Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-08-20
BY REV. w. A. GUY

There are many religions in the
world today, but there is only one
worthy of the name of Christian.
Needless to say, men have fire.
auently confused these religions
and have sometimes said it does
not matter much which one we
believe for they are all good. But
if Christ be correct, it makes VI
tai difference what we believe, for
our deeds are q direct outgroWth
of our faith. Christianity differs
from all other religions in several
fundamental principles.
1t Is a religion of revelation. 1t
had its origin not in the MIND or
man but in the heart of God.
Therefore it is God given religion.
Man, by searching, could not find
Cod After all the searching of
the great philosophers of Greece,
we find them still worshiping the
unknown God" So If man is to
know God, He must reveal Him
self to us. This He did through
His Son. As we read in John 1:1S,
time; the only begotten Son, which
Is III llle DOSOlll VI lllc dlhSl, liz
hath declared Him."
Again, Christianity is a religion
of love. Love is its controlling mo-
tive. Love is to be the test Of our
discipleship. by this shall all
men know that, ye are my disci-
pies, if We have love one to an
other" (John 1880, 1t was love
that moved the heart of God to
save the world. God so loved the
world that He gave His only be-
gotten Son that whatsoever believ-
eth in Him should not perish, but
have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
This note of love is distinctively
Christian. You do not find it in
the non-Christian religions of the
world. Their controlling motive
is fear, but I'VE love Him because
He first loved u.s."
Christianity is a religion of SAL
walton. In this. too, it is distinc-
tive. Other men had dreamed of
conquering the world, only the
Christ planned to save the world.
The whole Bible is summarized in
one word, redemption" 1t is
Gods purpose. through Jesus
Christ, to redeem the world from
sin. Leave out the note of re-
demption from Christianity and
you have lost true Christianity.
Leave out Jesus as a personal sa
vior, and you have cut out the
very heart of the whole Christian
system. In fact, you cannot have
"Christless Christianity" for
when Christ is gone, all is gone.
Well has 1T been said that much
that passes for Christianity today
is simply a bad and dangerous
mixture of heather philosophy.
pagan superstition, Judaism and a
little Christianity. Some speak of
this mixture as a Christian pa
ganism." DR.. Charles T.. Aked
speaks of it as follows: much
that is now called Christianity is
not Christianity at ALL 1t is no
part of Christianity. 1t is not in
any way related to the Christianity
of Jesus Christ" The Bible knows
nothing about Christian paganism.
Jesus taught that his gospel was
something distinct, different that
a man could not be two different
things at once. Jesus said "a man
is either for Me or against Me-"
lie is either a Christian or he Is
not. We used to speak of the
German-American. There is no
longer such thing as a German
American; man is, at heart,
either a German or an American.
SO in Christ's sight there is no
such thing as Christian-p aganism,
or Christian rationalsm. A man
is either one or the other. He
cannot be both at the same time.
Much of this confusion in our
thinking came into existence dur
ing the war. Just as the war shook
nations from their foundations,
and kings from their thrones, so
to it shook many good people from
their religious moorings. Some
religious leaders who went over
seas to help the boys keep their
faith forgot their mission in the
multitude of other things. One
minister said. Il went over to