If you want to start a discussion in a church group just mention the word "standards,"and everyone will have an opinion. Mention the word "jewelry," and the discussion will become more intense.
Many people believe that the Adventist Church is abandoning its standards and is rapidly becoming more and more permissive. Some people link this departure from historic Adventist standards to the preaching of what some call the "New theology," and others to too much emphasis on the cross, love, forgiveness, and acceptance.
When people are asked for an ex ample of this lowering of standards, they invariably select jewelry. "I know a church where all the preacher talks about is righteousness by faith, and I see more and more people putting on jewelry," says one person. By linking these two items together, it is assumed that if a person emphasizes the gospel, standards will be lowered.
Does a true preaching of the cross lower standards? No! No! No! It raises standards. Jesus makes it crystal-clear that obedience is the fruit of our love:
"If you love me, you will obey what I command" (John 14:15).* "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him" (verse 21). "If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love" (John 15:10).
True obedience, however, is more than list-keeping. While God is intensely interested in correct behavior, He is even more interested in correct relationships. Each time Jesus entered into a conflict with the Pharisees, He sought to lead them away from their emphasis on the "doing" of the law to the "being" of the law, to "mercy, not sacrifice" (Matt. 12:7), to loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22:37-39). Jesus told His disciples that the primary mark of discipleship is that "you love one an other" (John 13:35).
Paul emphasizes that the motive be hind the act is of even greater importance to God than just the act itself: "Every thing that does not come from faith is sin" (Rom. 14:23). Sin is first the absence of a relationship with God, which then results in sinful behavior. Jesus said: "In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness" (Matt. 23:28). It is possible to ob serve the letter of the law and yet fail to keep the spirit of the law.
Standards and jewelry
How does one explain a church where the pastor is preaching a balanced mes sage of grace and law, where the cross is emphasized, where the beauty of Jesus is dwelt on from sermon to sermon, and yet, so it seems, more people are putting on jewelry than ever before? Isn't that proof that the pastor is not preaching the right message? Before we judge too quickly, let's examine the issue a little more closely.
Seventh-day Adventists have defined jewelry very narrowly. The 1972 Annual Council teaching interprets jewelry as "necklaces, earrings, bracelets, jewelled and other ornamental rings." However, dictionaries and non-Adventists define jewelry as anything used to adorn the person. This would-include pins, tie-tacks, cuff-links, brooches, scarves, pocket handkerchiefs, etc. If a woman ties a silk scarf around her neck, no one complains, but if she replaces that scarf with a string of pearls, she is immediately condemned. Yet both serve the same purpose—adornment.
Many women consider these items an integral part of good grooming, just as men would never consider discarding their tie, which is also looked upon as part of good grooming. The tie, incidentally, serves no other function than adornment, yet we allow this aspect of our culture to dictate to us.
A man's tie-tack is another unnecessary item. I own a tie-tack that clips behind the tie and is completely hidden from view. Therefore, it is not necessary for a tie-tack to show except as adornment. Some people believe that if one person can wear a fancy brooch, others can wear a simple earring. We too often forget the principle and dwell on limited applications of that principle. Scripture states the principles of simplicity, economy, and modesty, but no where gives us an exhaustive list of what is or is not appropriate. The various applications of these principles may or may not be sinful, according to the motive and maturity of these people.1
Proper standards
Now, it is quite possible that these same people who seem lax in one area are abandoning many sinful practices in other areas. Because they love Jesus and want to be like Him they concentrate on developing the fruit of the Spirit: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Gal. 5:22). They may also be intent on feeding the hungry, helping the stranger, clothing the naked, ministering to the sick, and visiting those in prison (Matt. 25:35,36). It is also quite possible that they are bringing up children in the Lord, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble, and devoting themselves to all kinds of good deeds (1 Tim. 5:10). These people might also be learning tolerance (Rom. 14:1) and patience with others (Rom. 15:1). They may also be preaching, teaching, and evangelizing (1 Tim. 4:13; 2 Tim. 4:5).
As a result of the pastor's preaching, the standard may be much higher than normal practice. Under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and as people learn and practice the principles of simplicity and economy, some may trade in their Mercedes for a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord; some may give up their homes with four baths and a three-car garage for a home with two baths and a one-car garage; others may decide to give up their weekly visits to the hairdresser and put that money into missions; again, others may switch their motorbike for a bicycle.
Faith and works
Before we are too hasty to judge what is going on in certain churches, we must conduct a much deeper evaluation. It is possible that the minister is preaching cheap grace. But we need to be careful lest we conduct a superficial evaluation. The Bible makes it crystal-clear that we are saved by grace alone (Eph. 2:8), but it is also just as clear that works will always follow faith (Eph. 2:10). When sinners stand at the foot of the cross and recognize the sacrifice Jesus has made for them; when they understand that He has so graciously accepted the penalty they deserve; when they see that He will credit His perfect life to their account; when they believe that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1), they will respond by saying "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" (Phil. 4:13).
Ellen White reminds us that "God's ideal for His children is higher than the highest human thought can reach. 'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.' This command is a promise. The plan of redemption contemplates our complete recovery from the power of Satan. Christ always separates the contrite soul from sin. He came to destroy the works of the devil, and He has made provision that the Holy Spirit shall be imparted to every repentant soul, to keep him from sinning." 2 God wants us to be victorious over sin, and we do not have to wait a lifetime for this to happen. Again Ellen White says: "The germination of the seed represents the beginning of spiritual life, and the development of the plant is a beautiful figure of Christian growth. ... At every stage of development our life may be perfect; yet if God's purpose for us is fulfilled, there will be continual advancement. Sanctification is the work of a lifetime." 3
God works in such a wonderful way. He gives us the perfect character of Christ so that as long as we trust in Him we are counted absolutely perfect by God; and yet He longs for us to become in deed what we are in faith in Christ. So day by day we grow toward the ideal that God has for us, and yet according to our individual growth we can be perfect at every stage.
Victory comes only as we look at the cross. Standards are raised in proportion to how much the cross is lifted up." 'The love of Christ,' said Paul, 'constraineth us' [2 Cor. 5:14]. This was the actuating principle of his conduct; it was his motive-power. If ever his ardor in the path of duty flagged for a moment, one glance at the cross caused him to gird up anew the loins of his mind, and press forward in the way of self-denial."4
Is it just possible that while we are arguing over jewelry, where to watch movies, and whether people have reached the stage that I have reached, we are doing nothing about the 300,000 homeless children in the United States—to say nothing of the millions of homeless boys and girls worldwide? Is it possible that in our desire to overcome, we forget that one of the most important traits of the overcomers is compassion?
Yes, we must raise our standards; a person in love with Jesus wants to grow more like Him every day. Those who love the gospel will aim for the highest standards. God calls us to holy living. But let's make sure we are majoring in "the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former" (Matt. 23:23).
* All Scripture texts in this editorial are from the New International Version.
1. I will examine the whole issue of jewelry in a later editorial.
2. The Desire of Ages, p. 311.
3. Christ's Object Lessons, p. 65.
4. Gospel Workers, p. 293.
