The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, vol. 79

May 6, 1902

“Reorganization” ¹ Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 79, 18, pp. 10, 11.

REORGANIZATION has been begun. It is going on; and we are in it. But what really is it? In what does this reorganization consist? Let us study it. ARSH May 6, 1902, page 10.1

This reorganization began in the General Conference a year ago. The General Conference pushed back to the union conferences all that was possible of the work that was formerly done by the General Conference. But it does not stop there. That is only the first step toward reorganization; for the union conferences just as truly push back to the State conferences all that can possibly be done by the State conferences. And it does not stop there; the State conferences must push back to the churches all that can possibly be done by the churches. And it does not stop there; the churches must push back to each individual all that can possibly be done by each individual. And it does not stop there; the individual must push back to God all that can be done by God. ARSH May 6, 1902, page 10.2

This briefly sketches the course which reorganization takes, and discovers the point at which it culminates. And the principle of reorganization is seen to be simply the principle of self-government. The General Conference used to conduct practically the whole thing. That was not self-government. Now, when that is all thrown off, and is distributed, by the steps here stated, back to the individual, and the individual alone with God, that is self-government. ARSH May 6, 1902, page 10.3

And self-government is an essential of the third angel’s message. It is an essential of the gospel. You cannot have the gospel without it. That you may see how entirely self-government is an essential of the third angel’s message, you need but to recall that instance, yes, and that illustration, in the book of Acts, where, “when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.” And Paul, in presenting to him the faith in Christ, “reasoned of righteousness, self-government, and judgment to come;” for that word translated “temperance” is simply self-government, or self-control; and self-control is but self-government. So then, “the faith in Christ” consists of righteousness, self-government, and judgment to come. That is what it consisted of in that day. Now it consists of a little variation—righteousness, self-government, and judgment come; for the message of the everlasting gospel now is, “The hour of his judgment is come: ... here are they that keep the commandments of God [that is, righteousness], and the faith of Jesus [that is self-government].” That is exactly what Paul preached—righteousness (that is, the keeping of the commandments of God, the life of God manifested in the flesh) and self-government (that is of the faith in Christ). And Paul spoke of judgment then to come; now it is judgment come. Thus self-government is an essential of the everlasting gospel, which is the third angel’s message to-day. ARSH May 6, 1902, page 10.4

Since, then, reorganization consists of self-government, let us study that principle of self-government. Self-government is the government of self; and there are two sides to that in this world; there are two phases in which we may look at it. ARSH May 6, 1902, page 10.5

First of all, let us ask why self needs to be governed. I think no one will have any difficulty in telling why he himself needs to be governed. And if any one should have any difficulty, the Scripture will make it clear, so that he will have no difficulty. ARSH May 6, 1902, page 10.6

Jesus said, in Mark 7:21-23: “From within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these things come from within, and defile the man.” And in the third chapter of Romans we have the same truth somewhat more fully stated, beginning with the ninth verse:— ARSH May 6, 1902, page 10.7

“Are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace have they not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes.” ARSH May 6, 1902, page 10.8

That is why it is that we, that is why it is that mankind, need to be governed; they are so bad. ARSH May 6, 1902, page 10.9

But now, look at it. To talk to such a crowd as that of self-government; to call those people, such as you and I are, to self-government,—can we call such as these really to govern themselves? How are they going to do it, when the very impulse, the very inception of all things that come forth from the heart, out of which are the issues of life itself, are evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication, and so on? ARSH May 6, 1902, page 10.10

I read that “they are all under sin.” All are under the dominion, the power, the rulership of sin. They are “all in subjection to sin.” And how fully this is so can be seen by Romans 7:24 and 6:6: “Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” “Our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed.” Why is it a body of death?—Because it is a body of sin. ARSH May 6, 1902, page 10.11

How much of me does it take to compose my body as I stand here?—The whole of me, to the finger tips. Yes; that is the body. And what is it?—“The body of sin.” That expression again, “They are all in subjection to sin.” And “know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” We are in subjection to what?—To sin. And here comes to us the call to govern ourselves! And this message, this third angel’s message, which is righteousness and self-government, in view of the judgment present, and going on day by day as we walk about,—this message is to all the world, calling upon men to govern themselves. ARSH May 6, 1902, page 10.12

Then, what is the first step to self-government?—To get rid of sin, that is all. This is described fully for us, you will remember, in the seventh of Romans, beginning with the thirteenth verse: “Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.” We are in subjection to sin, and that thing is spoken of as itself exceeding, intensely, sinful. But what is sin?—The transgression of the law of God; lawlessness. Men are in subject to sin, that thing which itself is lawlessness. And that sin to which we are in subjection is declared itself to be intensely sinful. ARSH May 6, 1902, page 10.13

“We know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.” ARSH May 6, 1902, page 10.14

That is the experience of every man in the world, until he finds the better one. ARSH May 6, 1902, page 10.15

“If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.... I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” ARSH May 6, 1902, page 10.16

