A "TRUE EVANGELICAL" IS GIVEN BY GOD AND NOT ELECTED BY HUMANS

                                         

A TRUE EVANGELICALS IS GIVEN BY GOD AND NOT ELECTED BY MANKIND

“…So Christ himself GAVE the apostles, the prophets, the EVANGELISTS, the pastors and teachers,…” (EPHESIANS 4:11 NIV).

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An evangelical is someone who has been called to the office of an evangelist. An evangelist is a devoted and faithful follower of Christ who shares and promotes the good news of the gospel.

Evangelicals or evangelists are NOT limited to or bound to “right wing” fundamental republican ideologies. An evangelical is meant to be a term that defines individuals who strictly adhere to the core principles, values, or doctrines of Jesus Christ ABOVE ALL ELSE.

An evangelical is a believer who walks by the authority of the Holy Scriptures. They are usually living witnesses because of their dedication to Jesus and the Word of God. They are LED, first and foremost, by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The office of an evangelist is a HIGH calling and some people feel ALL Christians should be similar to evangelicals. All Christians should be devoted to God through Christ and walk by the authority of the Holy Scriptures. In addition, they also should be LED by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Being an evangelist has NOTHING to do with politics or party affiliations, but it is ALL about sharing and promoting the good news of the gospel.

An evangelist’s most important task is setting an example of purity, holiness, integrity, and Christlikeness in regard to the CHRISTian Faith.

An evangelist will or would NOT entangle themselves in the many affairs of life or abandon their calling for other pursuits, but maintains a lifestyle of focusing on, sharing, and promoting the gospel of salvation WHEREVER they are positioned. “…keep your head in ALL SITUATIONS, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry….” (2 Timothy 4:5 NLT). “…No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier…” (2 Timothy 2:4 NASB).

Basically, an evangelist is a messenger from God, who is especially sent to preach, announce, teach, or proclaim the GOOD news of the gospel everywhere he or she is sent or goes. “…So Christ himself gave the evangelists…” (Ephesians 4:11 NIV). “… do the work of an evangelist….” (2 Timothy 4:5 NLT).

The purpose of an evangelist is to reconcile unconverted sinners into a relationship with God through Christ by preaching the word in season or out of season. “…PREACH the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction…” (2 Timothy 4:2 NIV).

Jesus Christ was the first evangelist and preached the message of Good News. “…And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to PREACH the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to PREACH deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To PREACH the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, THIS DAY is this scripture fulfilled in your ears…” (John 4:16-21 KJV).

In fact, Jesus, himself, WAS the good news or the message. “…he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him…” (Hebrew 5:7-8-9 KJV). “Jesus saith…I am THE WAY, the truth, and the life…” (John 14:6 KJV). “….the gospel of Christ …. is the power of God unto SALVATION TO EVERY ONE THAT BELIEVETH…” (Romans 1:16 KJV). “…There is SALVATION IN NO ONE ELSE…” (Acts 4:12a NLT).

An evangelist is one of God’s mouthpieces for proclaiming the good news and pointing mankind to the WAY of salvation. “Jesus saith…I am THE WAY, the truth, and the life…” (John 14:6 KJV). “…There is SALVATION IN NO ONE ELSE…” (Acts 4:12a NLT).

Philip was an evangelist. “…Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven…” (Acts 21:8 NIV). What are the traits of an evangelist?  

Evangelists preach the word no matter what’s going on around them. They are God's WITNESSES through their SPEECH and CONDUCT. They perform miracles, deliver the demon possessed, and heal the sick. They bring JOY to a place. “…Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and SAW the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he SAID. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great JOY in that city…” (Acts 8:1-8 NIV).

An evangelist wins souls. “…Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw…” (Acts 8:9-14 NIV).

An evangelist is obedient and goes wherever God sends him or her. An evangelist explains the word of God to others and leads people to salvation. An evangelist can also baptize new converts. “…Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet .The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea…” (Acts 8:26-40 NIV).

“…So Christ himself gave the evangelists ,…” (EPHESIANS 4:11 NIV). “…Now God GIVES US many kinds of special abilities, but it is the same HOLY SPIRIT who is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service to God, but it is the same Lord we are serving. There are many ways in which God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work IN and THROUGH all of us who are his. The HOLY SPIRIT DISPLAYS God’s power THROUGH each of us as a means of HELPING the entire church.  … He gives power …to prophesy and PREACH. He gives someone else the power to know …whether it is really the Spirit of God who is speaking… (1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NLT).

On one hand, every Christian should have some traits of an evangelist since all believers have been called to the ministry of reconciliation by presenting the good news to others. “…God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. …” (2 Corinthians 5:18 NIV). “…Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation…” (Mark 16:15 NIV).

On the other hand, “…Christ himself gave the evangelists ,…” (EPHESIANS 4:11 NIV). An evangelist will have special empowerment for evangelizing and all the supernatural gifts that office requires. “…Now God GIVES US many kinds of special abilities ….The HOLY SPIRIT DISPLAYS God’s power THROUGH each of us as a means of HELPING the entire church.  … (1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NLT).

An evangelist may be considered radical to many, but his or her main goal in life is to proclaim the gospel of salvation.

Most evangelists will not preach or teach without giving an invitation to receive Christ as Savior. Sharing the gospel with conviction and clarity is second nature to an evangelist and they are always communicating the good news wherever they go.

Some people believe it is, mostly, evangelicals that start new churches, run traditional revivals, lead the discipleship programs, are guest speakers at various churches both national and internationally, and work on the streets.

So if you feel lead by the Spirit, “… do the work of an evangelist….” (2 Timothy 4:5 NLT). “…PREACH the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction…” (2 Timothy 4:2 NIV).

In order to take Christianity back, evangelicals need to be restored to their God-given place and activities within the church. An evangelical can EASILY be recognized! “…Ye shall know them by their fruits…” (Matthew 7:16 KJV).

“…God ...the … HOLY SPIRIT .. is the SOURCE of ...[spiritual fruit]…it is …God who does the work IN and THROUGH all of ...[including evangelicals]... The HOLY SPIRIT DISPLAYS God’s power (to produce spiritual fruit in and through evangelicals or) THROUGH each of us … (1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NLT). “…the Father that dwelleth in [evangelicals] … he doeth the works..[of producing “their” spiritual fruit]…” (John 14:10 KJV). “…The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…” (Galatians 5:22 NLT). 

God, the Holy Spirit ensures TRUE EVANGELICALS are spiritually fruitful, FIRST and FOREMOST.

All believers should KNOW a TRUE EVANGELICAL when they SEE their CONDUCT and hear the WORDS!

It is OKAY to FOLLOW those who are FOLLOWING Jesus Christ! Ye will KNOW them by their SPIRITUAL FRUIT!