The Church Before the Final Crisis
“We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29), last part.
Our world has about 195 officially recognized countries. All make laws designed to provide for an organized social life and adequate coexistence to protect their citizens, their rights, their property, and for resolving conflicts and ensuring justice.
When we analyze history, we see some important landmarks regarding codified laws. For example, there is the famous Code of Hammurabi (1,750 B.C., in Babylon), which established laws that applied throughout his empire. His main contribution was to establish that laws should not be just an oral tradition, but that they should be written and public.
Within the legal field, we find several types of laws—civil, tax, commercial, and more. However, a question arises: Are all these laws good? Is it possible that there also may be unjust laws? Being made by erring humans, sometimes these laws might not be perfect. Some could be oppressive, unequal or even unjust. In view of this, the question remains: Should we obey the laws established by men?
The answer is yes. We have a moral obligation, strengthened by our faith, to obey the laws of men! God established the authorities, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same” (Romans 13:1–3). We obey the authorities and submit to the laws established by them, being told: “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well” (1 Peter 2:13, 14).
This is true even if one might think, for example, that the tax laws are unfair. But regardless of anyone’s opinion on the matter, I must pay my taxes correctly, following the example and words of Jesus, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17). The pen of Inspiration explains: “The government under which Jesus lived was corrupt and oppressive; on every hand were crying abuses—extortion, intolerance, and grinding cruelty. Yet the Saviour attempted no civil reforms. He attacked no national abuses, nor condemned the national enemies. He did not interfere with the authority or administration of those in power. He who was our example kept aloof from earthly governments. Not because He was indifferent to the woes of men, but because the remedy did not lie in merely human and external measures. To be efficient, the cure must reach men individually, and must regenerate the heart.”1
But is there any time or circumstance that justifies not obeying the laws of men? This is an extremely significant question because it involves not only a moral issue, but also a spiritual one. Yet before giving a correct answer to this question, it is necessary to highlight some historical aspects about the law of God.
When I was a teenager, a concern began to arise in my mind. The question arose: “If the law of God has always existed, how did the angels obey commands such as to honor your father and your mother; not to covet your neighbor’s wife or his ox?” The angels had no parents, and they were not married. It was a little confusing for me to understand all of this; I could not comprehend the nature of God’s law. But one day, I shared my concern with my father, and he answered me in a simple but deeply enlightening way: “The law of God is eternal, but the commandments of that holy law have been adapted; The principle is the same, but the Ten Commandments were adapted to man.” This helped me begin to have a deeper insight into God’s law and I began to understand that indeed “the law of God existed before man was created. It was adapted to the condition of holy beings; even angels were governed by it.”2
“God’s law is the transcript of His character.”3
God’s law is eternal and reflects His own disposition! In His wisdom, He adapted it to the condition of created beings, so that they could live in harmony with the principles that manage His government.
Lucifer occupied an exalted position among the angels. He was a covering cherub, endowed with glory, wisdom, and was widely esteemed and respected in the heavenly courts. The Lord has declared, “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire” (Ezekiel 28:14). Yet, in the mystery of iniquity, sin welled up in his heart. What began as a subtle discontent was transformed into a shrewd work of deception and rebellion, whereby he sought to cast doubt upon the character and authority of God and the justice of His law.
His false insinuations boiled down to three main complaints:
. There is a law that governs us;
. This law is not perfect and must be improved;
. I (Lucifer) possess enough wisdom to improve it.
“The discord which his own course had caused in heaven, Satan charged upon the government of God. All evil he declared to be the result of the divine administration. He claimed that it was his own object to improve upon the statutes of Jehovah. Therefore God permitted him to demonstrate the nature of his claims, to show the working out of his proposed changes in the divine law.”4
Thus, the one who was created to exalt and reflect the light and glory of God, began to question the law of his Creator. In doing so, he stood in opposition to God Himself, for His law is the expression of His character and His will.
“[Lucifer] worked with mysterious secrecy, and for a time concealed his real purpose under an appearance of reverence for God. He began to insinuate doubts concerning the laws that governed heavenly beings, intimating that though laws might be necessary for the inhabitants of the worlds, angels, being more exalted, needed no such restraint, for their own wisdom was a sufficient guide. They were not beings that could bring dishonor to God; all their thoughts were holy; it was no more possible for them than for God Himself to err. The exaltation of the Son of God as equal with the Father was represented as an injustice to Lucifer, who, it was claimed, was also entitled to reverence and honor.”5 (See Ezekiel 28:17.)
