The Royal Law Pt 4 (Only If It Still Exists Did Christ Need to Die)

The Perpetuity of the Royal Law

Or, The Ten Commandments Not Abolished. Advent and Sabbath Tract, No. 4.

By J. N. ANDREWS

It is evident, therefore, that the death of our Saviour sustains the same relation to the law of God, that the death of the victim in the ancient typical system sustained to that law. The design of either was not that man should have liberty to violate the law of God, but that man who had violated that law, might have the offer of pardon.

The typical system could not, indeed, take away sin; but it pointed out the fact that without the shedding of blood there could be no remission of sins, and clearly pointed forward to the great Sacrifice which should be offered for the sin of the world. 

If it were possible for God to give men an adequate idea of the immutability of his sacred law, he has given it in the spectacle of his Son dying upon the cross for us. Those who think that the death of the Son of God abolished the very law which made that death necessary, are requested to consider the following points:-

1. If the law that condemned man could have been abolished, it would not have been necessary that the blood of Christ should be shed, that atonement might be made for its transgressors. But the Son of God died because the law which man had broken could not be taken back.

2. But if the death of Christ destroyed the law which condemned men, then they are delivered from its just sentence, whether they repent or not: in other words, Universalism is true. 

3. But this view makes the law of God, and the Son of God, both fall beneath the same blow, and without honoring God, or leading man to repentance: it destroys both the cherished objects of Jehovah's affection: subjecting the Son of God to a shameful death, and overturning the moral government of the great Law-giver.

4. But the conditional offer of pardon made to man through the gospel of the Son of God, plainly evinces that the law of God still exists, and that men can only be delivered from it, on condition of repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Hence the law of the Most High is not abolished by the death of the Son of God. His death indeed permits mercy to enter and offer pardon to guilty man; but the law of God abides all the while; and when the work of mercy is accomplished, our great High Priest will leave the tabernacle of God, no more to plead for sinful man, and the penalty of the law, the second death, will be awarded to its transgressors. 

It is clearly established, therefore, that the death of the Son of God did not blot out the law of God the Father. On the contrary, his death is that fact which, above all others, testifies to its immutability.

But we cannot employ so strong language on this point as that which Paul has used in summing up this very argument. He says: "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." Rom.3:31.

Having shown conclusively that the law of God was neither abolished by the teaching nor by the death of the Son of God, we will now examine the third question:-

TO BE CONTINUED….

The Royal Law Pt 3 (Please Read!)

The Perpetuity of the Royal Law

Or, The Ten Commandments Not Abolished. Advent and Sabbath Tract, No. 4.

By J. N. ANDREWS

Continued…

2. Was the law of God abolished by the death of Christ? 

That we may answer this question in a proper manner, let us carefully consider Rom.3. We will first examine that portion of the chapter which presents the human family as condemned by the law of God and speechless in his sight. 

"Now we know that what things so ever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Rom.3:19,20. 

This portion of scripture presents in a striking light the state of mankind without a Saviour.

The Apostle had been presenting in the previous verses numerous quotations from the Old Testament, showing the fearful state of fallen man. The verses which we have quoted, present us with the holy standard of rectitude by which the unrighteousness of men is made manifest, and their fearful crimes left without excuse. "What things so ever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law." How many, then, are under the law? The remainder of the verse determines this with certainty. "That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." This fact then is plainly stated: that the whole human family are addressed by the law of God; that all of its members without distinction of rank, or order, share in one general condemnation; and that condemnation is so just, that every mouth is shut, and all the world stands speechless before the bar of God. The twenty-third verse explains the cause of this: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." 

The law of God can justify no flesh in his sight. But why cannot the law justify sinful man? Because by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Man is guilty of transgression, and the law of God discovers and manifests this fact.

The law is God's great rule of right; and as such, it shows every departure from rectitude and holiness.

We have thus seen the sad state of fallen men. Let us now consider what God does for their salvation. If he takes back his law, one of two things must be true:- 

He takes back an unjust law, and thus acknowledges that he was the cause of man's condemnation.

But this is false; for we have seen that the law is so just that none can plead against its righteous sentence. Hence if God has taken back his law we shall be compelled to adopt the second position; namely, He takes back a just law, thus denying his own moral character as expressed in that law, and overthrowing his own moral government.

God cannot lie; and it is manifestly absurd to teach that God has abolished the principles of his own moral government.

Hence we conclude that God did not, and could not overthrow his own moral law, in order to save its transgressors.

 

We inquire again, What did the great Law-giver do in order to save men? If he did not take back his law, and abolish his own moral government, what did he do?

It would seem that but one other thing could be done; namely, to put the law in force upon its transgressors. In other words, to execute its penalty upon the human race. If this were done, all must be destroyed; for all were its transgressors; and the wages of sin is death.

Let us now with gratitude and adoration look at the wondrous plan which God has devised for man's redemption: a plan in which justice and mercy meet together, and righteousness and peace kiss each other: [Ps.85:8-13:] a system of redemption by which God can be just and yet can justify him that believeth in Jesus. It is set forth by Paul in the following language:- 

"Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Rom.3:24-26. 

In these words the great plan of redemption is set forth; but oh! what has it not cost! Man had broken the law of Jehovah and fallen under its awful and yet just condemnation. God could not reverse his holy law without destroying the moral government of the universe; but he so loved our race that he gave his only Son to die for perishing man. John3:14-17. He sent his Son to be the propitiation or offering for the sins of men. 1John4:10.

