Our Confession of Evangelical Conviction
A large group of evangelical thinkers and leaders have created a confession of faith in response to the political chaos in the church.It is well written and if I were an evangelical I would sign right on.
If we’re going to be honest, at its heart it’s a repudiation of Donald Trump and Trump styled politics.
In any case, it’s worth consideration and affirmation over the whole of American political and religious discourse.
Our Confession of Evangelical Conviction
In this moment of social conflict and political division, we confess the following Christian convictions:
We affirm that Jesus Christ is God’s Son and the only head of the Church (Colossians 1:18). No political ideology or earthly authority can claim the authority that belongs to Christ (Philippians 2:9-11). We reaffirm our dedication to his Gospel which stands apart from any partisan agenda. God is clear that he will not share his glory with any other (Isaiah 42:8). Our worship belongs to him alone (Exodus 20:3-4), because our true hope is not in any party, leader, movement, or nation, but in the promise of Christ’s return when he will renew the world and reign over all things (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).
We reject the false teaching that anyone other than Jesus Christ has been anointed by God as our Savior, or that a Christian’s loyalty should belong to any political party. We reject any message that promotes devotion to a human leader or that wraps divine worship around partisanship.
We affirm that God’s saving power revealed in Jesus is motived by his love for the world and not anger (John 3:16). Because God has lavished his love upon us, we can love others (1 John 4:19). We acknowledge that this world is full of injustice and pain, but we are not afraid because Jesus Christ has promised to never abandon us (John 16:33). Unlike the false security promised by political idolatry and its messengers, the perfect love of God drives away all fear (1 John 4:18). Therefore, we do not employ fear, anger, or terror as we engage in our mission, but instead we follow the more excellent way of Jesus which is love (1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13).
We reject the stoking of fears and the use of threats as an illegitimate form of godly motivation, and we repudiate the use of violence to achieve political goals as incongruent with the way of Christ.
We affirm that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, authoritative for faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We commit to interpreting and applying Scripture faithfully, guided by the Holy Spirit, for the building up of Christ’s people and the blessing of his world (John 16:13). We believe any true word of prophecy must align with the teachings of Scripture and the character of Jesus (1 John 4:1-3). Likewise, to lie about others, including political opponents, is a sin (Exodus 20:16). Therefore, we commit to speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), knowing deception dishonors God and harms the reputation of his Church.
We reject the misuse of holy Scripture to sanction a single political agenda, provoke hatred, or sow social divisions, and we believe that using God’s name to promote misinformation or lies for personal or political gain is bearing his name in vain (Exodus 20:7).
We affirm the unity of all believers in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:28), and that through his sacrificial death on the cross, he has removed the barriers that divide us (Ephesians 2:14-18), making people from every nation, tribe, people, and language into one new family (Revelation 7:9). We are called to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9), and the counter-cultural unity of the Church is to be a sign to the world of God’s love and power (John 13:35; 17:20-21).
We reject any attempt to divide the Church, which is the Body of Christ, along partisan, ethnic, or national boundaries, and any message that says it is God’s desire for the human family to be perpetually segregated by race, culture, or ethnicity is a rejection of the Gospel.
We affirm that Christ’s kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36), therefore the Church necessarily stands apart from earthly political powers so that it may speak prophetically to all people, the society, and governing authorities. The Church has been given a divine mission of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). First, we call everyone to be reconciled to God through the proclamation of the Gospel as we teach people everywhere to copy the way of Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20). Second, we seek to reconcile people to one another by addressing issues of justice, righteousness, and peace (Amos 5:24). We accomplish this by loving our neighbors (Mark 12:31), and by engaging our public life with humility, integrity, and a commitment to the common good as defined by our faith in Christ (Romans 12:18).
We reject both the call for the Church to withdraw from societal issues out of fear of political contamination, as well as any attempt to distort the Church into a mere vehicle of political or social power.
We affirm that all people bear God’s image and possess inherent and infinite worth (Genesis 1:27). Jesus bestowed dignity upon those his culture devalued, and he taught us that our love, like God’s, must extend even to our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). Our faith in Christ, therefore, compels us to act with love and mercy toward all from the very beginning of life to the very end, and honor everyone as an image-bearer of God regardless of age, ability, identity, political beliefs, or affiliations (John 13:34-35). We commit ourselves to advocate for the value of everyone our society harms or ignores.
We reject any messages that employ dehumanizing rhetoric, that attempt to restrict who is worthy of God’s love, or that impose limitations on the command to “love your neighbor” that Christ himself removed.
We affirm that the character of both our political and spiritual leaders matter. Within the Church, we seek to follow spiritual leaders those who display evidence of the Holy Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Jesus warned us to be on guard against false teachers who come as wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15). These voices will tempt us with flattery, bad doctrine, and messages we want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3). They serve the false idols of power, wealth, and strength rather than the true God. Outside the Church, we will evaluate leaders based on their actions and the fruit of their character and not merely their promises or political success (Matthew 7:15-20). When any leader claims to have God’s approval, whether in the Church or in politics, we will not confuse effectiveness for faithfulness, but carefully discern who is truly from God (1 John 4:1).
We reject the lie that a leader’s power, popularity, or political effectiveness is confirmation of God’s favor, or that Christians are permitted to ignore the teachings of Christ to protect themselves with worldly power.
We stand united in our confession of faith in Jesus Christ, resolved to uphold the truth of the Gospel in the face of political pressure and cultural shifts. We commit to being a light in the world (Matthew 5:14-16), and faithful witnesses to the transforming power of Christ’s love. We pray that God’s Spirit will revive our Church and strengthen Christ’s people to be agents of his presence and blessing in this turbulent age.