The controversy between Christ and Satan revolves around the immutability of the divine law and faithfulness to the government of God.
Lucifer acted with cunning and subtlety, working in secret to influence the angels to rebel against God and His Law. His performance was so cunning that, initially, a large number from among the angels gave credence to his words. But what seemed to be logical and well-founded concerns soon showed their true nature.
“[Satan] flattered himself that he should yet have all the angels on his side, and that he would be equal with God Himself, and his voice of authority would be heard in commanding the entire host of heaven. . . .
“The mighty revolter then declared that he was acquainted with God’s law, and if he should submit to servile obedience, his honor would be taken from him.”6
The doubts cast by Lucifer spread discontent among some of the angels, fueling conflicts and paving the way for rebellion. The result of this work of deception was devastating; he who was once the covering cherub became God’s adversary, and along with him the third part of the angels fell into apostasy.
God was patient; He graciously granted opportunities to Satan and the angels who had allied themselves with him. However, the rebellion persisted, and finally “God declared that the rebellious should remain in heaven no longer. Their high and happy state had been held upon condition of obedience to the law which God had given to govern the high order of intelligences. But no provision had been made to save those who should venture to transgress His law. Satan grew bold in his rebellion, and expressed his contempt of the Creator’s law. This Satan could not bear. He claimed that angels needed no law but should be left free to follow their own will, which would ever guide them right; that law was a restriction of their liberty; and that to abolish law was one great object of his standing as he did. . . .
“Then there was war in heaven. The Son of God, the Prince of heaven, and His loyal angels engaged in conflict with the archrebel and those who united with him. The Son of God and true, loyal angels prevailed; and Satan and his sympathizers were expelled from heaven.”7
After the fall of Satan and his angels, a divine project came into action—a creative project to glorify God. Although the third of the angels who had abandoned loyalty to the Creator no longer belonged to the heavenly hosts, this vacancy would ultimately be occupied by a new order of created beings made in His own image. Divinity acted in perfect unity in the work of creation, and the result was striking and wonderful. The faithful angels and all the inhabitants of the unfallen worlds beheld in wonder the manifestation of the power and wisdom of God.
But could it be that even in this environment of perfection, where “God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31, first part), there might still be need for a law? Have you ever thought about it? It is impossible to conceive of a perfect universe without being sustained and governed by the law of God.
For Adam and Eve, the law of God was revealed in an adapted and simplified form in a single commandment. “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16, 17). Was this command something difficult? Not at all. They lived in a perfect environment, where everything was orchestrated and designed for their benefit. They had access to everything to meet their needs, but they had to pass this test, a test of faithfulness and loyalty to God and His law.
Adam and Eve were not alone; they lived in constant company with heavenly beings. On many occasions they were with God and received visits from angels with guidance and warnings about the enemy of Him and His law. So, the enemy presented himself with an attractive and striking appearance.
Have you ever noticed that the enemy seeks to present mildly harmful and even highly harmful things as being positive and good? He whispers, “You must be free, why not give it a try? If you’ve never used it, how do you know it’s bad? Don’t be so strict—it’s just a little bit. It won’t kill you!” Today, in the same way, Satan presents himself differently from the way he truly is. He presents proposals that are apparently interesting, but lead only to violation of the law of God and eventual destruction.
We cannot fall into this trap. Dear teenager, young person, adult, run away from these whispers and artifices that encourage you to violate and disobey the law of God. Such will not lead you to a good destination. Satan will say, “Go ahead and smoke; you need to look cool. That will that help your prestige,” or “Drink some alcohol to show that you are grown up. Why do you need to be different?” “Wake up! We’re in the 21st century. Don’t be so old-fashioned.” These are subtle but profoundly misleading arguments that lead the soul into dishonoring God and transgressing His law.
Satan presented himself to Eve through one of the most beautiful and attractive animals in the garden of Eden as a shining serpent with wings.8 Deceived by the cunning of the beautiful serpent, Eve allowed doubt about God’s character to penetrate her heart and she transgressed the divine command. “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat” (Genesis 3:6). “Adam was not deceived; but the woman being deceived was in the transgression” (1 Timothy 2:14). Being aware of what had occurred, Adam deliberately chose to participate in the disobedience, joining in the fate of his companion.