Christ came to take the curse of the law upon himself, and to offer his life as a ransom for its transgressors. Gal.3:13; 1Tim.2:5,6. 

The Father had two objects of the dearest affection: his own perfect law, and his only Son.

He would save man who had revolted from allegiance to that law, and openly set it at naught. To do this, the great Law-giver must sacrifice either his perfect law, or his beloved and only Son.

The first he could not do; for God cannot deny himself; and he hath in all ages ever magnified his word above all his name; [Ps.138:2;] but he could give his only Son to die, that revolted man might have a sacrifice to bring to God that could avail to take away sin.

 

Jesus was delivered for our offenses, and raised again for our justification. He ascended into the true Tabernacle in heaven, the new covenant Sanctuary, where the ark of God stands, containing his holy law - as a great High Priest, to plead the merits of his blood in behalf of penitent men. Heb.9; Rev.11:19.

As the ancient high priest entered the typical tabernacle to sprinkle the ark of the testament with blood even thus was it necessary that our great High Priest should act. The earthly high priest did not sprinkle the blood of sin-offering upon the ark that he might blot out the ten commandments which it contained, or that he might lessen the obligation of men to observe them. On the contrary, he entered the tabernacle with blood, because man had violated that holy law, and could not be pardoned without the offering of blood to take away sin. 

Even thus did our Lord. By his own blood he entered the true Tabernacle, and presented himself before the Father on our account. In fulfilling the ministration of the true holy places, the two dearest objects of affection to the great Law-giver are again united. But how wondrous the union!

Jesus, who has died for the transgressors of that sacred law, now stands as a great High Priest before the ark containing the law of God, pleading in behalf of men, the merits of his own sacrificial death. The Law-giver can accept the offering, and man, who has broken the law of God, can be pardoned. 

To Be CONTINUED…..

The Royal Law Pt 2

The Perpetuity of the Royal Law

Or, The Ten Commandments Not Abolished. Advent and Sabbath Tract, No. 4.

By J. N. ANDREWS

Continued…

At the present time we have a case precisely parallel. The professed church of this day hold a tradition which they say came from Christ and his apostles. On the authority of this tradition they suppose that they are amply justified in violating the fourth commandment. Like the Jews they even think that they are serving God more acceptably by keeping a tradition that contradicts his commandment, than they would be in keeping the commandment itself.

The rebuke which Christ applied to the Jews, falls with all its force upon the heads of such: "Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Verses 6-9. 

"And behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is God; but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Matt.19:16-19. 

Let us carefully consider these words of our Lord. The young man came to him with the most important question that he could ask. The Saviour returned to him the most simple, direct and appropriate answer. Jesus said to him, "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." The young man, who, it is evident from the narrative, thought himself already observing them all, asked Jesus, Which? In answer, Jesus quotes from the second table, five of the ten commandments; and to this list he adds the second of the two great commandments on which hang all the rest. It is often said by our opponents that if we would name only those precepts which our Lord enjoined upon the young man, they would be happy to agree with us; that Christ did not name the fourth commandment, which is not therefore obligatory upon us. We reply that the fourth commandment is no more omitted than is the first, the second, the third and the tenth, and also the first of the two great commandments on which hang all the rest! Does any one believe that the young man might violate all these and yet enter life eternal? 

There can be but one of two positions taken with respect to this text: 1. When the Saviour said, "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments," he named all the commandments which the young man should keep; or 2. When the Saviour said "keep the commandments," he enjoined obedience to them all, and then in answer to the young man's inquiry, pointed him to the precepts of the second table, namely, his duty to his fellow-men, as that in which he was most deficient. 

If the first position be correct, it follows that the young man could enter into life in the character of an idolater, a blasphemer, a Sabbath-breaker, and with an heart full of covetousness; for our Lord omitted to specify any of those precepts which define our duty to God, and he also omitted the tenth commandment: "Thou shalt not covet." This position needs no refutation, and we turn from it to the other. 

That the second position is correct, namely, that Christ enjoined obedience to all the commandments, and then in answer to the young man's request, pointed him to the second table, and to the second of the two great commandments - his duty to his fellow man - the following facts plainly evince:- 

1. This is exactly what is recorded in the text. 2. The view that Christ specified all the precepts which the young man should observe has been shown to be false and unreasonable. 3. When the young man insisted that he was blameless in regard to his duty to his fellow men, our Lord applied a test to him which undeceived him at once. 4. When Christ said, "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments," he spoke in harmony with his own words in Matt.5:17-19. There he had declared that not even the minutest particle should pass from the commandments till the heavens and the earth should flee away, and that whosoever should violate one of the least of them, should be of no esteem in the reign of heaven. Then, our Lord being allowed to explain his own words, it follows that to keep the commandments, is to observe every one of them; and that the willful violator of the least one, shall have no part in the kingdom of God. And the apostle James, as we shall thereafter see, establishes in the clearest manner the fact that whoever understandingly violates one of the ten commandments is guilty of breaking them all. What will those say to this who affirm that the young man could keep the commandments, and yet violate every one that defines our duty to God the great Law-giver?

"Then one of them which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matt.22:35-40. 

Many mistake the question here proposed to Jesus, and read this text as though the lawyer had said, Master what is the great commandment which you will give to take the place of the ten commandments? The question was not asked on that wise; and those who present this scripture as evidence that Christ gave a new code to take the place of his Father's law, labor under a serious mistake. The question related to the original law of God; what is the great commandment in that? 

Christ answered this question by pointing out the two great immutable first principles on which hang all the law and the prophets: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." This is the sum of our duty to God: on this hang all those precepts which define our duty to him. "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." On this precept hang all those commandments which contain our duty to our fellow men. This is the sum of them, and out of this they all grow. 

The Saviour did not abolish the law of his Father by these two precepts; for they were as ancient as any part of the law of God. Deut.6:5; Lev.19:18. He did not then hang the law and the prophets upon them; for they had ever hung there; nor did Christ teach that on these two precepts all the law and the prophets were abolished. Nay, he showed by this the immutable basis on which the law of Jehovah rests. These two great precepts are, as all admit, unabolished. And the law of God which hangs upon them is like them, immutable, and, must abide as long as they endure.  "And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass than one tittle of the law to fail." Luke16:17. Then it is easier for heaven and earth to pass than for one of the commandments of God. How hard then must it be for every precept of the law of God to be abolished and a new law of God enacted to take its place. Easier could heaven and earth be destroyed and new heavens and a new earth be created! Should God abolish his great constitution and establish another in its stead, that event would not only be marked as distinctly as the establishment of the original constitution by himself at Sinai, in person, but it would present even a more extraordinary spectacle than for heaven and earth to flee from the presence of him that sits upon the throne! 

It is an important fact that our Lord in presenting portions of the law of God, always brought them forward as such; that is, he appealed to the law of his Father, as a living authority, and quoted from it, not as giving authority to what he quoted, but presenting those quotations as the authority for his statements. This fact evinces that Christ was not engaged in re-enacting a part of his Father's law, as some are ready to affirm. Our Lord did not act in the capacity of legislator with his Father's law. He was its expositor; and as such he laid open its length and breadth and spirituality. Even the golden rule, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them," our Saviour bases on the fact that this was the law and the prophets. Matt.7:12. So that this most admirable saying was not given to take the place of the law of God and the prophets, but as a precious truth resting on their authority. 

The scriptures which we have quoted must suffice to show the nature of Christ's teachings respecting the law of God. It shows that by his teaching he did not abolish the commandments of God. It also evinces that Christ not only taught that it was easier for heaven and earth to pass than for one tittle of the law to fail, but that he also taught, until heaven and earth pass a single tittle shall not pass from the law of God; and that whosoever would enter into everlasting life must keep the commandments of God, even the least of them. We will now consider the second question. 

To be continued…

The Royal Law

The Perpetuity of the Royal Law    Pt. 1

Or, The Ten Commandments Not Abolished. Advent and Sabbath Tract, No. 4.

By J. N. ANDREWS

IT is painful to witness the various inconsistent and self-contradictory positions resorted to by those who reject the Sabbath of the Lord. But of all the positions adopted, none seem so dangerous, or fraught with such alarming consequences, as the view that the law of God, by which the Sabbath is enforced, has been abolished, and that we are, therefore, under no obligation to remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy. The question whether God has abolished his law or not, is, indeed, the main point at issue in the Sabbath controversy; for when it is shown that law still exists, and that its perpetuity is clearly taught in the New Testament, the question is most conclusively settled, that the Sabbath is binding on us, and upon all men. 

The Sabbath of the Lord is embodied in the fourth commandment of the Decalogue. This commandment stands in the midst of nine moral precepts which Jehovah, after uttering with his own voice, wrote with his own finger on the tables of stone. These nine commandments stand around the Sabbath of the Lord, an impregnable bulwark, which all the enemies of that sacred institution in vain attempt to destroy. It is evident that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment cannot be set aside unless the Decalogue can be destroyed. Hence the enemies of the Sabbatic institution have brought their heaviest artillery to bear upon the law of the Most High: calculating that when they had destroyed this strong hold, the Sabbath would fall an easy prey to their attack. We invite attention then to the law and to the testimony. By the unerring word of God we wish to settle this question; and this we believe can be done in the most satisfactory manner. 

That the hand-writing of ordinances containing the feasts, new moons and the associated annual sabbaths of the Jews, has been abolished and taken out of the way, we do not doubt. This was not the moral law of God; but was merely the shadow of good things to come. But the royal law in which are the ten commandments of God is the subject of this investigation, and it is the perpetuity and immutability of this law that we affirm. If the law of God has been destroyed, the act must have been accomplished by one of three things; viz., 1. By the teachings of the Lord Jesus;

or 2. By his death; or 3. By the apostles. We believe that all will agree to this statement. 

1. Was the law of God abolished by the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ? Let us listen to his own words. 

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily, I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 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." Matt.

5:17-19. 

Our Lord here testifies that he did not come to destroy the law or the prophets. Then it is a fact that he did not destroy either. But what is it to destroy the law? We answer, that it can only signify to abolish, or to annul it. And thus Campbell renders the word:- "Think not that I am come to subvert the law." Whiting renders it:- "Think not that I am come to annul the law." It is therefore certain that our Lord did not come to subvert, annul, or destroy, the law of God. Hence it follows that the law of God was not annulled or abrogated by him. He adds, that instead of coming to destroy, he came to fulfill. If this was the object of the Saviour's mission, did he not by this act do away the law, set is aside, and relieve us from obligation to keep its precepts? Let us see. As Campbell renders the text, it reads, "I am not come to subvert, but to ratify." That is, I am not come to abolish the law, but to confirm, and render still more sacred, its just demands. If that was the object of our Lord's mission, it follows that he did not lessen our obligation to obey the law of his Father. 

But let us return to the word "fulfill." Christ came to fulfill the law, hence he did fulfill it. What is it to fulfill a law? Let the apostle James answer: "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." James2:8,9. It is evident that James here places the transgression of the law in contrast with, or in opposition to, the fulfillment of the law; therefore it follows that the fulfillment of the law is the reverse of its violation. In other words, it is its observance. To fulfill the law in the manner that James enjoins, is to render complete obedience to its divine requirements. 

But it may be contended that to fulfill the law in the sense of our Lord's declaration, accomplishes its purpose, and takes it out of the way. To show the absurdity of this view, let us take another of Christ's sayings which is of the same character, precisely. When John refused to baptize the Saviour, Jesus said, "Suffer it to be so now; for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness." Matt.3:15. Did the Saviour, by fulfilling all righteousness, weaken, take out of the way, or destroy all righteousness? Certainly not. No one will claim that he lessened our obligation to fulfill all righteousness also. 

But how did Christ fulfill the law of his Father? There is but one way in which this could be accomplished, and that is to answer its just demands. What were those demands? We answer: first, the law of God demands perfect obedience. The justice of this, none will deny. But when the law has been violated, it demands the death of the transgressor. Sin is the transgression of the law." 1John3:4. "The wages of sin is death." Rom.6:23. "The soul that sinneth it shall die. Eze.18:4. When Christ came to fulfill the law, he came to do this, not for himself, but in behalf of our race. He came to fulfill the law as the Messiah: an office or character which no other being ever possessed. He came to undertake for fallen men, and in a certain sense placed himself in their situation. What then was the relation which our race sustained to the law of God? We answer: all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. The law of God stopped every mouth, and showed all men sinners in the sight of God. Rom.3. 

Then, when the Saviour took upon himself our nature, and came to fulfill the law of his Father, that law not only demanded perfect obedience; but it also justly demanded the death of our race; for all were its transgressors. The work of the Saviour, therefore, in fulfilling the law of his Father, was of a twofold character. He must first render perfect obedience to all its precepts, and then offer up his own life as a ransom for guilty man. To fulfill the law as the Messiah, Christ must perform all this. Did he thus do? He kept his Father's commandments. John15:10. In him there was no transgression of the law. 1John3:4,5. He was the Lamb of God without spot, [1Pet.1:19.] in whom the Father was well pleased. Matt.3:17. And this was not all; he took upon himself the sin of the world. Isa.3:6; John1:29. He bore our sin in his own body upon the tree. 1Pet.2:24. He died the just for the unjust, giving his own life a ransom for many. 1Pet.3:18; Matt.20:28. God can now be just, and yet justify him that believeth in Jesus. Rom.3:25,26. Thus Christ lived our example and died our sacrifice. 

Did this work of the Messiah, in rendering perfect obedience to all the law of God, and then offering up himself as a ransom for its transgressors, weaken that law, or lessen our obligation to obey it? Never. It shows in the most striking light, its perpetuity and immutability. The law of God condemned our race. Jehovah would open the way for man's salvation. He could not destroy his own moral law; but he could give his own beloved and only Son to die for its transgressors. This evinces the estimate which the Father placed upon his own law. Isaiah predicted that Christ should magnify the law, and make it honorable. Isa.42:21. The record of Christ's life and death shows the fulfillment of this prediction. 

But Christ adds a solemn affirmation. "For verily, I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. What is a jot and a tittle? A jot is the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet. A tittle is a small point by which some of those letters are distinguished from others. Our Lord therefore solemnly affirms that the minutest point shall not pass from the law till all be fulfilled. Then it is certain that a part will not be destroyed and the remainder of the law be left in force. Consequently as long as a part of the original precepts continue, all of them abide without one jot or tittle being destroyed. Further than this, Christ has plainly marked the point of time before which no part of the law of God shall pass. "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Has heaven and earth passed away? Let those answer who teach the abolition of the law of God. When will heaven and earth pass? Let the beloved disciple answer: "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them." If the fulfillment of the law of God destroys it, that destruction cannot take place before the final conflagration of the heavens and the earth. 2.Pet.3. Prior to that time the minutest point shall not be destroyed. If therefore one jot or one tittle shall on no account pass from the law, till all be fulfilled; and if the point before which this shall not be accomplished is the passing of the heavens and the earth, it follows that the Lord Jesus not only designed that the law should be fulfilled by himself for the brief period of his sojourn on earth, but also, that the righteousness of the law should be fulfilled in his church; or as Whiting renders Rom.8:4, "that the precept of the law might be fulfilled by us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." The next verse establishes this view. 

"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." Let us carefully consider this verse. The word "whosoever" takes up all persons through all coming time. The word "therefore" shows that this verse is the conclusion drawn from the premises which the Saviour had just laid down, which were these: 1. "Think not that I am come to destroy the law." 2. "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled." As not a single particle of this holy law was to be destroyed, it was fitting that the Lord Jesus should speak with distinctness respecting its observance and its violation. This is what he now utters. 

"Shall break one of these least commandments." Then we have here the opposite of fulfilling the law; viz. the breaking of the commandments. We may also learn that the law in verses 17,18, means the commandments. 

"One of these least." Christ had said that not one jot or one tittle should pass from the law till all be fulfilled, so that there could be no excuse for those who teach that a part of the law has been destroyed, and that the remainder is yet in force. But Christ did not leave the subject thus. He now tells what shall be the fate of those who violate the least of the commandments. Those who select nine of them, and omit one of the commandments, which they think not worth their notice, are the very persons that Christ here reproves. 

