By the end of chapter two of Christianity and Liberalism the reader is not left wondering what the author really thinks of liberalism. “The chief modern rival of Christianity is “liberalism.”” (p. 45). Perhaps even more striking is not what the author deduces the enemy of true Christianity to be, but its friends. This chapter is on doctrine, so its first part is about what doctrine is and why it is important. We will get to that. Toward the end, though, he takes up what he doesn’t mean in this insistence. One of the things that he doesn’t mean is that “all points of doctrine are equally important” (pp. 40-41). Examples are always helpful so he offers five here. The first is of the difference between reformed theology and those who hold to pre-millennialism or chiliasm (p. 42). While an error, chiliasm need not be a cause for broken fellowship. The same can be said for the Lutheran view of the Lord’s supper (p. 42) and the Anglican view of apostolic succession (p. 42-43) and Arminianism (p. 43) and even—drum roll please—Roman Catholicism (p. 43-44). For Machen that’s how far afoul liberalism is to Christianity.

 Specifically, liberalism went astray in its rejection of historic Christian doctrine and its emphasis upon Christianity

The message of liberalism is “do” and the message of Christianity is “done.”

as a way of life rather than a set of teachings. To put it in our vernacular, deeds not creeds. Machen takes great pains to be clear that Christianity, rightly understood, does impact and affect one’s life. However, those affects only come through the historic facts. For example,

But if any one fact is clear, on the basis of this evidence, it is that the Christian movement at its inception was not just a way of life in the modern sense, but a way of life founded upon a message. It was based, not upon mere feeling, not upon a mere program of work, but upon an account of facts. In other words it was based upon doctrine (p. 18).

As I survey the landscape of Christianity today this quote send chills up my spine. While not as far gone as liberalism, many quarters of the church have already begun to walk down liberalism’s path.

Another problem with liberalism, though related to the above, is that it “is altogether in the imperative mood, while Christianity begins with a triumphant indicative; liberalism appeals to man’s will, while Christianity announces, first, a gracious act of God” (p. 39). The message of liberalism is “do” and the message of Christianity is “done.” When “do” comes before “done” there is no gospel. Again, the cotemporary church, with its fascination with life principles and spiritual experiences is dangerously heading down the path the liberals trod in Machen’s day.

We must always remember that “Christianity for Paul was not only a life, but also a doctrine, and logically the doctrine came first” (p. 20). And what is that doctrine? It is the simple message of the gospel (1 Cor. 15.3-8). “Where the most eloquent exhortation fails, the simple story of an event succeeds; the lives of men are transformed by a piece of news” (p. 40). And make no mistake about it, that news is good!