September 1928
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
515
The Spotless Saviour ESUS CHR IST is history’s greatest moral miracle. Human genius could not have created such a character. In order for uneducated fishermen to set forth such a life, they must have seen it lived. In all the records o f His life, we look in vain for a: single stain or the slightest shadow on His moral character. Not an
If we shrink from the thought of our Lord even feel ing the force of temptation, it is only because we cannot grasp the idea o f His utter self-surrender in becoming man. He was made very man for our sakes,-although He was very God. As man He conquered our temptations. He fought as the comrade of men, He exempted Himself from nothing, yet was without sin. The Presbyterian Assembly T HE Christian Century, in a long editorial which was strangely mixed up as to facts, complains o f the retrograde movement in the Presbyterian Church. If there is such a movement it'certainly was not manifested in the Tulsa Assembly which chose Dr. Hugh K. Walker o f Los Angeles as its Moderator. On the contrary, there were very many evidences that the heart "of that great church is beating true to its historic position as one of the bulwarks ofjthe Evangelical Faith. The, faith and genius of the church were highly articulated along three lines- - its message, method and mission. Its message was given a striking and' challenging expression in one of the greatest deliverances given from the platform of the Assembly in our generation. The church expected a great message when Dr. Robert E. Speer, as retiring moderator, would preach the customary sermon; but he surpassed the expectations o f his warmest admirers. We doubt if this Christian leader evebdelivered a more vital message than that poured out to his‘ brethren in the bosom of his own church at Tulsa. In every sen tence it rang true to the heart o f the Evangelical Faith and was permeated by a world consciousness that could only come through the consecration of a great personality to the service of men for a whole generation. The words of the sermon are true and comprehensive and on a high level of oratory, but it was the passion and conviction of a Spirit-fired personality that made it the prophetic word that rang out with tremendous power and authority in that tense moment that will go down as one o f the high times in the history of Presbyterianism. The secret .of the passion is found in the heart of the message—we must go back to the simplicities, authority and lordship o f Jesus Christ as the only hope fo r a world o f sin —and the message found its climax when, with the burning passion of a great personality, the words rang out, “ All that I can say o f God I say o f Jesus Christ.” When Robert E. Speer'spoke these burning words he spoke for the Presbyterian Church, as was clearly evidenced by the response given by the commissioners present. It is surely reassuring to find this historic church speaking out in this confident way in such a critical hour as we are now living in. The method was fairly illustrated in the way the Assembly dealt with the Princeton case and in the clear way in which it repudiated guerilla methods of warfare in cases that are before the, courts o f the church for con sideration and adjudication. It made it very clear that the church has authority to deal with these cases, but it is anxious that the local authorities should have every opportunity possible to adjust things in a Christian way
improper word or a wrong action can be found. On one or two occasions He displayed anger with evil doers, but even here we have an exhibition o f dignity and righteous ness rather than weakness, for there is “ a Wrath as majes tic as the frown of Jehovah’s brow.” Some have pointed! to His cursing of the unfruitful fig tree, but this was a symbolical act, affecting only a worthless tree, and fore shadowing the doom of the barren Judaism. The worst the Pharisees could say o f Him was that He was “ a friend of sinners.” Pilate said, “ I find no fault in Him.” Judas confessed that he had “ betrayed innocent blood.” As Philip Schaff puts it: “ Even dumb nature responded in mysterious sympathy and the beclouded heavens above, and the shaking earth beneath, united in paying their unconscious tribute to the divine purity o f the dying Lord.” Surrounded by depraved humanity, He was without sin. Not a tear o f repentance did He shed. Not once did He seek His Father’s forgiveness. He challenged His enemies to convict Him of a sin. Not a single thought, word or deed did He live to regret. He W A S what He TAUGHT . The world has no higher model for all that is pure and noble. Even Renan admits that “ He is with out equal and His glory remains perfect and will be renewed forever.” Horace Bushnell said: “ If Jesus was a sinner, He was conscious o f sin as all sinners are, and therefore was a hypocrite in the whole fabric of His character; realizing so much of divine beauty in it, maintaining the show of such unfaltering harmony and celestial grace, and doing all this with a mind confused and fouled by the affecta tions acted for true virtues! Such an example of success ful hypocrisy would be itself the greatest miracle ever heard o f in the world !” A thoughtful old man, an unbeliever, said one day, “ I f your Christ is God, His temptations are no comfort to me.” It was a true instinct in that old man that craved to find beside him a living human friend who had been tempted really, tempted sorely like as he himself had been and who could feel with him and help him as a wise elder brother who knew. Does the sinlessness of Christ deprive us of such a friend ? The Bible distinctly tells us that our Saviour was really and sorely tempted “in all points like as we are.” The fact that He remained without sin does not mean that the enticements to sin did not really present themselves. It means that they were resisted to the bitter end. There is a world o f difference between a keenly -felt temptation from without and the stain of consenting thought within. Not once did He give a consenting thought.
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