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GUEST
ARTICLE
Stick to Your Standards
“Lift up a standard for the people.” -- Isaiah 62:10
In
this day of permissiveness, preachers and Christian workers
are being bombarded with temptations to "avoid legalism" and "be
not righteous overmuch." Christian school principals
are being chided for having rules and regulations. Guidelines
are being dropped. Rules are being loosened. Folks are
saying the Bible warnings about worldliness and sin must
not be taken too literally.
Parents
might remove their pupils from our schools. The well-heeled
professional people in our churches might decide to move
their membership down to the First Progressive Church.
We won't appeal to the mod, enlightened sophisticates if
we have biblical standards for our people. What's a pastor
to do?
BIBLE STANDARDS ARE NOT LEGALISM
Are
Bible standards legalism? Legalism is the doctrine of salvation
by good works. Now I do not know any fundamental, Bible-believing
preacher who thus is a legalist. There are some people
in religious circles who (as they did in Jesus' day) teach "for
doctrines the commandments of men" (Matt. 15:9). This
is wrong.
But
it is not wrong to have biblical standards. "The Spirit
of the LORD shall lift up a standard" (Isa. 59:19).
Bible standards are not legalism. Preaching against sin
and warning our people about the consequences of sin and
compromise are a command from God.
One
writer wrote an article called "An Alternative to
Legalism." I am sure he is a good preacher and a sincere
brother in the Lord, but he has declared that we have been
confusing a whole generation of young people because we
fail to deal with legalism courageously. Rather, we have
confused a whole generation by failing to deal with
sin courageously.
He
states that "legalism is disastrous to personal Christianity," that
we "need to examine our system of values which is
harmful and does not work." Now I agree that legalism
would be harmful. But my contention is that having standards,
regulations and guidelines for our members is not legalism.
But
we need to have rules. Let a school try to operate without
them! (Many public schools have tried it with disastrous
results!)
Homes
with no rules and guidelines have produced a generation
of hippies, perverts and sassy rebels. They also have contributed
to the host of teenage pregnancies and suicides!
Jesus
said, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them,
he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be
loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest
myself to him" (John 14:21). Now what "commandments" is
He talking about? We all know that the Ten Commandments
given by God to Moses are not the only commandments in
the Bible. Here are a few others:
"Let
your light so shine before men" -- Matt. 5:16
"Watch
and pray; that ye enter not into temptation." -- Matt.
26:41.
"Go
ye into all the world, and preach the gospel." --
Mark
16:15.
"Upon
the first day of the week let every one of you lay by
him
in store, as God hath prospered him." -- 1 Cor. 16:2.
"Not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" -- Heb.
10:25.
"Bear
ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
-- Gal. 6:2.
"Be
filled with the Spirit." -- Eph. 5:18.
"Walk
in the Spirit." -- Gal. 5:16.
So
far, so good. Every Christian would want others to read,
know and obey these commands. He would not want to rule
out any of them. But there are other commands in the New
Testament. For instance:
"Be
not conformed to this world." -- Rom. 12:2.
"Flee
fornication." -- Cor. 6:18.
"Let
no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth." --
Eph. 4:29.
"Only
let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of
Christ." --
Phil. 1:27.
"Be
followers together of me, and mark them which walk so
as
ye have us for an ensample." -- Phil. 3:17.
"Set
your affection on things above, not on things on the
earth." -
- Col. 3:2.
Now
in order to instruct young people (and young converts among
adults) about such commands, we're going to have to do
some explaining. What does it mean to be not "conformed" to
this world in actions, language and dress, among other
things? How can you warn young people to flee fornication
in the present society without warning them about pornography,
vulgar TV programs and dirty rock music? These are some
of the things that lead to fornication.
Since
God commands that no corrupt communication should come
out of the mouth, does not a Christian school have to have
some rules about the language that can be used on campus?
When
Paul mentions following him as an example in Philippians
3, he proceeds "even weeping” to tell them
that some of them are "the enemies of the cross
of Christ...who mind earthly things" (Phil. 3:17-19).
Must not the church and school, then, lay down some guidelines
or standards about these "earthly things"?
Since
God commands, "Love not the world, neither the
things that are in the world" (I John 2:15), and
since we know that He is talking about this world system
(not the trees, mountains, flowers and other such beautiful
things), does it not behoove us to explain what these worldly
things are?
Since
God tells us, "Abstain from all appearance of evil," are
we not to have standards about dress, hair and indulgences
that would identify one with the evil world around us?
When the Beatles first came over here from England with
their feminine, mop-headed haircuts, preachers were aghast;
and we all thundered out against this violation of manhood
and propriety. We did not hesitate to preach, "Doth
not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long
hair, it is a shame unto him?" (I Cor. 11:14).
Now if God said it was a shame then, is it any less a shame
now? Or is God's Word valid only during the '50s and '60s?
Is He not the God of today also? Why is it suddenly "legalism" to
preach this part of the New Testament?
Those
who charge us with legalism say, "The child may look
great on the outside, but be ungodly on the inside." That
is, of course, true. But they do not turn around and say, "The
child may look terrible, grubby and raunchy on the outside,
but be a wonderful, soul-winning Christian on the inside!"
There
are those who think we should act like the world and look
like the world in order to win the world. But it is not
necessary to dress like a soldier to win a soldier or to
look like a clown to win a clown. For me to put on greasy
overalls in order to win a mechanic is not even sensible.
A Christian lady does not have to dress indecently to witness
to a go-go girl.
Public
schools once had standards and a code of morality. And
there were rules. In those days students were sent to the
office for chewing gum, getting out of line in the halls,
talking in class, and such matters.
