Why Even Call Them Evangelical?

Stefani McDade published an article in Christianity Today on September 9 entitled Top 5 Heresies Among American Evangelicals. The survey the article references was done by Ligonier ministries and can be found here.

The survey produced some odd results. People were labeled evangelicals for the sake of the survey if they agreed to certain basic statements of evangelical orthodoxy. They agreed that the Bible was their highest authority for belief, they believe in encouraging others to trust Christ as Savior, Jesus’ death on the cross is the only remedy for sin, and those who trust Christ alone receive the free gift of salvation.

So far so good. But then as they began to answer survey questions, the denials of core doctrines began flowing like a river.

These are among the denials by professed evangelicals:

  • 26% said, “the Bible, like all sacred writings, contains helpful accounts of ancient myths but is not literally true.” This was not just a statement of hermeneutics, but a willingness to say that the Bible has no greater supernatural value than the Koran, Book of Mormon, or other hosts of religious publications.
  • More than half surveyed said that Jesus is not the only way to God.
  • 73% said that Jesus was created by God.
  • 43% denied the deity of Jesus Christ.
  • 60% denied the personhood of the Holy Spirit.
  • 57% denied that human beings have a sin nature.
  • 38% said that religious belief is about personal opinion and not objective truth.

Shockingly, professing evangelicals agree more on most issues of sex and morality than they do basic doctrinal issues.

  • 94% said sex outside of marriage is a sin.
  • 72% said that the Bible’s condemnation of homosexual behavior applies today.
  • 91% agree that abortion is a sin.

To the author’s credit, she characterized these heresies in a negative light. However, the root of the odd responses according to the writer (and supposedly R. C. Sproul) is that “not everyone is a theologian.” Thankfully, she used the appropriate term “heresies.” This survey is about much more than theological ignorance. It is about the theological error and the churches and religious institutions that allow it to perpetuate.

One hundred years ago, the early fundamentalists argued that without adherence to the fundamentals of the faith the essentials of Christianity are lost. Much of professing evangelicalism has lost the essentials of Christianity. While they would affirm some sort of existential salvation experience, the theological foundations of that experience are false doctrines. As a result, it would be hard to claim that these are truly saved people.

As evangelists In this theological climate, we must be willing to dig deeper. Just because someone says that they have been saved—even claim a salvation experience or have prayed a “sinner’s prayer” –does not mean that they are saved. We have to find out what people actually believe.

Timothy describes professing Christianity in the last days as “having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Timothy 3:5).

This is what that looks like.

They manifest the superficial aspects of faith in a moral code and professed supernatural experiences, but they deny the basic truths that give the message of the gospel its power.

Affirming as true Christians those that hold such false doctrine is in itself disobedience. Timothy’s command was to turn away from religious groups (and especially religious leaders) who promote this false faith.

Professing American evangelicalism does not need a revival, it needs an awakening. It is quickly becoming the dead empty shell of what was once real Christianity.

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

5 Comments

  1. Aaron Blumer on September 26, 2022 at 9:06 am

    From the survey: “Evangelicals were defined by LifeWay Research as people who strongly agreed with the following four statements:
    * The Bible is the highest authority for what I believe.
    * It is very important for me personally to encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior.
    * Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my sin.
    * Only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation.”
    It’s evident that this definition, good as it is, needs enhancing. People who believe “Jesus saves” but don’t believe Jesus is fully God are not evangelicals. It’s hard to grasp, though, how people can affirm these four things and also affirm some of these other things.
    I have to say this, though: I’m not confident that “fundamental” churches would do a whole lot better.



    • Kevin Schaal on September 29, 2022 at 1:38 pm

      It certainly identifies huge inconsistencies. I would hope people in our churches would do better. Maybe we should give the same survey to our own church members and see where we stand. It might prompt some supplemental teaching.



  2. Craig Toliver on September 26, 2022 at 5:27 pm

    If one has to call himself something … a label must be used:

    “Christian” was at on one time sufficient ( Acts 11:26 ) but that term alone no longer suffices
    Ditto with “the Way” ( Acts 19:23) (I’ve never used this as a self-appellation because of “The Way International(link is external)” )
    “Nazarene” is Biblical ( Acts 24:5 ) but has its own issues(link is external)
    I’m a Baptist and not ashamed of that but its an awfully broad term. I’m not like a lot of other baptists (many in the IFB movement, the Northern Baptists, et al)
    “Fundamentalist” has its own label issues (I don’t use it! but I am)
    I generally use the mouthful label of “Conservative Evangelical”



    • Kevin Schaal on September 29, 2022 at 1:44 pm

      “Baptist” is identified by clear baptist distintictives, I find particularly useful. It doesn’t cover everything (like eschatology). This is why I still openly use the term and then teach what we mean by it to everyone coming into our church.

      We have so committed ourselves to exegetical preaching in churches, we have not taught systematic theology as much as we should. Kids4truth teaches systematics in a catechism format to our children. Churches must do this in a structured way with their adults. We have been doing this over the year in various ways.



  3. James Roy on September 28, 2022 at 12:31 pm

    Well said.. Thank you for the good and timely post. Jesus warned us: Matthew 7:15.