Rescripting the Christian Life and Understanding the Evangelical Faith

Evangelicalism is a loose movement of diverse churches committed to a concerted and cooperative effort to promote the gospel. Evangelicalism is a renewal movement within global Protestantism committed to the advance of the gospel, typified by a belief in Scripture’s abiding truthfulness, the redemptive power of the cross, and deep and enduring affection for the Lord Jesus Christ. Above all, “Evangelical” is an adjective that pertains to “the good news” – the Gospel of Jesus in the Bible – while “an evangelical” (noun) refers to a follower of the Gospel.

The Influence of Religious Scripting

It is important to consider how we have been ‘scripted’ through upbringing and culture to see our faith as a portion of our lives rather than holistically. It seems that as Christians, most of our scripting comes from the particular tribe of Christianity to which we belong or grow up in, the teachers we listen to, and the fellow believers we hang out with. These all play a major role in how we view and approach the Bible, how we view the Lord, and what sort of religious habits we acquire. Revise Us Again is a timely book that approaches many issues that often go untouched, but deserve our attention, touching on issues of Spiritual Conversation Styles, Christ as our chief pursuit and the pitfalls to avoid as a mentor.

Key Areas for Spiritual Re-evaluation

In the struggle to follow Jesus, there are ten areas of the Christian life that are rarely addressed today. Some of the questions that deserve exploration include:

• How do you handle the times when God doesn’t meet your expectations and seems to neglect fulfilling His own promises?
• How do you cope with not feeling or sensing God’s presence (even at times when others do), and what does that mean exactly?
• What is the experience of “the dark night” in the Christian’s life and why does it happen?
• What is the difference between legalism and submitting to Jesus’ Lordship?
• What is a legalist? What is a libertine? And what’s the difference between license and liberty in the Christian walk?
• What does it mean to be captured by the same spirit you oppose, and how can we avoid it?

Principles and Practices of Evangelical Bible Study

To be ‘evangelical’ is to read Scripture in the light of the euangelion that lies at its heart. An evangelical approach to Scripture involves commitments to Scripture’s inspiration, authority and truthfulness. Evangelicals affirm that Scripture carries God’s will and purpose, and so is authoritative. To live out this faith, believers often maintain specific habits:

• Regular Bible study, in private and in groups.
• Devotion to prayer, in private and in groups.
• Regular worship with like-minded people.
• A concern for personal holiness and humility.

Core Beliefs of the Evangelical Faith

The following table outlines the core beliefs of evangelicals according to the taxonomy developed by Alister McGrath:

The beauty of evangelicalism is that it can include people from different churches, different denominations, even different parts of the world, yet all share a basic theology, religious experience, and missional impetus that unites them. This is premised on the notion that the things that unite us like the gospel are ultimately far stronger than anything that might drive us apart.