Sam Weaver
What is an evangelical Christian? Part II
By Sam Weaver
Some sixteen fleeting months ago, I asked the question, "What is an evangelical Christian?" I invited — even begged — readers of every stripe to answer that question for me. The purpose of that piece was not to discover the answer to that specific question; rather, it was a wily attempt to learn why, categorically, so many people despise — even fear — Christian evangelicals. A great number of responses (often quite vitriolic) to previous columns of mine had expressed such fear, hatred and distrust.
To be honest, I really believed that I could trace all of this unwarranted fear and hatred back to an anti-Christian, secular/progressive education establishment that has resulted in a relativistic, hedonistic (i. e., modern liberal) media and popular culture which has become increasingly hostile toward Christianity since at least the 1960's. I seriously thought that all of the emotionally-charged, pride- and self-based responses that I would receive would all but prove my assumption. It turns out, I may have been a bit naive.
My column was picked up by several sites, including a Wiccan website. The editor of the Wiccan site kindly challenged his readers to answer my question. I received so many responses, along with a virus or two which sneaked past my anti-virus software, that my home pc crashed. I was able to read many of the initial responses, and to respond to several of them; but a great many were lost forever when my computer went kaput.
Not a single one of the numerous replies that I was able to read was mean or nasty in any significant way. Most of the responders graciously submitted their definition of an evangelical Christian and many did explain to me why they distrusted, if not abhorred so called evangelicals.
Several of those responses supported my original assumption and all, each in their own peculiar way, made very clear to me the real reason that every true Christian perceives for the world's general hatred of Christianity. [See, for example, Ephesians 6:12.] However, a few sincere, passionate and eloquent personal anecdotes gave me pause. I heard genuine horror stories of physical, verbal and/or mental abuse at the hands of professed "Christians" against folks who were gay, were thought to be gay; had an abortion, or simply supported abortion "rights"; or for some other reason. A navy veteran, who I now consider a friend, suffered a severe permanent disability (and is confined to a wheelchair to this day) during his stint in the U. S. Navy at the hands of a group of thugs who called themselves "Christians."
Fortunately, I was able to convince my friend that no true Christian would ever employ vigilante "justice," and that Christians are known by their love.
Among the negative responses that my column induced, I noticed three common themes. Many respondents despised the "judgmentalism" of Christians who "believe themselves to be right and all others to be flat wrong." Others feared (and some were actually harmed) by what they recognized as the intolerance of people who "acted out of the 'judgmental' beliefs of fundamentalist Christianity." Still others resented the persistent if not coercive efforts of "evangelicals" who had "a pronounced proclivity of attempting to get others to believe as [they do]." [These quotes are taken verbatim from emails that I received and illustrate the common themes of "judgmentalism," intolerance and coercion that I noticed in a plethora of responses to my original column.]
To all of my non-Christian readers, I must make a few things clear. First of all, it is simply not possible for any true Christian to exercise vigilante "justice" or any sort of violence against another human being. Anyone who does so (while not acting lawfully on behalf of a legitimate government — as in time of war or in the execution of just and lawful punishment) and claims to be a Christian is a liar. He has blasphemed both the message of Christ and the very religion he claims to follow. [A very important side note: The Minutemen ARE NOT vigilantes! They are on the border primarily as protesters, and for the purpose of educating and informing the public to the problems of porous borders and illegal immigration. When they see illegal activity, they have been instructed to call the authorities — not to intervene themselves or in any way to take the law into their own hands!]
Secondly, any Christian who insists — and persists in saying — that you are going to hell unless you believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior is probably what we Christians call a "babe" in Christ. Please bear with that person (be tolerant with him, even if he seems intolerant of you); God is not finished with him yet.
Finally, it is the mandate of Christ (see Matthew 28:18-20) to every Christian to spread the Gospel to every nation. This is not a mandate to force dogma's and doctrines upon other human beings! It is a command to spread the Good News of Jesus' Message and Sacrifice to all who are willing and able to accept it. God has given every person the absolute free will to accept Him or to reject Him. However, there is a certain etiquette (as you will see if you read further) that every Christian must follow in carrying out this directive. This decorum, perhaps, can be summed up in three words: love, respect and tolerance. [Unfortunately, the word "tolerance" has become so corrupted by relativism that its meaning is now almost universally misunderstood. I hope to set the record straight on tolerance in my next column.]
