A new confession of conviction to counter the politicization of evangelical congregations will generate pushback from Christians convinced their preferred political candidates are chosen by God, faith leaders said during an online briefing about the document.
The “Confession of Evangelical Conviction” also aims to inspire evangelicals to publicly proclaim their loyalty to Jesus Christ, to serve as theological backing for beleaguered pastors and to set an example of faith for a younger generation of Christians, its signers said.
But it’s not going to be a popular statement to evangelicals who have elevated party and nation above gospel teachings, said Skye Jethani, author, speaker and co-host of “The Holy Post” podcast.
“This statement is designed to hold up a mirror to those who read it and reflect back either the image of Jesus or the image of their partisan idolatry,” Jethani explained during the Sept. 9 Zoom call featuring six other national evangelical leaders involved in the document.
“Ultimately, this is a moment for us all to take stock of where our allegiances lie. Who’s teaching and what teaching are we really called to pursue in this world? And if it’s not the teachings of Jesus and if it’s not the values of his kingdom, then maybe we shouldn’t be calling ourselves his followers,” Jethani said.
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The confession presents seven convictions central to fostering revival and civic renewal, beginning with “We give our allegiance to Jesus Christ alone.” Numerous Scripture passages affirming the supremacy of God and Scripture are provided to support that top value.
“We reject the false teaching that anyone other than Jesus Christ has been anointed by God as our Savior, or that a Christian’s loyalty should belong to any political party,” it says. “We reject any message that promotes devotion to a human leader or that wraps divine worship around partisanship.”
“We will lead with love, not fear” follows with biblical reminders that Jesus never will abandon his people: “We reject the stoking of fears and the use of threats as an illegitimate form of godly motivation, and we repudiate the use of violence to achieve political goals as incongruent with the way of Christ.”
The truth of Scripture and its warnings against bearing false witness also are affirmed: “We reject the misuse of holy Scripture to sanction a single political agenda, provoke hatred or sow social divisions, and we believe that using God’s name to promote misinformation or lies for personal or political gain is bearing his name in vain.”
The statement concludes with a resolution to uphold the gospel regardless of cultural shifts or political pressures: “We commit to being a light in the world, and faithful witnesses to the transforming power of Christ’s love. We pray that God’s Spirit will revive our church and strengthen Christ’s people to be agents of his presence and blessing in this turbulent age.”