"And shall teach men so." Who are they that teach men to violate the commandments? Those who teach men that they have all been abolished go far beyond the crime that Christ has here noted. The Saviour spoke of those who should violate the least one. Some at the present day teach men that all of them are abolished. This is the grand and effectual method to teach men to violate the law of God. But those who make any one of the commandments void, that they may keep in its place a tradition of the elders, are doing exactly the work that our Lord has here solemnly warned men against. 

"He shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven;" or, as Campbell renders, "shall be of no esteem in the reign of heaven." This is, doubtless, the idea of the Saviour. This is the penalty of a violation of the least precept of the law of God. But how much more fearful must it be to break the commandments and to teach men that they have all been abolished! 

"But whosoever shall do and teach them." Here we may learn what it is to fulfill the law of God. It is to do and to teach the commandments. "The same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Or, as rendered by Campbell, "shall be highly esteemed in the reign of heaven." Here is the ample commission; here is the vast reward of those who teach and keep the commandments of God. Surely, no man ever enjoined obedience to the law of God with such force as did our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us hear his words again:- 

"But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded saying, Honor thy father and mother; and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." Matt.15:3-6. 

These words disclose to us the sacredness of God's commandments in the mind of the Lord Jesus. He did not deny that he violated the traditions of the Jews, but he boldly arraigned their traditions, and condemned them as worthless in the sight of God. And not only as worthless, but also as sinful, inasmuch as they contradict and make void the commandments of God. The tradition in question was very venerable with the Jews, inasmuch as they supposed that it had been handed down from Moses; thus being equally ancient and sacred in their estimation with the commandment which it so effectually made void. On such authority the Jews thought themselves fully justified in an open violation of the fifth commandment. Nay, they even supposed that the observance of this tradition was more acceptable to God then the observance of the commandment itself. 

To be continued…..

Samuel and the Witch of Endor Pt 4 (Concluded)

Continued…

Samuel and the Witch of Endor

Or

The Sin of Witchcraft

By J. N. Andrews

VI. From what cause did witchcraft become universal among the ancient heathen? 

That witchcraft was universal with the nations that God drove out before Israel, we learn from Deut. 18. These nations, therefore, in their heathenish darkness, and abominable licentiousness, see Lev. 18:24-30, were grounded in the doctrine of the soul's consciousness in death; for it was upon this doctrine as a basis that witchcraft rested, as manifested in necromancy; i.e., divining by means of the dead; enchantment; i.e., making things which have no existence seem real; and dealing with familiar spirits, which is a pretended communion with the dead.

 

But how came these people by this doctrine? They belong to that class that Paul says "did not like to retain God in their knowledge," and "who changed the truth of God into a lie." Rom. 1:21-28.

Demon worship, i.e., the worship of dead heroes as conducted through witchcraft, was their religion. And the first principle of this religion is the consciousness of the soul in death. Nor is this doctrine the foundation of heathenism only, with its worship of deified dead men; it is equally the foundation of Romanism with its purgatory, prayers for

the dead, worship of the saints, and deification of Mary as queen of Heaven; and of Mohammedanism, with its promise to the bloody men who fight its battles that if killed in battle they shall sup that night in paradise; and of spiritualism, of which the whole stock in trade is the sayings and doings of dead men; and of MODERN ORTHODOXY, which makes death the gate to endless joy, and bestows rewards, and punishments upon the dead without waiting for the resurrection and the Judgment. 

Who gave the heathen this first principle of their religion - a principle, by the way, absolutely indispensable to almost every system of false religion? When Paul says of these ancient heathen that they "changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather [margin] than the Creator," Rom. 1:25, he tells us a startling truth. For, instead of worshiping the living God, they worshiped the supposed immortal souls of dead heroes that they believed had now become gods. Thus we read:- 

Num. 25:1-3: "And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods; and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor; and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel." 

Let us read again, and we shall learn what kind of gods these were whose sacrifices the Israelites ate at Baal-peor. 

Ps. 106:28: "They joined themselves also unto Baal-peor and ate the sacrifices of the dead. 

The gods, then, to which these sacrifices were offered, were deified dead men. And they were confirmed in worshiping these dead heroes because they received such wonderful responses, so perfectly characteristic of the men. But they supposed themselves receiving responses from the souls of these dead warriors to whom they thus sacrificed as gods. Paul tells us who really received this worship, and, of course, who returned the responses.

Thus he says:- 

1 Cor. 10:20: "But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to DEVILS, and not to God; and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils." 

They worshiped dead men in name, and devils in reality. They had no doubt that these departed warriors and kings still lived; for they had manifest and characteristic responses. But who cannot see where these responses come from, or what being it is that has an interest that men should believe in their own present immortality? 

But who taught the heathen this doctrine that the soul of man did not die, or that men became as gods by dying? If we go back to Satan's first great lie, we shall find this doctrine stated in express terms: "ye shall not surely die' . . . ye shall be as gods." Gen. 3:4, 5.

Here is the fountain-head of heathen philosophy, and of almost every false system of religion. With this idea established in the minds of men, Satan has been able, by means of witchcraft, to control the world to an unlimited extent. He sends his evil angels in the name of their dear departed friends most perfectly, he throws them off their guard, and, instilling into their minds the doctrines of devils, leads them captive at his will. To see what kind of morals attend the practice of witchcraft, read and compare Deut. 18:9-14, with Lev. 18:24-30. 

