It is always a bad day for the church, as history abundantly testifies, when it begins to deal in doctrines [42] and schemes of salvation in the abstract. Nor is it good to make a special plea of loyalty to "the cause" and to "principles." That is a mistake. What God wants is a personal trust--a true, loving devotion and unshakable loyalty toward the Lord Jesus Christ himself. That is the essence and gist of it all. The highest loyalty to cause and doctrine follows of itself if the right relation to Christ exists and all things are done in reference to him. But to handle doctrines and arguments and "points," to hold these things as valuable in themselves, and to suppose that they constitute Christianity, is like leaving the central sun out of the solar system, while taking all manner of pains to have each planet in its proper path. But how can they keep their orbit when the central attraction is not there? There is not too much doctrinal preaching, but too much doctrinal preaching without vital reference to Christ; too much pleading for the cause, when little or no personal devotion to the Lord exists; too much exhorting to be loyal--to an abstract "scheme" or "plan." Such religion is like that of the Pharisees, who, in their solicitude for ceremonies, overlooked the great commandment; and it has no real power over the hearts of men. Preach Christ.

[TAG 42-43]