J. Gresham Machen—Depending on Christ

On January 1, 1937 J. Gresham Machen dictated a telegram from his hospital bed in Bismarck, North Dakota to his friend and colleague John Murray, in which he said, “I’m so thankful for active obedience of Christ. No hope without it.” Machen lay dying of pneumonia and had been unconscious for much of the day. During one of his waking moments he made this last written communication and died that evening.

According to Machen’s biographer Ned Stonehouse:

The reference to the active obedience of Christ finds its background in a sermon on that theme which he had preached over the radio on December 20^th. Previously he had been discussing the doctrine with Murray, as he occasionally did other topics with which he dealt. And now that he realized that he was about to pass over the river into the eternal city, he bore testimony to the confidence that he reposed in the substitutionary atonement of Christ. And so he gave expression to the conviction that he had assurance not only of remission of sin and its penalty but also of being accepted as perfectly obedient and righteous, and so an heir of eternal life, because of the perfect obedience of Christ to the divine will. And it was most characteristic of Machen that, even in his agony, he wanted to express his exultant faith to one who shared it with him in rich measure. His eyes were upon Christ as his living hope. But he was also virtually thanking his colleague for his contribution to the appreciation of that doctrine as they had discussed it together on the basis of the Word of God. (J. Gresham Machen: A Biographical Memoir, p. 508)

Machen was the leader of the newly-founded Orthodox Presbyterian Church and had many duties pressing upon him. It was his sense of duty that took him from Philadelphia to North Dakota for scheduled meetings when his health was poor. His duties back east were driving him to return home when the doctor at the hospital refused to let him go. Shortly before entering the hospital Machen had said, “I can’t die now. I have so much work to do” (Stonehouse, p. 507). However, when God’s timing became evident to him, he submitted himself. Regardless of his position in life or the work that his position involved, Machen rested and rejoiced in his mighty Savior, who had perfectly obeyed the Father in the sinner’s place, even to the point of death on a cross.

The “active obedience of Christ” is what saw Machen through life and would now see him through the river of death to Heaven. Because the righteousness that Christ earned in our place while on earth is imputed to the believer, God sees that believer as perfectly obedient and righteous in His Son. Do we have this kind of confidence? Do we know that God laid all our sins on His Son, who paid the full price for them? Do we know that God credits His Son’s earned righteousness to the believer’s account? Do we have a place in these spiritual blessings?

J. Gresham Machen preaches a timely New Year’s Day sermon to us. Just as he didn’t live to see another day on earth, neither do we have the promise of tomorrow, let alone another New Year. What can be our only true hope in life and our comfort in death? The fact that while we were still disobedient sinners, Jesus perfectly obeyed God in our place, died in our place, and ever lives in Heaven to intercede for us. Are we thankful for the active obedience of Christ? No hope without it.

J. Gresham Machen—Depending on Christ