“HERE is the patience of the saints, here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Rev. xiv, 12. Perhaps no text of scripture comprises more than this.—The points of vast importance which it contains are, first, the patience of the saints, second, the commandments of God, and third, the faith of Jesus.
It is evident that the time of the patience of the saints is a definite period, as much as on the First, or Second Advent.—And in the prophetic chain of Rev. xiv, its place is after the Judgment hour message, and also that of the second angel.—Its place is after the great disappointment relative to the time of the Lord’s coming. Says Paul, “For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” Heb. x, 36, 37. This text is the binder, which fastens the time of the patience of the saints to the period after their disappointment relative to the time of Christ’s coming. This waiting, watching period, in which great patience is needed, is however to be but “a little while,” and then the opening heavens will reveal Him that is to come and reign. The waiting, watching ones, who have kept the word of his patience, will then shout, “Lo this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us.” Isa. xxv, 9. In this period of patient waiting, those who “live by faith,” keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. The Jews in their blindness reject the faith of Jesus, while many professed Christians in this period of apostasy, on the other hand reject and make void the commandments of God. Both are far from the truth, and if they remain in unbelief must sink to perdition. But says the third angel, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” This is the only true and safe position for God’s people. “Do we then make void the law [commandments of God] through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law.” For the law is holy, and the commandment holy, just and good.—Among the fables and damning heresies of the last days, is the doctrine that the faith of Jesus abolishes and makes void the commandments of God. Those who advocate this heresy, teach that the commandments of God, mentioned in the New Testament, are not the commandments of God, but the commandments of Christ. But the distinction made by the third angel between the commandments of God [the Father] and the faith of Jesus [the Son] is too plain to be misunderstood.
The faith of Jesus is to be kept, as well as the commandments of God. “Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” This not only shows the distinction between the commandments of the Father and the faith of the Son, but also shows that the faith of Jesus to be kept necessarily embraces the sayings of Christ and the apostles. It embraces all the requirements and doctrines of the New Testament, peculiar to this dispensation. Then the waiting saints, under the message of the third angel, were to keep the Father’s immutable commandments, also, the sayings of the Son, and his inspired apostles.
We are told by those who teach the abolition of the Father’s law, that the commandments of God mentioned in the New Testament, are not the ten, but the requirements of the gospel, such as repentance, faith, baptism and the Lord’s supper. But as these, and every other requirement peculiar to the gospel, are all embraced in the faith of Jesus, it is evident that the commandments of God are not the sayings of Christ and his apostles. To assert that the sayings of the Son and his apostles are the commandments of the Father, is as wide from the truth as the old trinitarian absurdity that Jesus Christ is the very and Eternal God. And as the faith of Jesus embraces every requirement peculiar to the gospel, it necessarily follows that the commandments of God, mentioned by the third angel, embrace only the ten precepts of the Father’s immutable law which are not peculiar to any one dispensation, but common to all. Having settled this important point and shown the clear distinction between the two, we will now dwell upon the faith of Jesus. Here a wide field opens before us; and may God help us to present the truth with clearness and faithfulness.
We are aware that the faith of Jesus embraces the sufferings, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ, also his priesthood in the True Tabernacle above, including his work of cleansing the Sanctuary since the termination of the 2,300 days, and his coming the second time in glory to reign in Judgment. But all this we must pass over at present, and dwell upon that portion of the faith of Jesus that shows our present duty.53
We may be instructed relative to our duty, and what is pleasing in the sight of Heaven, by Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. Let us weigh well every sentence of the following from the lips of our divine Lord, and see if our lives and acts are such that we may reasonably expect the promised blessings.
“And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.—Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matt. v, 2—16.
If we as a people, in all the walks of life, manifest the spirit and good works here approved by our Lord, then we are indeed the “salt of the earth,” the “light of the world,” a “city that is set on a hill.” But if we do not, then we do not keep the “faith of Jesus,” and dishonor the cause we profess to love.
Mark well the language of the last verse quoted. “Let your light SO shine before men, that they may see your GOOD WORKS, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”—Many who have light upon the precious truths of the Bible, are so far from God that they do not present them with the tender spirit of Christ; and their own daily walk and conversation is so unlike their Master, so far from the bible standard, that others around them are led to think lightly of the holy religion of Jesus. Such are only a curse to the cause of vital piety, and it would have been better if they had not espoused it. Such let their light so shine before men that they, seeing their bad works and unholy lives, are led to slight God and neglect their own soul’s salvation.
Never was there a period when the words of our Lord, “Ye are the light of the world,” &c., applied with greater force than at the present. This is an age of apostasy, when the mass of professed Christians are enveloped in gross darkness and drunk with the wine of Babylon. God’s holy law is impiously trampled underfoot, and the commandments and traditions of men are exalted in its place. O, if ever the disciples of Christ should be a bright light in this benighted world, it is now in this last message, in infinite mercy sent out to rescue souls from the approaching storm of wrath, and fit a people to stand in the day of God.
The truth may be preached with clearness and power, but if the church do not live it out in their lives, our influence as a people, will be nothing. The most powerful preachers are those humble devoted disciples that show by the words of their mouths, the works of their hands, and in their very countenances, that the natural man has been subdued by divine grace, and that they have put on Christ. Such are “manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ.” They are living, walking epistles, “read and known of all men.” And by their godly lives, unspotted from the world, they carry a mighty influence in favor of the holy religion of Christ. Our strength and only hope of benefiting others, is in being humble and holy, that we may have power with God, and in showing by our daily walk that religion has done something for us. Then our light will so shine before those we hope to benefit, that they, seeing our good works, will be led to glorify God by obeying all the precepts of his holy law.
Our Lord, in his sermon, continues: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets, I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 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.
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.—For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. v, 17—20.
Our Lord well knew that some would think and teach that his coming to this world to die for man, who had broken the Father’s law, and was bound by its condemning power, would destroy that law, and therefore instructs such to leave off such thoughts. Either God’s Son or his law must die, to release man from death. But as his law is as immutable as himself, to maintain his honor, and yet make a way possible to save man, he gave his only begotten Son to die in man’s stead, while his law remains unchanged and unabolished, as firm as the Eternal Throne. Heaven and earth will pass, but God’s law will stand the assaults of hell, the malice of apostates, and the wreck of worlds. “One jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass” from it, for it came forth from the mouth of Jehovah.
The Scribes and Pharisees observed the letter of the law of God, yet our Lord declares that unless our righteousness exceeds theirs, we can in no case enter the kingdom of heaven.—He then, in verses 21—37, shows the spiritual character and extent of that law, that it reaches even to thoughts and motives. Thus Christ came, not to destroy the Father’s law, but to magnify and make it honorable.
None ever preached closer than our Lord in this sermon.—Hear him: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Verse 48. Christians certainly may not expect to attain to all the perfections of God, or of angels; but rich grace through Jesus Christ is fully sufficient to enable them to render perfect obedience to the will of Heaven. There is, in no case, a reasonable excuse for sin. This making so many excuses for natural infirmities, and fellowshiping those who give way to unholy passions, pleases the Devil, and will prove the damnation of thousands. Every lover of truth and holiness should protest against lowering the standard here raised by Christ. [To be continued.]