Are we good-news people?

It’s time for us to rediscover our good news heritage. We cannot continue to stand by and watch as Christianity in general and evangelicalism in particular becomes increasingly associated with a political stance that is hostile, apathetic or nationalistic, or with a social stance that is judgmental and separatist.

More often than not when secular commentators talk about evangelicals, they are talking less about Christians that hold to a set of gospel beliefs and more about a demographic group who vote in a certain way in US elections. It is tragic that we are too often defined more by our views on sex, death and immigration than by our views on the resurrection and eternal life. We are, sadly, becoming better known for what we stand against than what we stand for.

This is why I believe it is time to reaffirm our gospel commitment to the good news of God’s offer of love, forgiveness, peace and welcome to all who will receive it. It would be almost revolutionary to become known once more for the good news that brings repentance, redemption, and reconciliation. The essence – and even the etymology of – evangelicalism, points to the fact that we are gospel people, which surely means both bringing and being good news.

Sometimes Christians seek to separate what God has put together. Yet, Jesus was both the incarnation of the gospel… and the proclaimer of the gospel. The gospel accounts contain both the words that Jesus brought… and the story of His life and deeds. Jesus declared the coming kingdom of God… and He gave the world a taste of that kingdom in the here and now. The cross of Jesus is an actual historic event… as well as a timeless message.

In thinking about what it means for us to be good news people, I have recently been encouraged and challenged by the story of William Wilberforce. When Wilberforce was converted in 1785, he wrestled with whether he should remain in politics. It was the support of John Newton (writer of the hymn Amazing Grace) and William Pitt (former Prime Minister) that persuaded him that politics needed the good news influence of his newfound faith.

Two years later, he was persuaded to advocate for the abolition of slavery. He went on to champion legislation to improve working conditions for vulnerable children forced to work as chimney-sweeps and textile workers. He also worked towards prison reform, educational reform, and poverty alleviation. He even founded the world’s first animal welfare organisation that later became the RSPCA.

Alongside all of this Wilberforce played a pivotal role in forming the Church Missionary Society and the British and Foreign Bible society. He therefore epitomises the marriage of gospel truth and gospel reality. He helped people not only to hear the gospel in a language they could understand, but also to witness the impact of it. He was clearly committed to word and deed together.

I would love the church to rediscover this heritage. We need a whole generation of new advocates, new Wilberforces, who can mobilise the church and civil society to bring positive change on a range of important issues, and help spread the good news to the ends of the earth.