Witchcraft, or the dealing with familiar spirits, is Satan's system of spiritual gifts; for he holds communion with men through his evil angels as God does through the holy angels. But as they cannot deceive us if they come in their own name, they have chosen effectual disguise, and so come to us in the very form and manner of our dearest departed friends. 

We can understand why Satan has made so great an effort to draw men into the sin of witchcraft; for it gives him control of their minds, and makes their ruin almost certain. And we can see the mercy of God in closing up this pretended avenue to the most wonderful knowledge. The whole thing is a deception and fraud; and God had fenced up the road with his prohibition, that we may understand it to be a dangerous and fatal thing to travel that way. God is equally merciful in what he commands and in what he prohibits. It was Satan, therefore, with his first great falsehood, that originated the principles and established the practice of witchcraft among mankind. 

VII. What are we to expect from this great Satanic manifestation in the closing scenes of this dispensation? 

That modern spiritualism is not slandered when represented as a continuation of ancient witchcraft is shown by two facts: 1. The Old Testament shows that the practice of witchcraft in the days of ancient Israel was precisely the same as the work of modern spiritualism. 2. Spiritualists do not deny, but frankly acknowledge, the identity of modern spirit mediums and ancient dealers with familiar spirits. Before we ask what Satan is to do in the final display of his utmost power, let us consider what he has done already in the revival of this mystery of iniquity. From an obscure beginning in Western New York, some twenty years since, spiritualism has extended itself over the whole earth, and gained a foothold in every district of which we have any knowledge. It is already the religion of many millions of the human family. Its success has been the result of two things. 1. Its wonders; 2. Its doctrines. Its wonders are the wonders of ancient witchcraft in enabling men to converse with the dead. Its doctrines deserve notice. Among the most important are these:- 

That the Bible is full of errors, and not worthy of our confidence. 

That the moral law is of no authority as a standard of moral character. 

That there is no difference between right and wrong; for whatever is, is right, and no such thing as sin exists. 

That there is no need of salvation through Jesus Christ, but every man is his own Christ. 

That there is no resurrection of the dead, no future judgment, and no final account. 

That the God of the Old Testament is the spirit of a dead man. 

That all men compose a part of God; or all men in death become so many separate deities. 

That the souls of men are immortal, and at death enter a higher sphere.

These principles are not always openly avowed in plain terms, but are dealt out as the hearer can bear them. But when men have become established in this system, the spirits do not hesitate to avow the "doctrines of devils" in the plainest terms. It is probable that, like Mormonism, a large share of the success that attends this wonderful Satanic manifestation is due to its teachings and practices in regard to the seventh commandment. The morals of ancient witchcraft may be seen by comparing Deut. 18:9-14; Lev. 18:24-30.

Perhaps modern spiritualism cannot be worse; but it is certainly not one degree purer. There are thousands of people now standing in the outer courts of this infernal diabolism, who are comparatively unaware of what exists in its sanctuary. Would to God that they could be warned before they drink deeper of this strong delusion.

 

The future of this system of ruinous delusion and mighty Satanic wonders is given in the prophetic Scriptures. Of the period immediately preceding the second advent of Jesus Christ, Paul speaks thus:- 

2 Thess. 2:9-12: "Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 

A short space of time in the close of this dispensation bears the dread appellation of the hour of temptation:- 

Rev. 3:10: "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." 

The spirits have an important part to act preparatory to the battle of the great day of God Almighty:- 

Rev. 16:13, 14: "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty."

The false prophet, out of whose mouth one of the unclean spirits go forth, is the same as the two-horned beast. Rev. 13:11. This fact gives us a clue to the agency by which the two-horned beast is to perform its astonishing miracles in the coming hour of temptation.

 

Rev. 13:13, 14: "And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live." 

At a period of time not very far distant in the future, this mighty Satanic delusion will have absolute control of those who have not made Christ their portion, and his truth their shield and buckler. 

VIII. What is furnished us as a safeguard against this deception? 

The prophet points us to this in the words of the text: "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

Our safeguard from Satanic delusion is the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Those who heed this warning will be able to escape the tempter's power; those who do not heed it shall be carried away by it. This certainly indicates that when the grand struggle shall arrive, men will be found gathered into just two classes: 1. Commandment-keepers; 2. Spiritualists. 

If we treat the law of God as Isaiah bids us, we shall not only acknowledge its authority, but we shall have its holy principles written in our hearts. Then we shall be able to appreciate the vileness of this Satanic doctrine, and ever be on our guard against it. And if we regard the testimony of Jesus Christ, which is the spirit of prophecy, Rev.19:10, we shall understand how great a difference there is between the teachings of the Holy Spirit and the doctrines of devils. 

CONCLUDED.

*******

This study is very pertinent to us today, why? Because of this…

https://qz.com/quartzy/1411909/the-explosive-growth-of-witches-wiccans-and-pagans-in-the-us/

Explosive growth in witches….today.

This study will be given in a few parts, not all at once. Please pray and read, we need the Holy Spirit to guide us in all we do. The closer it gets to our Lord's return, the more and more Satan will work. Please, Father, may we not be deceived, guide us to Your truth, and live in us working Your truth in our lives! All in the Savior's name, through His sacrifice!

Samuel and the Witch of Endor Pt 3

Continued…

Samuel and the Witch of Endor

Or

The Sin of Witchcraft

By J. N. Andrews

Let us see if the second view is any less open to objection.

