The word of the Lord is to be obeyed without question; it is to be the supreme authority in our life. Saul departed from the express commandment of the Lord, and sought to quiet the compunctions of conscience by persuading himself that the Lord would accept his sacrifice, and overlook his disobedience. When Samuel, the prophet, came to meet him, Saul acted as though he regarded himself as a righteous man, and exclaimed, "Blessed be thou of the Lord; I have performed the commandment of the Lord." But the unmistakable tokens of his disobedience were so manifest that his assertion of obedience was of little weight. "And Samuel said, What meaneth then, this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God." "And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams, For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king."
Though disobeying the express command of the Lord, Saul claimed to have performed the directions, that had been given him; and in this day there are those who claim to be the children of God who take a similar course. But John tells us that "he that committeth sin is of the devil."
There are those who claim to be wholly sanctified, and yet they persist in keeping up an unrelenting warfare against the law of God. We do not need to specify to what class they belong, for John has plainly declared that "he that committeth sin is of the devil." "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin," that is, is not found in transgression of the law of God. We are not to be deceived by the high pretensions of those who claim advanced piety; for our Saviour has given us a rule by which to measure their claims. He says: "By their fruits ye shall know them." "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." ST, January 9, 1896 par. 1-3
None need lament that they have not received larger gifts; for He who has apportioned to every man, is equally honored by the improvement of each trust, whether it be great or small. COL 328
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 (New King James Version)