A friend of mine, Bob Buess, published a book in 1975 entitled: The Pendulum Swings. A Baptist minister who received the infilling of the Holy Spirit, Brother Buess was also out on the evangelistic field during the same years I was, and from time to time, we would run into each other and have good fellowship together. His book has some important things to say about pursuing spiritual truth in a balanced, loving way and avoiding a legalistic, dogmatic spirit.
In the preface to his book, Buess writes the following (all emphases are mine):
A few years ago, I was interested in a certain teaching, so I began to pursue the Word of God to find more on this subject. I believed the Bible from cover to cover, but I allowed myself to disregard certain Scriptures. I blanked out certain truths. My mind became completely indifferent to certain verses in the Word.
My new dogma was no different from the old, but I began to defend my new doctrine. It was, in a subtle way, becoming a god, which I had to defend and protect.
It was not an unusual case. It’s easy for Christians to pursue a thought which the Holy Spirit aroused in them as they studied the Scriptures. In their excitement, they set out to explore the Word of God to see what could be found. When they find a few Scriptures to support this new-found idea, they can soon be running madly through the Bible trying to prove their theory.
Dogmatism begins to set in. Without fully realizing what they are doing, these people jump verses, throw out some, and ignore others to prove their point.
People driven by this cause rush madly in pursuit of new arguments to promote their theory. As time passes, they become harsh.
The purpose of this book is to cause the reader to slow down and look at the other side of some issues facing Christians today. It is to let the pendulum swing back into the will of God rather than let it be hung up in dogmas and legalism. It is to call for a re-examination of present studies from a nonpartisan viewpoint. It is a call to take seriously:
My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.
James 3:1 NKJV
Which condemns the teacher who dogmatically rushes ahead without balance in his teaching.
The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Galatian Christians, who were leaving the simplicity of the gospel and reverting to rules and regulations. That Galatian spirit is working in the Body of Christ today, causing some believers to be legalistic in their approach to the Word and to be hard and dogmatic in dealing with truth and with people.
People are caught up in confusion and error simply because teachers have rushed headlong into pet doctrines with no regard for the other side.
Seeing the other side requires that we pursue wisdom.
Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom, and with all thy getting get understanding.
Proverbs 4:7 KJV
Jesus Christ Himself will deliver us from legalism, for He is wisdom:
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1 Corinthians 1:30 KJV
I believe Buess’s insightful comments still apply to us today, and we would be wise to consider them.
Extremes Are Sometimes Necessary
One problem I’ve seen through the years concerning the church is that people holding different beliefs on spiritual issues often begin warring over their positions. I saw this happen firsthand during the days of the Healing Revival, which was from 1947 to 1958. Before it was over, extremism and error actually destroyed the ministry (and life) of more than one talented and effective man. And the momentum of that great revival was stopped when a great number of people were disappointed and hurt by the excesses of some of its leaders.
Early in the revival, Donald Gee wrote an article in The Voice of Healing issuing a call for reason and responsibility. The article was entitled, “Extremes Are Sometimes Necessary.” I have included it in its entirety (all emphases are mine).
One of the paradoxes of the truly Pentecostal witness is its emphasis on the necessity of maintaining a proper balance in doctrine and practice, coupled with a complementary testimony that often urges extremes in both.
Paul’s teaching concerning spiritual gifts is all for balance and moderation:
What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
1 Corinthians 14:15 KJV
We are to avoid giving any impression of being “mad,” “by two, or at the most by three,” “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace”; “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:15, 23, 27, 33, 40).
If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
1 Corinthians 14:23 KJV
If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
1 Corinthians 14:27 KJV
For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
1 Corinthians 14:33 KJV
Let all things be done decently and in order.
1 Corinthians 14:40 KJV
Yet at the same time he affirms in extreme language that he speaks with tongues more than they all; expresses a vehement preference for teaching at a ratio of 10,000 to 5; and says “ye may all prophesy,” (1 Cor. 14:18, 19, 31).
So many of us are inveterate [firmly established] extremists. If we see any ray of truth, we push it to such an extreme that our constant pressing of it becomes offensive, vain, and, at last, erroneous. If we discover any successful line of ministry, we run after it to such an extent that it becomes nauseating and exhausting. We miss genuine usefulness because of our constant failure to keep well-balanced. In the end, men lose confidence in us, our intemperance grieves the Holy Spirit, and we are cast upon the scrap heap of rejected and unprofitable servants.
But still, more of us are in danger of missing a life of power by seeking to walk in a monotonous middle course that never ventures to extremes at all. Our preaching lacks fire because it always tries to present both sides of a case at the same time, and our methods are ineffective because they eschew [avoid] any offense against respectability or tradition.
We may, if we like, pride ourselves on our success in avoiding disaster, but our safety has been achieved by remaining static. We have made practically no impact on the community. If it is true that they have never charged us with madness, it is also true that they have never reported that God is among us of a truth. Most likely, they do not even know of our existence!
We rightly extol the importance of balance; we correctly affirm that the way of truth will not be found in extremes; we justly point out that persistent extremism is suicidal for both men and movements, but we desperately need to recognize that revivals are never launched without someone going to an extreme. Passionate intercession is positively unbalanced, as is much fasting, fervent preaching that makes sinners tremble, and feverish itinerating that makes a missionary or an evangelist seem beside himself. We do well to remember that our Lord’s own kinsmen thought that He had gone mad (Mark 3:21) and that He quoted “The zeal of Thine house hath eaten me up,” (John 2:17) when He kicked over the table of the money changers.
