THE MAKES-NO-DIFFERENCE THEORY.
By R. F. Cottrell
If any citizen should say, "It makes no difference whether we obey the laws of the State or not," he would be esteemed wickedly lawless, or insane. Yet this is the way the law of God is spoken of by men of all classes, the clergyman and the layman, the non-professor and the skeptic. In the latter classes, it is not so much to be wondered at; for they do not profess to revere the Almighty, and, to the shame of the former, the latter have learned it from their lips, and only reiterate what they have heard from the pulpit and the pew. Ministers have said, deacons and private members have repeated it, and it is no wonder that worldlings of all degrees should join them in full chorus, — "It makes no difference which day you keep as the Sabbath, if you only keep one day in seven;" and a large number of various classes sound the refrain: "It makes no difference whether you keep one day, or no day, or whether you have any faith in Christ, or not." Some may listen with pious regret to this refrain, but they have sounded the key, and the others fully harmonize; they have set the ball in motion, and they cannot stop it; they have laid down the premises, the others only bring out the legitimate conclusion. And why do Christians thus encourage the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme? It is simply because they find themselves, by the traditions of their fathers, out of harmony with the law of God, and rather than turn and obey the law as it is, they manufacture arguments to excuse themselves in disobedience, and in offering to God a substitute for what he has commanded, impiously contending that it makes no difference. They would not dare treat the governor of the State in this way; but they seem to think that God is a great way off, and will not notice so trivial a matter. "Offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts." How applicable to the case are the words of the Lord by the mouth of the prophet: "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts. Therefore I have made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law." Mal. 2:7-9. It is worse than folly, it is impiety, to assert that the fourth commandment is binding—that the Sabbath should be kept—and yet that it does not bind men to the observance of a particular day. God sanctified, set apart, separated, appointed, the seventh day, because it was his Sabbath, the day on which he rested from the work of creation. He rested only on the seventh day of the seven; therefore his Sabbath is no other day than that one of the weekly cycle so definitely and infallibly pointed out. And it will be finally discovered, to the infinite loss of many, that it makes a vast difference whether we obey God, or not. Ignorance will be the ground upon which many who lived in time past will be forgiven the sin of making the Lord's holy Sabbath a secular day; but light has come, the time of ignorance is fast passing away, and those to whom the light has come cannot be excused on the same ground. The Judgment is at hand; and men will be weighed in the just balances of the law of God. The gospel will save those who have repented of their sins, found pardon through Jesus Christ, and have followed the example of Him who said, "I have kept my Father's commandments." Jesus is soon coming. The signs of the times, which are the fulfillment of the predictions of Jesus, prophets, and apostles, declare it in language too plain to the believer to be misunderstood. The Jews were condemned as unbelievers, because they did not discern the signs of their times. Christians of our day will have their faith tested also on the signs of the times. Faith in Christ embraces the promise of his return, and accepts the fulfillment of the signs he promised, and which have been fulfilled. It is becoming too late to say, It makes no difference whether we believe his promise and the fulfillment of the signs he gave, on the fulfillment of which he bids us know that his advent is at hand, even at the doors. The inquiring, observing Christian lacks no evidence on this point. Nothing but stubborn unbelief can much longer excuse itself from believing, saying, "It makes no difference, if we are only prepared." It will be found too late, by many that that excuse is only a hiding place for unbelief in the words of Jesus, and that it is vain to hope to be prepared for his coming while having no real confidence in his words. Yes, it makes a vast difference whether we be found in faith or unbelief. "Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."