To all of my Christian readers — especially the "babes in Christ" — I have this to say:
The Resurrected Christ gave all of his followers a command — the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Sadly, three crucial mistakes are often made by many immature Christians regarding this mandate.
First, many babes in Christ see this duty — this mandate — as a means of earning "brownie points" in heaven; or worse, of gaining the assurance of salvation. Salvation is not earned through works (see, for example, Ephesians 2:8-10); and rewards in heaven, I believe, are based primarily upon how we use the spiritual gifts and the talents that God gives us through His Holy Spirit. If we proudly desire rewards in heaven "earned" through our own human (i. e., carnal — rather than spiritual) methods, we will neither deserve nor reap those rewards.
Which brings us to the second fatal mistake. Relying upon our own carnal (human, or self-centered) modes and methods to spread the Gospel of Christ will only turn non-believers — and even, perhaps, some potential believers — farther away from the Gospel. Judgmentalism, nit-picking and a "holier-than-thou" attitude are just a few examples of these carnal tactics.
This, in turn, brings us to the third error. As evangelicals, we believe that every word of the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Why, then, do we focus on a few verses, such as Matthew 28:18-20, and totally neglect so many others? In other words, if one sets out to lead others to Christ and His Promise, then he'd better be filled with the Holy Spirit and do it in a way that expresses love, not judgment or condemnation! If the person or persons to whom he is witnessing refuses to hear what he has to say, then he should "shake the dust off his feet" and leave them alone! See, for a few examples among many, Acts 1:8, Matthew 7:1-6, Matthew 10:5-15 and Galatians 5:22-26. The above verses, in a nutshell, spell out the etiquette that successful evangelizers should and must follow.
Anyone who is not both well-grounded in the Word of God and filled with the Holy Ghost can only do more harm than good! This is by no means to suggest that the laity — or even babes in Christ! — should not witness for Christ and His Promise. Lay witnesses are vital to the spreading of the Good News. However, it is to say that witness for Christ and His Gospel must be done not via the perspective of the flesh; but rather through the perspective of the Word and the Spirit of God.
Every person who truly and willingly decides to accept the free gift that Jesus Christ offered to all of us at Calvary undergoes a drastic change. It is a total transformation of the heart and the mind from a carnal, self-centered, "immediate gratification" philosophy to a spiritual, God-centered, fulfilled and fulfilling philosophy. The story of ancient Israel in the Old Testament is an illustration of this transformation. From bondage in Egypt the Israelites cried out for a deliverer. A Deliverer — Moses (one of several archetypes of Christ in the OT) — was given to them and took them out of slavery. They spent forty years of wandering in the desert during which evil elements were weeded out, difficult lessons were learned, and the art of (spiritual) warfare was mastered. Eventually, the Israelites reached the Promised Land.
All genuine followers of Christ experience this transformation and renewal of the heart and mind. In some rare cases, this dramatic change is all but instantaneous. For reasons known only to God, some people do not — at least not obviously — spend forty years of wandering in the wilderness. For some folks, the journey from sinful bondage to the Promised Land — Spirit-filled unity with God through Christ — happens almost instantly. These folks — through both their testimony and their example — often are the most powerful evangelizers and witnesses for Christ.
Most of us, however, are stubborn fools. I am a great example of a stubborn fool! Forty years of wandering, missteps and harsh discipline probably won't be enough to let me see the Promised Land. I'll probably need at least fifty years. I only hope God allows me to live that long. But, still, I have the Blessed Assurance of God's Truth through faith!
An evangelical Christian is one who has chosen to accept the free gift of Mercy and Ultimate Sacrifice from the Righteous Creator, Author of Law and Supreme Judge of the Universe. An evangelical Christian believes that every word of the Bible is the inspired Word of God; not because he is stupid or unsophisticated, but because Revelation — Blessed Assurance through faith in Christ and confirmation by the Holy Spirit — has proven to him this absolute Truth beyond any shadow of a doubt. An evangelical Christian wants, more than anything else, for others to experience this Blessed Assurance!
If you are not a Christian, then I do not expect you to believe the following statement; but I do urge you to at least consider it. An evangelical Christian does not want to impose his will or his religion upon you. He only wants you to experience the same joy, peace and fulfillment that he enjoys. He wants you to have that Blessed Assurance! It is not hate that inspires the true Christian! It is LOVE.