With this decision, the human race that had been created to reflect God’s image and live in perfect harmony with His law, fell into sin. The consequences were immediate and irreversible: The very first man and woman had already lost the privilege of direct communion with God and were deprived of access to the tree of life. God Himself declared, “Now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: . . . the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden” (Genesis 3:22, 23). Thus, they lost access to the tree of life that would have perpetuated immortality.
From that moment on, they would live in a world marked by suffering, pain, and hard work. (See Genesis 3:16, 19.)
The same strategy used by Satan in heaven and repeated in Eden is still used today! It distorts the truth, weakens the authority of God’s Law, and seeks to induce the human race to rebel against divine principles. Let’s go back to the initial question: Is there any moment or circumstance that justifies not obeying the laws of men? Yes, when these laws come into direct conflict with the law of God, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29, last part).
“In the name of the Lord we are to go forward, unfurling His banner, advocating His word. When the authorities command us not to do this work, when they forbid us to proclaim the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, then it will be necessary for us to say as did the apostles: ‘Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard’ (Acts 4:19, 20).”9 This is not a hypothesis; it already occurs today and will intensify every day. The closer we get to the final crisis, the attacks against God and His law will increase. His law will be openly and systematically attacked, especially with regard to the fourth commandment, the holy Sabbath of the Lord. “We are standing on the threshold of great and solemn events. Prophecies are fulfilling.”10 “The world is now realizing the sure results of transgression of the law of God. His work of creation completed, the Lord rested on the seventh day, and sanctified the day of His rest, setting it apart as the day which man should devote to His worship. But today the world at large is utterly disregarding the law of Jehovah. Another day has been instituted in the place of God’s day of rest. The human agent has set his way and his will against the positive teachings of the Word, and the world is plunged in rebellion and sin.”11
“[Revelation 22:18, 19 quoted.] Such are the warnings which God has given to guard men against changing in any manner that which He has revealed or commanded. These solemn denunciations apply to all who by their influence lead men to regard lightly the law of God. They should cause those to fear and tremble who flippantly declare it a matter of little consequence whether we obey God’s law or not. All who exalt their own opinions above divine revelation, all who would change the plain meaning of Scripture to suit their own convenience, or for the sake of conforming to the world, are taking upon themselves a fearful responsibility. The written word, the law of God, will measure the character of every man and condemn all whom this unerring test shall declare wanting.”12
The law of God, being a revelation of His will, a transcript of His character, must forever endure, ‘as a faithful witness in heaven.’ Not one command has been annulled; not a jot or tittle has been changed. Says the psalmist: ‘Forever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven.’ ‘All His commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever.’ Psalm 119:89; 111:7, 8.”13
In the face of history, prophecy and the spiritual reality in which we live, we can have no doubt that the safest path is to walk with God, follow His will and obey His Law. The Bible tells us that “the law of the Lord is perfect” (Psalm 19:7). “The law is holy, and the commandment holy, just, and good” (Romans 7:12).
Obedience should not be a burden, but a loving response to the character of a God who is perfect in justice, goodness, and mercy. God calls you today, not only to know His law theoretically, but to live in fidelity to it. Let us not treat this issue as being of minor importance; it is a profound issue that directly touches on our relationship with God and connects to our eternal destiny. In a world that tries to make everything relative and abandons all absolutes, we must be firm and keenly aware of God’s law.
Our Saviour tells us, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). The only way to manifest our love for Christ is through obedience to all His commandments. There is a saying: “It is easy to obey without loving, but it is impossible to love without obeying.” Only those who love God with all their hearts will obey His commandments by faith and the grace of Christ. In other words, there is no love without obedience—and this is an individual matter.
“To every soul the question comes home with force: Shall I obey the voice from heaven, the ten words spoken from Sinai, or shall I go with the multitude who trample on that fiery law? To those who love God it will be the highest delight to keep His commandments, and to do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”14
Let this “highest delight” also be our experience. May we daily choose to obey the Lord out of love, remain loyal by conviction, and honor Him in all things—and faithful when the final crisis demands the highest demonstration of loyalty from each one of us.