T H E K I N G ’ S
B U S I N E S S
966
F rom the Two hund red Sem inaries and T raining Schools in th is country, about
o ro erva fin o t Pfi fifl.P.h V fiä F .
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SIN, SACRIFICE AND SALVATION Three outstanding dangers in present day though t are seen in th e weak def initions of sin, th e low estim ate of th e work of Christ upon th e cross and the socializing of th e Gospel. .......................... Sin is now characterized as “ th e growing pains of hum anity or an m cidental
Some -go so far as to make crime th e dim Thus sin is glorified when in God’s estim ate
step in th e evolution of th e race.” groping of n atu re for th e divine.” it is a fearfu l abom ination.
The newer ideas of th e atonem ent make Christ’s death to affect man only, not God. The Bible clearly teaches th a t He died to appease th e divine w rath against sin and to make a way .of escape from th e inevitable and etern al punishm ent th a t m ust come upon men because of th e ir sins. The New Theology declares He died to show th a t th ere was no obstacle to he removed. It was merely a,n illu stration of th e love of God. God needs no sacrifice. He can receive all into His bosom. Christ died as an un fo rtun ate victim. I t was th e climax of a series of events calculated to exhibit God as a God of love, no t w rath. _ , , All th is is directly contrary to th e one testim ony of Scripture. Such weak sentim entalism m isjudges God and h as no power over th e lives of men. If this theory of Christ’s death is correct, it does not prove God a God of love, h u t th e very opposite. . ' g ■ 8 I An infidel recently told Dr. F. W. F a rr of Los Angeles th a t he could no t accept Christianity because of “ th e scandal of th e cross.” He declared it was un righteous fo r God to allow such a good man to die such an ignominious death. To his surprise Dr. F a rr agreed w ith him, declaring th a t unless th e death of Christ was an absolute necessity because of th e awful exigency of th e situation, it is a blot on divine government. The awful fact of sin and hell positively demanded th e gift of th e beloved Son. There was no other way for God or for man. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ The outcome of th is low estim ate of the sacrifice is th a t Christ is made a Saviour only in th e sense th a t He is a Teacher of lofty principles. The Gospel is being socialized— th e individual Gospel is now ou t of place. The fact th a t a Gospel th a t will gloriously save an individual would save society which is comprised of individuals, seems to have no appeal to these thinkers. We m ain tain th a t unless th ere are rig h t relations between individuals and God, ■it will be of no avail to satisfy economic and social needs while leaving man
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