SOME SPIRITUAL REALITIES
PART 1:
“Making Sense of Unchristian Behaviour
in the Christian Scene”

Preamble

One of the most confusing experiences for the discerning Christian today is the fact that there are so many nasty people who profess to be Christians! If you are a sensitive soul, this can really mess with your head faith. As my late friend, Tal Brooke, said to me many years ago (1997), “To get by in the world today, the Christian needs the hide of a rhinoceros and the skillset of a world class spy”. The hide of the rhinoceros refers metaphorically to the necessary protection that one needs from the bitter gall of those who make themselves your enemy because you do not agree with them. While the skillset of a world class spy (spiritually understood) is needed to ensure that one keeps oneself one step ahead of the deviousness, duplicity, chicanery, gossip-mongering, controlling behaviour, rumour-spreading backbiting, and cunning manipulations of the many impostors in the churches who will stop at nothing to bring down anyone who exposes them. But how are we to make sense of this? What theology do we need to apply in order to come to terms with it. These are the questions I will answer in this little article. In doing so, we will uncover some spiritual realities and even discover some eternal implications.

INTRODUCTION

Being a discerning disciple of Christ with a pastoral sense of service means that one discerns what the spiritual need is at any given moment and then meets that need — whether it is graciously providing some information or teaching which plugs a gaping hole in someone’s theology, carefully exposing something which is deceiving people, or simply facilitating fellowship for desperate disciples, etc. Sometimes, one has to take a bull by the horns and wrestle it to the ground. Such is one of those times today. Let me explain…

I know that many of you have suffered for your faith, and what a shock that has been to your system. I also know that it has taken you right to the farthest edge of your faith when this has happened. Fortunately (or, should I say, by the grace of God), one grows to be almost impervious to this onslaught (“almost” being the operative word here). The same is true when one suffers at the hands of people calling themselves “Christian”, though that is infinitely more difficult to understand than suffering at the hands of the satanic world-system. This why “the hide of a rhinoceros and the skillset of a world class spy” are so vitally necessary.

One of the reasons that we need such protection and wisdom is because we (who are hopefully discerning Christians) are more than capable of seeing through evil of every type, whether it is merely some silly kind of hype or the worst sort of wickedness. As a discerning Christian, you don’t even have to do or say very much to find yourself at the wrong end of a “Christian” gun. Your very existence exudes discernment and insight into these things and thus renders you as Public Enemy Numero Uno — not merely out there in the world but bizarrely in so many church settings! For the worst nastiness and vituperation that I have ever experienced (and also that of many others I know) have not come so much from unbelievers as from professing “Christians”, often pastors and elders, smallminded and egocentric little people whose hearts are dark and blistered with bitterness and defensive egocentricity.

But what is the theology behind all this? What spiritual realities do we need to be aware of in order to make sense of all the wickedness and hype in the Christian scene?

The first spiritual reality we need to be aware of in order to make sense of all the evil and hype in the Christian scene is:

I. THE IMPERFECTION WHICH EXISTS EVEN IN THE COMMUNITY OF THE SAVED

The first thing that needs to be stressed is that all Christian believers will stumble from time to time. We should not expect Christians to behave perfectly — although they are certainly called to it by the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:48). In spite of the fact that true believers have been forgiven for their sins and brought into the kingdom of God, they still have much to contend with in this life which can cause them to sin. After all, not only do we have all the problems associated with having an earthly body but we are also subject to harassment by the powers of darkness. Thus, we will sin, but not willingly. Sin has no actual ongoing power over the genuine believer (Romans 6:14); but it can still make some harmful inroads into our lives if we are not vigilant and do not practise the art of mortification, putting to death the remnants of our sinful natures (Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5). 

However, the inevitable unwitting or unwilling stumblings of even the most faithful Christians still does not adequately explain (and it certainly does not excuse) that impenitent practise of evil which can so often, especially in present times, afflict the professing Christian Church — the ‘visible church’ as opposed to the ‘body of Christ’, the true Church). For the true believer is open to correction, even seeks it, and is horrified at any behaviour — especially his or her own — which would offend the Lord or hurt His human creation. Yet so many professing Christians today — when they are brought face to face with their maliciousness — behave even more wickedly, even what could be classed as demonically, towards those who have seen through them or exposed them in some way. How are we to explain such a state of affairs?