The fact that this reputed Samuel arose out of the earth before this woman, as an old man covered with a mantle, may be supposed to substantiate the idea that Samuel was present with his own flesh and bones. Before disproving this view of the case, several questions concerning it may well be asked: 1. Samuel was buried in distant Ramah. See verse 3. How could he come out of the ground in Endor? 2. Can it be believed that he was raised by God to talk with Saul upon the devil's own ground? 3. Would such a man as Samuel, who held witchcraft as a heinous sin, 1Sam.15:23, before beginning his message to Saul, first hold private converse with this wicked woman in the midst of her incantations? 4. And what became of this old man thus raised from the dead? Did he go through the pains of a second dissolution? He might in such case well complain of being disquieted and brought up by Saul, verse 15. 

But there is one important fact that settles this question of Samuel's resurrection. Had Samuel been present in his own flesh and bones, and not as a matter of enchantment or sorcery, Saul would have seen him as well as the woman. That Saul could not see him is convincing proof that Samuel was not raised from the dead. He must have been raised - if raised at all - by God or by Satan. But the devil cannot raise the dead; and it is certain that the God of Heaven would not raise his servant in answer to Satanic incantations. 

We are therefore brought to the conclusion that Samuel was not present either as an immortal spirit from the third Heaven, or as resurrected from the dead. And therefore the conclusion is inevitable that this Samuel is no other than the familiar spirit personating the man of God.

Saul had asked the God of Heaven to speak to him by his prophets; but for his wickedness this was refused. This time he asks Satan to send him Samuel; and Satan was not slow to answer the prayer by sending such a Samuel as he could produce. And now let us hear what this Samuel, produced by Satan, had to say:- 

"And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams; therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do. Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? And the Lord hath done to him, as he spake by me; for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbor, even to David; because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day. Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines; and to-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me; the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines. Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel; and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night."

The first words of this so-called Samuel are remarkable. He does not wait to hear Saul's request, but asks Saul in a petulant manner what he had disturbed him for, to bring him up. This is an acknowledgment on the part of this reputed Samuel that he had come through Saul's act of seeking Satan. It is not holy Samuel sent by God; but is that kind of Samuel that Satan could send. And observe, he does not represent himself as coming down from the courts of glory, but as coming up from the regions below. Those who think that Samuel was actually present from the heavenly Jerusalem, may explain how wicked Saul could be present with him the next day. Verse 19. 

Saul relates to Samuel his sore distress. And now behold the result of serving Satan, and then calling upon him for help in the day of dire extremity. Satan flatters men during all the time in which they can repent, telling them the path in which they are walking is the path of the righteous; or, if it is not, it is just as good as that of the righteous, and will end at last in Heaven; or, if it be not just right, there is plenty of time for repentance, and that they may safely neglect it for many years. But when the last hours of their probation are expiring, he comes upon his victims with overwhelming power, telling them that it is now too late, and drives them to despair by repeating the history of their sins, until, perhaps, they take their lives with their own hands. Such was the case with Saul. Satan led him to despise the warnings of the prophets, and to presume upon the mercy of God, till the very hour of his extremity was upon him, and then, by rehearsing his sins, and provoking him, with David's certain triumph over him, and extinguishing every hope, both of this world and the next, he drives him to utter despair and immediate suicide. He tells him, 

The Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy; i.e., there is absolutely no hope in your case. 

The Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbor, even to David. This was a keen thrust to such a man as Saul. 

Your ruin was made sure by your sin in the memorable expedition against Amalek.

Your army shall suffer a terrible defeat in the coming battle, and yourself and sons shall be slain. And now let us follow Saul to the battle. We cannot, indeed, say whether it came on the following day, but it was not delayed long. His army was defeated with a terrible slaughter, his sons were slain, and Saul, in utter despair, kills himself with his own sword. See 1 Sam. 31. Such was the result of his seeking to one that had a familiar spirit. But before we take leave of this extraordinary case, let us hear what is said of it by that sacred writer who makes the only other mention of it. 

1 Chron. 10:13, 14: "So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it; and inquired not of the Lord: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse." 

It is worthy of observation that this passage names the familiar spirit as the one that Saul conversed with and says not one word about Samuel, in whose form and dress he came, and under whose name he completed the ruin of Saul. It was the familiar spirit that he inquired of, and that held discourse with him. This is made very manifest by quoting this text without the supplied words: "For asking of a familiar spirit to inquire. And inquired not of the Lord." It was the familiar spirit, therefore, and not the Lord through Samuel, with whom Saul conversed. 

The sin of witchcraft, or the dealing with familiar spirits, consists, therefore, in holding intercourse with Satan under the name of conversing with the dead.

And observe how completely, under such circumstances, men put themselves under the power of Satan. 

With hearts wounded and bleeding under some great bereavement, they call up their dear departed. And when their peculiarities are exactly reproduced, and when little tokens of friendship, which were known only to the inquired and to the departed, are brought out, and matters best calculated to awaken all the fond remembrances of the past are called up, so that the inquirer becomes satisfied that he is conversing with his dearest friend, who now knows a thousand times more than himself, he is not only thrown off his guard, but captivated by Satan, and caused to believe the doctrine of devils; for certainly, as he thinks, his dearest friend cannot deceive him. 

V. But who are these familiar spirits? 

To this question two answers have been returned. 

1. They are the spirits of our dead friends. 2. They are the fallen angels who imitate or counterfeit them. One of these answers must be true; both of them cannot be; which, therefore, shall we accept as the truth? 

