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Spiritual Gifts, Volume 4b
living up to the principles of his word. Where the laws of men conflict
with God’s word and law, we are to obey the word and law of God,
whatever the consequences may be. The laws of our land requiring
us to deliver a slave to his master, we are not to obey, and we must
abide the consequences of the violation of this law. This slave is not
the property of any man. God is his rightful Master, and man has no
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right to take God’s workmanship into his hands, and claim his as his
own.
I saw that the Lord yet has something to do with the laws of the
land. While Jesus is in the sanctuary, God’s restraining spirit is felt
by rulers and people. But Satan controls to a great extent the great
mass in the world, and were it not for the laws of the land, we should
experience great suffering. It was shown me that it was no violation
of God’s word, when it is actually necessary, for his children, when
called upon to testify in a lawful manner, to solemnly take God to
witness that what they say is the truth, and nothing but the truth.
Man is so corrupt that laws are made to throw the responsibility
upon his own head. Some men do not fear to lie to their fellow-
man; but they have been taught, and the restraining Spirit of God has
impressed them, that it is a fearful thing to lie to God. The case of
Ananias and Sapphira his wife, is given for an example. The matter
is carried from man to God, so that if he bears false witness, it is not
to man, but to the great God. He reads the heart and knows the exact
truth in every case. Our laws make it a high crime to take a false oath.
God has often visited the one who has taken the false oath, and even
while the oath was on his lips, the destroying angel has cut him down.
This was to prove a terror to evil-doers.
And I saw if there was any one on earth who could consistently
testify under oath, it is the Christian. He lives in the light of God’s
countenance. He grows strong in his strength. And when matters of
importance must be decided by law, there is no one who can so well
appeal to God as the Christian. I was bid by the angel to notice that
God sware by himself.
Genesis 22:16
;
Hebrews 6:13, 17
. He sware to
Abraham,
Genesis 26:3
, to Isaac,
Psalm 105:9
;
Jeremiah 11:5
, and to
David,
Psalm 132:11
;
Acts 2:30
. God required of the children of Israel
an oath between man and man.
Exodus 22:10, 11
. Jesus submitted
to the oath in the hour of his trial. The high priest said unto him, “I
adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the
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