Issue 2, Fall 1997, Volume 15

WHY THE HOLINESS MOVEMENT DIED Douglas A. Crossman

In the Spring of 1994 Dr. Keith Drury preached a courageous and widely reported sermon to the Christian Holiness Association called "The Holiness Movement is Dead." Briefly summarized, his reasons for the decline of the holiness influence were eight fold:

1. The desire for respectability
2. The holiness movement joined mainstream evangelicalism
3. Failure to convince the younger generation of the accuracy and relevance of the message
4. Holiness ceased to be the main issue
5. The lay people were overlooked in favor of professionals
6. The abuses of the past caused them to overreact
7. They adopted church growth strategy instead of biblical concepts
8. They failed to notice when the battle lines shifted

I think several other considerations could be given to explain why the holiness movement does seem to be in wide disarray at this present time. Here are eight additional observations I have made:

1. The neglect, even abandonment, of Reformation principles:

>Justification by faith only. Rightly understood, this is, as Martin Luther termed it, the doctrine of a standing or a falling Church. Yet so many in the holiness movement today have virtually no understanding nor experience of this Bible doctrine.

>The authority of Scripture. Our forefathers in the holiness movement were pre-eminently Bible and doctrinal preachers. Then from the 1930s the whole style shifted from a practical and doctrinal presentation to a subjective and emotional presentation. This had very little of the Holy Spirit in it and must be judged largely as a work of the flesh. The blessings of God were largely withdrawn, although the appearance of liveliness persisted in emotional altar scenes. Many of these altar scenes became a spectacle and were little better than the sordid scene at the foot of the mount, when Israel danced to their shame before the nations around.

>The priesthood of all believers. This principle was misapplied when believers were encouraged to dominate the meetings with what was thought to be "the freedom of the Spirit." Instead it was largely the exercise of the flesh. It was even thought to be a good service if singing and testifying and emotions so dominated that no time was left for the preaching of the Word of God.

We need to relearn that the Reformation was a return to Scripture. Holiness can only have life and power when it is Scriptural Holiness.

2. The shift of emphasis from doctrine to experience.

The holiness movement took a nosedive in influence when, especially in the 1930s, the style and content of holiness preaching changed radically. It shifted from the earlier biblical, doctrinal, and theocentric emphasis to a more experiential, illustrative, and anthropocentric emphasis mingled with shallow emotionalism. This position still dominates and has proven to be a jugular slash to true holiness.

Almost all the great founders of the holiness movement, especially those following the 1859 revival, were expositors. Today there is rarely an expositor among us. J. A. Wood's Perfect Love is a great work, however its monumental weakness is the almost complete lack of any Scripture. Too many meetings are on this plan - testimonies but no Scripture. Too many sermons follow the same plan - too many stories, not enough scripture.

3. The trust in feelings rather than an exercise of faith.

When the position moved from doctrine to experience it easily moved to a state where what one felt was far more satisfying than the complete trust in the reliability of the promises of God as found in His Word. Consequently the "altar" became almost a spiritual counterpart to the psychiatrist's couch. A time of crying at the altar made the "confessor" feel much better. Repeated visits to the "altar" kept the heart in a good state of feelings. So very rarely now are testimonies full of complete trust in the Word of God, apart from feelings. The older sequence was facts, faith, then feelings - when and as God gave them. Now Christian experience is almost only a matter of feelings.

4. The emphasis on entertainment rather than edification.

Now every service, has to have its "special," that is, a solo or other musical performance, often followed by a round of applause, on the part of the "audience." It would surprise many to realize Wesley and Whitfield never used a soloist. All music was an act of worship and adoration addressed to God.

Whole meetings are now handed over as concerts, "sacred" concerts, but concerts none the less. It is common for professional musicians to charge a thousand dollars or more for a performance. This is nothing less than a form of prostitution, a sale of the gifts God has given, which surely must result in a grieving of the Spirit.

