Have you ever met a religious grouch? Someone obsessed with the do’s and don’ts of his or her religion, yet wholly lacking in courtesy? Some people who pride themselves on being very religious are rude and discourteous. Others who are not religious pride themselves on being polite and honest. Neither is better than the other. But when was the last time you met someone who was both religious and polite? Or even thought of God as being that way?
In the life of Christ, we find the balance of what I call being “two-table nice.” This means adhering to both tables of the moral Law—the first four commandments about obeying God and the last six commandments about how to treat people. Jesus summarized the two divisions as two core commandments when He said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and
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Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 172.
Dr. C. Mervyn Maxwell (1925-1999) was a pastor, author, and editor. He served as a seminary professor at Andrews University in Michigan. Material adapted from his last book, Magnificent Disappointment, pp. 151–158. Used by permission.