If we could believe the familiar spirits themselves, the first answer must be true; for they profess to be the spirits of the dead, and they claim to bring up any of the dead who are called for. But there are some reasons for distrusting their testimony. 1. In the case which the Bible gives at length, as a specimen of their works, the familiar spirit which consorted with the witch of Endor professed to bring up the dead at pleasure, and to enable them to speak; yet we have found this to be a false pretense; for the familiar spirit did all the speaking, and dead Samuel had nothing to say. 2. The Bible warns us against them all as wicked and deceitful. Deut.18. Their testimony as to their own personality, therefore, is entitled to no weight. 

But the doctrine that the familiar spirits are the spirits of the dead, in ancient times rested upon the following propositions: 1. That the spirits of the dead are now in a state of conscious existence. 2. That they are now endowed with superior intelligence. 3. That they inhabit a region within the earth itself.

In modern times, however, the same doctrine is supported thus: 1. That the souls of men are immortal. 2. That death is the gate to endless joy. 3. That they enter upon their reward at death. 4. That they are in death endowed with superior intelligence. 5. That they are ministering spirits to the living, having their abode, either in Heaven or upon earth, at pleasure. 

The modern doctrine is an improvement upon the theology of the days of Saul. But the Bible sweeps away this cunningly-devised fable of ancient days, and with it the doctrine that dead men can hold converse with the living.

Thus, that sacred volume teaches us:- 

That God made man of the dust of the ground, and gave him life from his own breath. Gen. 2. 

That he warned him that for transgression he should be deprived of life, and turned again into dust. Gen. 2:17. 

That all men are now under the sentence of death, and are both mortal and corruptible. Heb. 9:27; Job 4:17; Rom. 1:23. 

That those who seek immortality shall receive it at the resurrection, from Him who is its only source. Rom. 2:7; 1 Cor. 15:51-55; 1 Tim. 6:15, 16. 

That death came into the world by sin; that it is the last enemy; that Satan has had the power of it; and that death and Satan shall both be destroyed in the lake of fire. Rom. 5:12; 1 Cor. 15:26; Heb. 2:14; Rev. 20. 

That in death there is no remembrance of God. Ps. 6:5. 

That in the day of death the thoughts perish. Ps. 146:4.

 

That the dead know not anything; and that their love, and envy, and hatred, is now perished. Eccl. 9:5, 6. 

That the dead do not praise God. Ps. 115:17. 

That sheol, or hades, the under-ground abode of the dead, is a place where there is no work, device, knowledge, nor wisdom; a place of silence, secrecy, darkness, corruption, and death. Eccl. 9:10; Job 14:10-15; 17:13-16.

That the righteous are not to be with Christ till he comes back after them. John 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:32; 1 Thess. 4. 

That men are neither rewarded nor punished till they have first been judged. 2 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 22:12; Matt. 16:27. 

That the dead, both righteous and wicked, are now asleep. Dan. 12:2; Job 14:12; 1 Thess. 4:14; 1 Cor. 15:6, 18, 20. 

That the keys of death and hades are not in the hands of familiar spirits, but in those of our Lord Jesus Christ. Rev. 1:18. 

These facts are certainly sufficient to show that the familiar spirits do not come from the dead themselves, and that they do not, and cannot, bring up any of the dead. Who, then, are the familiar spirits?

We need not deny their existence, nor can we without denying the Bible. Nor should we pronounce it an inexplicable mystery that our dead friends, whose very thoughts have perished, and who sleep quietly in the silent dust, are by them apparently made to speak in so wonderful a manner. There is an agency competent to do this work. That the familiar spirits are the fallen angels will appear from the following facts:- 

The Scriptures inform us that Satan, who was once an obedient servant of the God of Heaven, long since raised the standard of revolt against him. John 8:44; 1 John 3:8; Eze. 28. 

That a large body of the angels joined in this revolt. 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6; Rev. 12:7-9. 

That these wicked spirits are not now in torment, but they await the day of Judgment, when with wicked men they shall be sent into everlasting fire. Jude 6; Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20; Matt. 8:29; James 2:19. 

That this vast body of fallen angels have been engaged during the whole history of our race in the most mighty efforts to involve mankind in ruin. 1 Pet. 5:8, 9; Job 2:2; Luke 22:31; Rom. 8:38, 39; Eph. 6:12. 

That hypocrisy, deception, and fraud, have been the chief of the ways in which they have ruined mankind. 2 Cor. 11:14, 15; Gen. 3; John 8:44; Rev. 12:9; 20:3, 8. 

The Old Testament plainly teaches that the work of the familiar spirits is false, deceitful, and ruinous. The New Testament shows who they are that deceive, seduce, and ruin, mankind. It is the fallen angels, with Satan at their head. 

We cannot, therefore, avoid the conclusion that the familiar spirits of the Old Testament are the fallen angels of the New. And hence it is that the "seducing spirits" of Paul, and the "unclean spirits" of John, are called devils, or spirits of devils. 1 Tim. 4:1; Rev. 16:13. We need not, therefore, think it strange that the Scriptures warn us so faithfully against seeking knowledge at their hands. 

TO BE CONTINUED!

*******

This study is very pertinent to us today, why? Because of this…

https://qz.com/quartzy/1411909/the-explosive-growth-of-witches-wiccans-and-pagans-in-the-us/

Explosive growth in witches….today.

This study will be given in a few parts, not all at once. Please pray and read, we need the Holy Spirit to guide us in all we do. The closer it gets to our Lord's return, the more and more Satan will work. Please, Father, may we not be deceived, guide us to Your truth, and live in us working Your truth in our lives! All in the Savior's name, through His sacrifice!