If we allow the consideration of heathen morality and heathen

Hear, O seekers of truth, the solemn words of Roland Allen, missionary and writer, aflame with zeal for the Gospel: “If we allow the consideration of heathen morality and heathen religion to absolve us from the duty of preaching the gospel we are really deposing Christ from His throne in our own souls.” In this utterance, Allen declares that the Christian’s highest loyalty lies not in the virtues of foreign faiths, nor in the respect for other moral systems, but in the proclamation of Christ as Lord. To withhold the Gospel because another path appears sufficient, he warns, is to deny the supremacy of Christ in one’s own heart.

For what is the throne of Christ but the seat of sovereignty in the human soul? To confess Christ is to yield all allegiance to Him, to proclaim Him as Lord not only of heaven but of every thought and action. Yet when one says, “These others have morality, these others have religion—why preach to them?” one places those systems equal to Christ, and thus dethrones Him. It is not a small neglect, but a grave betrayal, for it is to declare that His cross was unnecessary, that His resurrection was not the world’s central truth, that His Gospel is only one path among many.

Allen spoke from the heart of his missionary labors, in an age when the Church wrestled with the tension between mission and relativism. He saw that admiration for the morality of non-Christian peoples could become an excuse for silence, a way of sparing oneself the burden of proclaiming the Gospel. Yet he warns that such silence is not respect, but disloyalty to the Christ who commanded His disciples to go into all the world. For Christ Himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” To neglect the Gospel in favor of other moralities is to deny the crown of the King.

History shows this tension vividly. Consider the apostle Paul at Athens, who saw the altars to many gods and even one to the “Unknown God.” He did not praise their religion as sufficient; instead, he proclaimed that the God they worshipped without knowledge was the God revealed in Jesus Christ. Had Paul remained silent, out of respect for Athenian philosophy, he would have betrayed his Lord. Instead, he lifted Christ high, and through that boldness, some believed. This is the spirit Allen demands: courage to preach, even when other moralities seem noble.

Yet Allen’s words are not spoken in arrogance, nor in contempt for the morality of others. He does not deny the presence of virtue in the world’s faiths. Rather, he insists that virtue without Christ is not salvation, and that morality without the Gospel cannot reconcile man to God. To elevate morality or religion above Christ is to enthrone man’s wisdom above divine revelation. Thus, the missionary’s task is not to despise other cultures, but to lovingly bear witness that all goodness finds its fulfillment in Christ, and that without Him, the throne of the soul is left empty.

The lesson is clear: do not be lulled into silence by admiration alone. Respect the goodness you see in others, but do not let that respect rob you of your duty to proclaim Christ. Remember that the Christian calling is not only to live the Gospel but also to speak it. If you withhold the message out of fear, convenience, or misplaced tolerance, you are not only denying others the chance to know Him—you are dethroning Him within yourself.

So I say to you, children of faith: guard the throne of your soul. Let no philosophy, no morality, no religion take the place of Christ. Honor the virtues of men, but proclaim the One who is the source of all virtue. Preach with humility, but preach with boldness. For to be silent when commanded to speak is to betray your King. Let Allen’s words burn within you: Christ must remain enthroned, and the Gospel must be preached—for in this lies both loyalty to Him and love for the world.