The Slippery Term - "Evangelical" (Part 1)

We’ve been swamped recently with surveys of the American religious landscape, and we have statistics flying all over the place. Inasmuch as these things are sometimes helpful, they are always limited in their ability to truly capture complete accuracy. Sometimes it’s how they ask the questions that will illicit what kind of response you get.

Nevertheless, a rather stunning survey came out last week that stated that of those who were labeled as “evangelicals,” nearly 57% stated that they believed that there may be alternative routes to salvation and that faith in Jesus Christ might not be the only way (contra John 14:6 and Acts 4:12).

There can only be a couple ways to interpret this.

#1 – the survey had such a broad definition of the word “evangelical” that many who were not genuinely saved responded/or were catagorized under that label and they set forth this rather unbiblical and heretical conclusion that other roads might lead to God.

#2 – the survey was accurate and it is genuinely showing that many who are “evangelicals” are being influenced more by the prevailing pluralistic culture than they are by solid biblical teaching.

Might I suggest that perhaps a combination of both may be a factor here? But something even bolder needs to be said here. If anyone claims that there is more than one way to heaven other than through faith in Jesus Christ, then they cannot rightly claim the label of “evangelical.” The exclusive claim of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation for the entire world, and this belief is a cornerstone assumption of all “evangelical” theology.

If there indeed are multiple paths into a saving relationship with God, then Jesus died for nothing, the cross has no meaning, the Scriptures are in blatant error, and we are all fools. (Look at the strong words of Paul in Galatians 1:8-9). Satan’s tactics are pretty bold – he’s going after the very heart of the Gospel itself, redefining terms and concepts (like he did in the Garden of Eden), exploiting ideas and making them sound “unloving.” It’s the same strategy that is used when some ask, “How could a loving God send anyone to hell?” Such a view redefines love, and then takes that new definition and elevates it above all of God’s other attributes, pitting it against his other attributes like justice and holiness.

It is unfortunate that the term “evangelical” has been hijacked recently in American culture, where now it has been broadened to be more of a way to term a particular group of conservative voters – it has more political overtones than religious ones in some people’s eyes. I often hear, “how can the candidates court the evangelical vote?” To be sure, I do believe that Christians ought to be highly involved in voting for our leaders while standing up for issues that are in keeping with biblical truth so that we have a voice in society.

However, at the same time, I don’t believe that political action is going to change the world, only the Gospel of Christ itself could do that. That’s not to minimize our involvement, but to simply give it some perspective. But my hope is that we as evangelicals will be known for our faithfulness in believing, living out, and proclaiming the exclusive claims of the Gospel of Jesus Christ more than we are known for anything else.

I am convinced that the church is suffering from lack of good teaching. These survey results are symptomatic of that. I am inspired all the more to see sound biblical teaching as the cornerstone of any ministry I am connected with.

But this still raises the question – what is an evangelical? What gives someone the right to claim that label? Stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog, as we look at how Scripture defines it and how the church has historically understood what an evangelical Christian is and what they must believe that is in keeping with the Scriptures.

A Helpful List of Theological Terms Defined

- taken from Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Bible Doctrine and Bruce Damarest, The Cross and Salvation: The Doctrine of Salvation

Sin - Any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature. Man in his sinful nature, apart from any work of God, is said to be “totally depraved.”

Election - An act of God before creation in which he chooses some people to be saved out of fallen humanity, not on account of any foreseen merit in them, but only because of his sovereign good pleasure.

Common Grace - The grace of God by which he gives people innumerable blessings that are not part of salvation. It is God’s undeserved goodness to every person in the form of his general care.

Special Grace - The grace of God by which He exercises saving power. It brings forgiveness, gives us everything we need for life and godliness and is sufficient, free, takes various forms, abounds in scope, and endures forever.

General Call - Sometimes known as the “gospel call,” this is an invitation to all humanity whereby the Gospel or Good News is made known to all nations.

