Chapter 7: The Church

Christianity and Liberalism by J. Greshman Machen 

Chapter 7: The Church 

When Jesus was about to ascend into heaven he told his disciples to go stay put in Jerusalem until the coming of the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended upon the believers and this marked the beginning of the church. The church consists of all people who have placed their faith in Jesus and have been born again. Today we talk about going to church as a place or a building which it is but, the church is more than that. The church really is the body of Christ. 

The trouble with the church is that it is made up of humans who though may be desperately seeking after God still have not reached perfection. God knew this and in His word warns the church of things to watch out for. One of those things to be cautious of is false teaching which is anything that is inconsistent with God's word. His word says that the devil is a prowling lion seeking anyone to devour. Therefore the church, the body of Christ must be constantly on-guard in order to be protected from the enemy. The problem is we are not always on-guard. 

Throughout church history lies and false doctrines have crept into the church and into our hearts. In the very early stages of the church they had to prevent Gnosticism from polluting the church. In Machen's book "Christianity and Liberalism" Machen expresses that liberalism has crept into the church and has polluted church doctrine. Liberalism, like Gnosticism is not Christianity. Liberalism in the church had caused for a loss of true doctrine such as the truth of what Jesus did on the cross. As discussed in prior weeks the truth is that Jesus was and is fully God and man and he died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins. Liberalism takes Jesus as an example to be followed and a good moral teacher and says we too should live sacrificial lives. Yes this is true but what is greater and of the highest importance is that Christ died for us not as an example but as a sacrifice for our sins. 

When Machen was writing this book he sensed a major shift towards liberalism in the church. I wonder if he was part of the church today if he would think that it has only increased or if the church as a whole has began their recovery from liberalism as the major influencer of the church. For today it is a good reminder to remain on-guard to keep watch for what is influencing the church today that is not from God but from the enemy who seeks to destroy. So although the church is meant to have doors left open to all people or every "tribe, tongue, and nation" we must be cautious of what doctrine is taught and promoted as truth. As the body of Christ it is our duty to study God's word and intentionally apply it to our lives and to the church. God's word is our guide and we will hold it in the highest regard in order to discern how to walk in wisdom as we pursue living as part of the church.