In the Churches

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7409, 17 December 1930, Page 10

In the Churches

WHAT IS MAN ?, Taking for his subject, “ What is Man,” at Emmanuel Congregational Church on Sunday evening, Pastor C. G. H. Bycroft based his remarks on these three words in Psalm S and 4. in introducing the subject the speaker said: The question pi all antiquity, ana perhaps the question around which for some little time to come, the greatest theological and scientific strife will take place is this, What is Man ? The language of the Psalmist shows us that some of those questions which confront us in seeking to bring God’s,truth into one consistent whole have been raised long ago, and are as old as the soul of man. Even Job in those far away days cried out, “What is man that thou shouldst magnify him ?” This is an important question, because we need not only a true philosophy of God, but a true philosophy of man in order to havo right thinking of the Gospel. What is hian S There are those today who say, To answer this question with anything like completeness, it would be necessary to discourse upon it in much detail. Reference would havo to be mado to various scicuees, but eveu then , tho answer would be inadequate, for all the scientists together are unable to take tho full measure of mau. To this question of the text many answers of a conflicting nature have been given in the world of thought and action. Suppose we put the question to some medical student? It is possible he may answer something like this: Man is a highly developed vertebrate, a moro or loss clever and successful ape who has worsted Ins competitors in the struggle for existence and stands as conqueror at the head of things. Suppose wo put the question to tie pessimistic philosopher! It is possible that he may answer something like this: Man is vapour, a breatn that passeth, away; man is a bubble upon the wave of causation, here today, gone to-morrow, gono for ever, Man is but one of Nature's many experiments, and is to make way by and by for another and perhaps a greater. We may put this question to the busy eity man and he may answer: I do not know. It takes me all my time to live; my horizon is narrow and contracted, and when I think, I get no nearer to the solution of the great mystery. The idolater thinks man inferior to birds end beasts and creeping things, before which he prostrates himself. The materialist reckons him to be the chance product of natural forces which have evolved him. All this reveals to us the fact that gigantic systems of error have developed from mistaken conceptions of the true nature and dignity of man. How are we to get a true conception of man ? There is only one way, and that is to turn to God’s .Word and “ there we find God makes plain to ns what He made man originally for what Ho considers him to be

now. What ore the possibilities God bus put before mau in and through the glorious Saviour Jesus Christ our Lord! Now we havo man as God made him. For this picture we turn to Genesis Ist chapter,.sl6th verse and wc read, “And God said, Let us make man in oar image after 'our likeness. So ‘Gal created man in his own image. This perfection of primeval manhood .is not the fanciful creation of artistic genius. It is not flic dream of poetic, imagimi; tion. It is not the figment of.a speculative philospphy, b\it it is the calm statement 1 of Scripture. After God had created; enlightened, furnished and beautified the world, then Ho made muu. Let us realise that man was created not evolved; made in the image uml after the likeness of God. A eruuturo comely and beautiful iu his outward appburuuce, dignified :n his soul, princely in his office und iu- ; tended to bo God’s representative, monarch and sovereign of all the lower orders of creation. Ho was’ not meant to be a cringing slave, but a king, crowned with the glory of rule, and with tho honour of universal supremacy. So tho first great truth of the Bible in regard to man is this that ho was mado in the image of God, and God breathed into him the breath of life and mau became a living soul.

Tho speaker then pointed out that tho Scripturo gives a second picture of mau, and tho second picture reveals man fallen from his high estate. Man fell, and, because of his fall ho canto under the curse of God, and as a result his crown is roiled in the dust, his honour tarnished, and in his fallen state his sovereignty is strongly disputed by the lower order of creation. The fall was brought about by disobedience, by sin, by that act in the garden of Eden of which we have a picture in third chapter of Genesis. Adam sinned. Ho was tho first of tho race, and his sin entered into tho human nature and the poison passed on from generation to generation. By one man’s disobedienco sin entered into tho world, and death by sin, und so death passed upon all men, because that all have sinned. Thus it is absolutely and universally true that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

In the last place tho speaker made it plain what man could bo mado in Jesus Christ. The question was often asked, wus there any hope for fallen humanity! Can he regain his lost' sovereignty! Iu answer to this question the scripture brings Jesus Christ before us. Wo see in Him complete manhood. We see in Him man as God meant man to be. Wo understand what is meant by our creation in God’s image when we behold Christ. He has lifted our crown from the dirt, and sot it upon His own head, and through His atoning sacrifice man is made a new creation. His sacrifice and atoning blood has power to renew and sanctify

tho human soul, and in Him wo shall get back our lost sovereignty and shall reign with Him. Christ is tho sole hope of hunianity.: Ho is tho • Alpha and Omega of redemption. In Him wo get life —life transfigured, ennobled, immortal, glorified.

AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER? Preaching iu St. David’s Church on Sunday morning the Rev. . L. G. B. Whitehead said that in every city there wero men and women who had missed the path of life. Now they were wandering in a circle in tlio tracks of vicious habits worn deep by continual usage. Strong drink had fired tlio blood and wrecked the homes of many. There wore many who lived in harmony with tho outward ethical standards of life whoso motives would not beitr a close scrutiny. They had gone after tho familiar god of gold and worshipped at the schrine of tlio marketplace. Godless commercialism was a dark blot on tho record of any Christian country. Unless Christian business men wore living by the truth as disclosed by Jesus they were mising the path of life. Borne worshipped at tho shrine of a new intclloetuulism. Throughout the church there were believers who were infected with intellectual pride. When some new fad came, along bearing the name of science, or new thought, they were easily lured away because their pride was appealed to. In order to ‘‘tune in” on the wireless tho necessary adjustments had to be made before tho desired result eventuated. The experience of many Christians was pale and lifeless because they did not mako the necessary adjustments to keep their spiritual life ever new and vital. However vivid experience may have been once, it was bound to fade unless one prayed "and worshipped. Yet the situation that liad to be faced was that in tho last few years there had been a flagging of interest in the work undertaken by tlm church. Two suggestions for meeting the situation came from representative groups in the church. One group held that Christianity was a programme for the saints. Responsibility was repudiated for any outside the narrowest circle. In the book ot Genesis there was a i'rament ’ taken from life, Cain was an agriculturalist. Abel his brother was a shepherd. For reasons not given Abel's religious offering was received whilst Cain’s was rejected. This gave rise to resentment in Cain. Ho led his brother into tho field and slew him; but when questioned about his brother, Cain repudiated .all responsibility for his safety. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” was the question that rose in his mind. The spirit of Cain was not dead. It came before us in a restricted view ot tlio missionary movement. A considerable section in the church was repudiating its responsibility for the spread of the gospel. In asking the question “How far am I my brother’s keeper!” it was missing the path, for tho question implied that Christianity was not in its essence a missionary religion. The problem, of foreign missions was a vexed one. Interest had waned. Throughout last century the missionary movement went hand in hand with national expansion. The missionary went to a

foreign country that was little touched by world influences. Now all was changed. Tho peoples in every mission field had awakened to a consciousness of nationhood. Tho missionary had gono to foreign parts supported mainly by a church which to the native mind could not be dissociated from its national setting. Although the front line of advance of tho Christian Church was passing through a transforming experience there were members in the homo churches who disclaimed that they were their brother’s keeper. They ropuuiated responsibility for the welfare of those outside a restricted group. For them, Christianity was, in tho main, a programme for the- saints. The preacher stated that 1m could not discover any evidence to prove that this view was in harmony . with the mind of Christ. The spirit of Cain was not Christlilce. It was a spirit, a viewpoint, a valuing attitude that Jesus came to iuculcute. Christianity was a creed for heroes. It was not enough to keep unspotted from the world,. It was not; Christliko to remain within die coniines of a restricting .bodge. “By all means let self-realisation . bo oar. goal,” said the preacher, “but to tie our true selves we must live beyond ourselves. The repudiation ot: responsibility for others is a denial of the lordship of Jesus .... in the church to-day there is a clamant need for men who can rise above catchwords and conventions. Our field of vision must be wide. Unless wo see our work in relation to the best interests, not of a class or a nation, but. of mankind we are not animated by the Spirit or Jesus for llmt Spirit makes us nil aglow to win others.”