Christianity & Liberalism: Doctrine

Introduction

“There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have enough – a cheap Christianity which offends nobody, and requires no sacrifice – which costs nothing, and is worth nothing.” J.C. Ryle

As we reflect on the last few years, many of us wish we could shower in hand sanitizer to cleanse ourselves of the constant barrage of filth that we’re being forced to watch with our eyes held open like a bad case of Clockwork Orange style indoctrination. The fact of the matter is, in the church, some of us have seen things we can’t unsee, while others are pretending they didn’t see anything at all and they don’t want to talk about that thing they didn’t see while pretending it’s still 2019…while others are completely out of the closet in all of their Bolshevistic glory like comrade Keller.

Truth be told, the toothpaste is out of the tube and it’s not going back in. We all know something has changed and changed drastically…The Fault Lines have shifted and we are now all privy to the, seemingly, endless stream of tremors. But we have to ask ourselves, “have things, fundamentally changed or have they just been revealed?” Perhaps, that’s a silly question given that the two necessitate each other like peanut butter and jelly…or like an earthquake with a fault line…you’re not getting one without the other…

Herein line the inevitable conclusion that far too many are unwilling to draw within broader evangelical circles…perhaps because of what it may mean for them, namely repentance on a massive scale – which sounds uncomfortable, and covid’s almost over anyway…

Francis Schaeffer brilliantly pointed this out forty years ago…that is, that Christians in this

country think in terms of bits and pieces instead of totals. They are treating symptoms and not causes and have failed to see that the shifts we are seeing culturally through the propagation of things that we are disgusted by, is because of the overall way people think about and view the world.

What Schaeffer saw were Christian’s that failed to see the massive implications of the

foundational Christian profession that Jesus is Lord. If everything that Schaeffer said was true, which it is and of which is still very much prevalent in many evangelical circles, then the inverse is also true. That is, that if the things that they used to be disturbed and disgusted by were now accepted then you would have good reason to believe, not that there was inconsistency with a Christian foundation, but rather, that we have many in the church operating from an entirely different foundation, of which, they are acting consistently from.

Hence, Machen’s primary thesis in Christianity and Liberalism, that Liberalism may be a lot of things, but Christian is not one of them. As Machen says, “The enemy has not really been changed into a friend merely because he has been received into the camp.” No matter how much Jesus pixy dust you sprinkle on it – it won’t fundamentally change what it is…Something like putting lipstick on a pig, and I’m not talking about Lizzo’s reality show on Amazon Prime. I’m talking about whitewashing a tomb.

“What then, at bottom, when the traditional phrases have all been stripped away, is the real meaning of the present revolt against the fundamentals of the Christian faith? What, in brief, are the teachings of the modern liberalism as over against the teachings of Christianity?” J. Gresham Machen

This drives us to the very sum and substance of the issue. Juliet was right, a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet, but it is also true that a turd by any other name will stink just the same. Failing to acknowledge that the Montagues and Capulets were rival houses put both of our young lovers in an early grave.

Orthodox Christianity and Progressive Christianity (or the wokies) are no more the same species of thing just because they both claim the name of Christ any more than a rose and turd are the same species of thing because they both give off a strong odor. The way through the theological malaise and fog that we find ourselves in isn’t with more nuance and ambiguity…the only way we get through this is through clearly defining our terms…it’s with the dogged search for truth and a devotion to it when it is found…the only way to clear up falsehood and deception is through a passion for the light.

At ground level then, the real issue with liberalism isn’t this or that specific doctrine, per se, though that is an issue all the way down and all the way through…or even with doctrine generally speaking – at root, their problem is with Christian doctrine.

Doctrine

The people of God have always been a people the Word, and Christians are no exception…in fact, not only are we not the exception we are the standard given our worship of the Logos, the incarnate Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Words matter because words either represent reality or misrepresent it. Which means our thoughts align with God’s or they don’t. We are either truth tellers or liars…which is to say, covenant keepers or covenant breakers…but make no mistake about it – all men at all times fall into one of two camps.

Words matter, and the teachings of Scripture matter and the exposition of those teachings

matter…which is just another way of saying doctrine matters, and doctrines, just like what they explain are either going to be true or false, to the degree by which they are in-line with the Triune God of the Scriptures revealed will. Which is simply a way of saying – y’all got doctrine.

We all have views about the God, man, Christ, the world and so on…and the deeper those

doctrines are held – the more foundational they are to one’s worldview, the more tenaciously held they will be. You can always tell what a man holds dear when the temperature gets turned up…when the fire gets hot enough you see the silver and the dross.

Regarding the hostility towards doctrine in his day, Machen writes,

“Such is the way in which expression is often given to the modern hostility to doctrine. But is it really doctrine as such that is objected to, and not rather one particular in the interests of another?”

“Undoubtedly, in many forms of liberalism it is the latter alternative which fits the case. There are doctrines of modern liberalism, just as tenaciously and intolerantly upheld as any doctrines that find a place in the historic creeds”

Of course, this is a fact that anyone who has ever come into contact with the tolerance buzzsaw knows all too well. They are so tolerant that they will generously bless you with a multitude of F-bombs, and they are so encouraging that they will repeatedly tell you that you’re number one – but strangely enough – they often use their middle finger to express this point. As Doug Wilson has said in a recent Podcast – “the current narrative, whatever it is, will be enforced with a club.”

So then, the question isn’t whether they hold doctrine near and dear to their hearts – the real question is whether it is Christian. How neutral and tolerant are all these neutral and tolerant churches regarding the LGBTQ2IA+ community, what about the Patriarchy or Feminism, how about loving your neighbor in the form of masks, lockdowns and vaccines, what about CRT and the virtues of the government indoctrination mills, and what about the violence that white people perpetuate by virtue of being white.

