Vital to the cause of foreign missions is the fact that in wide sections of the Christian church new conceptions are coming in concerning the basic nature of Christianity itself and concerning the genius of non-Christian religions. Many there are in Christian and even in mission circles who no longer look upon Christianity as the one true religion, who no longer believe that salvation comes alone through Christ, and who no longer think it necessary that non-Christian religions should be replaced by Christianity. All religions, we are told, are gropings toward God and are avenues to God, and as such are of value and are to be retained, leavening and modifying each other, all contributing to each other, and all merging at length into one universal religion.
Could it be shown that there are ways of salvation other than that which Christianity has to offer, and should it be true that the various non-Christian religions of the world are true pathways leading to God and salvation, then it would not be nearly so vital a matter to give the gospel of Christ to all the world. If the whole system of missions is to be but a process of give and take, if the missionary forces are to set forth their teachings merely to add to and enrich the systems of belief which men already have and which they are to continue to retain, and if in this process Christianity itself is to absorb from other religions those tenets of faith and practice which it is their special province to give—then Christianity after all is not nearly so unique as we have thought it to be, nor is the giving of its message to others a matter of any special urgency.
If Christianity is but a common groping with others toward a light not yet seen, and is not what it was long supposed to be—the revealing to those in darkness of a light which heaven has given for the saving of men—then indeed are Christian missions bound to lose their distinctive force and, character, and the past interest in missions will most certainly wane.
What, after all, is the nature of Christianity and of its distinctive message? And what is the nature of the many other religions scattered over the face of the world? If there is one thing that the Bible sets forth above everything else, it is that it conveys a distinctive message from God to man, given for the purpose of calling man from sin and pointing out to him the way to eternal life. Throughout the ages God sent forth messengers to speak His words to men. These messengers bore the credentials of heaven, and the messages they delivered carried the power and authority of God. All are familiar with God's declarations to Moses, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, showing that they were truly His messengers. (See Ex. 3:14, 15; Isa. 61:1-3; Jer. I :4-9.) And turning to Ezekiel, we find that half the chapters of his book open with the expression, "The word of the Lord came unto me, saying," and the remaining chapters,' with only one or two exceptions, indicate in their opening phrase that the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, that God was commanding him to prophesy, or that the Lord was leading him forth. In the New Testament we find similar testimony recorded concerning John (John I: 6, 7) and Paul (Rom. I:t ; Gal. i ii).
Men of Bible Bore No Ordinary Message
The book of Revelation also shows the certainty of God's word and the folly of adding to it or taking away therefrom. (See Rev. 1.:1-3; 22:17-19.) The men sent forth by God bore no ordinary message. They went forth as ambassadors for God, carrying the messages of Heaven. These messages were words of life, given for the saving of men, and were trifled with only at infinite peril. Of the greatest interest and importance, however, is the fact that God sent forth not only His servants, the apostles and prophets, but He also sent forth His only-begotten Son to speak to men the words of life and to offer Himself as ..a sacrifice for the salvation of men. (See John 3:16-18.) This Son who came to the world to bring men back to God was the One who had created heaven and earth. John I:3, 10-12.
Read Matthew 1 :21, 23 and Luke 2:10, II concerning the birth of Jesus; Matthew 3:16, 17 concerning His baptism; Matthew 16:16; 27:54 concerning His identity; Luke 1:32, 33 concerning His future glory and power. Still more explicit is the testimony of Jesus. concerning Himself and His work. He. says:
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven : if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever." John 6:51. "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." John 7 :37, 38. "I am the light of the world : he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8 :12. "I am the resurrection, and the life : he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live : and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die." John 1 :25, 26. "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me." John 12 :32. "Let not your heart be troubled : ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions : if 'it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself ; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:1-3,
As Jesus was about to leave the earth and return to His Father in heaven, He gave to His disciples His last commission: "All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost : teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Matt. 28: 18-20.
It would be difficult for the word of God to be more explicit concerning the nature of Jesus and of His distinctive Message and work. We are told that He Was the Son of God and the Creator of the world; that He was sent into the world to become the Saviour of men; that those who believe, on Him will have everlasting life and that those who refuse to believe will be condemned; that He has gone to prepare a place for us and will return to receive us unto Himself ; that we are to go forth to all nations, teaching them to observe all things that Jesus commanded us, and that in the doing of this He will be with us, even to the end of the world.
Our commission has been given to us. What we are told to do is to go forth and give to the'world the distinctive message that God has given us. Beyond that work the church has no commission whatever from its Lord. Beyond that, no commission is needed, and beyond that commission we dare not go. The message delivered to us was God's gospel message for the saving of the world. There is nothing that the world can add to that message, and there is nothing that we dare subtract. Corning to the world as Jesus did—the Son of God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, the Judge of all mankind, the Saviour of the world, the Giver of everlasting life, the Lord who is to return to reign forever as King of kings and Lord of lords—He gave to man a gospel at once authoritative and complete for the saving of the lost, and it would but be the height of folly and presumption for any among earth's weak and erring mortals to attempt to tamper in any wise with His words of Heaven-inspired, eternal truth.
The message of Christianity is indeed God's message to man. It is the one message of vital consequence to the world. That message was given for the saving of the world. Building thereon, we build upon a rock, and we may rear a structure that time or tide may never efface. Failing to build thereon, we but build upon a foundation of shifting sand, and we but rear a structure which will go down in ruin. The world is finding itself in such desperate straits today because it has chosen to disregard the message intended for its salvation. The one great outstanding need of all the world is for the pure, unadulterated message that God has revealed to man. May God grant that we may never allow ourselves to be drawn aside by any of the pleasing fables of men, but that we may continue to give His message in all its purity and power for the saving of the souls of men.
