Mr. Beal’s Articles

The Winds of Change are Blowing

By Evangelist Alton Beal

When speaking to Nicodemus about the new birth in John 3, Jesus used the wind as an illustration. He said, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth.” As we all know, you cannot see the wind, but you can feel it and see the effects of it. Some winds are welcome and others are destructive. A light refreshing breeze brings relief while a tornado brings devastation.

I believe that even the most casual observation of the past twenty years of the fundamental Baptist movement reveals that the winds of change are blowing. It is important to understand that some changes have been necessary and helpful. With the help of modern technology, church secretaries print the bulletin rather than mimeograph them. Missionaries now use computerized presentations rather than the conventional slide projector. Pastors and church members can now send emails around the world in a split second to communicate with missionaries instead of relying on “snail mail.” These changes are good and wholesome. However, I would like to deal with the winds that are attacking the very foundation of our movement.

Several years ago, I was speaking with two evangelists who were preaching the spring opening revival at ABC. I asked both of them if there were any problems that they have observed while out on the evangelism trail. I was astonished by the manner of their answer. Without any prior collaboration, they both said simultaneously, “Reformed theology.” This shift is sadly a result of years of sowing. When pastors and Christian colleges highly esteem the writings of R.C. Sproul, John Piper, and John MacArthur, it is a matter time before the younger generation embraces the reformed theology of these men. In light of the Bible and church history, this wind has no business blowing among fundamental Baptists. In his book The Reformers and Their Stepchildren, historian Leonard Verduin documents the persecution of our Anabaptist forefathers by the fathers of the Reformation. The wind of toleration for Calvinism has been blowing for quite a while. This growing tolerance for reformed theology will lead to a further embracing of Calvinism and forsaking of our Baptist principles and heritage.

Another prominent wind that is having a negative impact is the wind of relevance. Leaders in the church growth movement such as Rick Warren have stressed the importance of making the Bible relevant and having a proper world-view. The truth be told, the Bible is a relevant book with timeless truth. The world has always portrayed the Bible as a strange, out-dated book. The younger generation needs to be careful about employing worldly means to teach Bible truths in an effort to make the Bible “relevant.” We would all do well to heed Paul’s command to Timothy and “preach the word.”

Through the years, God has gifted many men and women in the area of music. Many of us are accustomed to singing congregational songs by composers of years gone by such as Fanny Crosby, Frances Havergal, and P.P. Bliss. In recent years, the Lord has also blessed others to write songs that glorify God in both the music and lyrics. However, it appears that some fundamentalists, especially fundamental Baptists, have changed their minds about the morality of music. One group in particular that has been gaining traction in recent days is the Sovereign Grace music movement. While many of the words are supposedly rich in doctrine, the music is no different than soft rock or the contemporary Christian music (CCM) genre. Can the truths of God’s Word rightly be transported in the vehicle of worldly music? I say not. This wind of change in music can only be resisted if the younger generation understands the importance of Christ-likeness in both lyrics and music. Sometimes, there is a great difference between doing that which is fashionable and that which is right.

In my next article, I will mention several other winds of change that are blowing among fundamental Baptists. Please join me in praying that these winds of change will never blow on the campus of Ambassador Baptist College and that our graduates will not be swayed by these winds.

Back to Articles