The Effects of Femininity on Our Culture, Part IV: Our Identification of Sound Churches

 One work that everyone can and should read is Machen's Christianity and Liberalism. The most significant point, I believe, is when Machen argues that Liberalism should not be understood in terms of what it believes, but how it believes it. In other words, Machen argued that one cannot really determine the difference between liberal churches and Christian churches by what doctrines they affirm. Instead, one must ask whether or not it is necessary for one to affirm them in order to be a Christian. 

There are liberal churches that preach all sorts of Christian things. They just don't preach these doctrines authoritatively. Christians believe the Trinity, the incarnation, the virgin birth. It's great if you do, but not necessary.

Today, even if these churches do teach these particular doctrines authoritatively, they don't teach certain Christian ethics authoritatively. Certain ethics are taught as ideals but not necessary and in this regard these churches are antinomian. "You shouldn't divorce, but . . ." "Homosexuality isn't God's best, but . . ." These ethics are ideal but not evidence of one's spiritual condition before God. Voddie Baucham once argued that most sermons that preach against homosexuality begin with a fifteen-minute apology that explains how much the preacher is really on the side of the homosexual by wanting what is best for them. We want to make sure that everyone knows we're not authoritatively telling them what is right but suggesting to them what is best.

I would argue that the modern church's tendency toward appeal rather than command is of the same animal. A church that teaches the things of God in terms of appeal is not teaching the same religion as the church that teaches the things of God in terms of command. 

A good indicator of whether a church has sat under a teaching of appeal will be that there will be people with all sorts of beliefs and ethical practices that feel completely unjudged by the church in those areas even though they are contrary to the positions of the church. The church is seen as a safe space for these people because, even though they believe and do what is contrary to what is preached, the nature of appeal implies that there is no necessity to change in order to be a part of that community. In other words, these are ideals but not necessary. 

What this means is that a liberal church should not be identified simply as one that denies the Trinity or teaches that transgenderism is acceptable, but rather as any church that creates an environment of appeal rather than one of command when it comes to the teaching of the Word of God. Andy Stanley may say that homosexuality isn't God's ideal but he doesn't want to impose those ideals on sinners in any authoritative manner that would exclude them from Christianity, as long as they accept Jesus as their savior.

What that means is that many people in the West go to liberal churches even though the doctrinal statements of those churches would say otherwise. And, according to Machen, Liberalism is not Christianity. It is a different religion. Apostasy is not always so explicit. Heresy is more often a subtle denial of the importance of a vital teaching rather than an outright, explicit rejection of it.