Then
the rules were dropped, and permissiveness took over. Today,
students in these same schools have to be dealt with about
fondling in the halls, rape, pushing drugs, coming to school
drunk or committing murder! We'd better get some of the
right kind of legalism back into the schools!
It
has been suggested that fundamental preachers who preach
against long hair on boys, immodest girls, dancing and
rock music are neglecting such matters as covetousness,
lying, hatred and strife. We need to hear preaching on
the sins of the flesh.
There
must be as much positive preaching as negative preaching.
I believe it was Dr. Bob Jones, Sr., who said, "The
way to don't is to do so fast you don't have time to don't." There
must be a positive post on the battery. But try getting
a car started without the negative post. You have to have
both!
PREACHER PLEASE DONT BE LAX
We
have a generation of church members on our hands today
who do not know what is right and wrong anymore. Preachers
have been so lax and so soft for so long that sin is no
longer black. In fact, it is hardly bilious gray anymore.
Vance
Havner has said that when all of God's sheep become dirty
gray, the black sheep feel more comfortable. But we are
not here to make sinners feel comfortable in their sins!
What are preachers for, not to lift up voices like a trumpet
and show God's people their sins? (See Isaiah 58:1.)
Critics
say that "rules without reason build rebellion." I'm
sure that would be true. But good, scriptural rules and
standards are not without reason. We never had any rules
for our children that we did not have good reason for.
We never had any regulations in our Christian schools that
were not founded upon reason.
They
say that preachers' kids often become rebellious. Sometimes
some of them have. But most have dandy children who love
the Lord and are loyal to God, to church and to parents.
And
the preachers' kids who have become rebels probably got
that way because of one of three things: (1) a dad who
was so busy with everybody else's kids that he neglected
his own; (2) inconsistency on the part of one or both parents;
or (3) a fuss or split in the church that left the child
bewildered and heartbroken about the way Christians act.
So "legalism" strikes
out again.
I
don't know of very many people, if any, who most admire
their parents because they were permissive and let them
get away with murder. Do you?
DO WE NEED LAWS?
The
wise king wrote, "The law of the wise is a fountain
of life, to depart from the snares of death." It is
true that some young people raised with standards did go
the way of the world and are not living for God today. I
do not believe they went astray because of sound Bible
preaching and good biblical standards in the church and/or
school. Many other things enter into it. Some came from
broken homes. Others had one parent who was spiritual and
another who was a soft compromiser. Others backslid because
their parents did. Others were offended by weak Christians.
Parents
and individuals have to have standards also! The pastor
cannot do it all. But he had better preach honestly against
sin and be able one day to stand before God without the
blood of these wayward people on his hands. Paul cried, "We
preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all
wisdom" (Col. 1:28).
Jeremiah
said that if a preacher stands in God's counsel and causes
the people to hear God's words, he will turn "them
from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings" (Jer.
23:22). "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord,
we persuade men" (II Cor. 5:11).
Are
we to have no rules? Then what does Hebrews 13:7 mean when
God says, 'Know them that have the rule over you'? The
bishop or preacher is enjoined to be "one that
ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection
with all gravity" (I Tim. 3:4). God could use
Abraham because He knew that he would "command
his children... after him" (Gen. 18:19). Is this
legalism? I think it is just obedience to God.
"PREACH POSITIVE"
Everyone
wants positive sermons" and leave off the standards.
It was the liberals who first started that business; then
the new evangelicals. Then the conservative-rninded, denominational
preachers decided that was the popular route. Now, sadly,
a lot of the independent men who built their churches on
hard preaching and Bible standards are letting down and
going along the same route.
The
same book of Galatians that tells us that we are not under
law but under grace, also tells us that Christ came to
deliver us from this evil world (Gal. 1:4) and warns us
that the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: "Adultery,
fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry," etc.
(Gal. 5:19-21).
Now
how are you going to explain what fornication is, what
lasciviousness is, if you do not specify?
Yes,
indeed, the Holy Spirit can direct Christians into right
living, but good preachers and teachers are here to guide
their thinking and to show them both from the Scriptures
and from daily life all around us what is right and what
is wrong for a believer. Then we introduce them to the
Spirit's power so they can be victorious. Even Paul had
a real battle with the flesh and cried, "For the
good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would
not, that I do" (Rom. 7:19).
HOW TO GO ABOUT IT
First,
make up your mind that you are going to obey God. Get Dr.
John’s little booklet Why Preach Against Sin? and read
it several times. See how much God has to say in the Bible
on this subject.
Second,
remember that you are obligated under God to put up the
warning sign where the bridge is out. The media, the public
schools and the entertainment world all are doing all they
can to ruin our young people. Many parents do not give
their children the warnings and the instructions they need.
You may be their only hope.
Third,
The unsaved world looks on so it does matter how a Christian
lives. As Christian young people are taught this, and as
new converts learn the Bible, it is not asking too much
to expect them to understand that Christians have a standard
to maintain as we live before the world we seek to win.
Compromising our standards is not the way to win the lost.
Fourth,
Teach them that while "All things are lawful unto
me,... all things are not expedient" (I Cor. 6:12)
by any means. Teach them what GOD says, and you get the
monkey off your back!
This
is not the time to cave in and let down. Get on the battlefield
for our Lord! Challenge people with the truth. If you are
the spiritual giant you ought to be, and if you truly love
the Lord, they will know you are right.
Don't
be a pip-squeak. Don't drift with the tide of popular opinion.
'Be not afraid of their faces," God told Jeremiah.
Put
on the whole armor of God. Stick to your standards. Pray
that we might yet have a spiritual awakening in America!
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