Gods Sabbath

T HE R EAPPEARANCE OF THE P ROBLEM

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members become increasingly concerned because of the multi plying evils strengthening in the church, but they do nothing in itially because they have unquestioning confidence that the leaders will set everything in order. However, the realization eventually sinks home that the lead ers, dedicated and sincere though they be, are powerless to re verse the downward plunge. Thoroughly alarmed and rudely awakened, a small number are convicted that something must be done. They feel it is imperative that a reformation be initiat ed at the lower levels of the organization, under the capable gui dance of someone other than the official leaders. The church members must be called back to strict obedience to all the com mandments of God. Across the land, small groups spring up, each with a self-ap pointed leader as its head. Their unsparing condemnation of the church’s sins requires that they keep all the commandments blamelessly, and this they dedicate themselves to do. Ignorant of the saving truth that only those who have been transformed by the indwelling presence of Christ can obey the law, they develop a system of rigid legalism like the religion of the Pharisees, an attempted righteousness by their own works. It brings neither physical nor spiritual satisfaction. Consequently, its adherents are ever seeking for something which might yet be added to make their work complete. In the meantime, God calls His own messenger, equipping him or her not with a message of condemnation, but with the saving, healing gospel of Jesus Christ. God sends His chosen messenger forth to proclaim the gospel as the only solution to humanity’s problems. This vigorous portrayal of God’s way of salvation attracts the attention and excites the interest of the reform groups. They come out to listen, and are thrilled with what they hear, but fail to realize that they cannot accept the gospel and still retain their own message. They take the stand that they too have a message and that therefore, the two should meet halfway. They let it be known that if the messen ger will accept their reforms, they will be glad to accept the gospel message. They believe the Lord’s true messenger is preaching a very imbalanced message which emphasizes the gospel at the ex