We have lost the scriptural position of the primacy of preaching. This present situation makes it difficult for those of us who hold the conviction that only a service where the Word of God is read and expounded, is a truly Christian service. -To Be Continued-

This is the conclusion of an article begun in the last issue. It is an adaptation Tom Kiser made of John Wesley's description of Christian perfection.

By this fruit you will recognize him: he loves God and consequently he obeys God's commandments. He obeys not just some, or most of them, but all, from the least to the greatest. He is not content to keep the whole law, and yet stumble in just one point; but keeps in all points his conscience clear before God and man. Whatever God has forbidden, he avoids; whatever God has instructed, he does; whether it is little or great, hard or easy, satisfying or stressful to the flesh. He runs in the path of God's commands, for He has set his heart free. It is his glory, his daily joyous prize, to do the will of God on earth, as it is done in heaven.

All the commandments of God he keeps and that with all his might. His obedience is in proportion to his love, the source from which it flows. Therefore, loving God with all his heart, he serves Him with all his strength. He continually offers his soul and body a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. Entirely and without reserve he devotes himself and all he has to God's glory. All the talents he has received he constantly uses according to his Master's will; every power and ability of his soul, every part of his body. In the past he offered them to sin as the instruments of wickedness. Now as one who has been brought from death to life, he offers the parts of his body to God as instruments of righteousness.

Whatever he does, it is all for the glory of God. In all his various activities, he not only intends this, but actually attains it. His business and recreation, as well as his prayers, all serve this great goal. Whether he sits at home or walks along the road, whether he lies down or gets up, he is promoting, in all he speaks or does, his life's purpose to bring glory to God. Whether he is dressing, working, or eating and drinking, it all tends to advance the glory of God. His one invariable rule is this, Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

The customs of the world do not hinder him in any degree for he runs with perseverance the race marked out for him. He knows that vice does not lose its nature when it becomes fashionable. He also remembers that each of us will give an account of himself to God. He cannot, therefore, follow the crowd in doing wrong. He cannot live in luxury every day or gratify the desires of the sinful nature. He cannot store up for himself treasures on earth any more than he can scoop fire into his lap. He cannot dress with gold or pearls or expensive clothes. He cannot join in or condone any entertainment that has evil tendencies. He cannot slander [speak against] his neighbor, any more than he can lie either for God or man. He cannot utter an unkind word about anyone, for love keeps watch over the door of his lips. He cannot speak careless words; no unwholesome talk ever comes out of his mouth. He avoids all that is not helpful for building others up, not of benefit to those who listen. But whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, this he thinks, speaks, and acts, making the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

Finally as he has opportunity he does good unto all people. He works in every possible way for the good of neighbors, strangers, friends and enemies. He not only cares for their bodies, by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting those that are sick or in prison, but above all labors to do good to their souls with the strength God provides. He attempts to wake up those who sleep in spiritual death and bring them to the reconciling blood of Christ, so that being justified though faith, they may have peace with God. Those who have peace with God he labors to spur on toward love and good works. He will very gladly spend from them everything he has and expend himself as well, even to the point of being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of their faith, so that they may all attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

These are the marks of a mature Christian; of one inwardly and outwardly conformed to the will of God, as revealed in the Holy Bible. His soul is renewed in the image of its Creator, to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Having the mind of Christ, he walks as Jesus did. Reader, may God himself, the God of peace, purify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it.

The name "Watson" usually is associated with G. D. Watson, a popular holiness author. Few people have had any exposure to Richard Watson, the first Methodist to publish a systematic theology. We think part of the problem is that the wrong Watson has been reprinted and read. This is the fourth extraction from Richard Watson to be published in this magazine.

The Christianizing of the world is no novel thought. The plan is not ours. In a word, we expect success, because God has formed a scheme of universal redemption, to be gradually but fully developed. We expect success because "to us a son is given."

"The government" is placed "upon his shoulder." This is another ground of confidence. All power is given to him. All things are put under him.