To him who is able to keep us from stumbling and to present us before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 1:24-25)
YES!!!!
It’s excellent!
Very very nice. Thanks for posting it
This is well written and badly needed in the evangelical community. Unfortunately, most of those who need to come to grips with making such a confession and mindset change will dismiss it out of hand as liberal propaganda, accusing the authors of being divisive and woke, and refusing to recognize the many Scriptural truths contained within the confession.
I added my signature to the confession yesterday.
Unfortunately, based upon the reaction of the rabid Trump/MAGA “Evangelicals”, pastors, and leaders it will not do any good. It has already been decried as liberal, woke, and a whole host of derogatory epithets. They truly have sold their souls and birthrights for a bowl of political lentil stew (and we already know how that deal turned out).
These so-called “Evangelicals” and “conservatives” would not know what the real meaning and definition of either even if they were crushed by a Bebbington Quadrilateral or if Ronald Reagan or William F Buckley kicked them in the a**.
The fact that you see this as a repudiation of Donald Trump (presumably him alone, considering you didn’t list anyone else), shows that partisan politics is poison (as you and Kevin often put it).
On a cursory reading of the document, I don’t see anything overtly political or partisan about it. What lies behind it in the motives of the writers, is another story…something that I don’t know, although I can perhaps make certain assumptions based on the initial signers.
Character does indeed matter. Truth telling does indeed matter. If only we had either major presidential candidate able to demonstrate godly character as well as consistently tell the truth. Sadly, none exists.
Tim,
Not quite.
The point is the majority of, the biggest, and the most vocal critics of this statement are the Trump supporters. Even though, as you said, there is nothing overtly political or partisan about it. In terms of its alignment with the text of Scriptures, there is no dispute or argument. I was stating this fact. No different that than when it was pointed out that the biggest critics in sermons of pastors who preach on the Sermon on the Mound (again no politics in there) are the Trump/MAGA supporters. So you have to ask yourself WHY is that? Did you ask or make the same point when the critics of the various Evangelical statements on Biblical Marriage came out? Seems to me in both cases, their sacred cow was being challenged.
What is different is that many, if not most, of those critics of biblical marriage (i.e., those who support same-sex marriage) did not claim to be Christians. So it is understandable that ostensibly unregenerate persons would be hostile to that. In the case of this statement, you have people proclaiming they are Christians (and proudly wearing it as a label) who are the biggest critics.
The confession is very well-written, but I do wish that it would go further on something. The confession mentions each of the following relating to the Gospel…
– “We reaffirm our dedication to his Gospel which stands apart from any partisan agenda.”
– “We believe the Gospel heals every worldly division.”
– “We reject any attempt to divide the Church, which is the Body of Christ, along partisan, ethnic, or national boundaries, and any message that says it is God’s desire for the human family to be perpetually segregated by race, culture, or ethnicity is a rejection of the Gospel.”
– “… we call everyone to be reconciled to God through the proclamation of the Gospel as we teach people everywhere to copy the way of Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20).”
– “We stand united in our confession of faith in Jesus Christ, resolved to uphold the truth of the Gospel in the face of political pressure and cultural shifts.”
I wish the confession had defined what the Gospel is, involving the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus from the dead so that those who place their faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, believing that God raised Him from the dead to pay the penalty of our sins, would be saved from their sins and saved from being eternally separated from God. I say that because if some circles of the church that hold to this confession should view the Gospel differently, denying any of the above regarding Jesus, then that’s a concern to me.
Tim,
Michael can respond for himself, but I would say maybe it would be better to say, “at its heart it’s a repudiation of ‘much of the church who have given their allegiance to’ Donald Trump ‘and his ways’ and Trump styled politics.
Many of the things that the confession pointedly rejects are rampant among those in the church who support Trump. That reality is quite clear.
Tim,
It’s just a matter of intellectual honesty.
The need for statements like this (and others that have been made previously) is a direct result of Trumpian politics and the MAGA movement.
As for partisanship, I don’t think that Trump is a real representative of traditional Republican standards…he is a party unto himself and he has been a blight of American culture and politics.
Michael @ your 9:57 AM,
Agreed. Trump has not been a real representative of traditional Republican standards, policies, or beliefs. I and many others (such as David French, Jonah Goldberg, and others) have been saying that since 2015. I didn’t leave the GOP. The GOP left me when they drank the Trump Kool-Aid.
What about the cross?
Lorraine DiFerdinando Gordon,
This is not meant to be a full theological confession…
Jeff & Lorraine,
There was no need to write another Apostles’ or Nicene Creed as they have already long existed (along with countless other “statements of faith” spreading across a plethora of denominations and organizations) which serve to state main and essential Christian doctrine, and which can be confessed and affirmed by Christians. However, this newly written confession was written to address issues currently plaguing the church in regards to social and political division and turmoil, and not Christian doctrine as a whole. It is a supplement to many other creeds and statements and should be appreciated as much. A much needed supplement in our times today, I would assert.
Amen and amen. Should be printed in LARGE letters on a poster and placed above every pulpit in the nation!
I disagree… The cross is the central issue of the faith… Not “the way of Jesus”… That is why the “church ” is so weak… We aren’t to be “nice”… It’s death to self and repentance.
I hold to the tenets of the Apostle’s Creed as non-negotiable parameters up-front and on the table.
The rest of the stuff? I pick and choose according to the dictates of my conscience.
For example, I reject the doctrine of PSA (penal substitutionary atonement).
It reminds me of The Barmen Declaration, which stood up to Nazi Germany 90 years ago.
Terry,
The Barmen Declaration is on this page as well…we thought it necessary years ago…we were right…