Several years ago, Dr. Rod Bell, then the president of the Fundamental Baptist Fellowship, gave me a copy of the book entitled The Integrity Crisis. I read this book again this summer and was greatly encouraged and helped by its contents.
Wiersbe speaks of the reproach that is facing Christianity today and says, “The church has grown accustomed to hearing people question the message of the Gospel because the message is foolishness to the lost, but today, the situation is embarrassingly reversed, for now the messenger is suspect.” The book is a call to God’s servants to live with integrity. In order to do this, Wiersbe states that we must avoid the rebellion that leads so many down the wrong pathway of leadership. He challenges the read to move past the tendency to simply copy what others are doing and become enamored with the entertainment philosophies of the world. Rather he admonishes us to serve the Lord from true hearts of worship. Wiersbe warns that the pop Gospel of success will try to make us believe that God’s greatest concern is to make us happy, rather than to make us spiritual and holy. In these days of “letting the good times roll” many have stopped using the Word of God in the pulpit. Happiness, he claims, is only the by-product of being right with God.
In the chapter entitled “Reproof,” Wiersbe states his belief that some Christian celebrities have found themselves falling into sin because they believe what people stated about them.
It is so important to deflect all praise and honor to the Lord Jesus Christ. Wiersbe also touched on the problem of anti-nomianism, which I fear is plaguing many churches and colleges today. He says, “In our desire to escape ‘legalism’ I fear we have embraced a subtle form of anti-nomianism with results that would have driven our fathers to their knees in prayer; treating the marriage covenant lightly, adopting the lifestyle of the rich and famous, using the world’s approach in merchandising the Gospel, ignoring the Lord’s day, refusing to enforce standards, and even watering down our preaching so people won’t be offended.”
Wiersbe closes the book pleading for revival and asking God’s people to repent. He quotes Psalm 85:6—Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? Wiersbe says, “In the final analysis we don’t change things by reading books and agreeing with one another. We change things by making ourselves available to God and obeying Him so He can work through us.” How true!
