Fundamentalism does have a problem with expressing itself in love. As a result, we often come across as being unloving, spiteful, and vindictive. However, the fault is not exclusive to our rank and file. Just enter into a discussion with a New Evangelical, Liberal, or Contemporary Christian Music devotee to see who can be vitriolic. I maintain that anyone who cannot take a stand in love needs to seriously re-evaluate his character to see if it it Christ-like and his position on the issues to determine why love is absent. It is inevitable, however, that our love will be tested.
May the test always reveal that we love God above anything or anyone else. We all must love God first and best, and our neighbor as we love ourselves.
The label "Pharisee" is almost never hurled about in love. In fact, I believe the label to be misapplied at least in my case and in that of quite a few others who share my beliefs and principles. To spot the problem, please, direct your attention to Matthew 23 where Christ pronounces judgment on these and other misguided individuals of His day. There are at least 12 points of description found here and others which could be added from other passages.
The Pharisees were religionists who did not practice what they preached. Their outward piety was a deliberate mask for their own spiritual corruption. Christ declared that they were working at cross-purposes to God's plan of redemption and doing so deliberately. They were perfectly willing to nullify the Law of God in order to maintain their own system of belief. The argument reaches its apex in Matthew 23:33 when Christ declares the Pharisees to be destined to an eternity in Hell! Truly, Pharisees then and now are not children of light with a higher view of holiness than their peers! They are, in fact, lost in their sins, blinded by the darkness of their minds, and entrenched in a religious system which condemns souls to Hell!
Taking these principles into today's context, we arrive at a completely different picture of the Pharisee. I can think of groups which fit the bill, but they are not Fundamentalists. Instead, they would be liberals, Roman Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and many others who deliberately pervert the Gospel of Christ for personal and political advantage. These are more vitally concerned with their own agenda than the Gospel of Christ.
Much hay is made accusing Fundamentalists for adding to the Law by way of principles or application. Yet even Christ Himself added to the Law in Matthew 5:27-28. He did so as a means of showing that the Law was intended to have broader application than a merely superficial reading would give it. The first commandment declares that we should not have any other gods in God's presence. He alone must be worshiped, as He has revealed Himself. He who is intrinsically holy must be worshiped in holiness and truth. Modern usage of the rock beat adds an element of worldliness to both the private life and public worship of the believer. For this reason I hold that the use of such tainted music undermines the purity of our God and calls into question whether the individual loves God or the world. He cannot love both at the same time (1 John 2:15-17). On this issue I would highly recommend Why I Left Contemporary Christian Music by Dan Lucarini (available on Amazon.com for around $10).
There may be Pharisees within the camp of Fundamentalism, but the movement is based upon the holiness of God and His demands that we all be pure and separate from the corruption of this present evil world. Each of us must personally guard against a spirit of contention, but contend for the faith we MUST.
No comments:
Post a Comment