Covenanter Witness Vol. 53 - Rparchives.org

man"sinlessness."also."me?"ask?"pay."affliction"church."BOOK REVIEWSThree MacMillan PublicationsYour God Is Too Small. Making Men Whole.Plain Christianity, by J. B. Phillips.The first book, "Your God Is Too Small" emphasizes the truth that people will not worship the Lordunlessthey know Him as great enough to demandtheir loyalty and service. The first section deals withthe limited ideas about God which some people have.To some He is a mere policeman; to others He ismerely "a grand old who distributes His giftsto all ; to others He is just "mild." But He is far bigger than all these little ideas about Him. He is farbigger than all the churches, and no one church hasany monoply of Him. Then the author turns to consider God as He is revealed in Christ. Because JesusChrist is God, then "here is Truth, here is the character of God, and true Design for life, the authenticYard-stick for values, the reliable correcting or confirming of all groping and inklings about Beauty,next."Truth andGoodness, about this world and theThere may be a few sentences with which thereader will not agree, but the author makes clear theneed for Jesus Christ. He alone could say, "He thathath seen Me, hath seen the Father." It means everything to us that He did reveal the Father.It is a book of 140 pages and sells for $2.00. Itis interesting reading.The second book, "Making Men Whole," startswith the fact that we are distressed and have manyproblems. Because of these there is a need for thatwhich will strengthen and give hope to us. We do notneed to be overwhelmed by these problems for this isGod's world, and there is, for all who want it, a rightway of meeting the complexities of our situation.Nothing less than a world wide King and Shepherdcan do for our world what needs to be done. God hasplaced His people here to carry on His work of reconciliation and has given us resources for this work.One resource, he exaggerates. "Indeed, I think we doGod and ourselves a disservice by continually harpingon our own sinfulness. We do very much more good ifwe honestly believe and reckon upon our capacity,through Christ, of It is true that Christdoes give strength, but He does not give strength forsinlessness. But there is completeness in Him. Thebook does have much that is good and helpful. It is abook of 73 pages and sells for $1.50.The third book, "Plain Christianity" is a seriesof nine radio addresses. These deal with differentsubjects. Two have the title, "Plain Christianity."Another deals with the modern translations of theNew Testament. Another deals with the sense ofsin, and another with the Holy Spirit and JesusChrist. These are interesting, well prepared addreses,but some statements are rather puzzling. He sayson page 20, "I have not time to attempt to deal withtheories of the Atonement, and indeed, I am not surethat what we could never do has been done by JesusChrist."That can be truth or it can be somethingelse. It all depends upon what it means. But this istime, "I don't honestly see how we are going to getChrist."into contact with God without It is an interreadable book of 87 pages and sells for $1.65.esting,250*R. C. F.Tither's CornerD. H. ElliottPROVE IT"Are you a Christian ?""Certainly! Why do you"Do you love God?""Why do you ask me such insinuating questions ?""Oh, I was just following suggestions of Paul inthe 8th chapter of First Corinthians. He merely asksfor proof. It is easier to say than it is toNow that we have listened in on this imaginedconversation let us turn to the passage and listenin to what the Holy Spirit says. The whole chapteris about Christian giving.Paul commends the churches of Macedonia because even in "great trial of they abounded in liberality. They generously gave of their substance, but they "first gave their own selves to theLord."Without that our gifts have no merit in thesight of God.Then in verse 7 we read: "as we abound ineverything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge,and in all diligence, in your love to us, see that yeabound in this grace What "grace also ?" Whythe grace of giving which is carried through thechapter.This clearly implies that we may have faith,ability to speak, knowledge of the truth, zeal andeven love for the brethren and still come short of ourduty in the grace of giving.An aged pastor with 30 years in one pastoratetold me of young married families which when theyhad little gave forty dollars a year to support thechurch. Now, he said, they have become prosperousand own their farms but "they still stick to theirforty dollars a year for the"Do you love We answer, "Thou knowestthat I love thee."Verse 24 applies the test."Show ye to them and before the churches theproof of your love."The proof called for here is Christian giving.^'GENTLEMEN OF THE JURY'(Missionary Review of the World)Some years ago a prominent French jurist wasattorney for a murderer. In his final address to thejury he said: "Gentlemen of the Jury! My task isvery easy. The accused has confessed; a defense isimpossible, and yet I want to add a few words. There,on the wall, I see the picture of the crucified Christand I pay homage to Him. There hangs the picturein this hall of justice, where you condemn the guilty."But why do we not hear anything of Him in ourpublic schools to which we send our children? Whydoes the murderer, for the first time in his life, seethe crucified One here in this hall, where the law willpunish him? If the attention of my client had beendirected to the Christ when he sat on the benches ofthe school, he would not now sit here facing infamy."Yes, it is you, gentlemen, whom I accuse. Youthat brag, with your education and your culture,and yet are barbarous ; who spread atheism and lustamong the people and then are astonished when thevulgarity."people reply with crime andCOVENANTER WITNESS