Scandals

Scandals always shake fundamentalism. But this is expected. It is our weakness, since anything that aspires to reach God's holiness has the most potential to fall the highest. It is easy to lose the Spirit, and go through the motions, so to speak, even in the ministry. Especially in the ministry, as flesh and Spirit war, day in and day out.

But scandals, ultimately, are beneficial to Independent Baptists. It roots out the hypocrites within our midst, even though we in the movement who aren't (but we all are, to one extent, all human beings), are severely affected. It often takes care of the fundamentalist leaders who set themselves up on a pedestal for man-worship, instead of God-worship.

And not only our leaders, but the corruption within the flock, also. While we take great pride in policing ourselves, we need to submit to the laws of the government, as Paul admonishes us to in Romans 13. And we need to be consistent in meting out church discipline. That means barring some suspiciously immoral members to attend and reporting law-breaking to the State. When the Church is immoral, she must needs submit to God. If not, she will submit to the State's laws.

When scandals happen, we must admit our wrong doing. And since we are a decentralized entity, we are somewhat immune to the full consequences. We need to get back to the Word, to God, and hope for revival once more. We need to resurrect our name, because a good name is rather to be chosen than riches.

See scandals as God's judgment upon us, His loving chastisement, His reminder not to look at men, but to Himself.

That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Ephesians 5:26-27