Made
To Differ
Elder
O. B. Mink
Now In Glory
All
too often, the Sovereign Grace Landmark
Baptist pastor hears negative criticism of his ministry on the basis of
belief
that he is too occupied with the success of his own church, at the
expense of
Christianity in general. He has been charged with being uncharitable
toward
those of a different denomination, and that he is unduly opposed to
many of the
valued and cherished traditions of the invisible church. His critics
say, “He
is stuck in the quagmire of outdated practices, such as closed
communion, immersion,
and restriction of the pulpit to the male gender only.”
It is readily admitted by the Sovereign Grace
Landmark Baptist preacher that he is not very innovative, and that he
believes
that the Bible is the inspired word of God, and that any and everything
not
approved by the Bible is of the flesh, and is detrimental to the well
being of
the church. But to indict him on the ground that he is inhospitable
toward
Christians of other denominations, and that he has “churchianity rather
than Christianity”
is grossly unfair. It is not a lack of respect for his fellow
Christians that
has made him to differ with them, but it is his love for the word of
God, for
he knows nothing of value can be gained by compromising a single jot or
tittle
of God’s precious word.
The Sovereign Grace Landmark Baptist preacher
believes that Christ loves His church, and that He purchased it with
His own
blood (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:25). He also believes
that there
is no ecclesiastical institution bigger that a local New Testament
church, and
he believes that the Holy Spirit has called him to the pastoral
ministry.
Therefore, he knows that his calling is to edify the church over which
God has
made him the overseer, and he fearfully knows that any preaching short
of the whole
counsel of God cannot magnify the Lord, nor edify His church.
Sovereign Grace Landmark Baptist preachers love
the
people of other persuasions, and this love has been undeniably
manifested
throughout the two thousand year history of their churches. But owing
to the
irreconcilable variances in what the respective parties believe the
Bible
teaches on many subjects, including the cardinal doctrines of
soteriology and
ecclesiology, leaves NO room for church level fellowship.
Sovereign Grace Baptist churches are not
different
from other churches just for the sake of being different, but their
strictness
and separatism are the fruits of divinely guided study, and they
joyfully
suffer any stigma resulting from the difference God has put between
them and
those of a contrary judgment.
(The
Baptist Herald September, 1994)
