The Signs of the Times, vol. 13
“The First Commandment. No. 2” The Signs of the Times 13, 27, pp. 424, 425.
ANOTHER form of violation of the first commandment is brought to view by Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:3, 4: “If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” Between the children of this world and the children of God there is no connection. Between those who love God, and those who love this world there is no affinity. “Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4:4. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 1 John 2:15, 16. SITI July 14, 1887, page 424.1
Yet to please the world, to gain the favor of the world, and to be a friend of the world, is that for which men seek more than for the grace of God. Men will destroy their own souls if only they can stand well with the world. They will annihilate character to acquire and maintain a reputation. Reputation is of the world, character is of God. When men are called to obey God, the love of the world stands in the way, and the god of this world blinds their minds lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them. It is the work of the gospel to open men’s eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. Darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people; Satan and his hosts are “the rulers of the darkness of this world,” for the whole world lieth in the wicked one. Christ called Satan “the prince of this world,” and as He came to save us from this present evil world, the message of his salvation is to turn men from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive the forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in Jesus. SITI July 14, 1887, page 424.2
It is for this cause that the friendship of the world is enmity with God. Satan is the prince, the god, of this world, and to love the world is to love the rule and dominion of Satan. To be a friend of the world is to be a friend of Satan. Therefore it is that if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him. There is no affinity between Satan and God. Satan rebelled against God, led our first parents into sin, gained possession of the world, and has kept it in rebellion against God ever since. “Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” Therefore says the Lord, “Be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2. SITI July 14, 1887, page 424.3
Yet for all this, how many there are of the professed children of God, who, instead of being transformed to the will of God, seek to be conformed to this world, and allow their minds to run in the same old worldly channel that they did before they named the name of Christ. All the capiricous behests of fashion are obeyed more readily, and more willingly, than are the commands of God; all her follies and foibles are conformed to as though that were itself the way of salvation. Does fashion command that people shall make themselves ridiculous by some such silly custom as banging the hair down over the forehead clear to the eyes, or by wearing dead birds for ornaments? It is readily followed by thousands of those who profess to be followers of God, even though the foolish fashion originate in a brothel, as did both of these. Whoever will do a thing because it is popular or fashionable to do so, will do anything, it matters not what, that may become popular or fashionable. To please the world is their aim, and please it they will. The world is their god, and the Lord must take second place. But when he is given the second place he is given no place, for he will be supreme or not at all. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” “I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me,” and “my glory will I not give to another.” SITI July 14, 1887, page 424.4
The separating from this world, and turning from the power of Satan unto God, is a veritable, and must be a total, transfer of allegiance from one Government to another, from one sovereign to another. By this transfer we become citizens of God’s kingdom, and “our citizenship is in Heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.” Whereas “in time past ye walked ccording to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience,” remember “that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” But “now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone.” Ephesians 2:2, 12, 19, 20. SITI July 14, 1887, page 425.1
Now in the affairs of the Governments of this world, when a person transfers his allegiance from one to another, from England to the United States, for instance, he takes the following oath:— SITI July 14, 1887, page 425.2
“I,——, late of England, do declare an oath, that it is bona fide my intention to become a citizen of the United States of America, and to renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty whatever, and particularly to the queen of Great Britain and Ireland and empress of India, of whom I am now a subject. SITI July 14, 1887, page 425.3
So likewise we, in becoming fellow-citizens with the saints and of the household of God, and in transferring our citizenship to Heaven, and our allegiance to God, must renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any other prince potentate, sovereignty, or god whatsoever, and particularly to the god of this world. This must be done or our citizenship can never be registered in Heaven. It must be maintained or our citizenship, once registered there, will be blotted out and we treated as the traitors which such a relapse surely shows us to be. By the word of God the separation is clear-cut: “It the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” There can be no compromise, there can be no playing fast and loose. If the Lord be God, follow him; but if the world, then follow it. You can’t be a citizen of two countries at once; you can’t serve God and this world both at once. SITI July 14, 1887, page 425.4
Still another form of violation of this commandment is shown by Paul, in writing to the Philippians: “Many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ; whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.” Chap. 3:18, 19. And still there are “many” such. They may, and indeed they do, pretend to be great friends of Christ, but so long as they are enemies of his cross they are enemies to him. They may pretend to be devout worshipers of Christ, but so long as they are enemies of his cross they are only worshipers of themselves, of their own desires; their god is their appetite, and that god they worship. SITI July 14, 1887, page 425.5
Jesus says plainly, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Luke 9:23. The first requisite therefore to follow the Saviour is to deny self. And no man can be a follower of Christ without it. To deny self for Christ’s sake brings a person face to face with the cross. And to refuse to deny self for his sake, is to refuse the cross and so to become an enemy of the cross of Christ. Men may make vast pretensions to being followers of Christ, but so long as they refuse to deny themselves, so long they refuse the cross, and so long they are not his followers at all. He has placed the matter in its proper order: first deny self, next take up the cross to which self-denial brings us, and then follow Christ. There is no other way to get into the path where Jesus has walked, there is no other way to become a follower of Christ. SITI July 14, 1887, page 425.6
The man who yields obedience to his appetite for strong drink, has another god than the Lord. His duty to God is set aside, that the arbitrary commands of a perverted appetite may be obeyed. The claims of the divine law are nullified by the, to him, higher and stronger claims of his own appetite. Such a person is an idolater. His god is his belly. But the devotee of strong drink is not the only such idolater. The devotee of opium, or tobacco, or tea or coffee, or whatever else it may be that he allows to fasten itself upon him, is an idolater equally with the lover of strong drink. “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” SITI July 14, 1887, page 425.7
J.