Christianity as a means to an end or mere accesory

Due to lack of time and sleep deprivation, I’m simply going to put up a simply spectacular quote from J. Gresham Machen’s unfathomably helpful book Christianity and Liberalism.

“For if one
thing is plain it is that Christianity refuses to be regarded as a mere
means to a higher end.6 Our Lord made that perfectly clear when He
said: “If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother . . . he
cannot be my disciple” (Luke xiv. 26). Whatever else those stupendous

words may mean, they certainly mean that the relationship to Christ
takes precedence of all other relationships, even the holiest of relationships
like those that exist between husband and wife and parent and
child. Those other relationships exist for the sake of Christianity and
not Christianity for the sake of them. Christianity will indeed accomplish
many useful things in this world, but if it is accepted in order to
accomplish those useful things it is not Christianity. Christianity will
combat Bolshevism; but if it is accepted in order to combat Bolshevism,
it is not Christianity: Christianity will produce a unified nation, in a
slow but satisfactory way; but if it is accepted in order to produce a
unified nation, it is not Christianity: Christianity will produce a healthy
community; but if it is accepted in order to produce a healthy community,
it is not Christianity: Christianity will promote international
peace; but if it is accepted in order to promote international peace, it is
not Christianity.”

---