What it Means to Keep the law

What distinguishes this “remnant” church? They “keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” They are not Jews, but Christians. What is it to “keep the commandments of God”? Is it to keep merely a part of them? “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said [that law which said, margin], Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.” James 2:10, 11.ChSa 175.1

The law of God, embracing the Ten Commandments, contains all the principles of moral duty. To keep that law, we must obey every part of it. In suspending our weight upon a chain, we shall as surely fall if one link breaks as if all broke. It is not enough that we keep part of the precepts of God’s law; we must obey all. The same God that spoke part, spoke all. All stand upon the same authority.ChSa 175.2

The same reasoning which James applies to the two commandments, “Thou shall not commit adultery” and “Thou shall not kill,” applies to the fourth command as well: “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.... The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shall not do any work.” Keeping Sunday never fulfilled that commandment; for as plain as the sun shining at noonday is the fact that Sunday is not the day which God, in this the only Sabbath law, commands men to observe.ChSa 175.3

Millions have transgressed the fourth commandment, honestly believing they were keeping it. That God mercifully accepted them while they were living up to all the light they had, we will not dispute. So great has been the influence of the “mystery of iniquity” upon the minds of men, that the greater part of the world’s inhabitants have been deceived. The Scripture declares that “all the world wondered after the beast [papacy],” and that “all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him.” Revelation 13:3, 8. This work which the great apostasy has wrought has been a most extensive one; but we truly believe that myriads have honestly thought they were doing God service in keeping Sunday. But that fact does not change the wording or intent of the fourth commandment, nor make God authorize men to keep the first day of the week, when he commands them to keep the seventh.ChSa 175.4

We may all feel a deep sense of gratitude that we have a God so merciful that he makes allowance for men’s ignorance of his requirements when they live up to all the light he gives them. He said to the Jews: “This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” John 3:19. “If you were blind, you should have no sin; but now you say, We see; therefore your sin remains.” John 9:41. When men honestly seek to live up to all the light they have, and earnestly desire all the light God has for them, they place themselves where God can save them. When men see their duty and will not do it, then their sins stand against them, and they are under condemnation. So we hope for the salvation of multitudes of those who lived in ages of darkness, those whose lives were truly in accordance with all the light they enjoyed.ChSa 176.1

But we see a positive statement of Inspiration that the “remnant” of the true church will “keep the commandments of God.” This cannot mean that they will keep merely a part of the commandments, or keep them as changed by the papacy; but that they will keep them as God originally gave them. This is a distinguishing feature of the last generation of Christians living on the earth. This will stir the ire of Satan, and they will have misrepresentations and persecutions to meet, and a bitter spirit of opposition to encounter. So the Scriptures teach.ChSa 176.2