Christianity & liberalism - Machen - VII

Required reading 

Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen (available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example) - Begin chapter V, 'Christ', and read up to the paragraph that begins 'This conclusion needs to be guarded against two objections.  In the first place, it iwll be said, are we not failing to do justice to the true humanity of Jesus...' (page 78 of the new edition). 

My notes and thoughts
Machen now seeks to show how the liberals are wrong in their understanding of Christ (Machen admits that there is some overlap here with chapter 2 on 'Doctrine', but there are important distinctions made here that were not made in chapter 2).   

Jesus for the liberals is merely an example of faith whereas for the early church he was primarily the object of faith: 'The Jesus spoken of in the New Testament was no mere teacher of righteousness, no mere pioneer in a new type of religious life, but One who was regarded, and regarded Himself, as the Saviour whom men could trust.  But by modern liberalism He is regarded in a totally different ways...Jesus for him is an example for faith, not he object of faith.  The modern liberal tries to have faith in God like the faith which he spposes Jesus had in God; but he does not have faith in Jesus.' 

Machen provides two reasons why Jesus is a terrible example for Christians to follow, if an example is all he is:
(i) We cannot imitate him in his Messianic consciousness;
(ii) We cannot imitate him in his sinlessness: 'If Jesus is separated from us by his Messianic consciousness, He is separated from us even more fundamentally by the absence in Him of a sense of sin.' 

Therefore Jesus was not the first Christian for us to follow as a mere example: 'but if Christianity is a way of getting rid of sin, then Jesus was not a Christian; for Jesus, so far as we can see, had no sin to get rid of.'  Excellent point!  If Jesus is merely an example for us to follow, liberals should be despairing in a corner - not teaching their heresy. 

Now it's your turn

Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.