More than ever in this year in the U.S., you hear the term "evangelical" used in terms of politics, and I wonder how many people have any idea what the term means. It doesn't refer to one race, or to one political party, or one nationality, or one ethnicity, or one gender, or one economic class.
It doesn't even refer to a certain denomination or church. Evangelicals can be found in a number of Christian churches or denominations, because the word refers to the beliefs of the individual.
Working with scholars in the field, Leith Anderson (president of the National Association of Evangelicals NAE) and Ed Stetzer (exec director of LifeWay Research) have concluded that four core beliefs (my paraphrase below) have defined this diverse group of Christians over the years:
1) The Bible is the authority for my faith
2) Only Jesus' death atones for my sin
3) Only faith in Him gives eternal life
4) I should encourage others to believe in Christ
This is what evangelical Christians have in common, regardless of their differences. Did I say, "diverse?" Tomorrow - some of those differences, which might surprise you.
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