In the letter published last week, on re-baptism, the writer says, referring to the twelve men baptized at Ephesus, "Nothing is said but that those twelve men were strictly honest, and lived up to all the light they had."
As objections often arise on this point, we will briefly notice it. The question is this, Will sincerity of purpose in a wrong course of action, answer as a substitute for correct action when the wrong is made manifest? If we answer this in the affirmative, it follows that sincerity and not truth becomes the standard of right and wrong; and the faith and action of the Jew would be as acceptable to God as that of the Christian, if he were as sincere. And there would be no limit to its application; the Pagan would stand as fully justified before God as the Christian, if he was only fully persuaded of his duty to worship his idols. But this would destroy the power and force of all truth, and make it equally possible to be sanctified through error as through the truth. This would also contradict many scriptures which speak directly to the point.
But if we answer in the negative, then there is no alternative but to follow the light of the truth as fast as it is manifested, without any regard to our past experience. We hold this to be a material error, deeply rooted in many minds, that their past experience is a sufficient guarantee of their continued acceptance with God. There are some who now contend that they were as fully accepted of God before as after their reception of the present truth. But such must either be ignorant of the nature of God's requirements, or deceived as to their own standing in reference to them.
The hope of the Christian is based entirely on the promises of God, [Heb. vi, 13-19,] and all his promises are conditional. We believe in free salvation, but not unconditional. Therefore they who most fully comply with the condition of these promises, by which we are made "partakers of the divine nature," may expect to have an entrance ministered to them abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord. 2 Pet. i, 4-11.
To understand our true position we must not appeal to our own views and feelings, but to God's word. The following will show how God regards those who are ignorantly transgressing his law.
"And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments, which the Lord hath spoken unto Moses, even all that the Lord hath commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that the Lord commanded Moses, and henceforward among your generations; then it shall be, if aught be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savor unto the Lord, with his meat offering, and his drink offering, according to the manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering. And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it is ignorance: and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord, for their ignorance: and it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel, and the stranger that sojourneth among them; seeing all the people were in ignorance. And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering. And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the Lord, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him. Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them." Num. xv, 22-29.
To the same intent, and still more pointed is the following:
"And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity. And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his ignorance wherein he erred and wist it not, and it shall be forgiven him. It is a trespass offering: he hath certainly trespassed against the Lord." Lev. v, 17-19.
Some may be, and have been, disposed to avoid the force of these scriptures, by pointing to the difference of the two dispensations. But we think a close examination will show that the teachings of the two testaments are essentially the same on this subject. This must be so, for the design of the instructions of these Old Testament scriptures is to show how God regards sin; and to show the desert of sin and the necessity of atonement then must refer forward to the present time, in which alone atonement is made. Paul, speaking of his own case, settles the point by a definite expression:
"Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." 1 Tim. i, 13, 14.
Now the question arises, Would he likewise have obtained mercy had he sinned willfully instead of ignorantly? On this point we will also quote from both Testaments:
"But the soul that doeth aught presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him." Num. xv, 30, 31.
In this case no atonement was to be made; and similar to this is the expression of Paul.
"For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." Heb. x, 26, 27.
By reading the next two verses we see that instead of sin being looked upon with more allowance in this than in the past dispensation, the sinner is worthy of much sorer punishment, so that the sin is increased rather than diminished by the bringing in of increased light, and gospel privileges. The commonly accepted saying of Dr. Watts that "the vilest sinner may return," has no foundation in the word of God. Truth is material and essential, and cannot be trampled upon with impunity.
It is to be hoped that the Scriptures will be carefully studied by all on this point, in connection with the argument presented last week. Some have been laboring under misapprehension on these subjects, and it is full time that they were corrected, and the full force of the truth acknowledged. We trust that when our eyes are truly anointed as our Saviour requires, we shall all be more ready to confess our sins and seek remission in the gospel way, than to justify our past lives on the feeble plea of ignorant sincerity.