What makes affection for a human friend, for example, such an ennobling thing is the knowledge which we possess of the character of our friend. Human affection, apparently so simple, is really just bristling with dogma. It depends upon a host of observations treasured up in the mind with regard to the character of our friends. But if human affection is thus really dependent upon knowledge, why should it be otherwise with that supreme personal relationship which is at the basis of religion?... Certainly it does make the greatest possible difference what we think about God; the knowledge of God is the very basis of religion. [pp. 47-48]In other words, to know someone requires knowledge about them. If I told you that I know my wife, you would expect that I would at least know some things about her, e.g., her name, her favorite foods, her birthday, etc. The same is true about our knowing God; it includes knowledge about Him.
Do you know God? What do you believe to be true about Him? Is He merely love, being unconcerned with justice and judgment? If so, you don't know the same God as me.
Is your "God" a Father toward all mankind in the same way? If so, you don't know the same God as me.
Do you believe that God is part of this creation instead of transcending it as its Almighty Creator? If so, you don't know the same God as me.
There is real content to the Christian faith; one may not depart from it and still claim to be within it. One may not claim to know the Christian God and then represent Him in a way that departs from the teaching of the Scripture that has been received by the Church for two millennia. To do so is to begin an entirely different religion.
Machen on "Deeds without Creeds"
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment