Chapter 53—Transformation Through Faith and
Obedience
[
This article appeared in
The Signs of the Times, June 5, 1893
.]
The teaching of Christ in the gospel is in perfect harmony with
the teaching of Christ through the prophets in the Old Testament. The
prophets spoke through the messengers of Christ in the Old Testament
as much as the apostles voiced His messages in the New Testament, and
there is no contradiction between their teachings. But Satan has ever
worked and is still working with all deceivableness of unrighteousness
to make the Word of God of none effect. He seeks to make mysterious
that which is simple and plain. He has had long experience in this
work. He knows the character of God, and through his subtlety he
has captivated the world. It was through making the word of God of
none effect that sin was brought into the world. Adam believed the
falsehood of Satan, and through his misrepresentation of the character
of God, Adam’s life was changed and marred. He disobeyed the
commandment of God, and did the very thing the Lord told him not to
do. Through disobedience Adam fell; but had he endured the test, and
been loyal to God, the floodgates of woe would not have been opened
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upon our world.
Through belief in Satan’s misrepresentation of God, man’s char-
acter and destiny were changed, but if men will believe in the Word
of God, they will be transformed in mind and character, and fitted for
eternal life. To believe that “God so loved the world, that he gave
his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life” (
John 3:16
), will change the heart,
and reproduce in man the image of God.
As many are today, so (before his conversion) Paul was very confi-
dent in an hereditary piety; but his confidence was founded on false-
hood. It was faith out of Christ, for he trusted in forms and ceremonies.
His zeal for the law was disconnected from Christ and was valueless.
His boast was that he was blameless in his performance of the deeds
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