Moral Fundamentals

I have in my library a four-volume set of books entitled, The Fundamentals. The books contain ninety essays written by conservative Christian scholars. The essays were originally published in twelve volumes and were released quarterly beginning in 1910. Lyman and Milton Stewart, Christian philanthropists, paid to publish three million copies and mail them free of charge to pastors and Christian workers across America. Thus the project, The Fundamentals: A Testimony to the Truth, was intended primarily to be a response to modernism or liberalism that was taking over Protestant seminaries and creeping into Protestant churches. The essays were largely apologetic in nature, defending traditional Christian beliefs against modern doctrinal innovations, higher criticism, and spurious cults.

The title, The Fundamentals, communicates the idea that there are certain essential or fundamental truths to the Christian faith. People can differ over minor matters, but some doctrines such as the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible are for the Christian foundational and indispensable.

From this, the term “fundamentalist” arose. A century ago, “fundamentalist” identified those who affirm the traditional, basic Christian beliefs defended in The Fundamentals. Unfortunately, in recent decades the word has been redefined and used to refer to extremists of any religion, particularly those who are bigoted and violent. For example, the American news media regular refers to “Islamic fundamentalists,” although no one in the Muslim world employs this terminology.

The concept of fundamentals in the Christian faith, however, comes much sooner in history than the early twentieth century. From the days of the apostles, Christians have always affirmed that a “rule of faith,” certain cardinal doctrines, are necessary to the gospel. For instance, in 1 Corinthians 15, the apostle Paul argues that those who deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ deny the gospel. The apostle John contends that anyone denying the incarnation of Jesus the Son of God is a deceiver who denies the gospel (2 Jn 7). The resurrection and the incarnation of Jesus Christ are essential, fundamental. To deny these doctrines is to deny the gospel itself and therefore to be other than Christian.

While there are truths fundamental to Christianity, there are also morals essential to the faith. There are certain things Christians believe and certain ways Christians behave. The apostle Paul wrote Timothy, “If any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own household, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel [a settled unbeliever]” (1 Tim. 5.8). Here, the Bible states that if someone refuses to care for his elderly indigent relatives, particularly his parents, he is as bad or worse than a man who denies foundational gospel truth. The fifth of the Ten Commandments says, “Honor thy father and thy mother” (Ex 20.12). Most obviously, this means that small children should respect and obey their parents (Eph 6.1). However, it also means that adult children should regard and care for their elderly parents when their parents can no longer care for themselves (Mt. 15:3-6). Paul says that failure to obey this commandment is to deny the faith. A man who abuses his children, abandons his wife, or neglects his elderly parents, conflicts with and contradicts the gospel just as much as a person who denies the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In the Ephesian letter Christians are exhorted to not allow sexual immorality, impurity, or greed to be so much as “named among you as becometh saints” (Eph. 5:3). Such conduct is totally improper and out of place in the life of Christians because they are Christians. Honesty, generosity, and moral purity are fundamental to the faith.

God is the judge. He alone knows the heart. The best of Christians falter and fail to live up to ideals of our Savior. But by God’s grace, we should strive to both verbally confess basic Christian doctrines and actively practice fundamental Christian morals. Our beliefs and our behavior ought to be parallel lines. The gospel we profess ought to be substantiated by the ethics we practice. With good works Christians are to “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things” (Titus 2:10).

David A. Oliver is the pastor of Ashley Baptist Church in Belding, MI.