Good Noozers are Political Targets, but That's Not the Point!

Whether or not it was 80%, I'm not sure. But it's certainly true that the majority of Evangelical Christians voted for Donald Trump in 2016. This makes Evangelicals a political target for both the left and the right. The left aims fiery darts of shame at us (yes, us includes me). The right also has us in their sights; they see us as a useful political block of voters. So, like it or not, Evangelical Christians are thrust into the political game. Because of this, every Evangelical needs to develop a foundation of truth about who they are at the core. This way they can put politics in its proper place in relation to their faith.

My book Mornings with Larry can be purchased through
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HNQKB1L

When we are opposed to the beliefs of a certain group, we tend to paint a grimmer picture of them than actually exists. I think Evangelical Christians have been misjudged and wrongly defined by the opposition. So, it's my goal in this post to offer a more accurate description and definition of Evangelical Christianity. My focus will be on the Biblical definition.

What about this word Evangelical? Why even use it? Shouldn't I simply call myself a Christian? Well, sure, it is true that I am a Christian. The Bible refers to Christians as saints, believers, loved by God, the elect, called, the church, brothers and sisters in Christ, little children, those sanctified, body of Christ, His workmanship, household of God, temple(s) of the Holy Spirit, heirs with Christ and in Ephesians 3:6, "...partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel." I could continue leafing through my Bible for other names for Christians, but I think it is clear by these Biblical labels that God loves and cherishes Christians.

But why modify the word Christian with the word Evangelical? I think it's a great modifier because it really gets to the heart of the Christian faith. The word Evangelical comes from the  Biblical Greek word euaggelion which means Gospel or Good News. So, it would be accurate to say that we are Good News Christians. You could even call us Good Newsies or better yet--Good Noozers.

So, if Evangelicals are Gospel Christians, then what is the Gospel? Is it a political word? Well, if you think Jesus was political, then sure, it's political. But it seems to me that Jesus eschewed politics and was more concerned with issues of the heart. King Jesus said His kingdom was not of the Earth. Rather, His Kingdom was and is in Heaven.

I'm happy to be an Evangelical Xn

The Gospel is first and foremost about Jesus: who He is, what He has done and what He continues to do.

In Romans 1:1-4, Paul describes the Good News as "...the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power...." So the Gospel is about Jesus, who was human (David's descendant)  and divine (Son of God).

In verses 16-17, Paul continues to define the Gospel, "16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'”

Paul describes the Good News as "...the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes...."  Then, Paul says that in the Gospel, "...the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith...."

What is this Gospel righteousness? In Romans 3:21-25, Paul explains what righteousness is, "21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith."

This passage describes the work of Christ. We receive the gift of righteousness, not through works, but through faith in Jesus' work on the cross. We all have sinned, but can be justified by grace through faith. Jesus was a propitiation, which means that He bore the penalty for our sins. His blood was shed for us. We can receive this gift of righteousness (also known as right standing) by believing in Jesus, who is the heart of the Gospel.

So, hopefully I've explained the Biblical definition of an Evangelical (Good News) Christian. We are not political at the core, as some would believe. Rather, the person and work of Christ defines the heart of an Evangelical. Blessings.