Are You A Fundamentalist?

A number of years ago I was talking with a friend of mine about a Bible study he was involved in, and as we talked it became apparent that our ideas about Christianity were dramatically different.  He attended church regularly -- like I did.  He also read the Bible regularly -- like I did.  He was involved in a Bible study -- like I was.  But, that is where the similarities pretty much ended.

We were discussing something -- I think either the resurrection of Jesus or the virgin birth -- and my friend said something that made it clear that he did not believe that either of those events were literally true.  When a puzzled look appeared on my face, he stopped and said something along the lines of "oh, you're a fundamentalist."

I was aware of what is called liberal Christian theology at the time, but honestly I had never given the idea serious thought.  Liberal theology includes a broad range of beliefs, but I think its fair to say that it commonly refers to a belief that the Bible is not inerrant, that biblical accounts, particularly of miracles and similar events, are not literally true, and that the Bible contains the basis for a sound philosophy that centers on love for one another.

I personally don't understand why anyone would want to pursue a liberal Christian philosophy.  If I believed that God was not really the God of the Bible, that Jesus was just a really smart philosopher, and that the Bible was just a collection of writings by men with human agendas, that would not be terribly appealing to me.

Fundamentalism, on the other hand, does not refer to a particular denomination.  It just means that you adhere to a set of basic beliefs about who Jesus is, why He came, and what He did for us.  Without being exhaustive, it means believing in the inerrancy of the Bible, the literal truth of the Bible (particularly with respect to the creation story, miracles and so forth), the virgin birth of Christ, His resurrection and His substitutionary atonement on the cross.  So, I guess I'm a fundamentalist.

But, I am also a fundamentalist in another respect -- which is really what I want to talk about today.  So, since both the NFL and college football are about to kick off, let's talk some football.

For the past number of weeks or months (or however long training camps go) football players of all ages and levels have been preparing for the season.  (You're probably thinking "what's with the sudden shift to football."  Well, hang in there just a minute and we'll get it connected).  And, there is something that these teams all have in common this time of year -- they all go back to the basics.  In other words, they all start with the fundamentals.  Coaches, as I understand and remember it, talk a lot this time of year about "blocking and tackling" -- although there are other fundamentals to talk about as well.

The idea is simple -- if teams don't concentrate on the basics they simply won't execute in games.  You can have the greatest athletes in the world and brilliant coaching, but if the players don't perfect the basic skills -- running routs, blocking, tackling, snapping the ball, kicking, etc. -- they just are not likely to win.

I believe that concentrating on the fundamentals is critical to our walk with God in very much the same way.  The difference is that our faith is not a game -- its a war.  The battle is very real.  Of course, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."  Ephesians 6:12  This is why we are instructed to "put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."  Ephesians 6:13. 


I believe sound preparation means going back time and time again to the fundamentals -- the study of God's Word, prayer and fasting among them.  This kind of preparation is obviously critical to new believers, but I believe it is just as critical for those who have been around a while.   When we are not constantly focused on the fundamentals we become weak and distracted.  It's just that simple.  


Call me a fundamentalist if you like.  It's fine with me.  How about you?