46
The Sanctified Life
ing in the light of God’s countenance. He testifies that the man who
professes to know God, and yet breaks the divine law, gives the lie to
his profession. “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his com-
mandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (
1 John 2:4
). In this
age of boasted liberality these words would be branded as bigotry. But
the apostle teaches that while we should manifest Christian courtesy,
we are authorized to call sin and sinners by their right names—that
this is consistent with true charity. While we are to love the souls for
whom Christ died, and labor for their salvation, we should not make
a compromise with sin. We are not to unite with the rebellious, and
call this charity. God requires His people in this age of the world to
stand, as did John in his time, unflinchingly for the right, in opposition
to soul-destroying errors.
[66]
No Sanctification Without Obedience
I have met many who claimed to live without sin. But when tested
by God’s word these persons were found to be open transgressors of
His holy law. The clearest evidences of the perpetuity and binding
force of the fourth commandment failed to arouse the conscience. They
could not deny the claims of God, but ventured to excuse themselves
in breaking the Sabbath. They claimed to be sanctified, and to serve
God on all days of the week. Many good people, they said, did not
keep the Sabbath. If men were sanctified, no condemnation would rest
upon them if they did not observe it. God was too merciful to punish
them for not keeping the seventh day. They would be counted singular
in the community should they observe the Sabbath, and would have no
influence in the world. And they must be subject to the powers that be.
A lady in New Hampshire bore her testimony in a public meeting
that the grace of God was ruling in her heart and that she was wholly
the Lord’s. She then expressed her belief that this people were doing
much good in arousing sinners to see their danger. She said, “The
Sabbath that this people present to us is the only Sabbath of the Bible”;
and then stated that her mind had been very much exercised upon the
subject. She saw great trials before her, which she must meet if she
kept the seventh day. The next day she came to meeting and again
bore her testimony, saying she had asked the Lord if she must keep the
Sabbath, and He had told her she need not keep it. Her mind was now at
[67]