The Signs of the Times
May 27, 1889
Love and Obedience
[Sermon at Torre Pellice, Italy, December 11, 1885.]
“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.” It is not enough to profess love for God, Christ asks an evidence that we do love him. Willing obedience to the law of God proves the truth of our profession. We have heard from the pulpits of today that the law is not binding, but this cannot be. Christ says, “This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous.” How could we know what sin is, unless we could look into the law of God? John, the beloved disciple, defines sin as the “transgression of the law.” He says, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law.” ST May 27, 1889, par. 1
Says the prophet, “To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” We must search as diligently in the word of God as did the noble Bereans, who “received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so.” We should dig as for hid treasure in the mines of truth. Christ has warned us that false prophets would arise and would deceive many. There are many who profess to have great faith. They make great claims to holiness, but do they speak according to the law and the testimony? If they do not, it is because there is no light in them. Men fold the garments of their self-righteousness around them, and claim perfection of character; but they have only measured themselves with a standard of their own creating, and with sacrilegious hands they have torn down the true standard of all righteousness. The law of Jehovah is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. The sinner wants to get it out of the way because it condemns him. It is thought burdensome by the transgressor, but the obedient can say with David, “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned; and in keeping of them there is great reward.” ST May 27, 1889, par. 2
The law of God, so defamed and trampled upon by transgressors, is declared by Paul to be holy, just, and good. David prayed, “It is time for thee, Lord, to work; for they have made void thy law.” If David could make that prayer in his day, how much more should it be our prayer in our day! We see on every hand that the law is trampled under unholy feet. There was never a time when we needed to walk more carefully in the path of righteousness, nor to pray more earnestly, than at the present time. The same spirit of prejudice exists now against the commandments of God that existed when Christ was upon the earth; and if we think that we can keep the commandments without exciting the malice of Satan, we mistake; but we shall never have to suffer one-hundredth part of what our Redeemer suffered. ST May 27, 1889, par. 3
We should meditate on the sacrifice that Christ has made in our behalf. He left his honor and glory and majesty, to come to our earth, to be a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. It seems astonishing that the world did not accept and believe on him whom the Father had sent from Heaven. He said to those he came to save, “Ye will not come to me that ye might have life.” How grieved he must have felt when he entered the cities and found so few who manifested any interest in his mission. Every soul was precious in his sight; but the things of time and sense claimed the attention of men, and blinded their eyes to the Redeemer's merit. When I think of the many disappointments our Saviour met, I do not wonder that he was a man of sorrows. How sad it makes us feel when we make earnest efforts to bring the truth to those we love, and they will not hear us. Christ felt this sorrow as much more keenly than we can, as his nature was higher and holier than ours. When we think of what the Saviour endured, can we become discouraged in our work? We have a precious truth to bring before the people, and just as long as we have breath, we should lift up our voices and proclaim that the transgression of God's law is sin. ST May 27, 1889, par. 4
Christ said, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.” Those who have faith in Christ will obey the words of Christ, “for faith without works is dead.” If we have genuine faith in Jesus as our Saviour and example, we shall reflect his character, and correctly represent him to the world. We must keep his commandments, even as he kept his Father's commandments. If we do this, we shall find that there is not a precept of the law but that is for the good and happiness of mankind, both in this life, and in the future, immortal life. If we want to be like Christ when he is revealed in his glory, we must purify ourselves, even as he is pure, in this our day of probation. We want living faith, faith that works by love, and purifies the soul. Although everything around us may be dark and trying, yet we must show that we have implicit confidence in our Redeemer. We should cast ourselves upon the promise, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love.” Genuine Christians are the happiest people in the world, and they have the assurance that God will enable them to stand as faithful sentinels for the truth. ST May 27, 1889, par. 5
In the last days there will be a people who will be loyal to God's holy law. Through obedience to his precepts, they will be prepared to stand in the great day of wrath. Trouble and affliction will come upon them, for Satan will come down, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he has but a short time. He will work with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; but we need not be deceived by his fatal delusions. We should study the Scriptures for ourselves, so that when the enemy comes in like a flood, we may not be moved from the foundation of eternal truth, but may find that the Lord will raise up a standard against him. Let no soldier of Christ be discouraged. The Captain of your salvation will aid you in your battles with the enemy. If you have done all on your part that you can do, his arm will be stretched forth in time of need, and you will realize that help has been laid upon One that is mighty to save. ST May 27, 1889, par. 6
Men may talk of the law as a yoke of bondage; but the question of vital interest is, If you are found disobedient to God, can they pay a ransom for your soul? I beg of you, do not take the word of man that the law is abolished, for that law is as immutable as the throne of God. If the law could have been altered to meet man in his fallen condition, Christ need never have died. The cross of Christ is an unanswerable argument demonstrating the changeless character of the law. The very fact that Christ died establishes the law. Says the apostle, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law.” Christ died to vindicate the justice of God, and to remove the obstacles that man had placed between himself and eternal happiness. Through the intercession of Christ, man may now lay hold of eternal life. While we see that sin and iniquity abounds, we would say, Pray, pray as you never prayed before. We must walk in humility before God, rendering obedience to his holy law, and by and by we shall receive the reward. When the warfare is ended, Jesus will, with his own right hand, place the crown of immortal glory upon our brows, and we shall each hear the heavenly benediction, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” ST May 27, 1889, par. 7