The Present Truth, vol. 16
July 19, 1900
“Keeping the Commandments of God” The Present Truth 16, 29, p. 454.
EVERYTHING that the Lord has ever done for mankind since the sin of Adam, has been done solely to bring man back into harmony with His law. PTUK July 19, 1900, page 454.1
The establishment of ordinances, the giving of His law, the sending of His prophets, the sending of His Son, “that Prophet” greater than all, the gift of His Holy Spirit, and the gifts of the Spirit—all, everything, that has been given, established, or employed by the Lord, has been to bring men to obedience to His law. PTUK July 19, 1900, page 454.2
In bringing men to His law He is bringing them to Himself; for it is written: Thou “testifiedst against them, that Thou mightest bring them again unto Thy law” and “testified against them to turn them to Thee.” Nehemiah 9:29, 26. Read carefully the whole chapter, and see the object of all that He did. Bringing men to His law is only turning them to Himself: because “God is love,” and “this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.” PTUK July 19, 1900, page 454.3
No higher attainment than the love of God can ever be reached by any soul in the wide universe. And since it is the love of God, and only the love of God, that we keep His commandments, it is the very certainty of truth that no higher attainment than the keeping of the commandments of God can ever be reached by any soul in the wide universe. PTUK July 19, 1900, page 454.4
Jesus said, “I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love,” and “I and My Father are one.” There cannot possibly be any higher nor any better attainment than oneness with God, than likeness to Christ, who is one with God. And as He kept the Father’s commandments, and abode in His love by keeping His commandments, so there is no higher nor better thing that could possibly He attainable than the keeping of the commandments of God. PTUK July 19, 1900, page 454.5
The greatest gift of God to men is the gift of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Yet with this wondrous gift to men, even in Christ nothing avails on the part of men “but faith which worketh by love.” Faith is the gift of God, and, working by love, works only by the love of God. And “this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.” Therefore it is certain that the one great object of the very gift of Christ, and of faith in Him, is to bring men to the keeping of the commandments of God, to faithful obedience to His law. PTUK July 19, 1900, page 454.6
The greatest gift God can bestow on men through Jesus Christ, the only means of His gifts to man, is His Holy Spirit. Yet in this gift all that He does, all that He can do, is to cause men to know the love of God; for “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Romans 5:5. And since it is “the love of God, that we keep His commandments,” and “love is the fulfilling of the law,” it is perfectly plain that the one purpose of this greatest gift of God through Christ is the keeping of the commandments of God, faithful allegiance to His law. PTUK July 19, 1900, page 454.7
All the working of the Spirit of God, through all the diversities of operations, is to bring souls unto charity, the bond of perfectness, which is perfect love, the love of God. And this it the love of God that we keep His commandments.” Therefore all the working of the Spirit of God through His many gifts and operations, is solely to bring men to the keeping of the commandments of God. PTUK July 19, 1900, page 454.8
By all this therefore it is certain that the keeping of the commandments of God is the greatest blessing, the highest honour, and the richest gift that even God can bestow upon any soul. All other blessings, honours, and gifts are subordinate to this; they are given only to be conducive to this one thing; and they are to be need only as means of attaining this. PTUK July 19, 1900, page 454.9
For any person to use any of the gifts of God for any other purpose than to make himself a true keeper of the commandments of God is for that person to miss the will of God, and to frustrate the object of the very gift which He would use. To be willing to use the word of God, to use God’s gift of His dear Son, to use the gift of the Holy Spirit, or any of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, with any other aim than the perfect keeping of the commandments of God, is to miss the will of God, and to pervert the purpose of that word, or that gift. That one aim, and that alone, is true Christianity. PTUK July 19, 1900, page 454.10
This is what Christian patriotism means. So to honour the law of God, is what it means to be a true citizen of the commonwealth of Israel. This is what means loyalty to the government of God, and allegiance to the constitution, the supreme law, of the Most High. PTUK July 19, 1900, page 454.11
Now are you a Christian patriot? Is the keeping of the commandments of God your one single aim? Are all the gifts and blessings of God counted by you as only contributory to this stogie object? These questions are important. This whole subject as here presented, is of vital importance. PTUK July 19, 1900, page 454.12
A. T. JONES.