© Sam Weaver
Some sixteen fleeting months ago, I asked the question, "What is an evangelical Christian?" I invited — even begged — readers of every stripe to answer that question for me. The purpose of that piece was not to discover the answer to that specific question; rather, it was a wily attempt to learn why, categorically, so many people despise — even fear — Christian evangelicals. A great number of responses (often quite vitriolic) to previous columns of mine had expressed such fear, hatred and distrust.
To be honest, I really believed that I could trace all of this unwarranted fear and hatred back to an anti-Christian, secular/progressive education establishment that has resulted in a relativistic, hedonistic (i. e., modern liberal) media and popular culture which has become increasingly hostile toward Christianity since at least the 1960's. I seriously thought that all of the emotionally-charged, pride- and self-based responses that I would receive would all but prove my assumption. It turns out, I may have been a bit naive.
My column was picked up by several sites, including a Wiccan website. The editor of the Wiccan site kindly challenged his readers to answer my question. I received so many responses, along with a virus or two which sneaked past my anti-virus software, that my home pc crashed. I was able to read many of the initial responses, and to respond to several of them; but a great many were lost forever when my computer went kaput.
Not a single one of the numerous replies that I was able to read was mean or nasty in any significant way. Most of the responders graciously submitted their definition of an evangelical Christian and many did explain to me why they distrusted, if not abhorred so called evangelicals.
Several of those responses supported my original assumption and all, each in their own peculiar way, made very clear to me the real reason that every true Christian perceives for the world's general hatred of Christianity. [See, for example, Ephesians 6:12.] However, a few sincere, passionate and eloquent personal anecdotes gave me pause. I heard genuine horror stories of physical, verbal and/or mental abuse at the hands of professed "Christians" against folks who were gay, were thought to be gay; had an abortion, or simply supported abortion "rights"; or for some other reason. A navy veteran, who I now consider a friend, suffered a severe permanent disability (and is confined to a wheelchair to this day) during his stint in the U. S. Navy at the hands of a group of thugs who called themselves "Christians."
Fortunately, I was able to convince my friend that no true Christian would ever employ vigilante "justice," and that Christians are known by their love.
Among the negative responses that my column induced, I noticed three common themes. Many respondents despised the "judgmentalism" of Christians who "believe themselves to be right and all others to be flat wrong." Others feared (and some were actually harmed) by what they recognized as the intolerance of people who "acted out of the 'judgmental' beliefs of fundamentalist Christianity." Still others resented the persistent if not coercive efforts of "evangelicals" who had "a pronounced proclivity of attempting to get others to believe as [they do]." [These quotes are taken verbatim from emails that I received and illustrate the common themes of "judgmentalism," intolerance and coercion that I noticed in a plethora of responses to my original column.]
To all of my non-Christian readers, I must make a few things clear. First of all, it is simply not possible for any true Christian to exercise vigilante "justice" or any sort of violence against another human being. Anyone who does so (while not acting lawfully on behalf of a legitimate government — as in time of war or in the execution of just and lawful punishment) and claims to be a Christian is a liar. He has blasphemed both the message of Christ and the very religion he claims to follow. [A very important side note: The Minutemen ARE NOT vigilantes! They are on the border primarily as protesters, and for the purpose of educating and informing the public to the problems of porous borders and illegal immigration. When they see illegal activity, they have been instructed to call the authorities — not to intervene themselves or in any way to take the law into their own hands!]
Secondly, any Christian who insists — and persists in saying — that you are going to hell unless you believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior is probably what we Christians call a "babe" in Christ. Please bear with that person (be tolerant with him, even if he seems intolerant of you); God is not finished with him yet.
Finally, it is the mandate of Christ (see Matthew 28:18-20) to every Christian to spread the Gospel to every nation. This is not a mandate to force dogma's and doctrines upon other human beings! It is a command to spread the Good News of Jesus' Message and Sacrifice to all who are willing and able to accept it. God has given every person the absolute free will to accept Him or to reject Him. However, there is a certain etiquette (as you will see if you read further) that every Christian must follow in carrying out this directive. This decorum, perhaps, can be summed up in three words: love, respect and tolerance. [Unfortunately, the word "tolerance" has become so corrupted by relativism that its meaning is now almost universally misunderstood. I hope to set the record straight on tolerance in my next column.]
