JUNE 13, 2005

WHAT ABOUT THE GOSPEL?
by Pastor George Van Alstine

I’ve been on a strange journey recently. I’ve been asked to speak before several community groups on “The Christian Right,” since the political significance of this segment of society was so noticeable in last November’s national elections. I’ve found myself defending Bible-believing Christians among people who are from more liberal religious backgrounds or who have no faith at all.

The sad discovery I’ve made is that the Christian gospel is so totally misunderstood in this whole conversation. Part of the reason for this is the willful blindness of people who reject God’s truth. But another big part of the reason is that conservative Christianity has been publicly talking about everything but the true gospel of salvation.

The average person who observes American evangelical churches from the outside hears this about what Christians believe:

• Abortion is absolutely wrong.
• Gay marriage is offensive to God.
• God created the world in seven days, and evolutions is false.
• The Ten Commandments are binding on all and should be publicly posted.
• American foreign policy expresses God’s will for the world.

That’s about it. That’s all they know.

All of these are important issues in our society, and all of them warrant careful attention by believers in Jesus. But none of them is the gospel. Add them all up, and you have nothing resembling the gospel. No one was ever saved by belief in any of these things. Fighting for them does not bring forgiveness of sins or peace with God.

In these speaking engagements I have tried to explain why so many people are being attracted to evangelical churches today. There they hear the Word of God proclaimed and explained. They learn about God’s love for lost sinners expressed in Jesus’ saving sacrifice. They find an avenue for reconciliation to God and entry into his family. They experience acceptance into a community of faith that is affirming, challenging and hopeful.

But unfortunately, evangelical Christianity’s most influential public leaders are talking about all those other things, so the outside world cannot hear the gospel truth. They think what they hear on TV about us represents who we are, when, in fact, it’s a caricature.

Our public leaders play into this through extreme statements, name-calling and attack strategies. Their recent successes that have come through political alliances have made some of them believe the church can achieve spiritual goals through the exercise of earthly power. Jesus said this never works.

So, at these meetings I’ve been telling people not to believe what they see and hear. Evangelical churches are mostly warm, affirming families of people who are forgiven and forgiving, who gratefully love God and love other people more because they know him. That’s what I tell them.

Am I right? Then let’s hear more about the gospel good news and less about our moral outrage about this or that sin-of-the- day.