Thursday, October 22, 2009

The Danger of Drifting from Being Authentically Evangelical

"... David Gibson said in a classic essay, Assumed Evangelicalism: Some Reflections en route to Denying the Gospel, movements begin by proclaiming the gospel, pass through a phase of assuming it but not making it central, and end by rejecting and denying it. All Gibson is really saying is that draft happens, especially generational drift. But he’s such a great worrier that he says it very well:
Assumed evangelicalism believes and signs up to the gospel. It certainly does not deny the gospel. But in terms of priorities, focus, and direction, assumed evangelicalism begins to give gradually increasing energy to concerns other than the gospel and key evangelical distinctives, to gradually elevate secondary issues to a primary level, to be increasingly worried about how it is perceived by others and to allow itself to be increasingly influenced both in content and method by the prevailing culture of the day."

-- excerpt from a blog post by Fred Sanders


"We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away." -- Heb. 2:1

3 comments:

Landon Sheely said...
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Landon Sheely said...

this is really good, thank you....in my life, though i hold on to the gospel firmly...i do find that sometimes it is easier for me to hit the streets and love the homeless and feed them, than it is to mention Jesus to them....we need to do both, we are commanded to do both, it needs to balance....and it is very good to get a refreshing on that sometimes...thanks!

Douglas Phillips said...

Hey Landon,

You're right, our goal should be to do both, proclaim the Gospel (the only message that brings salvation) and also act to serve others in Christ's name in a way that 'adorns the Gospel/making it attractive' to the lost.

Peace,
Doug