In 2nd Timothy 2, Paul issues the challenge for each of us to act in accordance with the One whose name we wear:
15Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.16But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.
We are followers of the Most High God, and we are called to be disciples, followers, of Jesus Christ. He has called us by His name, we belong to Him. And, if we call ourselves Christians or even evangelicals, then that name becomes a measuring stick or plumb line for our standards of behavior. If we claim His name, then our challenge is to represent Him in a manner that reflects His love and character. Jesus called us to abide in Him and His Word to demonstrate that we truly follow Him - may we take seriously the call to be His disciple and to show those with whom we come in contact that He is living in us and loving through us.
There were great things being done by the Lord through his early believers, as we find in Acts chapter 11:
21And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.22Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch.23When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.24For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.25Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul.26And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
So, what do you think of the term, "evangelical"? Are you one? There are those who describe themselves as such who were part of the October Evangelical Leaders Survey by the National Association of Evangelicals, and for the most part, evangelical leaders like the label "evangelical," but not all do. Among the board members of the NAE, 88 percent said they like being called an evangelical while 11 percent said they do not, according to the October Evangelical Leaders Survey.
President Leith Anderson said, "Leaders in the evangelical community are excited about their faith. Concern about how the label 'evangelical' is perceived by others and its influence on ministry opportunities does give some evangelical leaders pause."
Even among those who said that they liked the evangelical label, there was a range of attitudes noted in the comments leaders added to their answers from "Absolutely!" to "Depends on the setting" to "Been called worse!"
Jay Barnes, President of Bethel University, expressed this sentiment: "It is a label that is rich with history and specific meaning. It captures my place in the Christian family well."
H. Miller, Rector General of the Anglican Mission in the Americas, qualified his answer with "I am happy to be an evangelical if we are both using the same meaning of the word."
David Neff, former Editor-in-Chief of Christianity Today, added, "Though the term is not as positive as it once was, the changes in public perception give me opportunities to explain what evangelicals and the evangelical movement are all about."
Anderson said, "Evangelicals want to be identified as people who take the Bible seriously and believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Right now 'evangelical' is the best single word we have to communicate that."
I have no problem with being referred to as an evangelical, however, there are certain perceptions that are attached to it. Many survey respondents expressed their dismay at the way in which the term has been unfairly linked to political positions or laden with negative connotations, such as bigoted and narrow-minded.
There are several things that come to mind as I thought about names by which Christians are known or referred to. First, evangelical is more of a sociological term, not found in the Bible. But there is a Biblical leadership position called an "evangelist" that is found, and the implication that this person is leading people to Christ. And, while we have positional evangelists, we also recognize that each of us is sent to share our faith, to be ambassadors of Christ.
Also, there are some names that are given to believers in the Scriptures that can represent what I would hope would be our true identity in Christ. Go back to Acts chapter 11 - Paul and Barnabas observed that the disciples were following the Lord, acting like disciples. It is said that, "the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch." Jesus said in John 8, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." In the Great Commission, Jesus told us to make "disciples". So we are called Christians and disciples of Jesus. Another name that is used by some is Christ-follower. Jesus was calling people to take up their cross daily and to follow Him. If we are truly followers of Christ, we are whole-heartedly seeking to walk in the ways of God and His Word.
Remember, we should always look to live up to the label we wear. The Christians at Antioch were acting like it - there were visible manifestations of the Almighty and Barnabas was so impressed that he invited Paul to come along and observe how God was at work. If we want to be called an evangelical, that's fine - we should make it our aim to share Christ and to honor Him by the way we act. If we profess to be a Christian, then we should be known as reflecting the character of the One whose name we wear. A disciple or Christ-follower should check ourselves to make sure that we are truly following Him, loving the Lord with our entire heart, soul, mind, and strength, loving others, and being devoted to walking with Him daily.
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