By J.H. Garrison
GIVEN a religion such as Jesus Christ brought to the world, that meets the universal wants of man, revealing God to men and man to himself, furnishing regenerative power or spiritual renewal, forgiveness of sin, spiritual re-enforcements, such as the Holy Spirit, the inspired Word, and the church, with its fellowship and holy activities, whose dominant principle is love, and whose ultimate aim is the salvation of the whole world--and all this embodied in the personality, life and teaching of its Author, faith in whom is the supreme condition of discipleship--and we have all the essential conditions for world-conquest.
Such a leader is Jesus Christ. Such religion he has brought to the world. That religion is embodied and exemplified in his own life and character. What he taught, that he was. Other conquerors established kingdoms by force.
Jesus Christ established his kingdom by love. Other kingdoms dating back as far as his, or anyway near it, have long since crumbled to dust. Each rising sun witnesses the extension of his kingdom over an ever-widening area of the world and of human life. Other great world-rulers have sought to be ministered unto. He came to minister, and to be the servant of all. The empire-builders of the past have sought to keep their subjects down. He has sought to lift his subjects up to new dignity and power. Other rulers have loved their friends and hated their enemies. Jesus Christ loved even his enemies, and prayed for their forgiveness. Other founders of empires have slain their enemies to establish their thrones. Jesus Christ laid down his own life that he might save his enemies and all mankind. Is it any wonder that the prophet, foreseeing such a program, should exclaim: "And of the increase of his government there shall be no end"?
Only Christ and his religion can inspire men with a passion that will make them gladly give their lives to the service of humanity. Said a great magazine writer recently to a representative of the Men and Religion Forward Movement, "We magazine writers can uncover the corruption and abuses in the world, and even organize social movements to remedy them. But as soon as it becomes manifest that money, self-denial and hard work are necessary to carry out the program, our men fail us. If Christianity cannot inspire men with a passion, that will make them willing to give and to suffer for the redemption of humanity, then we may as well give up all hope." This is the lesson from nineteen centuries of Christian history. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ--the gospel of suffering love--has in it the dynamic adequate to cope with the evils of the world.
How slow the church has been to learn that Christ's way is the only way to permanent success in bringing in the kingdom of God? It has sometimes relied on external force, on its power to shut and bar the gates of heaven, on its ecclesiastical authority, and even today on its theological standards and its methods of organization. But Christ relies upon the power of truth and love to win its way over the mind and heart, making willing subjects of his reign. The program of the church has too long been to build up and perpetuate its power, and to prepare men to die. Jesus' method and purpose was to lose life in order to save it, and to win men from sin that they might become the salt for saving the earth. It is his purpose that his will shall be done on earth as it is done in heaven. The church is at last, slowly but surely, accepting the program of Christ, and just in proportion as it accepts it and follows his way, it will become the strong right hand of Jesus Christ in extending his reign over all the earth.
Here, then, I repeat, are all the elements which assure the universal triumph of the kingdom of God on this earth. Everyone who accepts Christ's program is filled with enthusiasm and optimism as to its future triumph.
A program that links itself so vitally with human welfare and happiness, cannot fail in a world over which God reigns. What the church needs now is to put away the false ideals which have hindered its power of growth, and the divisions and strifes which have weakened and neutralized its power, and with singleness of aim accept Christ's way and program and go forward to world-wide conquest under his leadership.
