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Evangelical Christianity

 

In it's simplest form, an 'Evangelical Christian' is simply a Christian who takes the Great Commission seriously.  Jesus said “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18b-20 (ESV))

 

Of course, most people consider being 'evangelical' to mean something more.  So do evangelicals.

 

 

The Barna Group is a very evangelically oriented research and polling organization.  For the purpose of their polling, they define 'born again Christians' and 'Evangelicals' as follows:

 

"Born again Christians" are people who say they have made "a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in their life today" and who also indicate they believe that when they die they will go to Heaven because they had confessed their sins and had accepted Jesus Christ as their savior.

"Evangelicals" meet the born again criteria described above plus seven other conditions. These include saying their faith is very important in their life today; believing they have a personal responsibility to share their religious beliefs about Christ with non-Christians; believing that Satan exists; believing that eternal salvation is possible only through grace, not works; believing that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth; asserting that the Bible is accurate in all the principles it teaches; and describing God as the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it today.

 

 

A similar, though somewhat less strict (but more detailed) definition comes from the Bible Hub website. 

 

Evangelicals in the United States represent a broad movement of conservative theology that generally adheres to five core beliefs:

  • The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture.  Evangelicals rely on the entirety of the Bible as the written, infallible, and authoritative Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.”).

  • The Uniqueness of Jesus Christ.  Evangelicals affirm that Jesus is fully God and fully man, the eternal Son of God who became flesh (John 1:14). They also uphold His sinless life, atoning death, resurrection, and ultimate lordship.

  • Personal Salvation by Faith.  Individuals are saved not by works but by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.”).

  • Evangelism and Missions.  Evangelical tradition emphasizes spreading the gospel locally and globally (Matthew 28:19-20).

  • The Holy Spirit’s Role.  Evangelicals believe the Holy Spirit regenerates the believer and empowers the Christian life, providing guidance and spiritual gifts for the building up of the church (Romans 8:9-11).

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