This my third and final post in the series that started with the original post on Assumed Evangelicalism.

According to Gibson, the second question to ask when looking for signs of Assumed Evangelicalism involves examining our priorities…

2. To what extent do the key features of evangelicalism dictate our priorities in life, and the visions and strategies of our churches, movements and institutions?
The biblical gospel points us to an evangelical understanding of Christianity. This is theology that is constructed outwards from, and built on, the gospel. For example, the message of a truthful God revealing good news in the Scriptures points us to belief in an authoritative and reliable written word. That the Father’s mission in sending the Son, and the Son’s willing obedience to the Father, climaxes in the death of the Son, points us to the belief that the cross is central to biblical Christianity. And so on. This means that biblical authority, the cross, Christo-centricity in life and doctrine are necessary entailments of the gospel. We cannot claim we are gospel people if we are not also Bible people, cross-centred people, conversion-focused people, Christ-knowing and Christ-adoring people. This also means that a vital way to evaluate our evangelicalism is to ask to what extent these issues dictate our priorities in life and our visions and strategies. Again let me illustrate this in two separate areas with regard to two key features of evangelicalism — biblical authority and the cross.

One way this is manifest is in pursuing academic respectability over academic responsibility in our Bible study…

However the dangers are often more subtle than a plain choice between compromise or respect — the real temptation will be to just assume the authority of the Bible and then to expend our academic energy on other acceptable concerns.

Another way this is played out is in an assumed cross. This happens, according to Gibson, when evangelical organizations lose focus on the cross in pursuit of other concerns, like social justice and the like.

On the whole, Assumed Evangelicalism happens when we believe our Statement of Faith, but it just doesn’t affect what we do. When that happens we are one generation away from outright denial of that Statement.

Many of these trends are clearly present in the larger Church today. There is little we can do about the whole Church. What we can do is be faithful in what spheres of influence God has given us. Personally, in our families, in our church, and in our local community. May God find us faithful in cherishing and living the gospel in whatever areas of influence He gives us.