Are you Evangelical?

What comes to mind when you hear the term "evangelical"? Is your first association positive or negative? (For example, you might have heard, "I'm a Christian, but I'm not a born-again Christian." Or "I'm a Christian, but I'm not evangelical.") It may be a term you've heard in various places, but do you know what the word means? What makes evangelicals distinctive? I'm rereading a wonderful little book called The Evangelicals by Christopher Catherwood. I plan on reviewing the book when I'm finished, but I thought the book was rich enough for multiple posts!

Eleven Core Beliefs, Or, An Evangelical is someone who believes in....

• The unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the Godhead (the doctrine of the trinity)
• The sovereignty of God in creation, revelation, redemption, and final judgment
• The divine inspiration and entire trustworthiness of Holy Scripture, as originally given, and its supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct
• The universal sinfulness and guilt of all people since the fall, rendering them subject to God's wrath and condemnation
• Redemption from the guilt, penalty, dominion, and pollution of sin, solely through the sacrificial death (as our representative and substitute) of the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God.
• The bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead and his ascension to the right hand of God the Father
• The presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the work of regeneration
• The justification of the sinner by the grace of God through faith alone
• The indwelling and work of the Holy Spirit in the believer
• The one holy universal church, which is the body of Christ and to which all true believers belong
• The expectation of the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible