SUNDAY READING

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXV, Issue 7614, 7 January 1928, Page 3

SUNDAY READING

TRUE RELATION OF MAN TO GOD THE FULNESS OP RELIGION "WHAT THINK YE OP CHRIST” (Contributed) True religion is the true relation of man to God, and men to their fellow men. What then has the Christian religion to offer? It offers us perfect leadership, and perfect help to live in right relation to God and men, but it also requires of all who accept it co-operation with their fel-low-Christians, discipleship to Jesus Christ. Our Lord has asked no one to follow Him blindly. He expects every man to face the question, "What think ye of Christ?” and promises everyone who does His commandments shall learn that His teaching is of God.

DIVINE AUTHORITY All thoughtful men must consider Jesus Christ’s claim to divine authority. The proof of this authority now rests on our knowledge of those who wrote the Gospels and the accuracy and sincerity of their words. The Christian finds proof through faith in Jesus Christ and through his own experience of the result of reliance on His hold word, as Christ promised all should do: "My teaching 1s not Mine, but His that sent Me. If any, man will do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself.” But apart from faith, Christian scholars have proved by the most careful study of the Gospel narratives, that they were written by eye witnesses of the events of our Lord’s life, or by followers who bad perfect understanding from those who had been with Him. Not only Christian, but of late agnostic scholars admit the early date of the Gospels. Professor Holtzmann, who was leader of the free-thinkers in Baden, acknowledged this and said on this point, that the result of modern labours was in agreement with the earliest Christian writers. CHRIST’S TEACHINGS Then let us consider our Lord’s claims, as stated by them. He said He came out from God, and of His teaching, “We speak that we do know.” And the verdict of a teacher of Israel who heard Him was, "Rabbi, we know that Thou art a teacher come from God,” of officers sent to snare Him in His talk, "Never man spake like this Man.” And when we compare the religion He taught, the relation of man to God, and man to his fellow-men with all other religions of the world, we arc bound to say, “Never man spake like this man,” and to feel with Nicodemus, “Rabbi, Thou art a teacher come from God.” For His teaching reaches the root of ungodliness, failure to strive to live in right relation to God and men, which in the Bible is called the breaking of God’s law, or sin. He has taught of the fatherhood of God, and the brotherhood of all men, as no one else ever taught. He showed that the only true greatness in life is greatness in service for others, therefore the only way leading to God is through self-sacrifice and service for others. In His religion children and women and the poor and outcast find their true place. Woman is restored to the place God had intended for her, “a help mate for man.” The yoke of slavery is broken, racial hatred destroyed, for in Christ’s kingdom -we are told, "There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male or female; for all are one in Christ Jesus.”

OTHER RELIGIONS Compare this with the most beautiful Eastern religion, with its teaching of self-culture and self-restraint, and the power of holiness as a remedy for suffering and sorrow, and yet that fails as the religion of our common Father, the God of all whom He has created, because in it is found no true place for women, or the outcast. It gives no true help in sorrow, for it does not reach its root, failure to serve God, and shows no remedy for sin. Compare Christ’s religion also •with Mohammedanism, the most powerful religion started since His time. The one teaches unity in selfsacrifice and service to help all men. The other the unity of the power of the armed host, that all outside are lawful spoil. Thus we find that the more carefully we compare our Lord’s teaching with that of all other religious teachers the better we realise it is still true of Him, “Never man spake like this man,” an dthe more clearly we understand the failure of all other teachers to show us the fulness of true religion, the more we feel the need of His leadership, and turning to Him say in St. Peter’s words: "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life, and we have believed and know that Thou art the Holy One of God. ’