The Day of Pentecost so disturbed the emotional balance of the disciples that they seemed like drunken men. Thirty years later, a Roman governor accused Paul of being mad. The charge was courteously and properly refuted, but let us admit that Festus was no fool. Paul himself testified that at times he was beside himself (2 Cor. 5:13), and his superb sanity of teaching and outlook operated on a heavenly level.
There has to be an extremism to move things. Miracles of healing occur when faith refuses to be logical and blinds itself to arguments based on plenty of contrary experiences and more “balanced” teaching. Indeed, we may well inquire whether there is not something extreme in any genuine miracle.
Where, then, lies the way of Pentecostal truth that embraces legitimate extremism and an essential balance? I can only reply that we need the extremists to start things moving, but we need the balanced teachers to keep them moving in the right direction. We need extremism for a miracle of healing, but we also need balanced sanity for health. We need extreme fervor to launch a movement, but we also need the repudiation of extremes to save it from self-destruction. Only wisdom from above can reveal the perfect synthesis. It takes Pentecostal genius to know when and where an extreme doctrine or practice must be modified to a more balanced view and where, on the other hand, the broad lines of truth must be temporarily narrowed into an extreme emphasis upon one point to ensure a dynamic powerful enough to move things for God. The possession of that uncommon genius marks the God-sent leader who has emerged in truly great periods of revival.
Extreme Emphases
In the past, we have seen extreme emphases in many different areas of doctrine. Let’s look at a few of these and then examine both the positive purposes and the dangers regarding extreme emphasis.
We have seen an extreme emphasis in the faith movement. Some people have thought all believers should throw away their medicine, refuse to go to a doctor, and cancel all their insurance policies, quit their jobs to “live by faith,” and never borrow money under any circumstances.
We have seen an extreme emphasis on the move of the Holy Ghost. Some people have thought they were never supposed to have any kind of service other than a Holy Ghost meeting with people laughing and rolling on the floor every time they came to church. Others have thought every minister was supposed to be holding Holy Ghost meetings all the time.
We have seen an extreme emphasis on teaching that prosperity, especially material prosperity, is for Christians. Some have come to believe that demonstrating prosperity involves displaying a lavish, ostentatious lifestyle rather than being good stewards and efficiently harnessing abundant resources to promote the gospel and to minister the goodness of God to all who are in need.
However, an extreme emphasis alone is not what causes problems. Sometimes an extreme emphasis is necessary to shock and awaken a sleeping, lethargic, and apathetic church to recognize a neglected truth that is necessary for progress to be made.
Often, an extreme emphasis involves people in one ditch trying to pull another group of people out of the ditch on the other side of the road.
An extreme emphasis, then, simply excites people and stirs them up about a general truth that has been neglected or ignored. An extreme emphasis should get our attention, but then we need wisdom to make a productive and fruitful application of that general truth.
The problem is created when there is an extreme application made of what has been emphasized. In other words, people have failed to make a balanced application of what has been heavily emphasized. They have failed to integrate that truth into the rest of God’s Word. The whole counsel of God’s Word is what will keep us in balance.
So how does a minister integrate a certain truth that the Holy Spirit is emphasizing into the whole of the Word of God? I believe the answer is by consciously presenting a balanced view of the subject and searching out as many scriptural foundation stones as possible, not just teaching on an isolated verse.
Even if ministers or students of the Word focus on a particular truth, it is still important to include other subjects in their spiritual diet. Just because a child prefers dessert, the wise parent does not fail to also put bread, meat, and vegetables on his plate.
I have followed a rule of thumb that has served me well in presenting the whole counsel of God’s Word. If the Bible gives a subject a lot of emphasis, with many verses in different books of the Bible, I’ve tried to emphasize that subject in my preaching and teaching. If the Bible says very little about another subject, I’ve made it a point not to place an extreme amount of emphasis on that subject or to be overly dogmatic concerning it.
Don’t Abandon Practical Wisdom and Common Sense
Not only should we as Christians apply biblical teaching and spiritual principles in our day-to-day lives, but we also must not abandon practical wisdom and common sense. There must be balance in this part of our lives as well.
The faith walk does not ignore the natural laws of the universe, which are actually God’s laws. As a rule, God does not supernaturally perform what we have the power to do for ourselves. Most people discover that only after they have done all they know and have the power to do will God step in and do what only He can do.
For example, there is no question that God can miraculously heal our human bodies. I was raised from my deathbed and made completely whole. Over the years, I have seen many people healed from everything from headaches to cancer.
Just because God can and does heal doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t use common sense in taking care of our bodies, eating the right foods, exercising, working in a reasonable way, and getting proper rest. Nor should a person with a disease stop his medical treatment and abandon all reason and common sense. It would be folly, not faith, for a person with diabetes to keep eating large quantities of starchy, sugary foods, saying that he was trusting God to heal him.
Read More: What Does It Mean To Blaspheme Against The Holy Spirit?
Read More: Serving The Lord Isn’t An Activity Of Convenience; It’s Founded Upon Sacrifice
Read More: Double Standard Is No Standard At All
In the same sense, it would be ridiculous for people to try to “look prosperous” by buying all kinds of luxurious items and charging them to credit cards that already have payments they can’t afford. “I believe God is going to provide the money to pay off my debts somehow, some way,” they say. “I’m expecting a miracle blessing. Maybe he’ll help me win the lottery!” Obviously, these people’s expectations are based on mistaken understandings and wrong motives. There is no balance between faith and reality in their lives; with so little wisdom and spiritual discernment to draw upon, these people are easily deceived and led further astray by misguided or unscrupulous religious promoters.
Excerpt from The Midas Touch by Kenneth E. Hagin, Faith Library Publications
Credit: Rev Tokunbo Adejuwon
