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Introduction:
Evangelicalism
Derek Poole
Comment:
Ourselves Alone
Alwyn Thomson
From
the Director
David Porter
A
World of Difference
Alwyn Thomson
What
is an Evangelical Catholic?
Paddy Monaghan
Decommissioning
the Heart
David Bruce
Evangelical
Catholics
T. Gordon Hills
Sorting
out the Family
David Montgomery
Do
They Know Us by Our Love?
John Ortberg
Loyalist
Speak
Robert Dunlop
Book
Reviews
Alwyn Thomson
Faith Alone...
Grace Alone...
Scripture Alone...
To the Glory of God Alone...
'OURSELVES ALONE'
There is a sickness within evangelicalism: the founding principles of the Protestant reformation are being betrayed, another gospel is being preached.
To the pantheon of fundamental principles - faith alone, grace alone, scripture alone, to the glory of God alone - another has been added by some who profess to be evangelical Protestants.
It is the principle soli nos ipsi - 'ourselves alone'.
It is "the great and glorious doctrine" of separation - but separation as they understand it, for they claim exclusive rights to define its meaning and to judge its application.
For some, it seems, this doctrine of separation has become the defining principle of evangelicalism.
You may believe in faith alone, grace alone, scripture alone, to the glory of God alone, but unless you 'separate' to their satisfaction you are only a 'so-called' evangelical.
Is it not extreme to call this another gospel? Yes, but such it is. For this gospel is an offence to the work of the cross.
On the cross Jesus Christ made atonement for sin and called men and women from every tribe, language, people and nation. He called them to be the Church of God, the Body of Christ, the Temple of the Holy Spirit.
This other gospel is an offence to the doctrine of the atonement for it recognises the power of the atonement to bring salvation but denies its power to create fellowship within the Body of Christ.
To preach this doctrine of separatism is to preach another gospel.
And will God stand idly by while those who preach another gospel empty the cross of its power?
Alwyn Thomson is Research Officer with ECONI and is currently involved in the 'God, Land & Nation' project.
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