To all of my Christian readers — especially the "babes in Christ" — I have this to say:
The Resurrected Christ gave all of his followers a command — the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Sadly, three crucial mistakes are often made by many immature Christians regarding this mandate.
First, many babes in Christ see this duty — this mandate — as a means of earning "brownie points" in heaven; or worse, of gaining the assurance of salvation. Salvation is not earned through works (see, for example, Ephesians 2:8-10); and rewards in heaven, I believe, are based primarily upon how we use the spiritual gifts and the talents that God gives us through His Holy Spirit. If we proudly desire rewards in heaven "earned" through our own human (i. e., carnal — rather than spiritual) methods, we will neither deserve nor reap those rewards.
Which brings us to the second fatal mistake. Relying upon our own carnal (human, or self-centered) modes and methods to spread the Gospel of Christ will only turn non-believers — and even, perhaps, some potential believers — farther away from the Gospel. Judgmentalism, nit-picking and a "holier-than-thou" attitude are just a few examples of these carnal tactics.
This, in turn, brings us to the third error. As evangelicals, we believe that every word of the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Why, then, do we focus on a few verses, such as Matthew 28:18-20, and totally neglect so many others? In other words, if one sets out to lead others to Christ and His Promise, then he'd better be filled with the Holy Spirit and do it in a way that expresses love, not judgment or condemnation! If the person or persons to whom he is witnessing refuses to hear what he has to say, then he should "shake the dust off his feet" and leave them alone! See, for a few examples among many, Acts 1:8, Matthew 7:1-6, Matthew 10:5-15 and Galatians 5:22-26. The above verses, in a nutshell, spell out the etiquette that successful evangelizers should and must follow.
Anyone who is not both well-grounded in the Word of God and filled with the Holy Ghost can only do more harm than good! This is by no means to suggest that the laity — or even babes in Christ! — should not witness for Christ and His Promise. Lay witnesses are vital to the spreading of the Good News. However, it is to say that witness for Christ and His Gospel must be done not via the perspective of the flesh; but rather through the perspective of the Word and the Spirit of God.
Every person who truly and willingly decides to accept the free gift that Jesus Christ offered to all of us at Calvary undergoes a drastic change. It is a total transformation of the heart and the mind from a carnal, self-centered, "immediate gratification" philosophy to a spiritual, God-centered, fulfilled and fulfilling philosophy. The story of ancient Israel in the Old Testament is an illustration of this transformation. From bondage in Egypt the Israelites cried out for a deliverer. A Deliverer — Moses (one of several archetypes of Christ in the OT) — was given to them and took them out of slavery. They spent forty years of wandering in the desert during which evil elements were weeded out, difficult lessons were learned, and the art of (spiritual) warfare was mastered. Eventually, the Israelites reached the Promised Land.
All genuine followers of Christ experience this transformation and renewal of the heart and mind. In some rare cases, this dramatic change is all but instantaneous. For reasons known only to God, some people do not — at least not obviously — spend forty years of wandering in the wilderness. For some folks, the journey from sinful bondage to the Promised Land — Spirit-filled unity with God through Christ — happens almost instantly. These folks — through both their testimony and their example — often are the most powerful evangelizers and witnesses for Christ.
Most of us, however, are stubborn fools. I am a great example of a stubborn fool! Forty years of wandering, missteps and harsh discipline probably won't be enough to let me see the Promised Land. I'll probably need at least fifty years. I only hope God allows me to live that long. But, still, I have the Blessed Assurance of God's Truth through faith!
An evangelical Christian is one who has chosen to accept the free gift of Mercy and Ultimate Sacrifice from the Righteous Creator, Author of Law and Supreme Judge of the Universe. An evangelical Christian believes that every word of the Bible is the inspired Word of God; not because he is stupid or unsophisticated, but because Revelation — Blessed Assurance through faith in Christ and confirmation by the Holy Spirit — has proven to him this absolute Truth beyond any shadow of a doubt. An evangelical Christian wants, more than anything else, for others to experience this Blessed Assurance!
If you are not a Christian, then I do not expect you to believe the following statement; but I do urge you to at least consider it. An evangelical Christian does not want to impose his will or his religion upon you. He only wants you to experience the same joy, peace and fulfillment that he enjoys. He wants you to have that Blessed Assurance! It is not hate that inspires the true Christian! It is LOVE.
© Sam Weaver
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