The Final Chapter: The Church
“The main business of our lives will be to bring them to the Saviour of their souls.” (134, Machen)
Chapter 7, the final chapter in Machen’s book Christianity and Liberalism, it titled The Church. What I see as the very core of this chapter is the Church’s honor and responsibility of connecting people with God. Machen explains this in a couple ways. First, Christians have a special bond. Second, Christians cannot be unified with sin. Third, unauthentic Christians can sometimes seem authentic. Lastly, we will not be able to be unified if we do not try to understand others.
“The Christian knows also of a relationship far more intimate than that general relationship of man to man, and it is for this more intimate relationship that he reserves the term ‘brother.’ The true brotherhood, according to Christian teaching, is the brotherhood of the redeemed.” (134, Machen) Galatians 3:26 tells us that by faith, we are all children of God. This is the brotherhood of the redeemed. I feel like this can simply be known without saying, but I’m happy to say it anyway. The inclusive invitation of being in God’s family is open to both men and women. One evidence is 1 Peter 2:9 when Peter addresses both Jews and Gentiles who are now born again believers. Since both men and women were created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27), then it only makes sense that both men and women are welcome into the kingdom of God by faith for oneness.
“A solid building cannot be constructed when all the materials are faulty; a blessed society cannot be formed out of men who are still under the curse of sin.” (134, Machen) We live in the alreadynotyet of being redeemed, but still living in a broken world. Christ dwelling in us, and the flesh still fighting against us. (Galatians 5:17) This tension is not absent from our relationships. If we are trapped in sin, it negatively affects how we live and how we love others. Therefore, to be unified, we must depend on God and by faith, trust that he has cast away the sin that we have given to him. Surrendering more and more of us over to God only allows us to be closer with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
“It is indeed inevitable that some persons who are not truly Christian shall find their way into the visible Church; fallible men cannot discern the heart, and many a profession of faith which seems to be genuine may really be false.” (135, Machen) For who can discern the heart, but God? (Jeremiah 17:9, 1 Corinthians 2:11) Acts 20:30 warns us that people who are apart of the Church may rise up and try to get disciples for themselves. We do not have to walk around without discernment of who may be leading us astray; Scripture tells us that we must be on guard and can-by grace and truth- discern false prophets from people who preach in the Spirit. (1 Peter 3:17-18, 1 John 4:1-6) This is difficult, and it’s especially hard when people have been badly burned by the Church. This only drives us closer to God because we are dependant on him for all things good.
“We shall really get nowhere in this controversy unless we make a sincere effort to understand the other man’s point of view.” (137, Machen) Philippians 2 gives us the admonition to care about other’s interests as an act of humility and unity. Truly, we won’t be able to make an effort toward unity and peace if we are not concerned with listening to others. To wrap up, and continue the thread throughout this post, listening to others pushes us closer to God because we must be dependant on God to work through us evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit.
Udder. Total. Complete dependence on God is the theme of the Church. Which brings us back to the very first quote of this blog, “The main business of our lives will be to bring them to the Saviour of their souls.” (134, Machen) The goal of the Church is to help connect others with God through authentic teaching, transformation, and life.
Chapter 7, the final chapter in Machen’s book Christianity and Liberalism, it titled The Church. What I see as the very core of this chapter is the Church’s honor and responsibility of connecting people with God. Machen explains this in a couple ways. First, Christians have a special bond. Second, Christians cannot be unified with sin. Third, unauthentic Christians can sometimes seem authentic. Lastly, we will not be able to be unified if we do not try to understand others.
“The Christian knows also of a relationship far more intimate than that general relationship of man to man, and it is for this more intimate relationship that he reserves the term ‘brother.’ The true brotherhood, according to Christian teaching, is the brotherhood of the redeemed.” (134, Machen) Galatians 3:26 tells us that by faith, we are all children of God. This is the brotherhood of the redeemed. I feel like this can simply be known without saying, but I’m happy to say it anyway. The inclusive invitation of being in God’s family is open to both men and women. One evidence is 1 Peter 2:9 when Peter addresses both Jews and Gentiles who are now born again believers. Since both men and women were created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27), then it only makes sense that both men and women are welcome into the kingdom of God by faith for oneness.
“A solid building cannot be constructed when all the materials are faulty; a blessed society cannot be formed out of men who are still under the curse of sin.” (134, Machen) We live in the alreadynotyet of being redeemed, but still living in a broken world. Christ dwelling in us, and the flesh still fighting against us. (Galatians 5:17) This tension is not absent from our relationships. If we are trapped in sin, it negatively affects how we live and how we love others. Therefore, to be unified, we must depend on God and by faith, trust that he has cast away the sin that we have given to him. Surrendering more and more of us over to God only allows us to be closer with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
“It is indeed inevitable that some persons who are not truly Christian shall find their way into the visible Church; fallible men cannot discern the heart, and many a profession of faith which seems to be genuine may really be false.” (135, Machen) For who can discern the heart, but God? (Jeremiah 17:9, 1 Corinthians 2:11) Acts 20:30 warns us that people who are apart of the Church may rise up and try to get disciples for themselves. We do not have to walk around without discernment of who may be leading us astray; Scripture tells us that we must be on guard and can-by grace and truth- discern false prophets from people who preach in the Spirit. (1 Peter 3:17-18, 1 John 4:1-6) This is difficult, and it’s especially hard when people have been badly burned by the Church. This only drives us closer to God because we are dependant on him for all things good.
“We shall really get nowhere in this controversy unless we make a sincere effort to understand the other man’s point of view.” (137, Machen) Philippians 2 gives us the admonition to care about other’s interests as an act of humility and unity. Truly, we won’t be able to make an effort toward unity and peace if we are not concerned with listening to others. To wrap up, and continue the thread throughout this post, listening to others pushes us closer to God because we must be dependant on God to work through us evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit.
Udder. Total. Complete dependence on God is the theme of the Church. Which brings us back to the very first quote of this blog, “The main business of our lives will be to bring them to the Saviour of their souls.” (134, Machen) The goal of the Church is to help connect others with God through authentic teaching, transformation, and life.
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