Text: "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, 0 God." (Ps 42:1)

True religion is experiential: it is a walk with the Lord and it involves our body, our soul and our spirit. As it is religion of the "heart" or "soul" of man, so it utilizes our intellect, our emotion and our will.

At the heart of true religion is worship. As it proceeds "ex animo" or "from the soul," so it is the very essence of the life of true religion, for it is in worship that religious affections find their expression. To the degree this holy panting and yearning of the soul are lacking, to that degree our doctrinal orthodoxy and our religious endeavors are but a stench in the nostrils of God.

People who think themselves to be orthodox but who lack the thirst to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness are like people who number themselves among those sound in the faith while they regard obedience as so much legalism. The religion of such people is as unsatisfying as the cornhusks of sensuality.

The Psalmist likens his desire for communion with the Lord to that of a deer being pursued. As the hart pants for the cool, fresh streams to slake his thirst, so the Psalmist panted for the living God. So, our affections are cold indeed if the anxieties of this world, and the ceaseless requirements of business can quiet the pantings of the soul. Let a godly man become immersed in worldly affairs, and entangled with worldly concerns and his heart will throb and his soul will gasp for retirement with his God.

There is a difference, however, between physical thirst and spiritual thirst. In physical thirst, the greater the intensity of the thirst, the greater the danger to our bodily health; but the greater the thirst of our soul for the Lord, the better our spiritual health. They are not in danger who crave fellowship with the Lord, but they who have no such thirst. Such people are dead in trespasses and sins;" and although they are not aware of it, the wrath of God already abides upon them. (Eph. 2:1; Jn. 3:36)

This is the heart of true religion. It is the Joy of the righteous. Our devotion is what evidences our love for the Lord. Such sentiments are consistently reflected in the Word of God. So, Micah wrote "Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths." (4:2b)

This is not how the drunkard, the thief and other sinners find their pleasure. The prophet Jeremiah observed that when the Lord said, "Stand ye in the way and see, and ask for the old paths where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls" that the people said, "We will not walk therein." And, when the Lord set watchmen over them saying, "Hearken to the sound of the trumpet," that they said, "We will not hearken." (Jer. 6:16,17) Sinners have no desire to come before the Lord lest their deed should be reproved. Until God begins a good work in their heart, they have no desire to turn from their evil ways.

Neither are the sentiments of the Psalmist those of worldly people. They wish there was no God, and they are content to entertain such thoughts hoping their feigned ignorance will render them lighter judgment at the bar of God.

The Psalmist may worship the Lord in private, but he longs to worship the Lord publicly with others of like precious faith. He could not be satisfied with private worship. Like Anna who "departed not from the Temple" (Lk. 2:37b), so the Psalmist was never so much at home as when he was in the house of the Lord.

The means God has ordained to slake our spiritual thirst are two: the Word of God and Prayer. By these, God meets with man whether in public or in private. Yet, many people think themselves Christians who do not pray or meditate upon His Word even though they regularly attend public worship. True religion with doctrinal soundness is evidenced, however, by the sentiments expressed by the Psalmist --"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God."

NEW AREA CODE -As of May 1^st our area code will be 706.

TAKING THE HIGHER GROUND --

THE ACCREDITATION ISSUE

Two travelers were joined on their journey by a third man who happened to be a college president. At the end of the day, in need of rest, they came upon a house and asked if they might lodge there for the night. The owner said that he had beds enough within the house for two men, but that the third would have to sleep in the barn.

Without hesitation, one of the travelers volunteered and promptly left for the barn; but five minutes later there was a knock at the door. Upon opening the door, the householder beheld the traveler returned from the barn, who said, "There is a cow out there, and I am a Hindu. I cannot sleep in the barn." His friend and fellow traveler understood and gladly exchanged places with him; but after five more minutes, there was another knock at the door. Upon opening it, the owner, to his amazement, was confronted by the replacement volunteer who said, "There, is a pig out there, and I am a Jew. I cannot stay in the barn." So the college president, knowing what was expected of him, volunteered to sleep in the barn. Five minutes later, there was another knock on the door. This time, when the door was opened; there stood the cow and the pig!

I realize that there will be some who refuse to live under the same roof with me on the matter of regional accreditation. I am glad to say that I do not know anybody like that on the faculty or administration at Bob Jones University, but there are Christian educators around the country who part company with me on this issue.

I also know that persuading some people to accept what I believe is the Biblical perspective on this subject is like trying to push a bowling ball through a garden hose. It is a tough thing to do; but the Lord helping me, I am glad to do it anyway. Bob Jones University has been doing this for sixty-four years. My grandfather did it; my father did it; and the staff here is constantly doing it. I am not ashamed to be doing it; I am not apologizing for doing it, but it is not an easy task. I am driven by the desire to see the Bible become the basis for Christians’ conclusions on this matter.

Taking the higher ground on this issue, as opposed to the expedient ground, means taking the Biblical ground. A principle is given us in Exodus 3:32-33. Instructing Israel about their earthly relationships, God said: "Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against Me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee."

This is the reason Bob Jones University cannot deliver its standards, policies, and educational process to the control of regional accrediting associations. This issue is not a mere dry academic subject that concerns only those who live in ivory towers. It is of importance to all who have attended or will attend a Christian college. The issue at stake is nothing less than the spiritual quality of their education.

But this discussion goes beyond the matter of why Bob Jones University cannot deliver its policies and educational process to the regional accrediting association. It is a message of separation unto the Lord and the trouble separation brings in all walks of life.

Anytime we take a position based on principle we will have trouble. It cuts off certain people from us. It cuts off certain options from us. It boxes us in. We can no longer make decisions based on political, educational, or financial advantage. The principle that guides us also limits us; and whatever problems fall out from that, we just have to live with it. We gladly do so, because a clean conscience and a good standing before God are the rewards.

Most people do not understand what an accrediting association really is. It is an educational union. There are six of these regional associations for institutional accreditation in America. Membership in them is purely voluntary. There is no law that says a college must belong to one. They are organizations run by educators who decide what they think a college ought to be and dictate policy to their member schools. After the institution engages in a self-study process, the association at periodic intervals sends an investigative team of peers to those member schools to verify their compliance to the agreed-upon association stands. To be recognized as a viable organization for institutional accreditation, the regional association must meet the criteria established by the U.S. Department of Education. In the 1960’s Congress linked federal funding eligibility to membership in a regional accrediting association, thus making the accreditation process quasi-governmental.

The Bible says, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers" (II Cor. 6:14).

The accrediting agencies have developed a set of policies and norms for schools of higher education for the purpose of qualifying, as well as quantifying, their educational "product." The "product" is the graduate. The "product" of a Christian university must be diverse from the "product" of a secular university, or there is no justification for the Christian college’s existence. The educational "product" is always the result of the educational process.

If our product in Christian education is to be different, we cannot surrender the control of our process to the humanist educational system. If a Christian parent wants his child to be like the product of a secular college, he can send his child there. But he chooses the Christian college believing there will be a difference. The dictates of the regional accrediting agency upon the Christian college inevitably negate that difference, resulting in a product that acts and thinks like his secular counterpart,

Both sides in the battle between righteousness and unrighteousness have their training camps. By God’s grace, Bob Jones University will not be deceived into thinking that this training camp can be managed and run on the terms dictated by "the other side" without alteration of the purpose and quality of our "soldiers."

The compromises implicit in an unholy accreditation alliance may not appear drastic at first, but it is evident that no man can serve two masters. The educational union will eventually win; and the board of trustees, the faculty, the financial policies, the academic policies, and the social and disciplinary policies will all be under their eventual control.

This alliance between Christian higher education and the secular educational unions carries too high a price tag. Admittedly, there are benefits both to the student and to the school if that institution carries the "accredited" imprimatur. Some of those benefits are as follows:

* Certain educational financing is not available unless the student attends a regionally accredited college.

* A favorable assumption of the school’s academic credibility.

* Ease of academic credit transfer between educational institutions.

When Satan took Christ to the mountain peak and showed Him the kingdoms of the world, he promised a benefit: "All this power will I give thee, and the glory of the kingdoms of the world"; but there was a price to pay: "if thou therefore wilt worship me" (Lk. 4:5-7).

When Satan caused Eve to look upon the forbidden fruit, he promised her an advantage for her disobedience: "Ye shall be as gods..." (Gen. 3:5).

It is always that way. The god of this world-system, Satan, never gives a benefit without taking something of greater value than the benefit. He took from Eve her fellowship with God, her innocence, and her earthly immortality.

The secular educational world has no sympathy for Christian educational objectives. The secular world does not understand the need for a product like the Christian school seeks to produce. If the secular world can seize control of the process of Christian education by substituting its own process, it will gladly extend the "benefit" of membership privileges, knowing that in due time it will have effectively secularized the Christian college.

Can the graduate of a Christian college that refuses to voluntarily join a regional accrediting association safely trust in his God? The young person who chooses a college out of fear that a degree from such a college will keep him from acceptance into graduate school says by his choice that he believes that regional accreditation is a more powerful door opener than God Himself. God is capable of opening for us any door He wants us to enter. Any door He does not want us to enter He can close. If a student comes to Bob Jones University because he believes that this is where God wants him, then God is able to honor that obedience and put him wherever he ought to be upon graduation.

Is it necessary for believers to depend upon the world-system to get them where they need to go?

-(Bob Jones III, President, Bob Jones University. Used with Permission)

Next month: WHAT IS THE ACCREDITING ASSOCIATIONS’ AGENDA?

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I. Is There Such a Thing as "Truth?"

II. Is Truth Knowable?

III. How Precious is Truth?

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When Isham Blake was converted, his godly uncle asked the boy?" Isham, how come you got saved?"

The lad responded, ’I couldn’t help it!"

3, 1776 --Virginia. Devereux Jarratt, an Anglican (Episcopalian) preacher, writes Archibald McRoberts, "Last night 3 or 4 of my neighbors met together to keep a watch night, at which it is the custom to spend 3 or 4 hours in religious exercises and to break up at twelve. Such was the distress of those that were convinced of sin, that they continued in prayer all night and till 2 hours after sunrise. Here also 14 or 15 received a sense of pardon: so that in two days 30 of my own parish have been justified, besides others of other parishes. Indeed I do not take it for granted that all are justified who think they are so: some I fear are mistaken. But I shall judge better of this when I see the fruits."