Glad to be Evangelical.

The last two days have been spent on a course with Salt and Light Ministries on Preaching and Teaching. The quality of the teaching has been excellent, and again I felt my heart growing "large" at the joy that I find in God and His Word.

So often when I talk to people and say I am an Evangelical the word is usually sadly synonymous with self righteous homophoebic bigot. The term has come to mean in the eyes of many the "nasty party" of Christianity............ I feel we are misunderstood and the term has fallen tragically into misrepute.

So I want to give the following reasons why I am an Evangelical and am proud to be so.

1, At the heart of Evangelcalism is a love of the Triune God of Glory and He is the Centre of all things. Evangelicals believe in truth, absolute, knowable truth and the central truth in which we believe is that God is Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.Perfect and whole and knowable...........and above every other thing He is all Glorious.

2, He has revealed himself in Creation, the Bible, and most perfectly in His Son Jesus. God in Christ has not stayed in heaven distant, unknowable and unconcerned. He has lived on Earth touched pain, felt agony, breathed and loved and most importantly conquered the thing that crushes us all death.

3. I am an Evangelical because I truly believe that the Bible is Gods word. It gives me a story in which I find myself. It shows me how to live life. It speaks to me daily. It gives me a morality that works. It gives me absolutes in a world of unbelief and fear. It comforts and holds me in moments of pain... It reveals to me the saving message of the Bible, how I can be forgiven, how I can become Gods Child, How to be a Husband, Father, Son and employee.... But most importantly it tells me about the God who made the world in which I live...... It is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. So with Joy I sit under it's authority and relish in its message. It is meat and drink to my life and I love it.

4. I am an Evangelical because as the Greek word Euengelion means Good News, I believe our message of salvation in Christ and Christ alone grants access to all who believe to eternal life. God loves people and wishes that none might perish, and calls to you from a bleeding cross "I love you come back to me, and I will give you life".

Is it self righteous,to say I didnt deserve forgiveness but God has freely forgiven me in Christ.
Is it bigoted to say this forgiveness is for all who believe
Am I Homophoebic? No I call all people no matter what their creed colour sexuality or race to turn to the wounds of Christ that they may be forgiven.
Is it nasty to want mankind to love honour and obey their creator.... especially when he has done everything for them to be reconciled...

If this is the crime of being an Evangelical then I am guilty as charged....

Glad to be !