Facts of Faith

Who Receives The Mark?

On the other hand, people who have never heard the facts presented, but innocently keep Sunday, thinking it is the right day, are not receiving the mark of the beast by so doing, for God does not hold a person responsible for light that he has never had opportunity to hear or reject. Let us illustrate this fact: FAFA 290.1

An earnest Christian is the owner of a dry-goods store, and has sold a woman ten yards of cloth. Later she comes back with it claiming that it is too short. He measures it again, and finds it full length, but, as she insists that it is short, he buys a new yardstick, and placing both side by side he finds his old one an inch short. In amazement he exclaims: “My grandfather was an earnest Christian, and he used this yardstick, and so did my godly father. They were unwittingly stealing, and died without repenting of their sin; they are lost!” He reflects a moment, then adds: “No! I saw them die triumphantly in Christ; they are saved. And I have had blessed seasons with Jesus during these twenty years I have used this old yardstick. If they could be saved using it, and I could serve God acceptably all these years, I will continue to use it hereafter! “But can he be saved while knowingly breaking one of God’s commandments? He could have been saved, if his attention had not been called to it. But can he now continue to use the short yard measure and remain a true Christian? FAFA 290.2

Christ says: “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin” (John 15:22); And Paul declares: “The times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). “Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” James 4:17. Seeing that God’s law is His measuring rod, or standard for moral conduct, and that the Papacy has cut off part of it, so people innocently have followed a faulty rule, and Christ has not attributed this sin to His people till they had opportunity to know better. But when His last message of mercy is being heralded to the world, all are given their choice as to whom they will serve, and those who refuse to listen to His message are as responsible as though they had heard it. (Revelation 22:14; 14:12; Luke 11:31; Proverbs 28:9.) FAFA 290.3

All will admit that Christ has a perfect right to choose any “sign” He desires, and when He sets forth the Sabbath as the sign, or mark, of His authority and of His sanctifying power, we should accept it with pleasure. (Ezekiel 20:12, 20; 9:4-6) FAFA 291.1