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TOPIC: Gordon, Samuel Dickey - Quiet Talks on Life After Death (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 33. Some War-time Teachings
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Some War-time Teachings
Without doubt the common feeling today in all our churches is that a man will "pull safely through somehow." Regardless of his belief or lack of it, regardless of his manner of life, he will finally get safely past all danger of this thing called punishment or hell; things will go "all right" with him.
Of quite recent years a certain type of evangelist has had a swing throughout our American cities, truly remarkable for some features of such, effort. They are widely endorsed as preaching "the old Gospel." Their frequent reference to future punishment has been one of the prominent features.
But blunt plainness of speech has run into a usage of the words "hell" and "damned," and, the like, that is such an imitation of common vulgar profanity as to be really blasphemous, and to make one cringe.
And the common attitude of the crowds toward the subject itself is quickly and painfully revealed in the peals of laughter and the applause greeting all such references. It seems plainly a matter of merriment to them, so far has the pendulum swung the other way.
The war has intensified tremendously some good tendencies, and a great many very bad ones. And certainly this matter has not escaped its evil contagion. On both sides the water the teaching has been common that if a soldier made his so-called supreme sacrifice in action, that that would absolutely secure his salvation. This has been repeated so commonly and so positively as to have been accepted by the crowds.
Certainly no loyal Britisher nor American would wish to diminish one whit recognition of the splendid sacrifice made by thousands of soldiers during the war. But it is surely a great unkindness, a grievous wrong, to those men, not to say more just now, so to deceive them, and that on the very edge of possible death.
A minister friend told me of an experience he had. He was visiting one of our great soldier camps. He was trying to tell the real Gospel story, tactfully, winningly and fully. A soldier with serious face came to his quarters one night after service.
He said, "We men have been discussing this thing down our street, and we had it settled that if we die in action, our salvation's secured. That's what we've been told. Now, you say there must be something else to fix things for us. We men are all mixed up. And my friend tried in his brotherly fashion to make things clear.
Recently at an international convention of rescue mission workers, it was the common agreement among the delegates that this idea was so inbred with ex-service men that it immensely hindered efforts to win them to a simple faith in Christ.
Very thoughtfully it can be said that everywhere this is the commonplace of belief regarding any such thing as punishment in the after life for wrong doing. It simply isn't so. That's the common thought. It is the extreme swing of the pendulum from the other extreme teaching of the Church in earlier centuries and even recent years.
These are two extremes. At one extreme hell is practically the biggest thing in the universe, with heaven a small affair, comparatively. At the other extreme there is no hell at all. It is quite rubbed out.
You say, "that's putting it too strong isn't it? Hell the biggest thing?" No, that is the simple direct logical conclusion of the common teaching for centuries. Those who have been in the membership of the Church in pre-Protestant days, and the members of the Catholic Church since, are a distinct minority of the whole race, even reckoning, as was done, that all subjects of Catholic countries were, and are, members of the Church. Indeed it would be quite fair to say a small minority, as one thinks through the gradual spread of Church authority in European lands during early centuries.
And then, recalling the common Protestant qualification for salvation, which, of course, is the Scriptural one, all those who have heard of Jesus Christ since He was on earth, in any way, would be a somewhat less-small minority, and all who have accepted Him even nominally are a distinctly smaller minority. And beyond that point we won't push just now.
Now, think around the earth, and think through the long centuries. Quite clearly, ac-cording to the common interpretation of both qualifications, the vast majority must be reckoned outside, consigned to endless woe. That's the plain logical conclusion. Is it surprising that the swing has been so strong toward the no-hell extreme? We shall find the truth in between these two extremes.