Justified by the Law

Publishing Committee · Rochester, N. Y. · Jun 10, 1852

Justified by the Law.

THOSE who proclaimed the time of the Lord's coming were met with one text, which was considered a perfect refutation of the Advent theory. Those who opposed the Advent faith, from the drunkard in the street up to the learned divine in his pulpit, were very ready to quote the words of our Lord, "No man knoweth the day and hour." And it was often said, "Why, these Advent men profess to know more than Christ, for he said that he knew not the day and the hour," as though the Son of God would be ignorant of his own advent, until he should find himself on the earth the second time!!

But such opposition against the advent was not as sinful in the sight of Heaven, as that now existing against the observance of the fourth commandment. We wish to refer to one text that is often quoted to prove that it is wrong and dangerous to keep the Sabbath. It is this: "Whosoever of you are justified by the law ye are fallen from grace."

This text may with propriety be quoted as applying to the blind Jew who rejects Jesus, but not to the Christian who keeps the commandments of God, and hopes for justification alone through Jesus Christ. And why should this text be quoted as applying to the case of the Advent brethren who keep the Sabbath? Admitting that Paul, in the word law, refers to the ten commandments, does the text then forbid one from keeping the Sabbath, and show Sabbath-keeping to be a sin? Certainly not. For Paul does not say, whosoever of you keep the Sabbath, or the commandments of God, are fallen from grace; but "whosoever of you are justified by the law."

On this point the brethren who teach and observe the Sabbath are grossly misrepresented by those who teach the abolition of the fourth commandment. We have never heard the idea advanced by any one of them, that they hoped for justification by keeping the law of God. And those who represent Sabbath-keepers as going away from Jesus, the only source of justification, and rejecting his atoning blood, and seeking justification by the law, do it either ignorantly or wickedly.—We will not be silent on this point. God's truth and the real faith of his down-trodden people, must be vindicated.

Now if the word law, in the text referred to, embraces the ten commandments, it embraces them all, and Paul places all ten on a level. Take away the Sabbath, and nine tenths of God's law remains, and if it is wrong and dangerous to keep the Sabbath, it is equally so to keep the other nine!

The man that refrains from murder, or theft, cannot expect justification on the ground that he has not imbued his hands in the blood of his neighbor, or stolen his goods; neither do Sabbath-keepers expect justification for keeping the fourth commandment. One may observe the letter of all ten of them, and, if he is not justified by faith in Jesus Christ, never have right to the tree of life.

The gospel arrangement is plain. God's law convicts of sin, and shows the sinner exposed to the wrath of God, and leads him to Christ, where justification for past offences can be found alone through faith in his blood. The law of God has no power to pardon past offences, its attribute being justice, therefore the convicted transgressor must flee to Jesus. "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the PRECEPT OF THE LAW MIGHT BE FULFILLED BY US who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." Rom. viii, 3. Whiting's Trans.

But what a heresy is that doctrine, that one may be justified through the blood of Jesus, while living in violation of the law of God, or any portion of it. When we present the fourth commandment, many object, on the ground that there is a fullness in Christ. "Away with your Sabbath," say they, "Jesus is my Saviour," as though God's holy law was made void through faith, Says Paul, "God forbid."

On this ground the blasphemer, to whom we might present the claims of the third commandment, might say, "Away with your old commandments, there is a fullness in Jesus"; and on he goes, blaspheming God's holy name, and boasting of his faith in Christ. The horse-thief also, to whom we might urge the claims of the eighth commandment, might object on the same ground, and as he rides away upon his stolen horse, publish the fullness of the Saviour's love.

But it may be said that blasphemy and theft are forbidden in the New Testament. Very well. Let it here be understood that we are reasoning from the ground of the opponent that Paul refers to the ten commandments in Gal. v, and that Sabbath-keepers are fallen from grace. Dear reader, "Let no man deceive you."