Oxymoron: Theological Movement

“1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. 2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: 3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. 4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years. 5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. 6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed” (Malachi 3:1-6).

“16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:16-17).

I have always had problems with those individuals who have thought of, and speak of, Christian Fundamentalism as a movement. Fundamentalism, in its purest meaning, simply refers to a literal interpretation and strict, dogmatic application of the verbally inspired Words of God recorded in the 66 books of Holy Writ. There can be movement towards this dogmatic understanding and application of those Words or movement away from this dogmatic understanding and application of those Words, but the correct understanding and application of those Words is a constant that is as unmovable and unchanging as the One Who inspired them.

Therefore, a person can be moving towards orthodoxy and the resulting orthopraxy or a person can be moving away from orthodoxy and the resulting orthopraxy, but if he is moving, he has not yet arrived at the destination (orthodoxy and orthopraxy), which never moves and never changes.

Every believer’s loyalties are first and foremost to Christ and His Word. If the local church is going to be the “pillar and ground of the truth” that Christ intends for it to be, loyalty to Christ and His Word must be foremost in every consideration. “25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, 26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:25-26).

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Dr. Lance Ketchum serves the Lord as a Church Planter, Evangelist/Revivalist.
He has served the Lord for over 40 years.