Machen Blog

In this week’s Machen reading, we see the topic of the Church discussed. The Church is the final part of this text, as it wraps up numerous topics that we see discussed throughout the book.

Machen says that “The present is a time not for ease or pleasure, but for earnest and prayerful work.” I think that we can see that Christians have become rather complacent as a whole. In America specifically, there are tons of Christians who do not commit faith as a big part of their lives. They casually pursue Christ, and their religion is similar to an insurance policy upon their lives.

The problem of this is that this attitude can pervade the Church, and I think that this influences the beliefs of the Church. Liberalism can be born out of this attitude as well. We have thousands of different churches in America, and there are surely many variances between them. However, the churches who are complacent do not make an impact on those around them. Complacency leads to nothing, where action as a church can please the Lord.

Another key point I liked in Machen’s text was when he says “We shall really get nowhere in this controversy unless we make a sincere effort to understand the other man’s point of view.”

This is very important to remember, for any topic. Regardless of our disagreements, we cannot get anywhere if we do not attempt to hear and understand the opposition’s view. Understanding the opposing view not only allows us to refute it better, it allows us to care more deeply about the controversies at hand. As Christians, we should choose to understand the other person as we battle these controversies.

I have found that understanding an opposing point of view is not only useful in a religious context, but in any context. Should it be a disagreement with coworkers, or an argument with a loved one, one cannot get anywhere without understanding the opposing side.