Rust About Trust

From My Perspective - - -

Inasmuch as this nation declares “In God We Trust” and pledges that we are “One Nation, Under God”, one would have the impression that foundational to our heritage would be a strong belief system that embraces a power greater than ourselves Who controls the affairs of mankind in the world. In a Presidential contest, we want to know the “church” a candidate attends and what an individual believes.

It’s no secret that “religion” has been in the spotlight of the current Presidential contest. Of the four nominated candidates, we know that one is from a Roman Catholic background; another attended a church for more than 20 years where Liberation Theology was championed; another chooses to be vague but for a brief moment accepted endorsement by some “evangelicals” before disagreeing with some of their stances; and we have one who is from an Assembly of God background. Earlier on, there was one candidate who was marginalized by the media because his primary support was from the “evangelical (right) base” of which he was a part.

The Pastor’s Weekly Briefing references some recent research done by the Ellison Group regarding the question: “What Is an Evangelical?” America's Definition…reveals that 36 percent of all Americans say they have no idea at all what the definition is of an evangelical Christian. The most common perception is that "evangelical" has to do with spreading ones faith or trying to convince someone else to become a Christian. The research also revealed that (a) Nine percent believe that evangelicals are just a specific type of Christian such as born-again or non-denominational; (b) Nine percent believe that evangelicals are Christians who are particularly zealous or devoted to their faith; (c) Eight percent feel evangelicals are defined largely by their focus on the Bible: their reliance on it and their belief in it; (d) Six percent define evangelicals by their world-view or politics.

When the media reports something about evangelical leaders like Rick Warren or James Dobson, or describes a political candidate as meeting with an evangelical group, or polls likely voters and reports that evangelicals are backing a particular candidate, many Americans honestly don't have the faintest notion of just who belongs to that group that is being described, while others are completely off-base in their assumptions of who the report is describing…Yet Americans usually don't define 'evangelicals' by their voting habits or politics. There's at least some basic understanding among the American population that evangelicals are defined by religion rather than by politics, even if many people don't really know just what that religious definition is…

Evangelicals used to be characterized or defined by certain foundational beliefs. These were known as: The Five Fundamentals of the Faith which are essential for Christianity, and upon which there is unwavering agreement: (1) The Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:1; John 20:28; Hebrews 1:8-9); (2) The Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:27); (3) The Blood Atonement of Jesus Christ (Acts 20:28; Romans 3:25, 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12-14); The Bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Luke 24:36-46; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, 15:14-15); and (5) The inerrancy of the Scriptures themselves (Psalms 12:6-7; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20). This is a clear set of core values in a defined belief system. Does it define you? Is it a foundation upon which your life and values are based?

Consider these things with me - - - we should know What we believe and Why we believe it. We should know that True Liberty and Freedom comes from a relationship with The One Who stated: “If the Son shall set you free, you will be free indeed.” And He also said: “You shall know the Truth and the Truth will make you free.” Do you know, and do you have an on-going relationship with The One Who stated: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…” Be certain today!