This brings us to the second spiritual reality that we need to be aware of in order to make sense of all the nastiness and hype in the Christian scene:

II. FALSE PROFESSIONS OF FAITH

The key to all this lies in that word in the heading, “profession”. There is a vast difference between merely professing to be a Christian and actually being a genuine disciple of Christ. It is a sad fact that there always have been — and will be until the end of this present evil age — many people who are in the Church for reasons of their own (often because of their psychological and emotional inadequacies), who do not have saving faith as they have never truly repented and been transformed by the power of God in Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus refers to this problem when he speaks of the “wheat” and the “tares” in a parable in Matthew 13:24-32. The wheat represents true believers, while the tares (a kind of plant, Zizania, or Darnel, which looks very similar to wheat, until it is ready for harvest) represent professing Christians who are not true disciples of Christ. In His interpretation of this parable in Matthew 13:36-43, Jesus shows how the fallen angel Satan has been responsible for the infiltration of such pseudo-Christians into the church. Sometimes these “tares” will remain incognito all their lives and will never really show their true colours (although discerning people may often wonder about them). Others will be seen for what they are when they begin to show plainly their ungodliness, nastiness, divisiveness and downright controlling and manipulative behaviour — all of which I have observed on countless occasions during my almost forty years of discipleship to Christ, and which even drove me away from it all for a while.

We have to remember here a very solemn saying of the Lord Jesus Christ: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and afflicted is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt.7:13-14). The awesome (even awful) truth here is that there are (and always have been) comparatively few people who are genuine disciples of Jesus Christ, even in the churches. This is a hard pill for many to swallow. This is why a little later on in that same chapter in Matthew, the Lord Jesus stresses that there will be many (yes, MANY) false “Christians” — even ones who claim to have performed miracles, prophesied and cast out demons — who will come to Him on the Day of Judgement expecting to be received into heaven, only to find the door firmly shut in their faces (verses 21-23). They may have passed themselves off as believers by coming into the Church, but they were never really in the true Body of Christ. Sorry to have to say it but churches are stuffed full of such phony “Christians”, though most of their fellow-congregants would not have enough discernment to realise it. For it is only when you ‘get real’ about the Christian life that those false professors will show their true colours. The more real you are as a disciple of Christ, the more you will flush out the many impostors which have flooded out the churches, and they will do everything they can to destroy you in ways that you can hardly even imagine.

It was the same in Old Testament Israel. The vast majority — although being part of the theocratic community — were never really God’s people in their hearts. This is why there was always such disintegration and apostasy of that community. There was, nevertheless, always a “remnant”, a small number of folks who had not bowed their knees to Baal (Romans 11:3-5). And that remnant was always under persecution, oppression and ridicule from the unsaved majority in Israel and Judah.

So, it is also in the church today. The unsaved professing “Christians” take over the spiritual community of God and then persecute and oppress the “few” who have truly found “the way to life” and try to live it out in full and who expose the works of darkness. False professions of faith by religious impostors is one of the spiritual realities of the Christian scene, not only today but from the beginning of the New Testament church. ”Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:12-13). The churches are stuffed full of impostors, especially in terms of church leadership. This has led not only to so many whacked-out fellowships believing so much nonsense today but also so many fellowships being rigidly micromanaged by screwed-up control-freaks. It has all become so cultish and religiously febrile. Once you have seen through all that and understood it right into your heart, there is no unseeing it. This is why the most discerning folks in the Christian scene today will avoid churches like the plague. And “plague” is what it is to such a great degree — though comparatively few are willing to see it, preferring their rose-coloured spectacle outlook.

This brings us to the next spiritual reality that we need to be aware of when we are trying to make sense of all the evil in the Christian scene today:

III. DIVINE JUDGEMENT WILL BE BASED ON OUR ACTIONS RATHER THAN OUR BARE BELIEFS

This is a real stumbling-block for many professing Christians, the full understanding of which would revolutionise their lives. For many think that a mere intellectual belief in God and Christ is enough for them to be heaven-bound. Not so. Not at all so. For even the creatures of the demonic realm believe intellectually in the reality of God (James 2:19).

So, what is the litmus test of faith? How will the Lord Jesus Christ measure our faith when the Day of Judgement finally arrives? Will He ask us to recite perfectly some Confession of Faith? Will He catechise us with a raft of questions about our understanding of systematic theology? Will He test our knowledge of Scripture with a four-hour examination paper? How will He make it plain before the angels and men and women of the cosmos what is the true state of our hearts?

Well, this is clearly spelled out in Matthew 25:31-46. Let us look at this in some detail. Please turn to this passage of Scripture in your Bibles and read especially verses 33-35 and 41-43. Now what exactly does the Lord Jesus mean by these words. Is He saying that simply leading a charitable life, joining the Rotary Club or Buffaloes, being a general do-gooder, and so on, will bring you into heaven for eternity? Is that what is being said here? Not at all. The secret here lies in the words “inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren” (v.40) and “inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these…” (v.45). That “did it/did not do it” is the very heart of what discipleship to Christ is all about and is the axis on which our eternal destination swings. The Lord Jesus is here plainly saying that people will go into either “everlasting punishment” or “eternal life” on the basis of whether or not they have shown practical love and concern especially towards those to whom He refers as His “brethren” (v.40). This begs an interesting question: What is the identity of Christ’s “brethren”? Who are they? Surely the answer is provided in Matthew 12:46-50: 

“While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, His mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to Him. Someone told Him, “Look, Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to You’. But Jesus replied, ‘Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?’ Pointing to His disciples, He said, ‘Here are My mother and My brothers. For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother’”.

We read the same kind of sentiment in Luke 8:19-21:

“Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see Him, but they were unable to reach Him because of the crowd. He was told, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see You’. But He replied, ‘My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and carry it out’” [cf. Hebrews 2:11].

In other words, in the final analysis, true saving faith — as exemplified in the family of God — is evidenced by loving behaviour towards one’s fellow believers, towards those who faithfully not only hear the word of God but who actually see it through. No one can truly love a believer except a true believer. And such love is shown by Christ to be a primary evidence of faith (cf. Galatians 6:10, doing good “especially to those who are of the household of faith”).

It is no coincidence that this passage about faith being evidenced by works comes immediately after the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). The way that we have used our earthly gifts is a test of whether we are destined for the kingdom, and fit for heavenly service. “Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?” (Luke 16:10-11).

Other passages in Scripture teach the same thing. John specifically says, ”We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren” (1 John 3:14). Thus, loving one’s fellow believers is a sure sign of salvation. Surely, therefore, not being loving towards them brings our salvation into question. The wider context of this brotherly love in John’s first letter is galvanising:

“By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother. This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous. So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer. By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth. And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence” (1 John 3:10-19).

And again:

“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well” (1 John 4:20-21).

It is THIS that keeps the true Church vibrant and a lovely place to be: The very “suburbs of heaven” (to quote a phrase from William Perkins). This love is a sure sign of salvation. “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6). Working, working, working. Faith actually works through love. Faith without such works is DEAD! Without such works as evidence of salvation, there can be no genuine faith. It is for this reason that the Lord Jesus shows that the determining factor on the Day of Judgement will not be our tightness of doctrine but whether or not our faith has worked through love. It is that simple. Thus, it is not so much the body of knowledge that we believe which will determine our salvation but rather how that body of knowledge had made us behave. Our resultant behaviour will be the determining factor, NOT the material that we believe. How many professing ‘Christians’ understand this? Healthy teaching is good, and acquiring a body of holy knowledge is a great thing, but only insofar as it makes us better people whose lives are rooted in doing good.

Of course, works, in and of themselves, can never make one justified (righteous) before God; but the one who has been justified before God through salvation in Christ actually “works”! And, as the Lord Jesus shows in Matthew 25:31-46, it will be on the basis of whether or not our professed faith works which will determine our eternal destiny. Have you taken on board the tremendous implications of this? Thus, it will not be our “theological fundamentalism” or “strict confessionalism” which will bring us through the Day of Judgement into glory. It will instead be whether or not our actions have consistently proven the reality of our beliefs. You can be a “theological fundamentalist” or a “strict confessionalist”, but if all that head knowledge has not metamorphosed itself into your relationships so that you become a loving, caring person, then you are a deeply ignorant person who will one day hear the Lord Jesus Christ roaring into your own ears with the words: “I NEVER KNEW YOU!” (Matthew 7:23; cf. 2 Timothy 2:19). It will be on the basis of whether or not our professed faith works in accordance with the will of God which will determine our eternal destiny.

This is echoed perfectly in James’s letter. In fact, James says a very astonishing thing in his letter. He writes: “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only” (James 2:24). WOW! Now that is a statement to make the minds of many boggle; for it seems to be in direct contrast to Paul’s words: “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:16), and “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight” (Romans 3:20), and “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). However, there is no contradiction here whatsoever, only a ‘seeming’ one. One has to understand what James is saying by seeing 2:24 in the light of the rest of the chapter. For example, he states: “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works’. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith BY my works” (2:17-18). Then he finishes by saying: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (2:26).

What one needs to understand is the difference of context between Paul and James. Paul speaks of the reality of faith — James is speaking of the quality of faith. Paul speaks of the underlying cause of justification and therefore has no place for works in his schema. James is speaking of the outworking effects of justification and therefore makes a big play on them, showing that faith will be evidenced by works, therefore works are what our faith can be judged by. In summary, Paul and James together are saying this:

1. Whoever wants to be accepted by God must be righteous.
2. Such righteousness can be found in no human being by nature (Romans 3:10).
3. Such a righteousness can only be found in Christ (Romans 3:22-26).
4. This righteousness is made ours by faith in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
5. The righteousness of faith is then seen in the subsequent quality of our works — faith working through love (Galatians 5:6; Ephesians 2:10).
6. A person can thus be declared righteous by the Lord because of his or her evidenced works (James 2:21-23; Matthew 25:31-46)

For example, it is not that Abraham was actually made righteous because of his obedience with Isaac, but that he could be shown to be righteous — declared to be righteous — because of his obedience. His obedience evidenced his righteousness, not that it made him righteous (cf. Romans 4:3). Do you see the beauty of this? Do you really see it?

We can see now that divine judgement will ultimately be based on our actions rather than our bare beliefs. To come under the guillotine of many professing Christians today, one would think that it is only what we believe in our heads (and especially if we agree with them!) which will determine our eternal destiny. They think that all one has to do is to be a “fundamentalist” and that this will be enough to save them. But this is a tragic mistake and explains why so many “fundamentalist” types (especially in the Reformed/Evangelical scene) are so uptight and unpleasant in their personal dealings with others and have such frozen emotions, though outwardly falsely passing themselves off as pious bulwarks of the faith. There is nothing wrong with calling yourself a “fundamentalist” or holding to what you may consider to be fundamentalist beliefs. But if your “fundamentalism” has become a kind of spiritual pride and a means to look down on others who may not be as doctrinally “watertight” as you are — or if your “fundamentalism” has made you into an isolationist who shuns normal human society and any non-Christian (but still wholesome) activities — or if your fundamentalism has made you obsessively suspicious of others and even paranoid — in other words, if your “fundamentalism” has become your religion, then you have ceased to live out the foundations of the faith and you are, in reality, not really a true “fundamentalist”. Unless people realise that being a fundamentalist involves far more than adherence to a set of beliefs, they will fail to be true fundamentalists. It is this reality which eluded the Scribes and Pharisees who so persecuted the Lord Jesus during His earthly ministry. And if they persecuted Him, the modern versions of the Scribes and Pharisees will certainly persecute you (John 15:18-19).

By all means, let us be discerning. But if our “discernment” is merely used in the form of hand-grenades designed to “bomb” the “enemy” and are not tempered with care and concern for the heartfelt needs of living people (and especially Christ’s people), then we are betraying the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. If discernment is not tempered with mercy and compassion (and, indeed, humour), then it will merely serve as an ego-building device, rooted in selfishness and isolation, bitterness and rancour, by which a person becomes increasingly paranoid and accusatory. Discernment is about the meeting of need. This is the true province of the pastor/teacher. If we neglect this, we will lose the heart of our faith. The big problem is that, just like the Scribes and Pharisees, today’s nasty, controlling, gossiping, lying, backbiting, manipulative Christians have no consciousness of the true nature of their behaviour. They actually think they are doing God a favour. This is the ultimate in self-delusion; and it is only going to get worse as the end draws near, and as the visible church implodes and genuine disciples of Christ are betrayed by the many impostors and dupes of Satan in the church.

CONCLUSION

These have been but a few of the spiritual realities of which we need to be aware in order to make sense of the fact that so many professing Christians seem so uncompassionate, harshly critical, manipulatively controlling, nasty, underhand, and unbendingly rigid in their mindset (though they will not generally reveal those characteristics until someone rattles some cages). Compassion and mercy have nothing to do with being “wet” or “ineffective”; but they have everything to do with being faithful to the Word of God.

The big question is: How can we develop that softheartedness which should be at the centre of all Christian action? How can we follow Paul’s wish when he says: “Let your gentleness be known to all?” (Philippians 4:5). How can we prolifically produce that “kindness, goodness [and] gentleness” (Galatians 5:22-23) which is the natural fruit of the Spirit? How can we do all this and yet still remain vigilant, discerning, truth-telling and intolerant of evil? Developing some psychological and spiritual self-awareness would be a very good start. But one has to be “born from above” to do that!

SOME SPIRITUAL REALITIES
PART 2:
“Defining True Fundamentalism”

Preamble

In Part 1 above, I spoke about the heart of discernment as being centred on the meeting of spiritual need. Having a discernment ‘ministry’ means that one discerns what the spiritual need is at any given moment and then meets that need — whether it involves providing information which plugs a hole in someone’s theology, exposing something which is deceiving people, facilitating fellowship for lonely believers, etc. All those things are for protection and growth. We then exposed some spiritual realities and discovered some eternal implications of those realities.

The central statement of Part 1 of this article is surely the fact that “unless people realise that being a fundamentalist involves far more than adherence to a set of beliefs, they will fail to be true fundamentalists”. In this second part of  “Some Spiritual Realities”, I want to develop this theme of Fundamentalism and define in closer detail what it means to be a fundamentalist.

I. DEFINING A FUNDAMENTALIST AND FUNDAMENTALISM

The common understanding of the word fundamentalist has largely been dictated by disparaging media pundits rather than by the force of truth. Not only are we haunted with the gross spectre of Islamic “fundamentalism” through grim images of bearded, sunken-eyed Imams deemed to be “eternal truths”, but the concept has become cross-fertilised with the so-called “Christian fundamentalist”, generally associated with certain tele-evangelists, crass revivalism and Bible-belt tent-meeting easy-believism. Such is the secular perception of fundamentalism.

