The Great Nations of To-day

CHAPTER XXII. THE KEEPING OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD AND THE FAITH OF JESUS

IN the matter of the duty of keeping the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus, it is not to be understood that the two can for a moment be separated. The commandments can not be kept acceptably to God except by faith in Jesus Christ; and faith in Christ amounts to nothing—is dead—unless it is manifested, made perfect, in good works: and these good works consist in the keeping of the commandments of God. GNT 235.1

When the young man came to Jesus, asking, “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” Jesus answered, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments,” and cited the second table of the ten commandments. The young man replied: “All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.” GNT 235.2

As the record says that Jesus “looking upon him loved him,” and as Jesus asked him to follow Him, it is evident that the young man was a person of good intentions and honesty of purpose, and he undoubtedly supposed that he had really kept the commandments. But it is not our own estimate that is the standard of what constitutes obedience to the law; it is God’s estimate that is the standard. We might conform so strictly to the law that, according to our own estimate, we could see no point of failure; yet when our actions should be measured by God’s estimate, weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, we should be found utterly wanting. GNT 235.3

It is not according as we see, but according as God sees, that the question of our keeping the commandments of God is to be decided. And as God sees it, it has been recorded: “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” No doubt the young man, when measured by his own standard, stood at the full stature of moral character. But God’s standard declares that he had “come short.” GNT 236.1

Even granting all the righteousness that the young man might claim by the keeping of the commandments alone,—and there are yet many like him,—yet to him and to all who, like him, expect righteousness by the law, the word of Christ is, “One thing thou lackest yet.” All such lack the justifying blood: they lack the sanctifying power of the perfect obedience of the Son of God. In short, they lack “the faith of Jesus;” and so must ever come short until, by accepting Christ, they attain to the righteousness of God which is by faith. GNT 236.2

It is in Christ alone that man can reach the full stature of moral character in the sight of God. “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:13. However hard a man may strive for righteousness by keeping the law, yet, until he accepts Christ and finds in Him the righteousness which is of God by faith, against him the word will ever stand, Thou hast “come short of the glory of God,” “one thing thou lackest yet.” GNT 237.1

We see then that Jesus taught that those who would be His disciples must keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. GNT 237.2

Again: in His sermon on the mount, Jesus said, “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:19, 20. GNT 237.3

Happily we have the record of the best Pharisee that ever lived, and in his experience we have the inspired illustration of these words of Jesus: Paul says of himself, “As touching the law, a Pharisee; ... touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” Yet this was not enough; for as he says in another place, “I know nothing against myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but He that judgeth me is the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 4:4. So even though he might, so far as he could see, be blameless, yet that was not proof that he was justified; for it is God who judges: it is God’s standard of righteousness, and not our own, that we must meet, to be justified; and that standard is the righteousness of Christ, to which we can attain only by faith. GNT 237.4

Therefore it is written: “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: ... and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” Philippians 3:7-9. This is a righteousness which he had not when he was a Pharisee. This, then, is the righteousness which exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. And this righteousness of faith we must have while doing and teaching the commandments. In His sermon on the mount, therefore, Christ positively taught the keeping of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. GNT 238.1

James says, “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons .... If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well; but if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For He that said [“that law which said,” margin], Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now, if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty .... What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? ... Even so faith, if IT hath not works, is dead, being alone.” GNT 238.2

Thus James shows that the faith of Jesus is manifested in works, and that these works are the keeping of the law of God. He excludes the very idea that anyone can have the faith of Jesus with respect of persons; and respect of person he declares to be sin, the transgression of the law. Therefore the faith of Jesus can not be held with the conscious breaking of the commandments of God, even in a single point. In other words, James teaches as strongly as it is possible to teach, that those who have the faith of Jesus keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. GNT 239.1

John says, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and everyone that loveth Him that begat loveth Him also that is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:1-5. The beloved disciple therefore also teaches that Christianity, the love of God, is the keeping of the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. GNT 239.2

The Lord Jesus Himself, referring to God, said: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do HIS [God’s] commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Revelation 22:13, 14. He also said, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Christ said, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments;” He also said, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.” GNT 240.1

The Third Angel’s Message, the last message from God that the world will ever hear, embodies in a single sentence all these sayings of Christ: “Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” GNT 240.2

Therefore, when the Third Angel’s Message calls, as it now does call, upon all men to “keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus,” it simply calls all men to the performance of the whole duty of man—as he now exists. And when, under this message, we urge men to keep the commandments of God strictly according to the letter, we mean that they must keep these commandments strictly according to the Spirit, too. When we press upon all the obligation of keeping the commandments of God, it is always the obligation of keeping them the only way in which they can be kept, that is, by faith of Jesus Christ; it is always the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus; it is that all must be made perfect by His perfect righteousness; and that all our righteousness must be the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ, and that righteousness witnessed by the law and the prophets. GNT 240.3