What Is the Church According to Christianity, and How Does It Differ from Liberalism?

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At the heart of Christianity lies not only a personal relationship with Jesus Christ but a communal fellowship of the redeemed—a people called out by God, united by faith in the gospel, and gathered into a visible body: the Church. This ecclesiastical community is not a social construct designed for mutual inspiration or moral advancement; it is a divine institution, the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22–23), composed of those who have been justified by faith and sanctified by the Spirit. Here, the final point of divergence between Christianity and modern liberalism is seen most clearly. The differences concern not merely forms of worship or organization but the very definition, mission, and membership of the Church.

The Nature of the Church: Spiritual Fellowship, Not Human Fraternity

Liberalism proclaims a “brotherhood of humanity,” which Christianity affirms only in a limited sense. All human beings are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and are descended from one common ancestor (Acts 17:26), establishing a shared nature. But Christianity teaches a deeper bond—a spiritual brotherhood available only to those who have been redeemed by Christ’s blood and born again by the Holy Spirit (John 1:12–13). This is the true fellowship of the saints, and it cannot be attained through moral improvement or social reform but only through the saving work of Christ.

This distinction is essential. Liberalism reduces the Church to a humanitarian organization focused on ethical influence, shared ideals, or common service projects. But Christianity insists the Church is fundamentally a supernatural community, formed by divine action and bound by truth. As such, its message, mission, and membership are defined not by sentiment or solidarity but by Scripture and confession.

The Mission of the Church: Proclaiming the Gospel, Not Advancing Ethics

The Church exists to proclaim the gospel—the good news of Christ’s death for sin and resurrection for life. While this gospel inevitably transforms lives and societies, its primary aim is spiritual regeneration, not social uplift. It deals not first with the symptoms of sin in culture but with sin itself in the human heart.

Modern liberalism reverses this order. Its version of the Church seeks to reform institutions through ethical teachings like the Golden Rule, often apart from or even in opposition to doctrines like substitutionary atonement or original sin. Such a program may achieve moral progress in appearance, but without addressing humanity’s spiritual need, it builds a house on sand (Matthew 7:26–27). According to Christianity, the only enduring transformation comes through conversion and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, producing the fruit of righteousness in individuals who, together, form the Church.

The Integrity of the Church: Confession and Separation

The Church, as the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15), must guard its message with unwavering clarity. That message is defined not by personal feeling or cultural trend but by the objective truths revealed in Scripture and summarized in its creeds. To this end, the Church must maintain doctrinal integrity, especially among its leaders.

Here, liberalism again stands in opposition. It insists that doctrinal disagreements should not divide the Church—that ministers can deny key confessions, reinterpret core doctrines, or openly reject supernatural claims while retaining leadership in evangelical churches. But such an approach is intellectually dishonest and spiritually destructive.

Church officers in confessional traditions (like Presbyterianism or Anglicanism) must affirm clear vows at ordination, committing to uphold the Bible as God’s Word and their denomination’s doctrinal standards as a faithful summary of that Word. To take such vows with mental reservations or contrary beliefs is to break trust with the Church and its Lord.

The Demand for Honesty: Unity Through Truth, Not Compromise

Liberalism’s appeal for unity—on the basis of service rather than truth—is presented as magnanimous, but it is actually deeply narrow. It presumes that truth claims can be set aside for organizational harmony, ignoring that for conservative Christians, doctrines like Christ’s atonement are not peripheral but central to salvation. Asking believers to minimize such truths is not inclusive; it is coercive.

A true unity—what Scripture calls “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3)—is not achieved by suppressing convictions but by sharing them. The Church cannot unite with those who preach another gospel (Galatians 1:6–9). Such unity is not peace but treason.

The only honorable path forward for liberals who reject historic Christian doctrine is honest separation. If they cannot affirm the creeds of evangelical churches in their plain and historic sense, they should withdraw, as many Unitarians did in centuries past. This may involve painful sacrifices, but integrity is worth the cost. Such a move would bring clarity, improve dialogue, and restore peace. It would also prevent the misuse of church resources—funds given by believers to spread the gospel—being diverted to undermine that very message.

The Peril of Institutional Betrayal

Modern churches face an anomalous situation: organizations built on confessions of faith are being directed by leaders who do not believe those confessions. This betrayal confuses the faithful, weakens the witness of the Church, and diverts gospel resources to opposing causes. It undermines the trust of congregants who assume their offerings support missions aligned with biblical teaching. No faithful Christian can, in good conscience, support institutions that promote another gospel.

The only faithful response is doctrinal vigilance, especially in theological education, ministerial ordination, and pulpit selection. Church officers must not permit vague answers or evasive statements in candidates for ministry. They must ask: “Does this man preach Christ crucified? Does he love the gospel, not merely avoid denying it?” Nothing less can sustain the Church.

The Need for Christian Education

A critical cause of this crisis is widespread ignorance of Christianity, even among church members. This ignorance stems not merely from secular education systems but from the false belief that Christianity is a lifestyle, not a doctrine. When faith is reduced to emotional experience or ethical example, doctrinal teaching disappears. The result is a generation that cannot distinguish liberalism from biblical Christianity.

To recover the Church, Christians must renew catechesis and instruction, beginning in the home and extending through every means available. Churches must once again teach their people what the Bible says, what the Church believes, and why it matters. Without this foundation, Christianity cannot survive in the modern world.

Hope in the Midst of Crisis

The modern Church faces a deep crisis. Liberalism—naturalistic, anti-supernatural, and man-centered—has invaded its pulpits and leadership. In many places, faithful Christians struggle to find congregations where the gospel is preached. But the situation is not without hope. God has preserved His Church through darker times—the Gnostic heresies of the second century, the legalism of the medieval Church, and the rationalism of the Enlightenment. He will do so again.

What matters now is that Christians be faithful. They must contend for the faith, support true ministers, and separate from false teaching when necessary. They must cling to Christ, not merely as a moral example or spiritual guide, but as the Savior who died for their sins and rose for their justification (Romans 4:25). They must love the Church, not as a social club or ethical forum, but as the gathering of the redeemed, the bride of Christ, and the household of God.

Wherever a group gathers in Jesus’ name to worship the Father and rejoice in the gospel, there the true Church exists (Matthew 18:20). Such groups may be small or scattered, but they are God’s remnant, His light in the darkness, His salt in the earth. From such gatherings, rivers of life will flow (Ezekiel 47:1–12). The institutional Church may rise or fall, but the spiritual body of Christ will endure, and through it, God will bring renewal again.

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About the Author

J. Gresham Machen (1881–1937) was a prominent American theologian and New Testament scholar, known for his staunch defense of orthodox Christianity against the rising tide of theological liberalism in the early 20th century. His works continue to be influential among conservative Christian scholars and lay readers alike.