Chapter X

Give God all the Place

The principles of Christ Christianized multitudes of people. The Christianizing of these people fixed in them the rights of conscience. It was so fixed upon them that they would die rather than yield. That was genuine Christianity. They held to that principle, at the expense of every other consideration. Pagans were so impressed by their integrity that they pled "right to conscience" when occasion offered.

This illustrates the principles which we are studying: That Christianity, if held faithfully by those who profess it, will exert an influence for good. Macaulay discovered this principle, too, and expressed it in writing of India: "A man need not to be a Christian to desire that Christianity should be spread to India." That tells the whole story. A Christian wants Christianity spread in India for Christ's sake, for the sake of souls who will be Christianized. The man who is not a Christian may wish for Christianity to be in India, for the sake of the good it will due the poor heathen, even if they do not become Christians.

But the mischief has always been, and is yet, that Christianity is not taken and held for what it is by those who profess it. God is not given large enough place in those who profess Him. He cannot demonstrate the real power of Christianity in these people who do not give Him the place that belongs to Him.

Then men lose that divine power and influence. They go about to do by themselves and by human power the things that would be done by the Lord if only they would give Him the place that belongs to Him. That is why professed Christians think they must propose legislation, or get into office, or manage, or dictate to those who do legislate or are in office. And they want to do all these things in "a Christian mold," and make it influential in elevating the people, and bring cities, states, and nations, around to the right way. But that is putting themselves in the place of Jesus Christ; that is putting themselves in the place of God. And that is the papacy all over again; that is worshiping the beast or his image.

Let those who name the name of Christ do it with absolute surrender to God. Give God all the place. Let the influence all be His, let the power all be His, let Him alone be looked to, and depended upon, to do all in all. Then Christians will see the power of God so manifest that they would be ashamed to put themselves forward to give mold or shape to the influence of Christianity.

When people do not give the Lord the place which belongs to Him, and therefore do not see what they expect to see, it is natural that they should begin to think that they are better than the Lord. They think they could do better than He does, and so they must take hold and do the thing their Christianity fails to do. But that, I say again, leaves God out, and put themselves in His place. And by leaving God out, they leave out His power; and by putting themselves in His place, they put into exercise their own power; and that is worldly, earthly, sensual, and, at the last, devilish.^{49 James 3:15}