We can see nothing of strangeness and improbability in the conversion of the world to discourage us, when we read that the name of our Lord and Leader is "Wonderful."

While he bears the title of the "Counsellor," he who giveth counsel will guide us by his wisdom in all our efforts and plans.

Powerful as the opposition may be to his truth, we see it overcome. We see with joy his foot on the necks of his enemies; for he is "the mighty God," and the people must fall under him.

We derive, too, no small encouragement from his title, "the Father of the eternal age." The great Originator of all the blessings and comforts will not disown an institution which seeks his glory and the promotion of his designs.

Lastly, if we wanted encouragement and motive in this work, we should find it in that endearing title, "the Prince of peace," and the corresponding declaration, "Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end." This terminates the whole in a manner most glorious to God and most hopeful to man.

[edited from Richard Watson, "The Remedy of the Misery of the World." Sermons and Sketches of Sermons. 2 vols. (New York: Lane & Scott, 1851), 2:298-9. The sermon text is Isaiah 9:2-7].
 

MODERN ALTAR METHODS: AN INADEQUATE SUBSTITUTE FOR THE METHODIST CLASS MEETING Joseph D. McPherson  

It would be altogether unwise for one to discount the testimonies of any who claim to have received help at an altar of prayer, especially if they give evidence of having been transformed in heart and life. Nevertheless, there are sufficient reasons to believe that many are being spiritually hindered and deceived in their souls by altar experiences. Some years ago water baptism came under discussion in a Bible class I was teaching. A retired evangelist spoke up, asserting that he had "seen many when baptized, go down dry sinners and come up wet sinners." "Yes," I responded, "and I am quite certain that I have seen many go down as sinners at an altar and come up sinners."

I can personally testify to having those occasions when the Lord powerfully worked in my own heart. I know what it is to be so filled with the love of God as to think myself unable to contain any greater manifestation and blessing. However, such was never my experience at any public altar of prayer. In spite of numerous visits to the altar rail during my early years at camp meetings and evangelistic services, I cannot say that I actually profited by any of them. Rather, it was by a continual and diligent seeking which utilized all the means of grace, making restitutions, and particularly by earnest prayer in secret that I received time and again those answers to my soul's needs.

Having all my life been an observer of modern methods of evangelism, I conclude that there are several pitfalls closely connected with the prevailing altar methods found in the modern holiness movement. Some are as follows:

1. Those responding to an altar call are often led to believe that by going forward they are essentially meeting God's conditions, when in fact, they may be only meeting the conditions established by man. They may even feel, in some degree or other, that God is obligated to meet their needs because they responded in this way to an evangelist's appeal. This may be especially so in those cases wherein the evangelist's appeal includes strong promises of a glorious answer to any and every spiritual need by the mere act of coming forward for prayer. When such thinking becomes the basis for "going forward," the seeker is dangerously close to the error of seeking salvation by works.

2. Those who are counseling seekers at the altar too often carry the attitude that since the seeker has openly responded to an invitation, the battle is as good as over. They therefore take it upon themselves to coach the seeker into making a profession, when as yet there may have been no spiritual change experienced, nor any assurance received that God's conditions have been met and His supernatural work completed. Therefore, upon leaving the altar the seeking that should have continued is thus arrested with a falling short of spiritual attainment and soul satisfaction. The Holy Spirit alone knows when one has met the necessary conditions of unfeigned repentance toward God and vital faith in the Savior.

3. Many are the professing Christians of our day who speak of their trips to the altar as proofs of what they claim spiritually.

"Going forward" is thought of as one and the same with God-given heart assurance, or it may be better said that the former has essentially taken the place of the latter. When asked, "Do you know that you are justified?" they typically answer by assuring you that they are because they went to the altar on such and such an occasion. One such lady said she knew she would have to go forward a second time, but had no doubt that by going again, she would be able to testify of being entirely sanctified. Many like this soul may never have heard the New Testament doctrine and assurance or the witness of the Spirit preached and taught. However, chances are good that they have heard many times that "feelings," so called, are of little importance.

