The
Character of the Law of God
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April
15, 1886 The Character of the Law of God. By Mrs. E. G. White. David says: "The law of the Lord is
perfect." "Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that
thou hast founded them forever." And Paul testifies: "The law is
holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." {ST, April 15, 1886
par. As the Supreme Ruler of the universe,
God has ordained laws for the government not only of all living beings, but
of all the operations of nature. Everything, whether great or small, animate
or inanimate, is under fixed laws which cannot be disregarded. There are no
exceptions to this rule; for nothing that the divine hand has made has been
forgotten by the divine mind. But while everything in nature is governed by
natural law, man alone, as an intelligent being, capable of understanding its
requirements, is amenable to moral law. To man alone, the crowning work of
his creation, God has given a conscience to realize the sacred claims of the
divine law, and a heart capable of loving it as holy, just, and good; and of
man prompt and perfect obedience is required. Yet God does not compel him to
obey; he is left a free moral agent. {ST, April 15, 1886 par. 2} The subject of man's personal
responsibility is understood by but few; and yet it is a matter of the
greatest importance. We may each obey and live, or we may transgress God's
law, defy his authority, and receive the punishment that is meet. Then to every soul the question comes home with
force, Shall I obey the voice from Heaven, the ten words spoken from Sinai,
or shall I go with the multitude who trample on that
fiery law? To those who love God it will be the highest delight to keep his
commandments, and to do those things that are pleasing in his sight. But the
natural heart hates the law of God, and wars against its holy claims. Men
shut their souls from the divine light, refusing to walk in it as it shines
upon them. They sacrifice purity of heart, the favor
of God, and their hope of Heaven, for selfish gratification or worldly gain.
{ST, April 15, 1886 par. 3} Says the psalmist, "The law of the
Lord is perfect." How wonderful in its simplicity, its comprehensiveness
and perfection, is the law of Jehovah! It is so brief that we can easily
commit every precept to memory, and yet so far-reaching as to express the
whole will of God, and to take cognizance, not only of the outward actions,
but of the thoughts and intents, the desires and emotions, of the heart.
Human laws cannot do this. They can deal with the outward actions only. A man
may be a transgressor, and yet conceal his misdeeds from human eyes; he may
be a criminal,--a thief, a murderer, or an adulterer,--but so long as he is
not discovered, the law cannot condemn him as guilty. The law of God takes
note of the jealousy, envy, hatred, malignity, revenge, lust, and ambition
that surge through the soul, but have not found expression in outward action,
because the opportunity, not the will, has been wanting. And these sinful
emotions will be brought into the account in the day when "God shall
bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil." {ST, April 15, 1886
par. 4} The law of God is simple, and easily
understood. There are men who proudly boast that they believe only what they
can understand, forgetting that there are mysteries in human life and in the
manifestation of God's power in the works of nature,--mysteries which the
deepest philosophy, the most extensive research, is powerless to explain. But
there is no mystery in the law of God. All can comprehend the great truths
which it embodies. The feeblest intellect can grasp these rules; the most
ignorant can regulate the life, and form the character after the divine
standard. {ST, April 15, 1886 par. 5} If the children of men would, to the
best of their ability, obey this law, they would gain strength of mind and
power of discernment to comprehend still more of God's purposes and plans.
And this advancement would be continued, not only during the present life,
but during eternal ages; for however far we may advance in the knowledge of
God's wisdom and power, there is always an infinity beyond. {ST, April 15,
1886 par. 6} The divine law requires us to love God
supremely and our neighbor as ourselves.
Without the exercise of this love, the highest profession of faith is mere
hypocrisy. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto
it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor
as thyself. On these two commandments," says Christ, "hang all the
law and the prophets." {ST, April 15, 1886 par. 7} The law demands perfect obedience.
"Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is
guilty of all." Not one of those ten precepts can be broken without
disloyalty to the God of Heaven. The least deviation from its requirements, by
neglect or willful transgression, is sin, and every
sin exposes the sinner to the wrath of God. Obedience was the only condition
upon which ancient Israel was to receive the fulfillment of the promises
which made them the highly favored people of God; and
obedience to that law will bring as great blessings to individuals and
nations now as it would have brought to the Hebrews. {ST, April 15, 1886par.
8} Obedience to the law is essential, not
only to our salvation, but to our own happiness and the happiness of all with
whom we are connected. "Great peace have they
which love thy law; and nothing shall offend them," says the inspired
word. Yet finite man will present to the people this holy, just, and good
law, this law of liberty, which the Creator himself has adapted to the wants
of man, as a yoke of bondage, a yoke which no man can bear. But it is the
sinner who regards the law as a grievous yoke; it is the transgressor that
can see no beauty in its precepts. For the carnal mind "is not subject
to the law of God, neither indeed can be." {ST, April 15, 1886 par. 9} "By the law is the knowledge of
sin:" for "sin is the transgression of the law." It is through
the law that men are convicted of sin; and they must feel themselves sinners,
exposed to the wrath of God, before they will realize their need of a
Saviour. Satan is continually at work to lessen man's estimate of the
grievous character of sin. And those who trample the law of God under their
feet are doing the work of the great deceiver; for they are rejecting the
only rule by which they can define sin, and bring it home to the conscience
of the transgressor. {ST, April 15, 1886 par. 10} The law of God reaches to those secret
purposes, which, though they may be sinful, are often passed over lightly,
but which are in reality the basis and the test of character. It is the
mirror into which the sinner is to look if he would have a correct knowledge
of his moral character. And when he sees himself condemned by that great
standard of righteousness, his next move must be to repent of his sins, and
seek forgiveness through Christ. Failing to do this, many try to break the
mirror which reveals their defects, to make void the law which points out the
blemishes in their life and character. {ST, April 15, 1886 par. 11} We are living in an age of great
wickedness. Multitudes are enslaved by sinful customs and evil habits, and
the fetters that bind them are difficult to break. Iniquity, like a flood, is
deluding [deluging] the earth. Crimes almost too fearful to be mentioned, are of daily occurrence. And yet men professing
to be watchmen on the walls of Zion will teach that the law was designed for
the Jews only, and passed away with the glorious privileges that ushered in
the gospel age. Is there not a relation between the prevailing lawlessness
and crime, and the fact that ministers and people hold and teach that the law
is no longer of binding force? {ST, April 15, 1886 par. 12} The condemning power of the law of God
extends, not only to the things we do, but to the things we do not do. We are
not to justify ourselves in omitting to do the things that God requires. We
must not only cease to do evil, but we must learn to do well. God has given
us powers to be exercised in good works; and if these powers are not put to
use, we shall certainly be set down as wicked and slothful servants. We may
not have committed grievous sins; such offenses may not stand registered
against us in the book of God; but the fact that our deeds are not recorded
as pure, good, elevated, and noble, showing that we have not improved our intrusted talents, places us under condemnation. {ST,
April 15, 1886 par. 13} The law of God existed before man was
created. It was adapted to the condition of holy beings; even angels were
governed by it. After the fall, the principles of righteousness were
unchanged. Nothing was taken from the law; not one of its holy precepts could
be improved. And as it has existed from the beginning, so will it continue to
exist throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. "Concerning thy
testimonies," says the psalmist, "I have known of old that thou
hast founded them forever." {ST, April 15, 1886 par. 14} By this law, which governs angels, which
demands purity in the most secret thoughts, desires, and dispositions, and
which "shall stand fast forever," all the
world is to be judged in the rapidly approaching day of God. Transgressors
may flatter themselves that the Most High does not know, that the Almighty
does not consider; he will not always bear with them. Soon they will receive
the reward of their doings, the death that is the wages of sin; while the
righteous nation, that have kept the law, will be ushered through the pearly
gates of the celestial city, and will be crowned with immortal life and joy
in the presence of God and the Lamb. {ST, April 15, 1886 par. 15} |