I really do not consider myself to be a part of a "movement," "Restoration" or otherwise. I consider myself to be a Christian, with the intent of learning, knowing, and practicing truth. My goal is heaven, not upholding cherished ideas or traditions of a movement. Like Ezra, I simply want to set my heart to "study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach" it (Ezra 7:10). If that identifies me with others of like mind, I have no problem with that. But I hang my hat on the word of God, not on what pioneers of the past have said.

That said, I do appreciate the work accomplished in the past by men who had the courage to challenge the religious world of their day. Men like the Campbells, though they had their problems and questionable views, were nevertheless courageous men whose impact is still felt. I don’t know that their intent was to begin any religious "movement," except to urge people to move back to the Bible for their source of faith and practice. With this concept, we should agree. Let’s go back to the beginning so that we are Christians after the New Testament pattern, not after a pattern that developed far too late to be the Lord’s.

Some seem to view "restoration" as a finished project. That is, we have already restored Christianity to its primitive state, and thus we no longer need to be concerned about changing anything. The danger in this should be evident. It is assumed from the position of pride, and is mirrored in such statements as "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing" (Rev. 3:17). Meanwhile, we may be ignorant that we are "wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked." The point is that we should never take on the posture of one who thinks he/she has "arrived" and is no longer in need of further growth and understanding. It’s the attitude I’m talking about here. I’m not speaking of being wishy-washy or failing to take a stand because one is "never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Tim. 3:7); but I am talking about the arrogance of a "we have it all figured out and we can’t possibly be wrong" attitude.

While I believe that one can know truth, and be confident in that, I also believe that humility demands that we keep open minds. I have been "confident" of positions I used to hold, but further study and honesty demanded a change on my part. So what I am advocating here is the principle of seeking. In other words, Christians should be characterized by an attitude that is constantly seeking to learn and grow (2 Pet. 3:18). Paul prayed that the Colossians would walk worthy of the Lord, please Him in all things, bear fruit in every good work and increase in the knowledge of God (Col. 1:10). If we admit that we can "increase" and "grow" in the knowledge of God and His word, then we are admitting the principle of seeking. My knowledge is not in its finished state. It may be that I have missed something in my studies. Perhaps I failed to take something into account that causes a conclusion to be flawed. I must constantly reassess where I am in my understanding, go back to Scripture, and make sure that I am staying on that track. When I draw a conclusion I believe is right, I will hold it, affirm it, and even debate it, but I will also grant that maybe I’ve missed something that could change it. I am willing to change, but I must be convinced from Scripture that such a change is indeed warranted. This is what we ask of others; we should be willing to apply the same standard to ourselves. May God help us if we get to the point where we don’t think we could ever change again.

Each generation of Christians will face its own challenges. My father’s generation fought many battles, especially in the realm of the organization and work of the church (i.e., institutionalism, etc.). I appreciate the courage and faith of these men who stood on the forefront of these battles. I am thankful for the legacy left to the following generations. But there is also a danger here. One generation of men who have studied something out and fought for it may be tempted to tell the next generation, in essence, "we have studied this out and this is what you must believe." If not careful, this can leave an impression that indicates to future generations that they need not study for themselves; the issue (whatever it is, from institutionalism to divorce and remarriage and beyond) has already been decided. But here is my point: those issues have not been decided for anyone except those who have studied them out and developed their own faith. I must study for myself and draw my own conclusions, not based upon the past conclusions of others, but based upon my understanding of God’s word. I can learn much from previous generations; I have a lot of respect for them and read what they have said with sober thought. But they, or any others, are not the masters of my faith. I must learn and study for myself what I will believe. This is the nature of seeking for truth.

One thing I appreciated so much about my father is that, though he held firm convictions, he always gave me room to study something out and reach my own conclusions. Usually, I ended up agreeing with him, but in the areas where we differed, he respected my faith. Now there were times when I did reach a wrong conclusion, and he would patiently, in his own way, get me to rethink what I was saying. But he never tried to force a conclusion in my mind. His example for me has been powerful. I will press a point, but I want to give someone room to grow and learn, for each person must study in search of the truth for himself. This is part of the principle of seeking. We are all in various stages of growth and understanding. That must be respected.