Why Jerry Falwell Was A Great Christian!

Although I am a graduate of Bob Jones University and I appreciate the excellent Christian education I received there and the friends I made there, I have the greatest respect for the late Dr. Jerry Falwell and his Christian school Liberty University.

Aside from differences in secondary doctrine between myself and Dr. Falwell, I know one thing for sure about Dr. Falwell and that is he was an authentic Christian. Dr. Falwell was not a hyper-separatist when it came to people in the world or to his Christian brethren. He believed in true Biblical separation from sin but not in man-made hyper-separation from sinners and fellow Christian believers.

Dr. Falwell would not separate from you because you buy your bread and milk from a grocery store that sells cigarettes and pornography. He would not condemn you as being a supporter of cigarettes and pornography because you bought a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread from such a place. That is an example of a hyper-separatist. Dr. Falwell loved his fellow believers and he loved the sinners in the world knowing very well that all true believers are really sinners saved by the undeserving grace of God. He never equated being a friend to sinners as being in friendship with sin. Motives in Christianity mean everything and may I say that Dr. Falwell's motives were impeccably genuine.

Liberty University is an outstanding Christian school and one that does not compromise on basic tenets such as creationism. Yes, they teach what the other side says, not to be in support of it, but to contrast it with the truth, both biblical truth as well as scientific truth.

I am not saying that all hyper-separatists among Christians are the same. There are varying degrees of hyper-separtism from moderate to extreme. The examples I have given above are among the most extreme and worst kinds of hyper-separatism and, please understand, that I am not at all implying that my Alma mater, Bob Jones University, belongs in the group of such extreme hyper-separatism.

A hyper-separatist can never be truly consistent. At some point, whether it be at the 1st degree of separation or at the 10th degree or more of separation, the hyper-separatist will find himself violating his own standard of separation. A close examination of the lives and the associations of any hyper-separatist will reveal this to be the case. Ultimately, the hyper-separatist will have to separate from his own self to be true to his convictions! Such is the absurdity of hyper-separation.

Dr. Jerry Falwell was a man who loved God, who loved sinners but hated their sin as well as his own sins, a humble man, not self-righteous, but Christ-righteous and proudly owning his Christ-righteousness before others, always boasting in his beloved Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ and in His Gospel.

Pastor Falwell was a man who sought as much common ground as morally possible with those in the world and with fellow Christians who differed with him on matters of secondary doctrine. Seeking such common ground is not sin or compromising on convictions that one holds.

Most definitely does Dr. Falwell have his Lord's "Well done thou good and faithful servant", and the Lord has pulled out all the arrows that were inflicted on him from those in the world and, sadly, from fellow Christians. Enjoy thy great rewards in the Lord, brother Falwell!

The author, Babu G. Ranganathan, has his B.A. with concentrations in theology and biology from Bob Jones University and has been recognized for his writings on religion and science in the 24th edition of Marquis Who's Who In The East. His website may be accessed at www.religionscience.com.