fuller and plainer than any other place in the life of Jesus.
That is what is often meant, and of course that is very far from the Christian faith. Very often when he says Jesus is God, he means to use the term in this way: "We have given up," he says, "the old notion that there is a Creator and Ruler of the world. We know nothing about that—that is metaphysical. The word 'God' is useful merely as expressing the highest object of men's desires." So when they say Jesus is God they do not mean that Jesus is the supreme ruler of the world, but simply that Jesus, though a man like the rest of men, is the highest thing we know.
Such men are further removed from the Christian faith than Unitarians. Unitarians at least believe in God, whereas these men speak highly of Jesus, call Jesus God, only because they think low of God, not because they think high of Jesus.
In another way also such men are inferior to Unitarians, inferior in the plain matter of honesty. When they say, Jesus is God, the truthfulness of that utterance depends altogether upon the audience addressed. I do not mean to deny that such liberal preachers do believe in the very core of their hearts that Jesus is God, they certainly mean that. But the great trouble is, they know perfectly well those words are going to be taken by the simple minded hearers whom they address in a way totally different from the way in which they mean it. They are offending therefore against the fundamental principle of truthfulness of language. The assertion, "I believe that Jesus is God," is truthful before an audience of theologically trained persons who understand the modern way of thinking about God, but if it be addressed to a simple minded people, then the language is untruthful and all the best motives in the world cannot possibly excuse it. Nothing can possibly excuse language which is not in accordance with facts.
Simplicity of the Cross
Liberalism is different from Christianity also as to salvation. What is the way of salvation according to the Christian account? Two aspects are to be distinguished. In the first place, the basis of it all is in the atoning death of Christ. According to Christian belief that is a very simple thing. Men talk about the theory of the atonement as though it were a subtle thing, but you can put it in words of one syllable. We deserve eternal death. The Lord Jesus Christ, because he loved us, died instead of us on the Cross.
That certainly is not incomprehensible. It is mysterious in its depth of grace, but it is a thing that a child can understand. Do you want me to tell you what is difficult? It is not the simple Bible presentation of the death of Christ, but the manifold modern effort to get rid of that simple presentation of the Cross in the interests of human pride.
The modern liberals pour out the vials of their scorn upon the Bible presentation of the Cross of Christ. They speak of it with disgust as involving a "trick" intended to placate an "alienated God." Thus they pour out their scorn upon a thing so holy that in the presence of it the Christian heart melts in gratitude too deep for words.
People talk about Christian experience. My friends, where can Christian experience be found if not at the Cross of Christ, at that blessed place where a man knows that in a great mystery the guilt of his sin was taken by the Holy One, and borne instead of him on the Cross?
The very nerve of the Christian view of the Cross is that God Himself makes the sacrifice for our salvation. Where can love be found except at the Cross of Christ, the one who died, the just for the unjust? "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son." There, and there alone, is to be found the love that is love indeed.
The New Birth
This work of Christ is applied by the Holy Spirit of God in the new birth. You will hear very little about the new birth in modern preaching. Modern missionaries will tell you, you must give up the thought of winning individual converts in mission lands. For the new birth they are inclined to substitute "the social gospel." But at the very centre of Christianity are the words "Ye must be born again."
Justification by Faith
That is the work of the Spirit of God, the application of the work of Christ. But in applying the work of Christ the Spirit makes use of faith. People who have found salvation know what it means.
Liberals talk about faith in Jesus, but they mean simply admiration of Jesus. They talk about it as if the basis of the Christ life were "make Jesus Master in your life." The Y. M. C. A., in recent years, has put the declaration of purpose to live the Christ life as somehow being on a par with the reception of the salvation which is found in the Cross of Christ. I do not see but that that is the exact opposite of faith. That means that you are trusting in your own works. Faith means not that you do something, but that you receive first the gracious gift of God. When the Lord Jesus has died for you you accept it without work of your own. You accept the gracious thing He did. And then by God's help the good life follows.
Victory Assured
Christianity is fighting a great battle today. It is one of three great crises in the history of the Christian church. One came in the second century when Christianity was almost engulfed by paganism in the church in the form of Gnosticism. There was another in the middle ages when legalism was almost dominant in the church, similar to the modern legalism which appears in the liberal church. Christianity today is fighting a great battle, but I, for my part, am looking for ultimate victory. God will not desert His church.
A SIGNIFICANT MANIFESTO
Some months ago a group of eminent English leaders, including Dr. L. P. Jacks, editor of the Hibbert Journal; Dr. A. E. Garvie, and Dr. W. B. Selbie, issued a manifesto, in which this note was sounded: "Civilization itself seems to be on the wane... the nations are filled with distrust and antipathy for each other, the classes have rarely been so antagonistic, while the relation of individual to individual has seldom been so frankly selfish.... It is becoming increasingly evident that the world has taken the wrong turn, which if persisted in, may lead to the destruction of civilization."—The Christian Century.
AN UNUSUAL EXPERIENCE
March 21
Just as we are about to go to press with this issue of the Monthly, several page proofs are lost in the snow; not exactly lost, but snowbound. The storm of Sunday, March 11, cut us off from wire communication with our printers, but mail continued to reach us during the week. We were almost through and sent the last page proofs Saturday, March 17. That night Mt. Morris, Ill., was completely cut off from the outside world by the snow storm. The Publishing Agent sent telegrams and requests for long distance phone connection without response. Tuesday morning we started for Mt. Morris and learned only when arriving at Oregon that it was impossible for a train to get through. Engines with plows and large crews were working at both ends of the line. We secured a ride with a farmer on a bob sled—having to detour from the regular road—several feet deep with snow in many places—and drive six miles over fields and side drives to our destination. Here we are trying to complete the forms and hoping every hour for the most welcome toot of the locomotive with our precious proofs. If your copy of this issue is late you will understand we have been working under difficulties, both with the increased size of the issue, and the storm to handicap us.
The Publishing Agent.
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