APR 20

Isaiah 59:19
Memorise Isaiah 59:19
“The spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard…”

WHO WAS J. GRESHAM MACHEN? (I)

Rev. Timothy Tow wisely observes in his book “The Singapore B-P Church Story”: ‘All the Synods and Assemblies of the Church, all the Boards and Directors of the theological institutions, were unwieldy trappings if not sitting ducks to the modernist onslaughts. In the history of salvation, God has not used councils and committees, but always a man to accomplish His purpose.’ The man that God raised in the early part of the 20th century was Dr. J. Gresham Machen. He rose to be one of the most eloquent spokesmen for the evangelical position in the “fundamentalism vs. liberalism” controversy of the 1920s and 1930s.

The enemy came in like a flood. Many of them were Presbyterian ministers who vowed on their ordination to uphold the Word of God, yet spent the rest of their lives preaching doctrines contrary to the Word of God. Machen was the standard whom the Lord lifted up against this enemy. Christianity’s strongholds in the great Presbyterian Church in the USA were capitulating to modernism.

Princeton Seminary, where Machen studied and later taught in, was the last bastion of faith remaining. As the pen is mightier than the sword, he wrote extensively to defend the old faith. Alas, the battle was lost when the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church voted to place the board of the Seminary in the hands of the modernists. The only course Machen could take was separation and so Westminster Seminary was founded.

Dear teen, have you noticed throughout the Bible God’s method of dealing with falsehood was to send a man of His own choosing to lead His people to the truth? This was especially so in the days of the judges when judges like Gideon and Samson fought against the enemies to bring peace to the land. This was also so in the days of Elijah and Elisha when the kings of Israel were evil. Can you think of any more examples?

Thought: “There is no such thing as presenting truth without attacking error.” Gresham Machen.
Prayer: Our loving and gracious Father in heaven, thank You for Your love and grace that has not left us without hope and help when the situation seems hopeless.