It was first thought to entitle this series of studies "STUDIES FROM THE DESERT" because the original study was done either at Kirk, Colorado, while the author was pastor of the First Baptist Church there, or at Wellington, Kansas while he was pastor of the Immanuel Baptist Church in that city. Both of these are located in what used to be called "The Great American Desert" but there was another reason for giving this title to these studies. A former pastor at Kirk, Colorado characterized it, because of its isolated location, as "the back side of the Midian desert," in evident allusion to Exodus 3:1. But the Midian desert was to Moses, as the Arabian desert was to Paul, a place of spiritual learning, growth and stabilization, and these two pastorates in the Great American Desert were, for this writer, likewise places where there was time for much study, and so for much spiritual growth. However, we have thought better of the present title, since it better explains what the book deals with.
As a result of the original studies, and subsequent spiritual growth, this writer had to revise some of his doctrinal opinions. Indeed, he underwent a doctrinal conversion, in the early 1960’s which was hardly less remarkable than his conversion unto salvation. The chapter on Predestination and Election reflects the substance of that doctrinal change, though evidences of it will also be found in several other chapters. The writer was originally most violently and dogmatically opposed to the Calvinistic system of theology, and was often guilty of slandering those who held to this system of doctrine with the erroneous titles of "Hardshells" and "Hypercalvinists". See the Appendix Article: "Hardshellism, or Calvinism". He thought that he had an answer to every argument of Calvinism; however, he had often made it his prayer that God would lead him into the truth, but he never suspected that the answer to this prayer would require a change of sentiment in this matter. But God began to give the writer much unrest about this doctrine, and the arguments which had been thought sufficient to overthrow the Calvinistic system, were found insufficient to quench the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Thus, over a period of several months, the Spirit destroyed every bias against Calvinism, until finally peace came with the acceptance of this system of theology. No human author was responsible for this change, for the writer thought he had answers that overthrew every aspect of it (albeit, most of these answers were based either upon distortions of Calvinism, or else misinterpretations of Scripture); the conversion came about solely through the Word of God as taught and applied by the Holy Spirit.
At the time of his conversion to Calvinism, this writer did not know of the extensiveness of this system, but had always heard that "it all originated with John Calvin." Imagine his surprise when, in studying church history, he found that, not only a large majority of early American Baptists were Calvinistic, but that also this had been the common doctrinal sentiment down through all of the centuries since the first. The Particular Baptists of England, who were always the soundest doctrinally, and the most missionary, were Calvinists, as were the English Lollards, who were the immediate forerunners of the English Anabaptists, and who were common for a hundred years before the birth of John Calvin.These received this doctrinal view from their spiritual ancestors, the Waldenses, who were very decided "Calvinists before Calvin." Before the Waldenses, this system of doctrine was held by the Picards, several of the Medieval sects, the Donatists and the Novatianists, and so on back to the first century. Before Calvin, this system of doctrine was generally called Augustinianism, but again, like Calvin, he was not the author of it. Before Augustine, it was called Paulianism.
Some of these studies have been published in denominational periodicals. The chapter on "Prevenient Grace," was published in The Baptist Examiner of December 18, 1971. The chapter on "Adoption" appeared serially in The Orthodox Baptist in February and March of 1972. And the chapter on "The Two Natures" appeared in The Orthodox Baptist in January and February of 1974.
These studies will not find acceptance with the generality of Christians, nor even with most Baptists for the simple reason that they do not fit in with the modern watered down, pride inflating theology of the day. The Saviour as well as the inspired apostles foretold that in the last days there could come a "falling away" from the truth. This would be so extensive that it would be difficult to even find "the faith," (Luke 18:8), (the inspired Greek has the definite article)—the body of doctrinal truth that was once for all given to the saints as the basis of their beliefs (Jude 3; see also Matthew 24:10-12; 1 Timothy 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 4:1-4; 2 Peter 2:1-3). Many Christians acknowledge that this very thing is evident all about us, yet most will not acknowledge their own part in this in that they have rejected these grand old doctrines that characterized Baptists for all of their past history,
The doctrines of the Word of God are not so many isolated truths, to be individually received or rejected as one desires. But each one is intimately interrelated with all of the others, so that error in one will always require an adjustment of another and on and on without end. Compromise on doctrine knows no stopping point, which is why our gracious Lord never authorized anyone to compromise on any truth, no, not even for the sake of gaining a soul. It is very instructive to see how Scripture puts more importance upon maintaining sound doctrine than it does on the salvation of the soul. In Luke 13:24 Jesus commanded that men "Strive to enter in at the strait gate." Here the Greek word used is agonizomal—to agonize—but when showing the importance of maintaining "the faith that was delivered to the saints" (Jude 3), the same word had and intensifying prefix put on it—epagonizomai—to superagonize—for the basis of faith. T.T. Eaton (Faith and the Faith), calls this latter word the strongest word for intensity of struggle in any language. And this duty is a logical one, for a spiritual experience must always be founded upon spiritual truth, and if the truth is compromised, the supposed experience will only be a deception.
These studies are confessedly "strong meat" studies, yet they are also fundamental doctrines, and whether the reader wholly agrees with all of these things or not, we trust that his mind will be provoked by reading to study all of these things more fully. It is our prayer that the reader will be stirred up to see that "Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity" (Ps. 39:5), and that "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure (or literally, ‘because of thy will’) they are and were created" (Rev. 4:11). Our purpose has not been to inflate man’s ego, nor to teach him self-trust, but rather we desire to exalt our gracious Creator and Saviour, and for this reason, we believe that when any person is brought to wholly subscribe to the two above texts, he will not be in much disagreement with the substance of these studies.
We commend these studies to the use of our brethren for the glory of our Great God and Saviour, and shall feel that the labor bestowed upon them has not been in vain if they are so used of our God.
By Davis W. Huckabee, Pastor,