The Potency Of Attitudes
"Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life." (Prov. 4:23.) "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he." (Prov. 23:7.) Thus did the wisest of men describe the inherent potency of man's attitudes to shape his conduct. A greater than Solomon has said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (Mt. 12:34): and, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man ..." (Mt. 15:18, 19.)
There are two attitudes in "Christendom" in our day that are mighty in their influence in shaping the activities of individuals and churches. These attitudes are to be found in practically all religious bodies, even among "churches of Christ." Each attitude has its correlative gospel. One attitude is that the mission of Jesus and his church in the world is to save the world from sin and to prepare men to live eternally with God in a better world than this. The gospel, to people with this attitude, is a soul-saving gospel. This is the attitude of so-called "Fundamentalists" and has divine warrant for its existence. Paul said: "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God." (I Cor. 1:18.) "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth . . ." (Rom. 1:16.) (This is not to suggest that among denominations there is preached, even with this proper attitude, a full gospel. The other attitude is that the mission of Jesus and the church is to renovate and thus make this world a better place in which to live through a program of social service. The gospel of this is the social gospel. This is the attitude of so-called "Modernists," was an out-growth of the German Rationalism of the nineteenth century, and has for its authority only the wisdom of man. (This is not to suggest that all who have embraced the social gospel accept all of the tenets of "Modernism" anymore than those who embrace the "Fundamentalist" view accept all of the truth contained in Christ's gospel.)
We are not particularly concerned with the inroads of the "social gospel" in denominational bodies, but we are tremendously concerned with its advent and progress among churches of Christ. Throughout the last 100 years there have been isolated examples among the churches of Christ of the social gospel at work, but such were the exception rather than the rule and gave small evidence of any great need for concern. However, the situation has in the last decade changed remarkably. There is now widespread evidence of the acceptance of the social gospel (at least in a very appreciable degree) by churches of Christ. The "Youth Church" movement-an-effort to save the world from juvenile delinquency and modern skepticism — is clearly accepted and growing among many churches of Christ. Youth meetings or "rallies" are being conducted on city-Wide. district-wide, and even "statewide basis. Youth Summer Camps are being sponsored by churches. Parochial schools are conducted and sponsored by churches, boy Scout troops, baseball, football, and basketball teams are sponsored by churches; full scale recreational programs including the construction of gymnasiums, student centers, etc., are featured as integral parts of the program of the local church under its elders; marriage clinics are conducted, "pastoral counseling" on social matters has reached such proportions as to require special training in psychology and sociology by the local evangelist. Yes, while most churches of Christ yet stand against the infidel tenets of "Modernism," many have accepted her legitimate fruits in the adoption of the practices of the social gospel. These churches are dissipating their energies, money, and time in social service rather than employing such in the divinely authorized work of soul-saving. If we accept the fruit of "Modernism," how long will it be until we accept the tree which produces it?
Mr. J. B. Phillips is the author of an intriguing translation of the New Testament epistles called "Letters To Young Churches." In his preface to the book, he states that he does not hold "fundamentalist views on "inspiration." His testimony to which we desire to call your attention relative to the modern "social gospel" is, therefore, to be regarded as completely unbiased. He says: "To the writers of these letters this present life was only an incident. It was lived, with a due sense of responsibility, as a preface to sharing the timeless life of God Himself. To these men this world was only a part, and because of the cumulative result of human sin, a highly infected and infectious part, of God's vast created universe, seen and unseen. They trained themselves therefore, and attempted to train others, not to be 'taken in' by this world, not to give their hearts to it, not to conform to its values, but to remember constantly that they were only temporary residents, and that their rights of citizenship were in the unseen world of Reality. Today when all the emphasis is thrown upon making the most of this life, and even Christianity is only seriously considered in many quarters because of its social implications, this point of view is comparatively rarely held. Yet as we read what they have to say we find ourselves saying a little wistfully, "Perhaps these men were right." (Letters To Young Churches; Translator's Preface; P. XII.)
Here is a man who is a self-confessed "modernist" on the subject of "inspiration," yet characterized by enough honesty to admit that the apostles of Christ who wrote the "epistles" of the New Testament did not subscribe to the social gospel, but rather, "set their affections on things above" recognizing that "their citizenship was in heaven." If men will accept Christ's soul-saving gospel and live by its precepts, they will by so doing and to the extent of their influence make the world a better place in which to live. Such, however, is a fruit of Christianity and not the reason for its existence in the world. It is to be greatly regretted that churches of Christ have come along 100 to 50 years behind the denominations and adopted that which has filled the pulpits of denominations with infidels and their pews with carnality to the destruction of practically every vestige of the spirituality that once characterized them.