So it is that modern evangelism has found "mass production" methods of making professing believers of all who "go forward" to spend a few short minutes in prayer and counseling. At the same time there is a minimizing of any need to experience the Spirit's assurance of one's acceptance with God. There is a minimizing of any need to sense a new and God-given transformation wherein "old things are passed away; behold all things are become new."

Mr. Wesley warned seekers, "Never fancy yourself a believer in Christ till Christ is revealed in you, and till his Spirit witnesses with your spirit that you are a child of God" (Sermon #37, para. 35). He and early Methodists taught that when seekers believe so as to be truly born of the Spirit, they then "have the witness in themselves and an earnest of heaven in their hearts." Being born of God and justified by faith, they have redemption in the blood of Jesus and the forgiveness of sins. They not only enjoy that "peace of God which passeth all understanding," but have a consciousness of the "love of God shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto them."

I once surprised a class of adults with the question: "How did the Church get along without an altar and altar calls for the first eighteen hundred years of its history?" Some were surprised to learn that "the old-fashioned mourner's bench" was not as old fashioned as they had long been led to believe. The historical fact is that while God has repeatedly manifested Himself in great revivals throughout every century since the days of the apostles, the traditional altar as we know it, had no existence until about 1810. According to church historians, it seems to have appeared first in eastern Kentucky with the beginning of the camp meeting movement.

So it was that the great Methodist revival of the 1700s, as well as all other great revivals before it, took place without a single altar call. Mr. Wesley would not have know what an altar call was. However, his ways of calling sinners to repentance and his methods of assisting seekers in their pursuit of spiritual reconciliation did result in multitudes finding both a vital experience of the new birth and holiness of heart. Present methods arising from our "modern altar theology" give too much evidence of having provided a poor replacement. While our generation is apt to judge the final success of a service or series of meetings on the basis of the number that "go forward," early Methodists made their final judgment of the success on the basis of a righteous and lasting change in lives, families, and whole societies.

We are led to conclude, therefore, that while some here and there may be profited by an altar experience, many more are likely to be both disappointed and deceived. In fact, has not this modern tradition of converting the lost too often proven to be an ineffective and unproductive ritual? In contrast, was it not spiritually safer in the days of the Methodist class meetings and bands when seekers were led at their own pace rather than being rushed into a profession? For it is proven that God does not deal with every soul in the same way and at the same pace. In the supportive setting of a class meeting, seekers were patiently helped and nurtured. The testimonies and prayers of fellow class members lent consistent and daily encouragement. The counsel and exhortation of the class leader gave timely guidance and instruction, while an honest accounting of spiritual progress from week to week gave needed incentive for maintaining a watchful and spiritually disciplined way of life. In a word, they Holy Spirit was allowed, with human assistance, to "take each seeker on by the job," without the hurry, distraction, and pressure so often sensed at our present day altar services.
 

THEOLOGICAL UNCERTAINTY A critique of Ray Dunning's systematic theology Vic Reasoner  

H. Ray Dunning is the professor of theology at Trevecca Nazarene College in Nashville. He was commissioned to produce a systematic theology in the Wesleyan tradition that is true to the doctrinal standards of the Church of the Nazarene. In 1988 he produced the 671 page theology entitled Grace, Faith, and Holiness with the approval of the Board of General Superintendents of the Church of the Nazarene. Since the Fundamental Wesleyan Society is vitally interested in the propagation of the Wesleyan message, we cannot afford to ignore such major theological statements as this. The title itself is a concise statement of the Wesleyan order of theology. Before we ever exercise saving faith in Christ, the preliminary or prevenient grace of God is at work drawing us to Christ. Upon exercising faith in Christ as our Savior, the result of genuine salvation is to be made like Christ and to begin a life of holiness.

