Dear Friends,
It seems to have become an accepted fact now that the food that we generally eat in our western world is far too “refined” for our good. What we require more of in our diet, we are told, is “roughage” – that essential ingredient that belongs to a healthy system and helps produce a healthy system. We wonder if there isn’t a spiritual counterpart to all this, and if it isn’t the case that a proper intake of “fibre” is being neglected in some areas of some Christians’ thinking and action.
What we mean is this: there will always be a tendency within the human heart to endeavour to “refine” some of the more rugged and demanding aspects of the Christian life and the Christian gospel. This can be done, of course, at a base level, to make the gospel and the Christian life more palatable to ourselves; but it can also be done with a sincere desire to make the gospel and the Christian life more presentable to others. “If others see that we are just like themselves, etc., - then ….” The truth is, of course, that Christians are not like others; and the constant danger is that in endeavouring to show that we can “take our part in this world,” we only end up by showing that this world is still too much a part of us.
Over the past number of years, we have been accustomed to the use of the word “Reformed” in various aspects of the Church’s life. There are Reformed Baptists, and Reformed Presbyterians, and Reformed Evangelicals – and so forth. We would like to suggest, (without wishing to add to the titles etc.,) that perhaps the time has come for some to begin viewing themselves as Reformed “fundamentalists”!
Fundamentalism, of course, is an old term, and it really has its roots in that protest that was made against the inroads of modernism and liberalism into the professing churches of Christ in the last century. What it simply amounted to was that those who came under the designation held to the “fundamentals” of the Christian faith; what where sometimes describes as “Three Rs” – Ruin by the Fall, Redemption by the Blood; Regeneration by the Spirit. It’s a good basis, and we wouldn’t go all that far adrift if we ever had it before our eyes.
Old fundamentalism, however, wasn’t only concerned about what a person professed to believe, but how they actually lived; and although there were some “abuses” of the principle, and mismanagement of the principle, the principle was a very straight-forward and Biblical one, viz – that “if any man be in Christ he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.” In other words, when a person professed to be Redeemed by the blood, and Regenerated by the Spirit, it was evident in their life. There were things that they used to do that they no longer did; there were things that they had no interest in before that now became central in their lives. There were certain things that they gave up, and certain things that they took up. It was as simple as that; as whereas some aspects of it might be held up to question in some people’s minds today, it had that over-all feature of “roughage” that was less dangerous to the system than much of the “refined” processes that our spiritual diets have become accustomed to today.
Old fundamentalism didn’t spend a lot of time in analysing the word to see how far it could venture into it while still retaining some kind of a Christian testimony; it “separated” from it. And even if it did over-react in some areas, no one will question that it is safer to stand six feet from the edge of a cliff that six inches. Old fundamentalism didn’t try to apologetically “explain” the bible to that most elusive of characters, “modern man” it unapologetically preached the Bible. “oh, yes,” say some, “but some of its exegesis and exposition wasn’t up to scratch.” Perhaps not, but whiles it preached a heaven to gain and a hell to shun it was concentrating more on its office and commission than all the dissertations and niceties of our day put together. Old fundamentalism didn’t look to “infiltrate and influence” denominational structures and churches where Christ was denied and His gospel spurned; it withdrew from such. Flirting with a corrupt world or a corrupted denomination both had their dangers – they infected and influenced. It has always amazed us that those who go into rotten churches or denominations to “influence” them, don’t consider for one minute that they themselves might be the ones who will be influenced. Influence is a two-way process, and sad to say, the record bears out the fact that many who “went in,” or “stayed in,” to influence, ended up by being influenced.
In a word, then, are we in danger of an over-refined Christianity today? Bear in mind that taking up the cross to follow Christ, and experiencing the cost of discipleship is every bit a real part of the Christian life for us today as it ever was. The actual “application” of the truth might be different, but the truth is still there, and is still to be applied. In some parts of the world, actual persecution for righteousness sake is still experienced; taking up the cross can have almost a physical meaning and outworking. But is there no cross for us to bear, in our part of the world, and in our “free society” and environment. Indeed, there is. But has our “refined” view of things helped to blur that fact, and ease that fact out of our thinking? I like the wording of many of our old hymns:-
“The only gospel we can own, Sets Jesus Christ upon His throne; Proclaims salvation full and free, Obtained on Calvary’s rugged tree.”
Regardless of our day, or our age, or our setting, the Cross of Christ is just as rugged and rough as ever, and none of us need think for one minute that we can rightly bear it and not feel the “chaffing” of it on our shoulders. One of the great snares confronting many Christians today is the desire to be socially accepted and acceptable; (is this why some remain in a compromised state Churches etc.?) But perhaps it is time to consider that a stand against social pressure is the very way in which we are to bear the cross today in our part of the world. If our spiritual systems, of course, (like our physical systems,) have become accustomed to a diet of “refined” Christian thinking and acting, they may draw back from this idea. The great question remains; however, can we be spiritually healthy without such “roughage” in our lives?