Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 14
September 20, 1962
NUMBER 20, PAGE 7

Issue Crazy

Bill Fling

Some churches have become obsessed with the current "issues." Good brethren complain "all he preaches is the issues." Bulletins and journals seem to bear out the charge. Perhaps we are "issue crazy."

This is a natural reaction. Apostasy in the church is always sad, but when our family and our friends are being swept to sea with the flood of digression it is even more disturbing. Ie becomes personal.

When loved and trusted brethren of long-standing compromise the truth or "sell out" to silence; when large numbers of churches follow popularity instead of principle, when disappointing and heart-rending things are being said and done by brethren; when the church embarrasses the name of Christ with folly; then the Jeremias will weep, the Sauls will rend their garments and a Moses will break tablets in anger. A Jonah may be heard to curse the Ninevites - or a Rachel weeping for her children. Their righteous indignation is just and their tearful eyes are with good reason. Those who love the church have experenced these soul-stirring feelings in the past few years.

This is surely the Saviour's hour of sadness.

But it will avail little to carp on these errors constantly to those who already know and uphold the truth. Churches who have weathered the storm of digression must now clean up the after-math of the storm. The rubbish of bitterness must be removed; the silt of discouragement swept out and things prepared to go "back to work" - the work which "God before ordained."

We who are conservative, holding to the Gospel pattern of divine service, have a great and challenging work before us. It is a constructive work. It is a work of cultivating zeal for soul-saving; it is the work of planting new churches in fertile fields; it is a work of sending out more evangelists to preach Christ to a lost and dying world; it is a work of dedication and prayer and faith.

The liberals must not deter us. They will drift further and further into disrespect for God's word and disdain for His authority. They are even now generally upholding gross corruption and immorality, public opinion being the standard of conduct. They themselves have become "issue crazy," upholding their hobbies to the deterioration of convictions, morals, and reverence. A few may come back to the truth as time goes on.

As for us, we must not become "hobby riders" in any regard, but preach the whole counsel of God. (Acts 20:27) We must not preach one truth to the neglect of others. (Matt 23:23) Maturity in Christ is not just to oppose "institutionalism," "sponsoring churches," or expose the folly of church recreation programs. These we will do, and not leave undone the other principles that pertain to life and godliness.

We must oppose error; we must "fight the good fight of faith," but we must also preach peace. We must teach a positive course of action and not just a negative course of resistance.

We have tasted conflict with liberal brethren and were victorious; let us not now "turn on each other" to find someone else to fight. Satan is our foe; sin, ignorance, and error are his soldiers. We must fight them on every front, but we will still build the wall of Zion to our God's Glory and Honor.

"Issue Crazy" - Never; "Issue conscious" - Perhaps; but always abounding in the work of the Lord." (1 Cor. 15:58)

— 3322 W. Orange Avenue, Anaheim, Calif.