Now ask yourself, “Do any of these progressive wokies hold to an orthodox Christian position on anything? What about the Gospel, the nature of God and man, Christ, The Bible, Salvation, The Church? That’s what I thought! The reason so many churches have divided over the last few years, isn’t because of bits and pieces, or this doctrine or that doctrine – all of these things are effectual symptoms growing out of the same noxious root of naturalism or secularism, or if you prefer, the worship of man rather than the one true and living God.

Man worshippers of any generation will always try and take the attention off the message of Christianity while focusing their attentions squarely on themselves…by expressing something along the lines of, “we’re about deeds not creeds”…or in Machen’s day the liberals argued that Christianity is a life and not a doctrine.

What matters most is fighting systemic racism, and getting everyone vaccinated, and fighting the existential threat of climate change. And of course, we’ve all been told multiple times over how much Jesus loves the gay community, and just wants them to be happy. But again, we’re right back on the horns of a dilemma because those all sounds like doctrinal statements – but doctrinal statements predicated on what? And is any of it Christian?

“It is perfectly conceivable that the originators of the Christian movement had no right to legislate for subsequent generations; but at any rate they did have an inalienable right to legislate for all generations that should choose to bear the name of Christian.” J. Gresham Machen

Christianity proper, began at a particular point in human history, before a particular people at a particular time – all of which was predicated not only on an event, but also, the meaning of the event, namely, the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of our Lord and it’s meaning.

“But if any one fact is clear, on the basis of this evidence, it is that the Christian movement at its inception was not just a way of life in the modern sense, but a way of life founded upon a message. It was based, not upon mere feelings, not upon a mere program of work, but upon an account of facts. In other words it was based upon doctrine.” J. Gresham Machen

The disciples of Christ were heralds declaring an event that had taken place in real time/space – That was News, what made it Good News was all that it meant for those who repent and believe. They were not interested in walking the earth like Kung Fu, and being extra spiritual and stuff, or in sharing general principles of religion, or in merely teaching the ethical principles of Jesus.

Their interest was in the message, it was in doctrine. Paul was not ashamed of the gospel, with all of its sharp edges, because it was the power of God unto salvation for all who believe. It was this message, this doctrine, this Good News that was living and active and powerful to change lives…

Perhaps no other words have born more fruitful and produced more clarity in my ministry than these by Machen,

“‘Christ died’ – that is history; ‘Christ died for our sins’ – that is doctrine. Without these two elements, joined in an absolutely indissoluble union, there is no Christianity.”

“The great weapon with which the disciples of Jesus set out to conquer the world was not a mere comprehension of eternal principles; it was an historical message, an account of something that had recently happened, it was a message, ‘He is risen.’”

“…The primitive Church was concerned not merely with what Jesus had said, but also, and primarily, with what Jesus had done. The world was to be redeemed through the proclamation of an event. And with the event went the meaning of the event; and the setting forth of the event with the meaning of the event was doctrine. These two elements are always combined in the Christian message. The narration of the facts is history; the narration of the facts with the meaning of the facts is doctrine. ‘Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried’ – that is history. ‘He loved me and gave Himself for me’ – that is doctrine. Such was the Christianity of the primitive Church.”

Let’s not deceive ourselves. The gospel of Jesus Christ, that is, the event and the meaning of the event is the only thing that can satisfy the soul, and it is the only thing that can bring about real effectual, meaningful change in this world. Fighting climate change will not satisfy the longings of the soul, nor will getting multiple vaccines, nor will hating whiteness, nor will approving or engaging in every form of debauchery, nor will fighting systemic racism – whatever that is. Make no mistake about it, a Jewish teacher from the first century clothed in whatever the current cause is, can never satisfy the soul. Apart, from Christ, and the power of the gospel, every road will end in hopeless disillusionment.

Liberals are on a fool’s errand to redeem the world that Christ already has, and they suck at it. Herein lies the key, fundamental difference between liberalism and Christianity,

“The liberal preacher is really rejecting the whole basis of Christianity, which is a religion founded not on aspirations, but on facts. Here is found the most fundamental difference between liberalism and Christianity – liberalism is altogether in the imperative mood, while Christianity begins with a triumphant indicative; liberalism appeals to man’s will, while Christianity announces, first a gracious act of God.”

Conclusion

To claim that one doesn’t care about doctrine is a lie. To claim that doctrine doesn’t matter is a lie. To claim that doctrine is secondary to what we do is a lie. Doctrine is the very core of Christianity and at the heart of our doctrine is the resurrection and all that it entails. Differences of doctrine within the church matter.

They matter immensely…Differences between Calvinism and Arminianism matter. Differences between premills and postmills matter. Differences between Credos and Paedos matter…They matter so much that we should be willing to scrap over those things and even separate our local communities upon those things…

But at the end of the end day…true evangelical fellowship can happen because of all that we hold in common. Even with Roman Catholics, though we may say that Rome represents a great perversion of the Christian religion…we may still say that it is a perversion of the Christian religion, and though it’s hard to say and even harder to understand – there are some Catholics that are saved…even though I’m not willing to give up the Pope being antichrist and such. But naturalistic liberalism, if it be found in any of the above camps mentioned is an entirely different religion. Liberalism is not Christianity at all.

He is risen is the message and the meaning of that message is doctrine. This is worth dividing over…This is worth fighting for…This is worth dying for. This is why Machen said,

“Indifference about doctrine makes no heroes of the faith.”

We live in a time that calls for courageous men, and these men – will be lovers of orthodox Christian doctrine.