness. "The law is slacked." Those who profess His name are joined with transgressors in breaking down God's barrier to open sin and shamelessness. "The priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth;" but what shall they do when those who should stand loyal to God, professed ambassadors for His government, standing nominally in the place of Christ, are themselves not only transgressing the law, but opposing and denouncing it? Let it be said, as true it is, that at the feet of the religious teachers of the time, who should be the salt of the earth, will be laid the greater part of the responsibility of the awful flood of wickedness which is sweeping over the world.

It is time to return and seek God; and we plead with our brethren in the ministry, by whatsoever name called, to preach the whole Gospel, the whole law of God, and so bring souls before the judgment-seat of God, where alone they can behold His love in Christ Jesus in saving them from the awful doom of sin.