o f mundane affairs as he stands behind the sacred desk. When men o f the cloth take their ordination vows, almost without exception, they promise to proclaim the eternal truths o f God’s Word. It is tragic indeed that many have violated this sacred vow, speaking on almost every subject except that which they pledged God and themselves to deliver to a lost world. It is a pathetic commentary on modern-day life to read o f ministers o f the Gospel engaging in civil rights demonstrations, anti-poverty programs, organized efforts to thwart the program o f our country in its foreign policies by means o f protest meet ings, sit-in demonstrations, and other futile attempts to change the course o f governmental activities. While it is readily granted that these are problem areas in the life o f our country today, they are being handled by religious leaders in such a manner as to imply that if these questions were solved, all would be well. The simple facts are, however, that these are merely symptoms o f a root problem. As is the case when disease strikes the human body, if only symptoms are treated, the disease merely breaks out in another place. One must deal with the cause. The real difficulty in the country today can be described by one word: SIN in the human heart. The tragic fact is that in so many places the Protestant clergy refuse to recognize this fact and to deal with sin as such. It is described in many high-sounding terms, which have been taken from the psychologist’s notebook, the philosopher’s mental meanderings or the sociologist’s technical language. An aura o f respectability has been wrapped around this ugly word in all o f its ramifications until the average layman ceases to understand the stark horror o f the fact o f sin in the human heart. The sins o f society are an accepted way o f life today. Thoughts and conduct, which in the Word o f God are called iniquity, today are referred to as merely emotional disturbances. For instance, the rapidly-growing and utterly-degrading sin o f homosexuality is spoken o f in respectable society as being merely a deviation from normal sex. On the other hand, the strongest possible language to describe this filthy condition is employed in the Word o f God in the latter part o f the first chapter o f Romans. But instead o f naming such degradation for what it is, sociologists, physicians and all too many theologians treat the situation flip pantly. So individuals go merrily on their way to moral and spir itual ruin. The sin o f adultery is likewise referred to and con demned in unmistakable language in the Bible, but condemnation o f this soul-destroying sin is largely ignored by preachers so that it is becoming more and more an accepted evil today. Then there are the sins o f drinking, gambling and all manner o f wickedness found in the nefarious motion picture industry. These and many other types o f sin are acceptable in so-called respectable circles. The only sin acknowledged today is that o f condemning wrong-doing! Alas, the voices o f the ministers o f the Gospel are silenced all too frequently so far as preaching about these things are concerned. In the first place, this is con- Continued on p. 54
Eerdmans invites you to read excerpts from the preface of Marianne Radius' new book lol Withus: aincOfJesus Firfoiai Readers
GOT) CJOith CIS A Life o f Jesus fon Young Reddens ByMarianneRadius
"In this book I have tried to set the life of Jesus into the perspective of the Old Testa ment prophecies and their apostolic ful fillment ... I have setthe stories themselves into the text, to show God’s over-all plan of salvation . .. "However, this is not intended to be just a book about the life of Jesus in its total Bible setting. For it is really of no use to us to know the life of Jesus unless it has an im pact on our own lives. This is not just a book about Jesus. It is an invitation to a child to open his heart to the Saviour, to put his hand in God’s hand, and to walk with Him in love and trust. . .” 6-65 Ages 10-15 Cloth, 276 pages, $3.95
dv; WM. B. EERDMANS PUBLISHING CO. Grand Rapids, MichiQan
At your bookseller's
NOVEMBER, 1966
7
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker