by: Justin Cox
I am a 33 year old, God called, independent fundamental Baptist evangelist. Yes, I have seen some of the flaws, the faults, the idiocies and the indiscretions of my movement, but I am not going anywhere. I am still, happily and unashamedly, an “IFBer.” Go figure, huh?
While I recognize the wrongs in many “camps” and the errors on many sides, I assure you, I don’t have leaving fever and I am not looking to “jump the fence” of the #oldpaths. So, I would greatly appreciate it if you (you know who you are) would not lump me in with them (the ones you are apparently so grieved over). Please don’t speak for me and tell me where I am, where I am headed and why.
You Don’t Know Me!
But, here is my perspective, if you care to take the time to get to know me. Can you hold your breath a moment, keep your mouth shut, mind calm and hang with me all the way to the end of my coming rant? I thank you in advance for doing so…
Independent fundamental Baptists are fully initiated into an era where men who once took a stand are now standing against those who still stand where they once stood.
But will those who still stand, stand still & stand strong against those who oppose themselves?
I am reminded of the 3,000 men of Israel who came to Samson at Etam in Judges 15. Samson was not worried about his brethren binding him, rather was concerned as to wether or not they themselves would try to fall on him. I don’t believe he was afraid that they would kill him as much as he was afraid that he may have been forced to kill some of them. If need be, to defeat the Philistines at Lehi, I am convinced that Samson would have cut down some Hebrews in order to preserve himself and eliminate the true enemy.
What frame of mind had the multitude of Samson’s kin come to that they would bind and deliver their own judge into the hands of the oppressing heathen? Simple. They had yielded to a greater fear for the enemy than for the God they still had not returned to. They came to a self-deceived resignation in a belief that throwing one of their own to the dogs was the only way to avoid catastrophe. They no longer stood where they and their fathers once stood, and they now stood against the one man standing in the place they had abandoned.
If this is not happening on many levels and in many places within our movement, I am the Lochness Monster.
What, if anything, is the answer to this? Very simple. Proverbs 12:7 says, ”The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.” The answer is to remain in the refuge of righteousness, refuse to retreat from, or in other words, STAND IN, ON, WITH AND FOR GOD. PERIOD!
I for one, refuse to surrender my biblical and historical identity of “Independent fundamental Baptist” to those who give us a bad name simply because of the mistakes they’ve made. Do we stop drinking water because Fox News shows a clip of a wicked movie star drinking water? No! Do we stop driving to avoid being associated with drunk drivers? No! Do we stop wearing clothes because murderers wear clothes and we would rather not be lumped in with them? No! Do we stop singing Amazing Grace because catholics, cults and carnal churches sing it from time to time? No! Do we stop using the King James Bible because the Mormons use it? No!
So, why in the name of all things logical do so many think it’s so ingenious to drop the identity of “Independent” and “Fundamental” and “Baptist” for such foolish and petty reasons as, “We don’t want people to think we are like ________, so we will just call ourselves, “Planetary Sight Scriptural Gathering” or some such nonsense? All they have done is embraced worldly wisdom to prove a point, but have surrendered truth to those who abuse the truth because of how they abuse it! HOW LUDICROUS!
Some throw the baby out with the bath water, while others, against all odds, have actually managed to throw out the baby while keeping the bath water! As God’s people, why don’t we just determine the keep the baby in the Water of the Word?
Don’t throw your standards out the window because of Pharisees who love standards more than Christ! Keep biblical standards for the right reasons and let the Pharisees flail! Don’t throw your biblical traditions into the garbage dump just because some Sadducees emphasize human tradition over Holy Truth! Keep your scriptural, spiritual traditions while the Sadducees wallow in their ignorance! Don’t relinquish your identity because others who claim the same identity live lives that contradict it! Keep your identity and forget about the hypocrites who think that having a beam in their eye makes a great fashion statement!
God help us!
My generation, by and large, has embraced the wisdom of Solomon at the expense of common sense.
The last generation(s), like David, knew something of FIGHTING, STANDING & CONQUERING. They stood for this and they stood against that. They drew lines in the sand, and even when it would have been “ok” to drink from Bethlehem’s well, they knew something of self denial, sacrifice and PRACTICAL sanctification. In other words, they withheld some things from themselves for the greater good.
This generation, my peers, have seemingly tapped into a needed “deeper” study and presentation of Scripture, but know little to nothing of application through personal, spiritual battle, standing and self denial. They “withhold not anything from their eyes.” They are being turned aside after hundreds of strange women and not yet considering the utter VANITY of it all.
While many young men in authoritative ministry positions have rightly made much of deep study and searching the Scriptures, they have also ignorantly laid aside the RIGHT traditions of the David’s who went before them simply because they don’t find a plainly spelled out verse or passage that says, “women shall not wear pants,” or “don’t smoke,” or “keep Hollywood out of your home and mind,” or “it might be a good idea to dress nice for the assembled worship of Jehovah.” Forget the weaving together of several clear principles to lead us to a dogmatic path! Sheer idiocy shares the pulpit with great content. STUNNING!
Standards are dropped, convictions are forsaken, stands are abandoned and applicable holiness is considered “Phariseeism.” I say to these wise men of God, “You have gotten wisdom, but with all thy getting you have ignored understanding.” Wisdom and common sense, unfortunately, don’t always go hand in hand.
I am sickened, saddened and severely angered by what I am seeing and hearing from “my generation”. The preaching may be deeper, but the living is much shallower. The study may be more intense, involved and the richness of truth presented in a more profound and nourishing manner, but the application of such is (gag) horribly lacking.
Why not a balance? Why can’t we have deep, nutrient rich messages WITH deep, practically sanctified and separated living? Why can’t the “Solomon” men of God who are taking the baton keep the baby and the bath water? Why such insane knee jerking and pendulum swinging?
God help us if the resulting NEXT generation is Rehoboam and Jeroboam!
God please help us all!!!
Evangelist Justin Cox
Harned, KY