As a Christian who still believes in the full manifestation of the gifts of God, who believes the five-fold ministry is STILL the structure that God established to governs the body of Christ, who believes in the full authority of scripture; I think Evangelicalism needs to go deeper...actually, it needs to go back to its roots!
For many today, Evangelicalism is more known as Sociological and/or Political group with an agenda to shape and mold the direction of our nation. The impression is that Evangelicals have become a force in politics as a result of their over-the-top antics, their stand on issues such as Pro-Life, Abortion, and Same-Sex Marriage. Although, in my opinion, I stand for all of these issues I do have a problem with Evangelicalism being know for this rather then what it really is.
D.A. Carson stated it best "Evangelicalism at its best is the attempt to be as faithful to the Evangel as was Christ" For some reason, we have seen a shift in Why we believe in what we believe in. Over the past 10-15 years, Evangelicalism shifted into a "outreach" approach which focused on finding out "what the world wanted to see in church" rather then seeing what God was saying to the church. This led to the seeker sensitive movement which has cause a major divide in the church. Additionally, This way of thinking has also given room for compromise in our core theological beliefs.
the Gospel was no longer preached with power and the demonstration of God because of the fear of offense to others, specifically those who are new to the faith as well as the unbeliever. Yet, one of the key principles of Evangelicalism is the Proclamation of the Authenticity of the Bible. You cannot be an Evangelical and yet compromise the power within scripture. In our attempt to reach unbelievers, we failed to understand that there will always be a cost associated with the proclamation of the gospel. In some cases it will the rejection of it. Christ, in Matthew 24 warns His disciples of the hardship at hand as a result of the proclamation of the Gospel "Then the will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another... But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations...
I believe, despite all the challenges and imperfection that exist, God is moving the Church into its greatest hour. It's in times such as this, we've seen the power of God move in a way that HIStory was made. For, Evengelicalism is in a very strategic place. Many of today's pastors and leaders are going back to the true essence of truth. For those of you who may be asking what are the key indicators of Evangelicalism, here it is in a nutshell:
Its the belief that the Bible is Infallible Word of God
Its the belief that Salvation ONLY comes through Jesus Christ
Its the belief that we exist for the Proclamation of the Gospel (its doctrines) of Christ to the world
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