A Statement of Evangelical Correction
1. We do not believe that spiritual goals should be pursued by the accumulation or force of worldly powers.
2. We do not believe that the ends justify the means.
3. We understand that following Jesus may involve sacrifice and suffering, and we reject fear as a means of manipulating masses of Christians for worldly political ends.
4. We believe that the Bible is “breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” Yet, we also acknowledge the Biblically-defined purpose affiliated with this truth applies to the Christian, not to the secular culture. The Bible is God-breathed “so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Therefore, the truth of the Bible should help the believer do Spirit-led good works, not drive him to berate nonbelievers or their ideologies.
5. We believe that the Bible must be interpreted in light of its genres, historicity, etymology, and overall narrative context. The inclusion of a principle or story in the Bible does not imply that God is using that story as an example to follow. God sometimes uses negative example, metaphor, parable, paradox, and imagination, to teach His truth instead of limiting himself to Westernized rational or empirical means.
6. While we hold to Biblical positions on points of pop cultural tension, we are also tired of these issues being politicized and bifurcated to unfair extremes as part of an attempt to gain and maintain political power, instead of with a goal of true gospel redemption. We will not participate in any attempt to leverage Biblical truth for the end goal of cultural power.
7. While we agree that immigration is a complicated issue, and while we do not advocate for reckless use of our borders, the Bible forbids inhumane treatment of any human being created in the image of God. In obedience to our Lord’s instruction, we agree that all who are desperate should be treated as we would want to be treated, for the Christian ethic demands words, attitudes, and generosity that reflect acknowledgment of the imago Dei.
8. While we agree that pseudo-scientific environmental data has been used to mislead the masses at times, we also acknowledge humanity’s God-given call to stewardship of this planet. We do believe humans have the ability to damage elements of our ecosystem, and we agree that Christian stewardship involves responsible care for the planet.
9. We believe that anti-Christ forces can arise from both the right and the left. These forces will not simply strive after a globalist, “one world order”—but will utilize all forms of earthly power to supplant dependence upon the living God. Anti-Christ forces may use religious language, but they will replace true faith with earthly allegiances. They may be winsome and elite—or they may be coarse, proud, cruel, mocking, and incendiary. They may be affiliated with any political party. We commit to being wary of all language that promises earthly salvation at the cost of purity of devotion to Jesus.
10. We believe that many leaders within evangelicalism have abandoned their first love for the gospel by chasing after corrupt political power and influence. Leaders who have undermined their witness should be removed from leadership until they have demonstrated true and complete repentance and sufficient time has passed to prove their change of heart.
11. We believe any attempt to move faith through culture which vilifies, mocks, or dehumanizes non Christians (atheists, Muslims, etc.) cannot be oriented in a God who compels us to love and welcome our enemies.
12. While we hold firmly to certain unshakable beliefs, we also think it is healthy to admit what we do not know. Searching for a mic drop that proves our faith is a proud, insecure, secular strategy, and it has produced many negative results in modern conversations. In attempt to dominate the culture war, evangelicals have created rash bifurcations that are inaccurate and unfair. So, we acknowledge that we are still learners. While our faith is firm, and we feel we have some reasonable objective reasons to hold to it—we are also willing to admit that we cannot fully prove what we believe to be true. We hope that the validity of our belief will be found in the radical, selfless outworking of our love—not in our ability to one-up secularists.
13. We believe that the world will be changed through indwelt believers filled with the Holy Spirit, walking in the power of God, and that attempts to accomplish world change through pure human force or institutions should be confessed as sin.
14. We are not afraid to stand with difficult Biblical truths in opposition to a secular culture. However, we also see how profound damage has been done to the credibility of the gospel as proud, ignorant, insensitive forces have commandeered the name of Christ. Therefore, we believe it may be necessary for the church to undergo a season of thoughtful, respectful, irenic listening—not caving to ideas that contradict doctrine—but simply demonstrating authentic respect for others instead of walking in flesh-powered, polemic aggression. And we refuse to be provoked into foolish, sinful reactivity by those who call us cowards.
Evening; Red Tree by Mondrian