CHRISTIANITY
dwelt
in
Christ
that
Christ
Himself
was
God:_
and
that
historical
Christianity
is
nothing
less
than
an
immediate
revelation
of
the
Divine
nature
through
the
incarnation
of
God
in
Jesus
Christ.
(6)
Christianity
is
the
religion
not
only
of
the
revela-tion
of
God
but
of
the
redemption
of
man.
The
paganism
that
reared
altars
to
an
unknown
God
proved
impotent
to
redeem
human
life
from
the
dominion
of
evil
(see
Eo
l^'^),
while
the
visions
of
the
Divine
that
came
to
true
Israelites
only
made
them
more
deeply
conscious
of
their
sin
and
need
(cf.
Is
6').
The
purpose
of
Jesus
Is
announced
in
His
very
name;
He
came
'to
save
his
people
from
their
sins'
(Mt
1").
His
own
testimony
runs:
'The
Son
of
Man
came
to
seek
and
to
save
that
which
was
lost'
(Lk
19'»).
St.
Paul
sets
Christ
before
us
as
the
Divine
Reconciler
and
Redeemer.
God
was
in
Christ
reconciling
the
world
unto
Himself
(2
Co
5",
cf.
Ro
6");
He
sent
forth
His
Son
that
we
might
have
redemption
through
His
blood,
and
might
receive
the
adoption
of
sons
(Gal
4'-^,
Eph
1').
And
it
Is
the
witness
of
the
whole
NT
that
Christ
accomplished
His
work
of
seeking
and
saving,
of
reconciling
and
redeeming,
by
taking
our
sins
upon
Him,
by
suffering
with
men
and
for
them,
by
dying
at
last
on
the
cross
the
Just
for
the
unjust,
by
rising
from
the
dead
and
sitting
down
at
God's
right
hand
to
dispense
those
spiritual
gifts
and
powers
whereby
we
are
enabled
to
overcome
the
world.
(c)
It
follows
from
what
has
just
been
said
that
Christianity
is
the
religion
of
perfected
character.
What-ever
may
be
the
case
with
other
faiths,
Christianity
permits
of
no
divorce
between
religion
and
morality.
It
is
not
from
the
pains
of
sin
merely
that
Jesus
comes
to
redeem
us,
but
from
sin
itself.
In
keeping
with
this
He
sets
up
an
ideal
standard
of
personal
attainment
—
'
Ye
shall
be
perfect,'
He
says,
'
as
your
heavenly
Father
Is
perfect'
(Mt
5").
Unlike
the
religions
of
the
pagan
world,
Judaism
was
based
upon
a
moral
law
of
wonder-ful
purity
and
breadth.
But
the
law
which
Jesus
gave
and
which
His
Apostles
enforced
is
broader
and
loftier
beyond
comparison
—
a
law
for
heart
and
mind
as
well
as
for
the
outward
life,
forbidding
unreasonable
anger
equally
with
murder
(v.^'*),
and
unholy
desire
no
less
than
adultery
(v."'-).
Moreover,
Christ
not
only
en-joined
this
heavenly
standard
of
character,
but
exem-plified
It
personally.
It
is
not
a
theoretical
ideal
that
He
sets
before
us,
but
one
that
has
been
realized
in
a
human
life.
The
ethics
of
Jesus
are
the
ethics
of
His
own
example;
'the
mind
of
Christ'
Is
the
Christian's
In-dwelling
law
(Ph
25).
(d)
Christianity
is
the
religion
of
a
regenerated
society.
It
has
the
promise
not
of
personal
perfection
only,
but
of
the
establishment
of
a
Society
pure,
blessed,
and
world-wide.
'The
kingdom'
was
the
characteristic
word
of
Jesus
in
proclaiming
His
message;
and
so
both
Mt.
and
Mk.
describe
His
gospel
as
'the
gospel
of
the
kingdom'
(Mt
4^3
gas,
Mk
1").
And
as
the
rule
of
a
Divine
King
Is
the
first
Implication
of
the
word,
the
second
Is
the
harmonious
relation
of
the
subjects
of
the
Kingdom
to
one
another.
Love
is
the
rule
of
the
Kingdom
(Mt
S'l's-
||,
Jn
13m
jgiz.
n).
and
love
from
Its
very
nature
is
the
fulfilling
of
all
social
law
(Ro
13*-
'°,
Gal
5").
The
Church
which
Christ
estabUshed
is
the
organization
of
this
social
Kingdom
tor
moral
and
reUgious
ends
(Mt
16i".
18").
And
when
Christ's
people
shall
have
been
joined
together
in
a
perfect
harmony
of
brotherly
love
and
mutual
co-operation,
even
as
they
are
severally
joined
to
Him
who
is
their
Head
(Ro
12=,
1
Co
12",
Eph
1^!-
4isf.
5M)_
there
wiU
come
the
realization
of
that
perfect
Society
which
is
variously
shadowed
forth
In
the
NT
under
the
figures
of
a
Kingdom
from
which
there
have
been
cast
forth
all
things
that
cause
stumbUng
(Mt
13"),
a
glorious
Church
without
spot
or
wrinkle
or
any
such
thing
(Eph
5^'),
a
Holy
City,
the
New
Jerusalem,
'
descending
out
of
heaven
from
God'
(Rev
211").
II.
Christianity
as
a
Personal
Experience.
—
Chris-
CHRISTIANITY
tianlty
Is
not
only
a
revelation
in
history,
but
a
reality
of
personal
life.
Without
Christians
there
would
be
no
Christianity.
What
is
It
then
that
constitutes
men
Christians,
and
so
translates
the
historical
fact
of
the
revelation
of
Jesus
Christ
Into
the
religion
which
has
lived
through
the
centuries
and
surrounds
us
to-day?
1.
Here
faith
Is
the
fundamental
thing.
Just
as
Christianity,
regarded
as
a
historical
revelation,
may
all
be
summed
up
In
the
fact
of
Christ,
so,
when
it
Is
con-sidered
as
a
personal
reality,
it
may
all
be
Included
in
the
faith
that
lays
hold
of
and
appropriates
Christ.
The
whole
effort
of
Jesus
during
His
earthly
ministry
was
directed
to
this
end
—
to
secure
faith
In
Himself.
And
when
His
death
and
resurrection
and
the
experi-ences
of
Pentecost
had
revealed
Him
to
His
followers
In
His
fuller
glory,
faith
in
Christ
crucified
and
risen
became
the
first
demand
of
the
Christian
preacher
(Ac
2™-
3'"-
83'
IV"-
1328'-
etc.).
So
much
was
this
the
case,
that
before
the
disciples
were
called
'
Christians'
they
were
called
'beUevers'
(Ac
5»
10«
16',
1
Tl
412),
while
others
were
distinguished
from
them
as
un-believers
(Ac
142,
1
Co
6'
and
passim).
And
as
Christ
had
shown
Himself
to
be.
not
the
revealer
of
the
Father
only,
but
the
bringer
of
redemption
to
sinful
men,
faith
In
Him
came
to
mean
specifically
trust
in
Him
as
One
who
was
able
to
meet
the
sinner's
greatest
need
—
the
need
of
redemption
from
sin.
So
St.
Peter
called
upon
the
Jews
In
Jerusalem
to
repent
and
be
baptized
'in
the
name
of
Jesus
Christ
unto
the
remission
of
sins'
(Ac
2'8).
So
St.
Paul
In
like
manner,
when
the
PhiUppian
jailor
cried
out
in
the
night,
'What
must
I
do
to
be
saved?'
replied,
'Believe
on
the
Lord
Jesus,
and
thou
shalt
be
saved'
(Ac
163»-
=')
—
words
which
contain
In
brief
the
essence
of
the
Apostolic
testimony
as
to
the
way
of
salvation.
And
when
we
would
learn
from
the
NT
how
the
Christianity
of
those
who
have
trusted
in
Christ
is
to
live
and
increase
and
be
perfected,
we
find
that
it
is
faith
again,
still
clinging
to
Christ,
that
is
the
vital
principle
of
the
life
which
faith
has
begun.
Through
faith
Christ
dwells
In
our
hearts
(Eph
3").
This
is
the
secret
of
that
abiding
in
Christ
which
secures
His
abiding
In
us
(Jn
15<),
and
results
in
the
fruitfulness
that
makes
us
worthy
to
be
called
His
disciples
(v.*).
2.
The
next
principle
of
the
Christian
life
Is
obedience.
Between
faith
and
obedience
there
Is
no
opposition
any
more
than
between
the
roots
of
a
tree
and
its
fruits
and
flowers.
And
yet,
in
the
one
case
as
in
the
other,
the
secret
spring
of
life
and
Its
outward
manifestations
may
be
distinguished
and
separately
considered.
The
root
of
Christianity,
as
we
have
seen.
Is
the
religious
principle
of
faith;
but
from
that
root
there
grows
an
ethical
practice
bringing
life
into
conformity
with
all
Divine
laws.
The
actual
conduct
of
professedly
Chris-tian
people
has
always
served
as
the
world's
rough
test
of
Christianity.
As
applied
by
the
world,
it
Is
a
rude,
imperfect
test;
for
the
obedience
wrought
by
faith
Is
a
product
far
too
fine
and
subtle
to
be
fully
judged
by
'
the
world's
coarse
thumb
and
finger.'
The
law
by
which
a
Christian
walks
Is
a
law
that
it
needs
a
Christian
mind
to
appreciate.
But
though
often
roughly
applied,
the
test
of
obedience
to
God
is
an
unfailing
gauge
of
what
claims
to
be
Christianity.
It
was
Christ
Himself
who
said,
'Therefore
by
their
fruits
ye
shall
know
them.
Not
every
one
that
saith
unto
me.
Lord,
Lord,
shall
enter
into
the
kingdom
of
heaven;
but
he
that
doeth
the
will
of
my
Father
which
is
in
heaven'
(Mt
7">-
»).
3.
The
third
great
principle
Is
love.
For
Chris-tianity
Is
social
as
well
as
ethical
and
religious.
It
is
a
Divine
Kingdom
whose
subjects
stand
In
a
definite
relation
not
only
to
their
King
but
to
all
their
fellows.
Now
love
is
the
proper
attitude
of
every
Christian
to
all
those
of
whatsoever
name
lor
whom
Christ
died;
and
love
binds
men
together
as
they
are
bound
by
nothing
else.
Even
worldly
kingdoms
are
beginning
to
learn,
through
the
gradual
infiltration
of
Christian
ideas
into
the
general
mind,
that
neither
force
nor
mutual
self-