There is the description of mankind as we are in ourselves. Now, is mankind governing itself? [Voices: “No.”] Another question: Can mankind govern itself? [Voices: “No.”] Why?—Because mankind is already governed. Then, since mankind is already governed, and governed in the very worst possible way, let us ask the same question again, What is the first essential to self-government? [Voices: “Get rid of the governor that one has.”] Assuredly! He must get rid of that governor that is governing him to evil. ARSH May 6, 1902, page 10.17

This is stated in other words: “With the mind I myself serve the law of God.” When the law of God is served at all, it is with the mind. But in men’s minds as they are, the law of God is not served. Then, in the mind is the seat of this whole thing—whether for right or for wrong. And “the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” ARSH May 6, 1902, page 10.18

Then there is this other governor, this other government, this power that is governing man against his better wishes, against his better self, against his entire sense of right. This power that is governing him is a power that is not merely at enmity, but is enmity against God, and is not subject to the law of God, and cannot be subject to the law of God. That power therefore is not self-governing. ARSH May 6, 1902, page 10.19

Let me state that again: Here am I, a body of sin, governed by a power that is not subject to the law of God, and that is not self-governing. You said that the only way to reach self-governing is to get rid of that thing, get rid of that self, get rid of that power. But how can I get rid of that self and that power by myself? [Voices: “I can’t do it.”] What is the only way in which any human being could ever by himself becomes free from that thing? There is a way, and I want you to see it. [Voice: “He must die.”] Precisely! Here is a call for us to govern ourselves, and we are governed by this power of lawlessness. The first thing for us to do is to get rid of that power. How can we ever by ourselves get away from that power? It is the power of sin, and has whelmed the whole man. ARSH May 6, 1902, page 11.1

Do you not see that the only possible way for me, solely by myself, to get away from that thing is to get out of existence? for my existence is that. The body is the body of what?—Sin. And out of the heart, where the real man lives, all these wicked things come that defile the man. The man is made up of that, and the only possible way for the man ever to get away from it is to get out of existence. ARSH May 6, 1902, page 11.2

I want you to see what is involved in self-government, brethren. When you see what is involved in that, then you will understand what reorganization means. Then it is certainly true that out of existence is the only way that a man can, solely by himself, ever get away from that power. But God does not want the man to get entirely out of existence; God wants us still to exist. But there is no way for the man by himself to go out of existence and still exist. ARSH May 6, 1902, page 11.3

Out of existence is annihilation; and that is the only end to that system of things; and yet that is the only way to self-government. And we are called to self-government. Now, let me ask you, Shall we go back, retrace our steps from the point which we have reached, or shall we go on? [Voices: “Go on.”] Then shall we say that annihilation of self is the only way to self-government? [Voices: “Yes!”] How many of you say Yes? [Voices: “Amen!”] Good! We are well on the right way, then. ARSH May 6, 1902, page 11.4

Now, brethren, that is true. Never compromise on that a hairbreadth, and never dodge it. Stand right there—that annihilation of self is the only way to self-government for men in this world. And when you wed yourselves to that, you will never flinch, nor complain, nor gall under anything that tends to annihilate self. ARSH May 6, 1902, page 11.5

[Voice: “Are you going to tell us how to annihilate self, and we still survive?”] ARSH May 6, 1902, page 11.6

We are coming to how that is done. Now, note: We have found that self of itself cannot do that, because we ourselves are finite. A finite person cannot undo himself and yet remain. For a finite one to annihilate self is only complete undoing forever. But there is a way to do it and survive. ARSH May 6, 1902, page 11.7

Think! In the nature of things we are compelled to look back of ourselves, and beyond ourselves, to find that power that is governing us for the bad. Is not that so? [Voice: “Yes.”] For we have found that we are obliged, by sin that dwells in us, to do the thing that we hate, to go against our true wishes. We are held in captivity to that which we hate. ARSH May 6, 1902, page 11.8

Since we each are drawn by our own heart’s experience beyond ourselves, to find the power that is governing us against ourselves, then is it not only the plainest A B C of common sense that we should be willing to be drawn beyond ourselves to find the power that will enable us to govern ourselves; and that will govern ourselves? ARSH May 6, 1902, page 11.9

We have found that this wicked power that rules us is anarchy, sin. But is sin a personality? Is sin itself a person?—No; sin comes from a person. The thing does not end at sin itself. It goes a step further back to him—not to it—by whom sin came. We all know who that is. Then, in searching for the source of the power by which men are held and ruled to lawlessness, we are drawn directly beyond ourselves to the originator of sin, who is Satan. And upon that I say that it is only the plainest A B C of common sense, that men should be willing to be drawn beyond themselves in search of the power that will govern themselves in righteousness. And since in the search for the power that rules men to lawlessness, we are brought not merely to power in the abstract, but to power in a person; so in the search for power that will rule man to righteousness, we are also brought not merely to power in the abstract, but power in a Person; in a Person who is the origin of righteousness. And that Person is—let us all say it together—God in Jesus Christ. ARSH May 6, 1902, page 11.10