Christianity and Liberalism
Today Machen demonstrates that liberalism is defective due to its understanding of God and man: 'The Christian gospel consists in an account of how God saved man, and before that gospel can be understood something must be known (1) about God and (2) about man. The doctrine of God and the doctrine of man are the two great presuppositions of the gospel. With regard to these presuppositions, as with regard to the gospel itself, modern liberalism is diametrically opposed to Christianity.'
Regarding God, liberalism wrongly applies the word God 'to the mighty world process itself' which Machen diagnoses as the very ancient phenomenon of pantheism: '...modern liberalism, even when it is not consistently pantheistic, is at any rate pantheizing. It tends everywhere to break down the separateness between God and the world, and the sharp personal distinction between God and man.'
Regarding man, liberalism denies man's sinfulness and Machen diagnoses this as paganism: 'Paganism is optimistic with regard to unaided human nature, whereas Christianity is the religion of the broken heart.'
I love how both those observations demonstrate the attempt of liberalism to bring man to God without the sacrifice of Christ. Pantheism brings man into God. Paganism says there is no sin and therefore no breach between God and man. Christ is not needed in liberalism, let alone the cross. Conclusion? Liberalism is not Christian.
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
1 comment:
If God is everywhere for everyone and man is OK, and, therefore, we don't need the cross; then, weren't (aren't) liberal preachers receiving their salaries under false pretences? What remains except to say 'be good for God'. Machen so brilliantly exposes liberalism's emptiness that we wonder it could have gone on for so long. However, when you start with a Bible that is just man's search for God and not God's word to man, then anything is possible.
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