Are You Evangelical?
Are You Evangelical?
As a kid I remember hearing my dad explain what we were to a local resident of the Ecuadorian town we lived in. Now, as an adult who has had to explain my beliefs and spiritual identity, I have similarly used this word to describe myself. But, I wonder, what do people think I mean when I say, “I am evangelical?” Rather than allow the listeners of this term to define what I mean, I think it is helpful that we define it according to its intended meaning.
The root is in the etymology. Evangelical come for the Greek euangelion, which means, “good news”. Evangelicals are good news people.
Michael Reeves makes these observations regarding the foundational truths of the gospel found in Romans 1:1-4: It is…
Trinitarian: good news of the Father concerning the Son, who was declared the Son of God in power according to the Spirit.
Biblical: it is proclaimed through the holy Scriptures
Christ-centered: it concerns God's Son.
Spirit-effected: it is by the Spirit that the Son is revealed.
He goes on to describe how these truths are found throughout the New Testament when the gospel is described. For example, in 1 Corinthians 1:17-23; 2:1-5; 15:1-4.
In conclusion, he suggests that "true evangelicalism has a clear theology, and that at its heart lie three essential heads of doctrine, out of which flow all its concerns:
The Father's revelation in the Bible
The Son's redemption in the gospel
The Spirit's regeneration of our hearts”
For many, evangelical means something politically, religiously, or even stereotypically. However, for those who have heard the good new that the righteous God has made sinners right with him through faith in his Son, 'evangelical' becomes so much more. We are Gospel People. The good news frees us from the power of sin and gives us an affection for God and his ways that we did not have before we heard this good news and believed. This affection allows us to rest in our identity as evangelicals and as a consequence, live a life flowing from that good news.
Are you a Gospel Person? An Evangelical?
Together with you in the gospel,
Loren
This week's content was drawn from Chapter 1 of Michael Reeves book, Gospel People. You can find this on our church library shelf.