Effectual Call - An act of God the Father, speaking through the human proclamation of the gospel, in which he inwardly summons people to himself in such a way that they respond in saving faith.

Regeneration - A secret act of God in which He imparts new spiritual life in us. This is sometimes referred to as being “born again,” where our spiritual nature has been “made alive,” restoring our intellectual, volitional, moral, emotional, and relational capacities to know, love, and serve God.

Conversion - Our willing response to the gospel call, in which we sincerely repent of sins and place our trust in Christ for salvation. The turning from sin is called repentance, and the turning to Christ is called faith. (faith + repentance = conversion)

Union With Christ - A phrase used to summarize several different relationships between believers and Christ, through which Christians receive every benefit of salvation. These relationships include the fact that we are in Christ, Christ is in us, we are like Christ, and we are with Christ.

Justification - An instantaneous legal act of God in which he 1) thinks of our sins as forgiven and Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us, and 2) declares us to be righteous in his sight.

Adoption - An act of God whereby he makes us members of his family. In adoption, we have a new way of relating to God as our Heavenly Father.

Spirit Baptism - Refers to the activity of the Holy Spirit at the beginning of the Christian life when he gives us new spiritual life (regeneration) and cleanses us and gives us a clear break with the power and love of sin (the initial stage of sanctification).

Sanctification - A progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ in our actual lives. This process begins at justification and is a necessary result of saving faith. The goal of sanctification is Christlikeness.

Perseverance - Means that all those who are truly born again will be kept by God’s power and will persevere as Christians until the end of their lives, and that only those who persevere until the end have been truly born again.

Glorification - The final step in the application of redemption. It will happen when Christ returns and raises from the dead bodies of all believers for all time who have died, and reunites them with their souls, and changes the bodies of all the believers who remain alive, thereby giving all believers at the same time perfect resurrection bodies like his own.

The Significance of Prayer

Prayer is talking to God. Prayer is also listening to God.

It is often the most neglected of privileges that a Christian has in his or her arsenal. But, when used properly, it is a mighty weapon. The God who listens is a God that can move mountains, a God who can change hearts, a God that can rearrange circumstances and overthrow tremendous obstacles. He is the God of the impossible, and many times our vision of who God is and what He can do is often way too small, and this is reflected in the amount of time we may spend in prayer.

It is true that God is sometimes less concerned with changing our circumstances and is more concerned with changing the heart and mind and perspective of the person praying. As someone has said, “Prayer doesn’t change God, prayer changes me.”

And if that is true then it is also true that the person who is most resistant to change and is satisfied in being self-sufficient and self made is probably a person who isn’t praying at all. When we become content with who we are (in terms of thinking we've "arrived" spiritually and are done with the need to grow), then prayer will seem irrelevant.

So when we bow our heads to pray then, we acknowledge several things. First we acknowledge our willingness to change. We also acknowledge a proper assessment of ourselves and our need for God.

But perhaps more importantly, when we bow to pray we acknowledge the Supremacy and Sovereignty of the Almighty God who grants us every breath and who holds our life utterly and completely in the palm of His hands. Prayer is a statement that says that God’s glory and His plans are far more important and necessary to know and experience than anything else. And prayer is often the way we come to know those things.

When you pray, be bold. Be specific. Don’t be afraid or intimidated by silence, and let the Holy Spirit bring to mind the things that need to be lifted up. Pray according to the truths that are revealed in Scripture. Pray with your heart and with your mind. Be willing to put your opinions before God so that He might change them or perhaps refine them. Pray with expectancy and pray with faith.

If you pray this way, then it is more likely that you will learn to pray more in keeping with God’s will. As someone has said, no one out on a boat in the water throws a rope onto a dock and expects the dock to be pulled out to him. Instead, the goal is to pull the boat to the dock. And in the same way, when we pray to God, we shouldn’t expect that God would be pulled more towards our will, but rather that our will is pulled over toward God’s.

So pray with joy, knowing that God is good, and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

Never Resist the Holy Spirit's Voice -- it is Life!

"Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful." - Mark 4:18-19


This text from one of Christ’s parables jumped out at me this morning.

It led me to ask the introspective question: what are the worries of life and desires for other things that may be restricting (or choking) God’s Word from achieving its purpose in my life?

Honestly, the Holy Spirit brought to mind a few things. But the next question was: what am I going to do about it? There is first recognition of the need to change, but then there has to be the willingness and desire to actually change, followed by action.

This is the dilemma one faces whenever they read something convicting from God’s Word. What does one do when the Holy Spirit speaks? Our first commitment must be to do what the writer of Hebrews emphasized when quoting the Psalmist.

"So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did.

That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, `Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.' - Hebrews 3:7-10

So it is of utmost importance that we refuse to harden our hearts, or simply shake it off and ignore the Holy Spirit. If you are willing to turn away from the Holy Spirit when he puts his finger on something convicting, then how are you going to be tuned in to hearing Him speak when He has something wonderful and exciting He wants to show you (that you surely would be interested in)?

But hear the words of Proverbs 15:

"He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise. He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding. The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor." - Proverbs 15:31-33

Wisdom, understanding, honor. They are all things we would like to have. But before they are granted to us, there are things such as healthy rebukes, discipline, correction, reverence for God, and humility that must be embraced first.

Nothing is easy. Change is not easy. But change is at the core of the Christian life, and when the Holy Spirit speaks, there is blessing that awaits the one who listens and obeys. So when you hear Him speak, listen closely, fight off the urge to resist Him, and do whatever is necessary to act on it, even if it means writing it down as a reminder.

I pray that there is nothing in your life that is hindering the Holy Spirit’s voice, or as Paul says in Ephesians, I pray that there is nothing in your life that is “grieving the Holy Spirit.” Those worries, those unnecessary fears, those unholy desires – they are like spiritual cholesterol (of the bad type). They restrict the blood flow, hinder our growth, and render us ineffective, or as the text says, “unfruitful.”

Examine your life this morning. Refuse to harden your heart if God is putting his finger on something. Develop a regular pattern of listening and obeying, so that God’s blessing will never be forfeited.

A Statement on Miracles

The following is a statement on miracles that is in keeping with my biblical understanding of them and their present day application to the Christian life. I post this in order to encourage any and all who are praying for miracles to firmly trust in the Sovereign God who grants them according to His will. My thanks to my Associate Pastor, Scott Hatton as we developed this statement together.

A Theological Statement On Miracles In Keeping with the Statement of Faith of Clearwater Community Church

As a church, we strongly affirm that God in His infinite wisdom and limitless power can and does act in ways that we would consider “miracles.” God is entirely sovereign over all of His creation, and can choose to work in ways that are beyond our finite understanding. In many cases, these miracles may be in response to the specific prayers of His people, yet they are always in accordance with His sovereign plans. The granting of a miracle is not simply dependent upon the faith of the petitioner, but primarily dependent upon God’s sovereignty and good pleasure in enacting His will.

We affirm, as well, that salvation by grace alone through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9) is a miracle in and of itself. It is a miracle that God would choose to save and redeem sinful men and women, reconcile Himself to them, and grant them eternal life. The saving work of Jesus Christ at the cross is the ultimate example of God’s wisdom, love, holiness, and power working together for His glory and our good.

Furthermore, God acts in ways that are consistent with His character and will as revealed in the Scriptures. We acknowledge that the Bible alone is sufficient to teach us all we need to know about salvation and about how to live the Christian life (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Our experience can never be a sure guide for the truth, whereas Scripture is always a clear guide for the truth and it should serve as the lens through which all experience should be interpreted.

We also acknowledge, specifically with regard to miracles of healing, that Jesus made healing – both physical and spiritual – an important element in his earthly ministry (Matthew 9:35; Luke 4:40). This use of divine power was one of the ways that our Lord expressed the love and compassion of God while at the same time substantiating Him as the Promised Messiah who had power over creation. Furthermore, the Scriptures record that the Apostles were uniquely gifted with the ability to heal (Acts 5:15, 19:12) as well. These miraculous signs occurred to glorify God and to affirm both the messengers and the message of the embryonic Christian faith. According to the New Testament itself, these sign gifts of healing and raising the dead were seemingly restricted to this particular apostolic era and were gifts that Christ himself delineated to His apostles (2 Corinthians12:12).

Yet the New Testament also gives evidence that believers are to pray for those who are sick and ailing (Galatians 6:2; James 5:13-14). It is evident that God chooses to use the prayers of His people as part of the means through which He may bring healing when it is His will to do so (James 5:16) Equally evident, however, are those instances where God did not grant a miracle of healing (2 Corinthians 12:7-9; James 1:2-4; Psalm 119:71) and these instances, too, serve God’s good purpose, and there is no indication that miraculous healing was withheld due to a lack of faith.

Christians are to have faith in God, and seek to be ever increasing in faith (Hebrews 11:6; 2 Corinthians 5:7; 2 Thessalonians 1:3). There is no contradiction whatsoever in placing our entire faith and hope in God Almighty, entrusting Him with our very souls, and still praying for Him to heal. God desires that we come to Him with our burdens, and that we also seek to bear the burdens of others. God, in his goodness and sovereign will may choose to answer such prayer with miraculous healing, or He may not. In either case, the weight of emphasis must always fall on God’s sovereign will, not the quantity or quality of the faith behind the prayer.

We ought to pray for greater faith, as we ought to pray for the physical and spiritual healing of ourselves and others; but more significantly we ought live and pray for the will of God to be done. The Christian woman or man ought to seek to conform her or his will to will of God; not the inverse.

The Battle for Self-Discipline

Perhaps one of the most difficult challenges of our day as Christians is the ability to live a self-disciplined, self-controlled life. What is it that makes this practice so difficult? I would suggest at least two things. I want to be frank without sounding critical. So here goes…

1) We don’t live in a culture where this character trait is accentuated much. Americans are not known for their strict eating habits, their commitment to physical fitness, or any sense of “doing without” something. Culturally speaking, many people from foreign countries label us as rich and lazy, and so I think it is safe to say that the “quick and convenient, fast food, serve me attitude” that often can pervade our culture is not conducive to a lifestyle where self-control and self-discipline is encouraged, valued, and modeled. But when we see it, (like in the concentration level and intensity of Tiger Woods), we marvel at it.

2) Christians often struggle with the idea of what it means to “live by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16). There has not been widespread teaching on how to apply Romans 8 to the daily Christian life. But self-control is listed in Scripture as a Fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23). So in a sense, this makes true self-control a spiritual issue. If a Christian is walking with God and is relying on the Spirit through prayer, meditation, worship, putting off sin, etc., then God will naturally produce the kind of life that is bent towards practicing self-control. To be sure, it is very cyclical. The more you practice prayer and meditation the more the Spirit empowers you to practice prayer and meditation in a disciplined manner. This in turn will saturate the rest of your life (in many areas) so that you will then begin to notice the ability to be disciplined. They key is to start small. Take baby steps, pray about it often, find some brothers or sisters who will come alongside to encourage. But generally, simply ask God for help here, and then get started in small, tangible ways, and then the snowball will start rolling.

It is no mistake that the words discipline and discipleship come from the same root word. They are inextricably linked. As one follows Christ, the Spirit-empowered self-discipline will take hold.

A self-disciplined life is the key to freedom. That might sound contradictory on the surface, but it’s not. The life that reaps the rewards and benefits of self-discipline is truly invigorating. It is fulfilling, joy-filled, less swayed by outside circumstances (mostly because self-control gives such internal strength and stability), and is honoring to God. Self-control puts boundaries on the desires of the self, something that we fight all our lives on this side of glory. Therefore, the more we practice it the more like Christ we will become. It’s part of shedding the old and putting on the new.

On a side note, if a church is committed to practicing church discipline when necessary (in a restorative sense), then it also by nature has to be a church that emphasizes formative discipline in the lives of its members (in a constructive, discipleship sense). Be what it may, self-control may seem hard, but the more you exercise it, the easier it becomes…if you are leaning on the Holy Spirit.

Here’s a pray that we might want to pray together:

Lord, you know how hard it is. So please empower me with the strength to embrace a life of self-control. Apart from you I can do nothing. May the Spirit discipline my mind and heart. Help me to start small. Grant me the consistency to stay with it. In fact, please bring people into my life who will serve as encouragers and even role models for me in this area, so that I may glorify you with a self-disciplined life. Lord, I need victory here, and I know that it comes from a daily mind that is fixed on you. I want to experience the fulfillment that comes from this life, and I need your Spirit to help me. For as Scripture says,

“The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.”

Proverbs 13:4

I pray in Christ’s Name, Amen.

_________

As always, I look forward to your comments.

What does it mean to glorify God? (Part 2)

Ok, so what? How does this affect my everyday life? How does the command to glorify God impact my attitudes, actions, conversations, dreams, goals, and relationships?

I am reminded of the old hymn that we used to sing (and still do), which says “turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” If a person is striving to glorify God in everything they do, and wants to commit themselves to that end, then as they rely upon the Holy Spirit to help them change, there will be noticeable attitudes and actions that will begin to emerge. The things of this world will hold less appeal in comparison to “seeing and savoring” God.

Our goal is to develop an all-consuming “God-centeredness” to our lives. It is a focus that will gradually lead us towards a mindset that seeks to abandon the focus on the self (self-centeredness, selfishness, and self-sufficiency). In some older theological writings, this is the idea of “self mortification,” or just plain “mortification.” It is dying to one’s self by putting to death the misdeeds of the body (Rom. 8:13), something we can only do with the help and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

So point one is this: in order to glorify God in my life I must be committed to doing away with or putting aside the things in my life that put the focus on or feed the desires of the sinful self. Those things are nothing but roadblocks that prevent others from seeing Christ in me. And how could God’s fame and reputation be enhanced by my life if I am involved in things that prevent others from seeing Christ in me?

So first practical application – commit myself to forsaking any known sin. Examine my heart. Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal it to me. Confess. Admit. Forsake. Stay away. Maybe even have someone else ask me and hold me accountable to it (a rather mature thing to do). This is essentially, repentance, which in itself glorifies God by putting the spotlight on the cross, where Jesus paid for sin. It is strange to think this, but yes indeed, a place where God was glorified was on the cross. Such a wrathful event also glorified God at the same time. And since Christ paid for my sin, then I in response should be willing to forsake it (see Romans 6).

Point two is this: in order to glorify God in my life, I must discover what God’s will for my life is and pursue it. This obviously includes point one above, but more than that, it is a commitment to understanding the positive character shaping power of the Holy Spirit as well as to commit myself to certain actions/activities that are designed by nature to exalt and glorify God. For example:

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5:16-18

I was in campus ministry for many years, and whenever a college student came up to me and told me they were struggling to know God’s will for their life this is where I would point them. For how could one be in a position to know the unknown and future will of God (regarding specifics) for their life when they have not first committed themselves to living the already revealed will of God for their lives? Wisdom comes from discernment, and discernment comes from being spiritually disciplined in what God has already said is clearly His will for your life.

So living and pursuing God’s will for one’s life is a means of glorifying God. Study and memorize Scripture, pray heartfelt prayers often, fellowship with other believers, serve others, be joyful and thankful, use your giftedness to encourage and build up the church. Live sacrificial lives, giving generously. As you do these things, you will find that the Holy Spirit will empower you for them and in the process will develop your character to become more like Jesus, which is the end goal of the Christian life – Christlikeness. And Christlikeness is a person’s life is glorifying to God.

This all may seem simple. Well, guess what? It is. It’s supposed to be. The Christian life is simplicity – simple satisfaction in Christ and less attachment to the world. Fixing minds on things above and not on earthly things. Dying to self and living for God, commiting oneself to obedience, walking in faith, trusting in God for all things. Living a life of love. Serving. If a person tries to make the Christian life more complicated than that, then stay away from that person – they may have an unhealthy interest in man-made rules and traditions that make one look more spiritual than they really are. You just stick to the basics, and let God get the credit for everything.

But still, isn’t there more application than this?

Listen, if you are walking with the Lord and are testing everything, forsaking known sin, reading the Word and letting it shape you, praying regularly, serving others out of love and joy, then guess who it is who is shaping the desires of your heart? God is. And God’s will for your life is being realized naturally. Simple? Yes, simple. Note the Scripture below:

“…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
Philippians 2:12b-13

If you are working “out” your salvation as described above, then you need to understand that God is working at the same time, and he is the One who is (dare I say, “causing”) you to have certain desires and to perform certain actions that are in keeping with His will and that in the end will bring glory to God.

Ask yourself the following in the following areas:
1) Attitudes – does my attitude about something reflect God’s priorities in life or my sinful ones? Is my attitude shaped more by circumstances or by the internal relationship and trust that I have placed in Christ who reigns over me? Is my attitude similar to the selfless attitude that Christ had (see Philippians 2)?

2) Actions – is what I’m doing more inclined to enhance my reputation or God’s? This kind of gets to motives, which will always reveal itself eventually in actions. Are my actions then in keeping with the behavior and good works that exalt the name of Christ – because really, He has prepared some things for me to do that are specifically designed for that purpose (Eph 2:10).

3) Conversations­ – does this conversation build up others? Will it help someone else be inspired towards pursuing the things of God? Now wait here, aren’t some conversation neutral? Like isn’t it great that the Cubs are in first place? Well, yes, we can talk about that – and that conversation may not inspire someone to pursue the things of God, but indirectly it is building commonality, friendship, enjoyment of life, communication, and all those things are good – gifts of God I say. Perhaps more specifically here we can just watch to make sure that no

“…unwholesome talk comes out of our mouths but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

- Ephesians 4:29

That seems to be a good rule of thumb for knowing if I am glorifying God in this area of my life.

4) Dreams and goals – pursuing what you know God has designed you and gifted you to do is a major aspect of glorifying God. For example, one of my wife’s gifts is photography, and the more she pursues and uses it the more her gift gives testimony to God’s glory since He is the one who gave her the gift in the first place. So in doing what we are good at, and doing it in such a way that it has a positive impact on others is all a way to glorify God with your life. Just remember, when we use our gifts we are “faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10).

5) Relationships­ – committing yourself to purity, considering others as better than yourself, serving someone else with a sacrificial love that seeks to cause them to grow (Ephesians 5:25ff). All this is glorifying to God. Taking an interest in the spiritual growth of others is a priority that is often missed among many Christians today. But it is one of the main reasons why we exist – especially as a church.

All this is what it means to glorify God – to point everything to Christ and to encourage others in such a way that they do the same. Even being good stewards of creation is a way to glorify God because we are valuing what God has made, which places value on God himself as its author.

Sorry, this blog entry is too long. But the topic is so huge. I must learn to control myself a little better, lest I lose you. I’ll try to work on that. In the meantime, if you take the advice of John the Baptist, “He [that being Christ]must increase, and I must decrease,” then you are on the right path to what it means to glorify God. It is the greatest life in the world. Fulfilling, and ultimately rewarding – if not in this life, then surely the life to come.