REAL Christianity -- William Wilberforce, the man God used to end the African slave trade

Hi. I wanted to share with you a book that meant a lot to both David and me by William Wilberforce called Real Christianity. This is an abridged version of the original work from 1829. We have talked about William Wilberforce. He was a very influential person in the abolition of slavery. The real title of his book, get this, was A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians in the Higher and Middle Classes in this Country, contrasted with Real Christianity. So you can see why they decided to retitle it Real Christianity. This book was written to kind of talk about the problems with cultural Christians or Christians who kind of just adopt their Christianity from their parents. Anyways, we'll do a little bio description that's written in the preface of the book just so that you remember who William Wilberforce was. He entered Parliament at the age of 21. Wilberforce became the close friend of William Pitt, the young Prime Minister of Britain. He could have succeeded Pitt in his political leadership if he had preferred party to mankind, but at the age of 25 he became a committed Christian and henceforth he confessed that, quoting Wilberforce, God Almighty has put before me two great objects, the abolition of the slave trade and the reformation of the manners of England. It was for this latter purpose that Wilberforce wrote this book. Among those who were profoundly influenced by it were people as diverse as the politician Edmund Burke and the agriculturalist Arthur Young. It may also be said that the publication of this book marked the beginning of serious concern for evangelical Christianity among the upper classes in England during the 19th century. By the end of Wilberforce's life there was no one more universally honored as an Englishman than he was. For the main credit for the abolition of the slave trade belongs to William Wilberforce. Behind that lay his consuming drive to manifest real Christianity. So I wanted to give you a sample of his writing. So here, this is the first page. He shoots from the hip. It is proper at this time to point out the very inadequate conception which professing Christians entertain of the importance, nature, and superior excellence of Christianity. If we listen to their conversation, virtue is praised and vice is censured. Piety is perhaps applauded and profanity condemned. So far all is well, but let anyone who is not deceived by these barren generalities examine these Christians' profession a little closer. He will find they do not pay homage to in particular. At best they pay homage to religion in general, perhaps to mere morality. With Christianity, professing Christians are little acquainted. Their views of Christianity have been so cursory and superficial that they have little more than perceived those exterior circumstances which distinguish it from other forms of religion. These circumstances are some few facts and perhaps some leading doctrines and principles of which they cannot be wholly ignorant. But of the consequences, relations, and practical uses of these principles, they have few ideas or none at all. Does the language seem too strong in speaking of professing Christians? View their plan of life, their ordinary conduct. Wherein can we discern the points of difference between them and acknowledged unbelievers? In an age in which infidelity abounds, do we observe them carefully instructing their children in the principles of faith which they profess? Or do they furnish their children with arguments for the defense of that faith? They would blush on their child's birth to think him inadequate in any branch of knowledge or any skill pertaining to his station in life. He cultivates these skills with becoming diligence, but he is left to collect his religion as he may. The study of Christianity has formed no part of his education. His attachment to it, where any attachment to it exists at all, is too often not the preference of sober reason and conviction. Instead, his attachment to Christianity is merely the result of early and groundless preposition. He was born in a Christian country, so of course he is a Christian. His father was a member of the Church of England, so that is why he is too. When religion is handed down among us by hereditary succession, it is not surprising to find youth of sense and spirit beginning to question the truth of the system in which they were brought up. And it is not surprising to see them abandon a position which they are unable to defend. Also on page 4, he says, How criminal, then, must this voluntary ignorance of Christianity and the Word of God appear in the sight of God, when God of His goodness has granted us such abundant means of instruction? How great must be the guilt, and how awful must be the punishment of voluntary ignorance? So it made me think about my background, having come from the Jehovah's Witnesses. When we left the Watchtower, sometimes we were invited to speak at churches and tell them our experience. And we were asking their help in reaching Jehovah's Witnesses. And I remember I used to start by saying, I thank God I was a Jehovah's Witness. That usually got a few gasps in the audience. But the reason was that I think it makes you, having gone through an experience like that, makes you appreciate the importance of truth, and the importance of being able to articulate why you believe something. Know the reasons, know the answers to questions that people have about faith. Whereas if you grow up in the church, sometimes they will just sort of carry along and think their children are okay without the instruction. This is a problem. So I think there was an advantage to having been a Jehovah's Witness, because it makes me more serious now. And it makes me want to examine things, and not just accept them blindly, which too often happens. So the next time we're going to talk about Wilberforce's thoughts on the seriousness of the condition we're in. So really a study of man, and our nature, and our problem. This time we're going to link to why Jesus. We did a series on why Jesus, which is all the arguments against Christianity presented, and you know, satisfactory answers that could be given. And also to how can you know you are a Christian, which David did a video on, talking about a book of John's thoughts.