Dunning's presentation of the Wesleyan message, however, is uneven. The persistent reader, who plods along, will be rewarded at regular intervals with insight, but Dunning's style is difficult and tedious. At times it is difficult to ascertain exactly what he is trying to say and often he goes the long way around the barn to get it said. Without attempting to judge his motives, it appears that he has sacrificed readability and clarity at the altar of academic respectability. Truth need not be this complicated.

Before launching into Dunning's work, he opens with a note to the reader that the first two sections are for the student of technical theology and those with a more general interest may skip 160 pages. In that laborious introduction Dunning attempts to grapple with the major twentieth century theologians. I have no fault to find with him for being aware of contemporary theology, but it appears he has been unduly influenced by them.

Dunning argues that what is critical is a proper hermeneutic, not a certain theory of inspiration. However, our doctrine of biblical authority is determined by our view of inspiration and our method of interpretation will also be governed by our view of inspiration. If Dunning is to build a theological system that first considers scriptural teaching, among other sources, he needs a scripture which is reliable enough to build upon. It is politically incorrect among Nazarene theologians today to accept the Bible as inerrantly inspired by God. Therefore, Dunning argues for the theological accuracy of the Scriptures. Thus the Scriptures may not be accurate historically; they may contain errors, but theological truth can be extrapolated from them. We can draw general conclusions which are accurate in matters of salvation from material which may or may not be specifically reliable.

Dunning is honest enough to quote John Wesley's reflection, "Now if there be any mistakes in the Bible, there may as well be a thousand. If there is one falsehood in that book, it did not come from the God of truth." However, he is not Wesleyan enough to embrace it.

Wesley wrote a letter to the Bishop of Gloucester in response to the Bishop's tract "On the Office and Operations of the Holy Spirit." In it the Bishop claimed that the Holy Spirit so directed the writers that "no considerable error should fall from them." Wesley objected to this language by writing, "Nay, will not the allowing there is any error in Scripture, shake the authority of the whole?"

Jesus taught that even the smallest letter of the words of Scripture could not become corrupted (Matt 5:18). Dunning denies that the words of Scripture are verbally inspired, but he wants to build a theology upon the thoughts conveyed by those words. Dunning wants to say that it is the writers, and not their writings, which are inspired, but he is logical enough to admit that, "Since thoughts are of necessity conceptualized in terms of language, or words, there is a real sense in which one may speak in this context of verbal inspiration." After having made that important concession, however, in the next paragraph Dunning warns that "the dictation theory leads almost inevitably to the allegorical method of interpretation and ultimately to the loss of meaning altogether." This conclusion is without foundation. While many conservative scholars believe the very words of Scripture were inerrantly inspired by the Holy Spirit, most of them would not describe the process of inspiration as "dictation" because it does not sufficiently recognize the human element. However, Dunning only allows two alternatives, his "dynamic theory" and their "dictation theory." Those who hold to the more conservative view usually also argue for a more literal hermeneutic, not the allegorical method. Furthermore, it is the liberal higher critic, forever tinkering with the sacred text, who ultimately arrives at the loss of meaning.

I find it ironic that Dunning calls for expository sermons, sermons derived from the Scripture and not personal opinion or experience, as the most appropriate type of preaching. However, expositional preaching is built upon the conviction that God's Word is infallible and inerrant. John MacArthur considers expository preaching as a mandate of biblical inerrancy and decries the drift toward experience-centered, pragmatic, topical preaching. Typically it has been Calvinists, not the nominal Wesleyans of today, who are known for their expositional preaching.

Harold Lindsell wrote in 1979 that the Church of the Nazarene had been deeply infiltrated by an errancy view of the Bible which was not the original position of the church. He warned, "A house divided against itself cannot stand. The Church of the Nazarene should make plain which of the two incompatible viewpoints represents the church and its people." Apparently the church has made its choice in this officially sanctioned statement of Nazarene doctrine.
 

H. Ray Dunning, Grace, Faith, and Holiness (Kansas City: Beacon Hill, 1988), 671 pp.