by Bobby L. Graham
"Is Christianity now restored?"
This question implies an inadequate understanding of restoration, but it deserves our honest and earnest consideration. The "Christian System," as Alexander Campbell called it, has been perfect from its inception in God's mind and its beginning on earth. We do not mean that men have always executed it perfectly. Men have often made mistakes, sometimes because of misunderstanding and sometimes because of selfishness. The divine side of the Lord's plan has never needed improvement, but the human side has frequently required better efforts. What God planned before the beginning of the world, and the Spirit-guided apostles set in motion, beginning on Pentecost in Acts 2, has always existed in seed form, even when men erred from the truth, in that the pure word of the Lord could be planted in honest and good hearts to bear fruit (Luke 8:11). The pure seed remains—unadulterated by the ideas and practices of men. From this perspective, Christianity does not need restoring.
From another perspective, we recognize that there is an ongoing need for the restoration of New Testament Christianity. First, it needs to be restored to its place of esteem in the eyes of men. While this is never going to happen in the fullest sense, it is possible for the world to see and understand better that pure New Testament teaching and practice, in both the individual and congregational sense, does exist in this world as an example for all to follow. Second, there also exists a need for New Testament teaching and practice, in both the individual and congregational sense, to be restored to its intended place in the life of every Christian and the operation of each congregation of the Lord's people. To whatever extent this happens, people of the world will be able to see better and value more what it means to be imitators of Christ. Truly, there needs to be a restoration of New Testament Christianity in the lives of all believers, in the functioning of all churches of the Lord, and in the esteem of people (Acts 2:47).
Another area of restoration is also needed. We need to restore fervor of spirit, devotion to prayer, concern for lost souls, and absolute trust in God which will permit nothing to replace His Word as our guide and stay. The Lord's people have allowed this world to dangle its baubles before them, luring them from their faith in God (Luke 8:14). Human inventions in the field of religion have attracted too many of us because we have failed to trust God's way as best (Prov. 14:12).
The prairie fire of restoration which swept across this continent close to 200 years ago needs to be re-ignited. During the intervening years, many involved in the Restoration Movement have been deceived by Satan's wiles and have begun to promote Satan's work. A sound basis for restoration lies in the Scriptures, because divine mandates directing a return to "the faith," "the truth," or "the apostles' doctrine" are still authoritative and operative, despite derogatory remarks by apostates about a "pattern" (Acts 2:42; 6:7; Jas. 5:19). The designations just mentioned imply a divine standard in teaching and practice, from which men must not stray (Jas. 5:19-20).
Only a minority have ever shown interest in God's will and way (Matt. 7:13-14). For this reason, the broad way of allowing men's deviations and departures will ever carry the majority of people, even the majority of religious people. Honest and good hearts still exist in our world, we believe, because the Lord still tarries, not willing that any should perish, but desiring all to repent (2 Pet. 3:9). The good work of restoration, then, must proceed, in the preaching of the pure gospel, in the practice of primitive Christianity, and in the saving of precious souls.
Opposition from the many will inevitably confront the few. Persecution by the more rabid will probably endanger the few. What is new? The disciple is not above his Master!
Author Bio: Bobby participates in fill-in preaching, Belize trips, teaching at Athens Bible School, and in gospel meetings. He and his wife, Karen, have three children: Richard, Mary Katherine Winland (Darren), and Laura Paschall (Jeremy). He can be reached at bobbylgraham@pclnet.net.
