CALL SIN BY ITS RIGHT NAME
The greatest want of the world is the want of men,--men who will not be
bought or sold; men who in their inmost souls are true and honest; men who do
not fear to call sin by its right name; men whose conscience is as true to duty
as the needle to the pole; men who will stand for the right though the heavens
fall.--Education, p. 57.
Deal faithfully with wrongdoing. Warn every soul that is in danger. Leave
none to deceive themselves. Call sin by its right name. Declare what God has
said in regard to lying, Sabbathbreaking, stealing, idolatry, and every other
evil. "They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Gal.
5:21. If they persist in sin, the judgment you have declared from God's word is
pronounced upon them in heaven. In choosing to sin, they disown Christ; the
church must show that she does not sanction their deeds, or she herself
dishonours her Lord. She must say about sin what God says about it. She must
deal with it as God directs, and her action is ratified in heaven. He who
despises the authority of the church despises the authority of Christ
Himself.—DA 805.
Christ calls for unity. But He does not call for us to unify on wrong
practices. The God of heaven draws a sharp contrast between pure, elevating,
ennobling truth and false, misleading doctrines. He calls sin and impenitence by
the right name. He does not gloss over wrongdoing with a coat of untempered
mortar. I urge our brethren to unify upon a true, scriptural basis.--Manuscript
10, 1905.
The history of Achan teaches the solemn lesson that for one man's sin the
displeasure of God will rest upon a people or a nation till the transgression is
searched out and punished. Sin is corrupting in its nature. One man infected
with its deadly leprosy may communicate the taint to thousands. Those who occupy
responsible positions as guardians of the people are false to their trust if
they do not faithfully search out and reprove sin. Many dare not condemn
iniquity, lest they shall thereby sacrifice position or popularity. And by some
it is considered uncharitable to rebuke sin. The servant of God should never
allow his own spirit to be mingled with the reproof which he is required to
give; but he is under the most solemn obligation to present the Word of God,
without fear or favour. He must call sin by its right name. Those who by their
carelessness or indifference permit God's name to be dishonoured by His
professed people, are numbered with the transgressor,-- registered in the record
of heaven as partakers in their evil deeds....
The love of God will never lead to the belittling of sin; it will never cover
or excuse an unconfessed wrong. Achan learned too late that God's law, like its
Author, is unchanging. It has to do with all our acts and thoughts and feelings.
It follows us, and reaches every secret spring of action. By indulgence in sin,
men are led to lightly regard the law of God. Many conceal their transgressions
from their fellow men, and flatter themselves that God will not be strict to
mark iniquity. But His law is the great standard of right, and with it every act
of life must be compared in that day when God shall bring every work into
judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil. Purity of heart
will lead to purity of life. All excuses for sin are vain. Who can plead for the
sinner when God testifies against him?--ST April 21,
1881.
Moses represents a class who will call sin by its right name; a class that
will give no place to sin and wrong, but will purge it from among them. Our
abhorrence of sin cannot be too strong, if we are controlled by no personal,
selfish feelings, if we labour disinterestedly for the salvation of souls,
pleading in behalf of the erring, and those blinded by their own transgressions.--ST,
May 27, 1880 par. 5.
In the existing state of religious declension, there is crying need of
earnest, faithful Nehemiahs and Ezras,--men who will not shun to call sin by its
right name, and who will not shrink from vindicating the honour of God. Those
upon whom God has laid the burden of his work are not to hold their peace, and
cover prevailing evils with a cloak of false charity. Men of courage and energy
are needed to expose fashionable sins. Iniquity must not be palliated and
excused. Those who lead the church of God to follow the customs and practices of
the world, are not to be lauded and exalted. No regard for family or position
will hinder the faithful servants of Christ from guarding the interests of his
people. God is no respecter of persons. Great light and special privileges bring
increased responsibility. When those who have been favoured or honoured of God,
commit sin, their influence goes very far to encourage others in transgression.
And if, by their example, the faith of another is weakened, and moral and
religious principle is broken down, the wrath of God will surely come upon those
betrayers of their sacred trust.--ST, January 24, 1884
par. 9.
Severity to a few will often prove mercy to many. Yet we must be careful to
manifest the spirit of Christ, and not our own hasty, impetuous disposition. We
must rebuke sin, because we love God, and love the souls for whom Christ died.--ST,
January 24, 1884 par. 10.
We are living in the solemn scenes of this earth's history. If ever there was
a time when things should be called by their right name, it is now. This is no
time to call sin righteousness, and righteousness sin. We must lay hold by faith
now. It is time for every one to be wide-awake.—Pamphlet 146.
Our churches are becoming enfeebled by receiving for doctrines the
commandments of men. Many are received into the church who are not converted.
Men, women, and children are allowed to take part in the solemn rite of baptism
without being fully instructed in regard to the meaning of His ordinance.
Participation in this ordinance means much, and our ministers should be careful
to give each candidate plain instruction in regard to its meaning and its
solemnity. Our church members see that there are differences of opinion among
the leading men, and they themselves enter into controversy regarding the
subjects under dispute. Christ calls for unity. But He does not call for us to
unify on wrong practices. The God of heaven draws a sharp contrast between pure,
elevating, ennobling truth and false, misleading doctrines. He calls sin and
impenitence by the right name. He does not gloss over wrongdoing with a coat of
untempered mortar
I urge our brethren to unify upon a true, Scriptural basis. The Lord calls
for intelligent, industrious workers who will do that which needs to be done.
Sanitariums are to be established in many places. To the poor and to the rich is
to be given the message of healing through Christ.—Manuscript 10.
Those who walk with God are prepared to call wrongdoing by its right name.
Sin is sin, whether practiced by ministers, teachers, medical missionaries, or
other workers in the Lord's service. Those who discern unChristlike traits in
professed Christians occupying positions of responsibility must use great
plainness of speech in pointing out these evils, instead of apparently
continuing in fellowship with erring men because they are standing in high
places. It is on account of the positions of trust that these unChristlike
workers occupy that I am instructed to say to our physicians, Great plainness of
speech is required. Those who, though occupying positions of grave
responsibility, are Christians only in name are not to be sustained and upheld
and strengthened by their brethren, for Satan works through the sinners in Zion
to bring in strife and contention and difficulties, which make God's people a
reproach and a shame to Christ Jesus.—Manuscript 16.
I must speak plainly. We are reaching a time when a just standard of right
and wrong, of honour and dishonour, of truth and error, is becoming a thing of
naught. "Truth is fallen in the streets, and equity cannot enter." In the
ambitious projects invented, there [is danger] of losing all sense of
distinction between right and wrong. Those who listen to misrepresentations are
supposed to be acting for the cause. For a long time a course has been pursued
which has perverted principle and justice. We need men who will not be drawn
into secret, underhand confederacy, but who will shun as a sin the least
intriguing and underhand work--men who will call things by their right name, men
who are barricaded by principle and braced for duty, be it pleasant or
unpleasant, men whom neither flattery, pretence, cunning, nor art could induce
to swerve one hair from principle or duty.—Manuscript 17, p. 233.
RETURN TO TOPIC LIST