In many Christian circles there is also what amounts to a contempt for the Christian fundamentalist, who is seen — often rightly — to have an over-simplistic, crassly literalistic, black-and-white approach to Christianity and the Bible. But from where — with reference to the Christian — does the term “fundamentalist” originate?

The genesis of Christian fundamentalism originates in the publication, in the USA, of twelve volumes called “The Fundamentals”, which were put out between 1910 and 1915, which had determined to defend the historic Christian faith against the insidious theological modernism and secularisation which was affecting many conservative Christian organisations and fellowships. The ninety articles in the work covered the following themes: A statement and apologetic defence of the main Christian teachings (e.g. God’s revelation, the incarnation, the atonement, the resurrection, the Holy Spirit, inspiration of Scripture, etc.); a defence of the Bible against German higher criticism; a criticism of movements considered to be non-Christian (e.g. Romanism, Christian Science, Mormonism, rationalism, Darwinism, socialism, etc.); an emphasis on evangelism and missions; and a sample of personal testimonies by people telling how Christ worked in their lives. Among the writers of the articles were such diverse luminaries as James Orr, Robert Anderson, W.H. Griffith Thomas, Arno Gaebelein, Philip Mauro, Benjamin B. Warfield, R.A. Torrey, G. Campbell Morgan, Thomas Boston, J.C. Ryle and Jessie Penn-Lewis. [You can read all ninety of these articles at this link: https://lionandlambapologetics.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/The-Fundamentals-A-Testimony-to-the-Truth-Torrey.pdf ].

The actual word fundamentalism originated in 1920 when it was used by Curtis Lee Laws in the U.S. Northern Baptist “Watchman-Examiner”, who eventually instigated “The Fundamentalist Fellowship” — a group of conservative evangelicals who sought to assert what they believed to be the fundamentals of the Gospel, e.g. the sinful nature of man, his inability to be saved apart from God’s grace, the necessity of Jesus’ death for the regeneration of the individual and any renewal in society, and the authoritative revelation of the Bible. In other words, a fundamentalist at that time could have been defined as “a militantly anti-modernist evangelical”.

The term eventually came to be applied loosely to theological conservatives across a wide cross-section of U.S. Christian organisations and individuals — including the Presbyterian J. Gresham Machen (1881-1937), who founded the Westminster Theological Seminary. Prof. Machen, however, strongly disliked the expression “fundamentalism” because it seemed to suggest a new religion, rather than historic Christianity, the fundamentals of which he personally felt were best summed up in the Westminster Confession of Faith (1646-49). And so a division ensued between the anti-modernist evangelical fundamentalists, who embedded their doctrine in the U.S. conservative reaction of the early twentieth century, and the Reformed confessionalists, whose teaching was founded in the theological symbols of the European Reformation of the sixteenth century, and who tended to look down on the Fundamentalists as somewhat intellectually and theologically inferior.

Confessionalism or Fundamentalism?

This divide was one of the many false “either/or” situations concocted by Christians, which serve to polarise an issue, as if there can only ever be two (usually equally awry!) viewpoints. One must then ask the question: Are the true fundamentals of the faith really summed up in a handful of teachings systematically gleaned from Scripture, or in a confession of faith penned at a specific point in Church history?

It is certainly true that in order to reliably represent the Christian faith to those outside the Body of Christ, one must base one’s presentation on certain presuppositions and undeniable truths. To this “pattern of sound words” (2 Timothy 1:13) we are to cling unswervingly in terms of the preservation of Gospel truth. However, do these propositions actually form the foundations of the faith for the individual believer? In other words, do the building-blocks of the Christian’s pilgrimage rest on concepts which are used to communicate and express the faith itself? It is my contention that they do not. In fact, I would say that to claim that the fundamentals of Christianity lie merely in systematic theology of any kind (whether Reformed confessionalism or Fundamentalist anti-modernism) is to fall a long way short of the true basis and ground of the Christian faith. For the numerous symbols, creeds, confessions and statements of faith of the Christian church function as pointers but they do not nearly dig deep enough to uncover the real foundations.

In just the same way that some Christians confuse certain emotional experiences with conversion (instead of recognising that such experiences are either the results of conversion or the fruits of their imagination), many other Christians confuse certain facets of Biblical knowledge with the foundations of the faith (instead of recognising them as simply a part of the corpus of knowledge which naturally develops out of the true foundations).

This is not to say that symbols, systems, confessions, creeds and statements of faith have neither value nor truth in them — far from it. The creeds of the primitive church are especially to be valued, both for their simplicity and their non-sectarian origins. But I unequivocally assert that they are but secondary to the real fundamentalism which lies at the heart of biblical Christianity. The teachings in these man-made devices may well be of great benefit both in terms of the preservation of a credible witness to those outside the Church, as pointers towards the fundamentals in Scripture, and also for the development of growth-inducing Christian knowledge; but they are not foundational in the sense of being the actual basal stones on which the solidity of our spirituality stands.

One of the principal reasons that confessions, creeds and handfuls of systematic doctrines (whether of the Reformed or Fundamentalist variety) cannot provide an adequate foundation for one’s faith is because it is perfectly possible to adhere to them faithfully, even fanatically, and yet be so lacking in one’s Christian life that one is in sure danger of hellfire. It is a sobering thought that Satan himself has a far greater breadth of intellectual knowledge (both natural and theological) than every Christian, yet his assured future can give no one any consolation whatsoever (cf. James  2:19; Revelation 20:10)! I hope that you understand the significance of that last statement.

Additionally, so very often, the symbol of beliefs with which one identifies becomes but one more muddy seedbed of Christian schism — a flag to hide behind and wave in the faces of others, leading to resentment, self-righteousness and sectarian squabbling. How often one finds that believers turn their backs on one another because their beliefs do not agree at all points! This completely overturns the true foundations of the Christian faith. What is really happening here is that the sound Reformation principle of “Sola Scriptura” (‘Scripture alone’) is being set aside, while a symbol containing theological propositions (the words of men) is given an authority far above that of the Word of God and His precepts concerning love and unity among the brethren. Many believers whose only desire is to be faithful can fall into this highly deceptive trap: Namely, that orthodoxy is measured by how faithful one is in adhering to a creed or confession, rather than maintaining the Reformers’ real stance of “Sola Scriptura”. This is a most subtle form of legalism which takes some considerable Christian maturity to be recognised for what it is.

I appreciate that these words may be perceived to be controversial statements in some quarters and the knives will probably come out. However, I am not seeking to provoke a reaction for its own sake, but in order that we may be encouraged to learn the rewarding art of putting our “shibboleths” to the exacting test of Scripture rather than accepting the mere words of men. This is not an exercise for those who want to remain “babes” but for those who aspire to be full-grown heirs of God through Christ.

[NB: A Shibboleth is a word used today to refer to anything which is the catchword or litmus-test of membership of a group or sect. It comes from the Gileadean test-word in Judges 12:5-6, by which an Ephraimite was revealed by his inability to pronounce the “sh” sound.]

II. WHAT ARE THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE FAITH?

So what are the true fundamentals of the Christian faith? Back in the year 2000, I designed a diagram to represent this, entitled “The Road to the Heavenly City”. Originally I used this image in conjunction with another one, entitled “The Road to the Lake of Fire”, as a pastoral teaching tool, with the overall title “Which Road Are You On?”, when I was a pastor in the Netherlands leading a “Beginners Class for New Christians and Thirsty Seekers” which I was running in order to contrast the differences between the foundations (fundamentals) of the believer’s life and those of the unbeliever. This is the actual original double-graphic image which seems to have lasted through these twenty-five years!

The conception was to present the Christian life (and that of the non-Christian) as a series of layers or foundations which undergird the road which everyone walks down on their journey through the wilderness of this world — a graphical portrait of the fundamentals of the Christian and the non-Christian by way of contrast. Although technically an evangelistic tool, the two diagrams together contain much theology without being overly “theological”, especially when explained in a study! However, for the purposes of this present article, I just want to refer to the lower of the two images depicting “The Road to the Heavenly City”. Please refer to it.

Let us begin at the beginning, with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. You will see from the image that He is the base of the road, the very foundation, the ground and fundamental of our entire Christian regeneration and renewal. All our knowledge and actions grow out of this. “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). Our foundation (fundamental) is none other than Christ, and He is the principal Cornerstone of the spiritual building which is the Church Universal and body of Christ (Matthew 21:42; 1 Peter 2:6-7). We must be very clear that He is also understood to be in a Trinitarian context (Matthew 28:19-20) — that the Christ who is the foundation of our faith is the “Son of the Father” (1 John 1:3; 3:23), the Son of God (1 John 4:14-15), and is “God manifested in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16; 1 John 4:2) — that He has died for the sins of His people, “according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). It is to this Christ that the Christian clings for the saving of his or her soul.

Do you see the difference between having Christ as our foundation, rather than confessions of faith or systems of belief? Verbal or theological propositions, in and of themselves, although able to act as useful pointers, can never justify or redeem. Christ is the foundation, and no other. If I can put it like this: Our true fundamentalism begins with Christ!

The next foundation up shows that continual belief in Him (1 John 3:23) and an undying love for Him (John 14:15,21,29) are the natural outgrowth of this primary foundation — thereby forming a further fundamental of the Christian faith. Paul was continually emphasising these two elements together in his letters to the churches (e.g. Galatians 5:6; 6:23; 1 Thessalonians 5:8; 1 Timothy 1:14; 2 Timothy 1:13; Phil.5). Faith and love working together.

Moving up to the next layer or foundation, the one who rests himself on those three undergirding foundation stones will naturally desire to keep His commandments (1 John 5:2), because he has been redeemed by Him and is therefore “in-lawed” to Him (1 Corinthians 9:21). It is no hardship but arises naturally in his or her heart. Thereafter, everything that can satisfy biblical orthodoxy grows out of these three layers consisting of four mighty, basal foundations. Only they can provide the basis for truth. Anything which does not stand on these principles will ultimately fall.

Building on from this, the lively expansion of both mind and heart together will be the inevitable result of being firmly grounded in the first three foundation layers. These fifth and sixth elements in the fourth layer are actually soundly riveted together, as you can see in the rivets on the diagram, and must never be separated. Many people are grieving over the awful state of many churches today. I would suggest that the problem very often lies in the unriveting of these two foundational elements. In much the same way that the secular world will often make an arbitrary separation between “art” and “science”, so many Christians rip apart the twin foundational principles of Christian renewal — namely, the use and feeding of the mind coupled with the growth of essential love, especially that love which is directed towards our brothers and sisters in Christ. While it is true that an over-emphasis on “love” can very often become a wishy-washy sentimental emotionalism, so also an over-emphasis on the accumulation of theology and the orthodoxy of confessions and statements of faith gives rise to the pre-eminence of head knowledge as the great sign of Christian faith and growth. This inevitably leads to the loveless, hard-hearted, obsessional heresy-spotting which is so prevalent in many “fundamentalist” or “Reformed” evangelical churches and discernment groups which are light on love.

As I stated in the previous part of this article, the big question is: How can we develop that softheartedness which should be at the centre of all Christian action? How can we follow Paul’s wish when he says: “Let your gentleness be known to all men?” (Philippians 4:5). How can we prolifically produce that “kindness, goodness [and] gentleness” (Galatians 5:22-23) which is the natural fruit of the Spirit? How can we do all this and yet still remain vigilant, discerning, truth-telling and intolerant of evil?

The answer lies in Paul’s statement “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1; cf. 1 Corinthians 4:16). Paul was a man who would not tolerate evil or deception; he was rightly only too willing to root out false apostles. But he also shed tears over people and loved people heartily. It is not only possible but also positively desirable to exercise discernment and the desire to expose deception in conjunction alongside a genuinely loving, caring heart. I use the word “genuinely” in a deliberate fashion here. For there are many who have an unctuous smile and can seem caring but on closer acquaintance reveal themselves to be among the very worst of mean-spirited people. The churches today are sadly full of such characters, who seem to be both emotionally and psychologically immature as well as spiritually undeveloped.

Paul imitated the Lord Jesus Christ, who also would not tolerate evil or deception, yet who at the same time was the most loving Man who ever lived. The Lord Jesus taught that although there is a time to be as “wise as a serpent”, there is also a time to be as “harmless as a dove”. Getting these two qualities to operate in a synchronised manner in one’s Christian life is an art — one which can only come through the desire to be mature in the faith and to transcend our petty sectarian differences. Yet, so often in modern “fundamentalist” circles, the qualities of kindness and gentleness are ludicrously perceived as weaknesses or symptoms of liberalism and even encroaching apostasy! Nothing could be further from the truth. Such Spirit-induced kindness and gentleness are a tower of strength in one’s life and increase our ability to discern and grow in wisdom.

Faith Without Works is Dead

Nowhere is this error of the rejection of kindness and gentleness more poignantly illustrated than in the letter from the Lord Jesus Christ to the Church at Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7). This message is not merely of concern to the Ephesian Church of the late first century. The whole of the Book of Revelation was to be sent to all the churches (Revelation 1:11). And because this book has been recorded by the Holy Spirit in Scripture, it is surely addressed to ALL Churches throughout this Gospel age (cf. Revelation 2:7a, 11a, 17a, etc.).

The quintessence of this letter to the church at Ephesus is that the foundation of a true and convincing testimony to the world is not to be found in the sharpness of one’s eye for spotting heresy, but rather in the love of Christ in the heart and a love for the brethren within the Church. A true Christian testimony depends upon this twofold love for its very existence, without which — and in the absence of repentance — the Lord will remove His Spirit from the churches which claim to represent His Name (Revelation 2:5). It seems that many “Reformed” and “Fundamentalist” churches today have forgotten this mighty truth and have abandoned that first love, even though they will delude themselves that they haven’t because of the superficial bonhomie which so often masquerades as love. So often have I experienced this first-hand that I cannot count the number of times that I have been stabbed in the back by a professing Christian who coated his or her iniquity in the false mantle of “Christian love” and a nauseatingly unctuous smile.

It is somewhat ironic that many of those who would be the first to forbid the concept of moral perfectionism are only too willing to apply a different standard when it comes to theological perfectionism! To be “free from error” has taken precedent over the need to avoid biting and devouring one another. But any truth which, in its pursuit, sacrifices true Christian relationship, ceases to be a truth worth sustaining. Christianity is not a tyranny. Neither is it an examination in which one must score 100%. The Bible is not a University manual of systematic theology. Holy Scripture is the revelation of Jesus Christ (Luke 24:27; Matthew 1:1; etc.), and — as an inversion of what happened at the Fall — Christianity is primarily about the vital restoration of relationship – both vertical (with Him) and horizontal (with one another).

Faith without love is nothing

How very striking it is that in John’s first letter, between 3:10 and 5:5 — bearing in mind that the chapter divisions are not in the original manuscripts but were later additions — the Apostle weaves in and out of the need to love the brethren (3:10-23; 4:7-5:5) and the need to discern between truth and error (4:1-6). The flow of thought here is very telling indeed. Faithfulness to Christ and His commandments, working alongside dynamic Christian love, are inextricably bound up with each other. But how often we concentrate on one at the expense of the other! In some churches one finds a breathtaking, brotherly love alongside the most appalling false teaching and deception; while in other churches one will find the ecclesiastical thought-police out in deadly force, straining out the gnats while the weightier matters, such as fulfilling the Law of Christ (Galatians 6:2), fall right by the wayside. And the resultant effect on Biblical evangelism is disastrous.

It seems to have escaped so many professing Christians that the Lord Jesus gave believers a new commandment: ”A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). This is the Law of Christ. Conversion is evidenced by loving action. This is precisely what is highlighted in Matthew 25:31-46, as we saw in Part 1 of this piece. In the final analysis, true saving faith — as exemplified in the family of God — is evidenced by loving behaviour towards one’s fellow believers. It will be on the basis of whether or not our professed faith works in accordance with the will of God which will determine our eternal destiny rather than how well we have memorised a catechism!

It is a chastening thought that the Ecumenical Movement, in spite of its faulty foundations, has actually stolen the thunder from those churches which would lay claim to a strident Biblical orthodoxy, but which are so hooked into the development and maintenance of sectarian “distinctives” that they become disobedient to the commandments of the Lord, and are thereby unable to fulfil the vital evangelistic function wrapped up in loving the brethren (John 13:34-35; John 17:20-23; Matthew 5:16). What is completely overlooked in many “fundamentalist” and “Reformed” circles is that you can be theologically ‘in error’ and still go to heaven; but if your ‘Christian’ walk involves systematically not loving the brethren you will go to hell (Matthew 25:31-46; 1 John 3:14). This is a sobering thought. Bear in mind that “the brethren” are not restricted to those with whom we share a sect, shibboleth, church or pew. This term refers to every single regenerated child of God — a much more extensive cloud of witnesses than some professing Christians appear to recognise.

Pride in a paper-bag

Some readers will bristle at these comments: but we can only kick against the goads for so long. Sooner or later, if we are Christ’s, we will be convicted by the Spirit who indwells us. We should really be scandalised by the inexcusable disobedience of the self-proclaimed “theologically orthodox” churches in the areas of love and unity, rather than letting the hairs on our necks rise up in rebellion against the overwhelming evidence of Scripture which stands against us. (Of course, we should also be equally scandalised by the inexcusable disobedience to the truths of Holy Scripture which is carried out by those subjective-experience-based Charismatic fellowships which blaspheme the Holy Spirit with their many wacky practices).

It is a very sad fact that the sixteenth century Reformation has degenerated into a welter of sects and denominations — each burrowing down its own little hole with its head in a paper bag. Legalism, confessionalism, traditionalism and formalism abound, making the churches ridiculous to the unbelieving world — thus adding an inexcusable stumbling-block to the already gargantuan offence of the Gospel. We need a total refurbishing of this cobweb-ridden, derelict house in which a great many “Reformed” and “Fundamentalist” churches have been squatting. We need to recapture that simplicity of faith and worship exhibited in the primitive church — although now enhanced and deepened by the battle scars of nearly two thousand years of experience in dealing with destructive heresies. Of course, it is equally as inexcusable to go in the opposite direction and turn faith and worship into an entertainment spectacle with no sense of genuine sacredness whatsoever.

Thus, when we adhere to our Fundamentalist beliefs or Reformed Confessions, we must bear in mind that these teachings are symbols rather than foundations. They are not themselves the fundamentals of Christianity, but they are the teachings of men. The light which emanates from them is not original, but only a reflection of Bible truth as the moon reflects the sun. One doesn’t sunbathe in the light of the Moon but the light of the Sun which gives the Moon its light. If we want to be truly faithful, we must take our stand on Jesus Christ and Him crucified — exhorting His people to love Him, to love one another, and to walk in unity without compromise — that our faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

That is what being a Fundamentalist is really all about. Anything else that is necessary will follow on from that.

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© Copyright, Alan Morrison, 2025
[The copyright on my works is merely to protect them from any wanton plagiarism which could result in undesirable changes (as has actually happened!). Readers are free to reproduce my work, so long as it is in the same format and with the exact same content and its origin is acknowledged]

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