Wkat Is Loyalty to Jesus? Much Is Being Said About Being Loyal to the Principles of Jesus. What Does it Really Mean? By JOHN HORSCH
OT a few liberalistie theolo gians have though t th a t loy alty to Jesus is the one thing essential and is a subsUtute
by atonement, it has made a Saviour by teaching, leaving it to every man to re deem himself by following the ideal. Notw ithstanding all th a t liberalists have said in disparagem ent of doctrine and creed they must he aw are th a t the shreds of Christian theology which they have retained are th e ir only ground for th e ir claim to th e Christian name. If they discarded all theological pretense, th e ir lot would not differ from th a t of th e E thical Culture Societies. P athetic indeed it is to see th e representatives of modern religious liberalism bending th e ir energies upon finding a founda tion, or an excuse, for some so rt of theology to which they may lay claim. They have though t th a t such an excuse could be found in the fact th a t they tre a t all m atters of doctrine as second ary, unimportant. But to teach Christian doctrine as a secondary m atter is clearly unjustifi able. Take for example th e doctrine of Christ, His person and His work, as tau g h t in Scripture. If th is doctrine is true, if Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has come into the world to make atone ment for th e sin of th e world, then this is the most stupendous fact in history. Were it not true, we should be com pelled to say it is the g reatest of false hoods. I t is impossible to tre a t this doctrine as a secondary m atter. If it be not accepted, it must be rejected. The same is tru e of other doctrines, such as th a t of God, of the plan of sal vation, of the imm ortality of th e soul, and of Bible doctrine in general. It may, of course, be replied th a t lib- eralistic theology is substantially a denial of th e doctrines of Christianity
for Christian theology. But loyalty to Jesus does not necessarily mean a reli gious attitud e. Some of the an ti-reli gious, atheistic Socialists of Europe pro fess loyalty to Jesus. “The social gospel arouses a fresh and warm loyalty to Christ wherever it goes, though not al ways a loyalty to the church,” says W alter Rauschenljach. “It is believed by trin itarian s and Unitarians alike.” But can there be loyalty to Christ w ith out a recognition of His divine n ature? T rue loyalty to Him is based on the tru th regarding Him, or in other words, on theology. This is generally denied in modern* liberalistie circles. P resi dent McGiffert, fo r example, says: “ I am not talk ing here of the origin and n atu re of Jesus Christ . . All th is is of secondary importance.” On the con trary , Principal Alfred E rn est Garvie, of New College, London, has well said: “The doctrine of th e deity of Christ has been much under debate in recent years. The Christian church cannot accept th e denial of th a t doctrine (th at is to say the church cannot tu rn Uni ta rian ) w ithout th e sacrifice of its in most life.” Dr. Henry W. Clark says: “Christ’s revelation has now been m in imized down to a few inspiring ideas and H is work reduced to be th e applica tion of these ideas, by word and exam ple, to th e lives of men.” In other words, th e setting aside of creed and theology has robbed th e church (in so far as the church has been liberalized) of its divine Christ. Of th e Redeemer,
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker