My dear brothers in ministry,
This week has been full of turmoil for me as I have been considering the recent exchanges regarding Sweat’s sermon at the FBF. This has become particularly acute when considering the context of some conversations that I have been privileged to have with a few brethren in the ministry and also considering the particular ministry that God has given me.
When I began preaching, I made a commitment to the Lord that I would endeavor to preach what the Bible says, from the place where the Bible says it, and with the emphasis that the Bible gives (then sit down and shut up before my own opinions mess it up). This turns out to be a surprisingly challenging goal, and while I am sometimes more and sometimes less effective at this goal, it is this commitment that I continue to pursue now in our itinerant ministry.
It seems that many have become like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, elevating the teachings of men to the status of revelation, saying more than Scripture will bear, and placing those who follow them under the bondage of a system of rules that attempts to artificially manufacture sanctification and that often results in either defeat or hypocrisy. Others, in reaction to these excesses, have effectively nullified any application of the Lordship of Christ to more practical matters, so worldliness (in its truest sense) continues to be a problem for both the Evangelical and the Fundamentalist, though sometimes for very different reasons.
What follows is a brief manifesto regarding where and how I intend to stand, regardless of where others think I might be headed. This may mean that many will be certain that I am one of those pesky Fundamentalists, and it will likely mean that there are others that will be convinced that I am becoming one of those compromising Evangelicals. In summary, I am and will be committed to a ruthless and gracious adherence to the Word of God, in both my doctrine and my practice; I also intend to cultivate a love for God that is unwavering and is reflected in the things and people that I love and value.
This leads me to five main commitments that mark out the ground that I will not give up under any circumstances and that describe the manner in which I intend to fight for the glory of God (taken from Psalm 16).
1.) Radical dependence on God in every area
2.) Active unity with all that God loves
3.) Persistent separation from all that God hates
4.) Joyful submission to the Lordship of Christ
5.) Ruthless adherence to the authority of God’s revelation
It is critical to acknowledge that the above commitments are a direct fruit of the best examples of my own fundamentalist heritage, and I greatly appreciate the men who have encouraged me both personally and from the pulpit to value, respect, and obey the authority of God’s word, regardless of the personal cost. God helping me, I will remain true to that goal. If what this describes is Fundamentalism, then count me in, but whether it is or not is irrelevant. It is what God calls us to, and there can be no other response except endeavoring to faithfully follow His direction.