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The Day of Final Settlement, December 19
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the
books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book
of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were
written in the books, according to their works.
Revelation 20:12
.
The Scriptures declare, “God shall bring every work into judgment,
with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (
Ecclesi-
astes 12:14
). There is not a shadow of doubt about this matter.... Sin may
be concealed, denied, covered up from father, mother, wife, children, and
associates. No one but the guilty actors may cherish the least suspicion of
the wrong, but it is laid bare before the intelligences of heaven. The dark-
ness of the darkest night, the secrecy of all deceptive arts, is not sufficient
to veil one thought from the knowledge of the Eternal....
The Lord beheld Adam and Eve as they took of the forbidden tree. In
their guilt they fled from His presence and “hid themselves,” but God saw
them; they could not cover their shame from His eyes. When Cain slew his
brother, he thought to hide his crime by denial of his deed, but the Lord
said, “The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground”
(
Genesis 4:10
)....
All sin unrepented of and unconfessed will remain upon the books of
record. It will not be blotted out, it will not go beforehand to judgment, to
be canceled by the atoning blood of Jesus. The accumulated sins of every
individual will be written with absolute accuracy, and the penetrating light
of God’s law will try every secret of darkness. In proportion to the light, to
the opportunities, and the knowledge of God’s claims upon them will be
the condemnation of the rejecters of God’s mercy.
The day of final settlements is just before us....
The Bible presents the law of God as a perfect standard by which to
shape the life and character. The only perfect example of obedience to its
precepts is found in the Son of God, the Saviour of lost mankind. There is
no stain of unrighteousness upon Him, and we are bidden to follow in His
steps
[360]
22
The Review and Herald, March 27, 1888
.
372