From Traditional Liberal to Evangelical

I didn't grow up in an Evangelical church. That is a church based on plain biblical Christianity built around the gospel. Instead, I grew up in a Christian family who attended a traditional high, yet liberal church. I'm very thankful to my parents and Sunday school teachers who taught me who Jesus is, and why I needed to be saved. In fact, I did become a Christian when I was very little. I grew up knowing it was important to read the bible and pray. However, I also grew up always trying to be more Christian, wanting to be more "blessed" and more loved by God.

Unlearning the many years of liberal teaching through evangelical teaching has been the most liberating, confidence building and life changing experience. Here are my top reasons why.

1. I stop asking how to be more loved by God.

Growing up in a liberal high church, I was made to believe doing more for God will get you more of His love. Never again.

"For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:7-8 ESV

God has shown us His love for us in a complete and ultimate way. While we were His enemies, He sent Jesus, His most loved, to die for us. What more can you ask for? Do you even need any more? He's given you the thing you most need even - to be right with Him. Permanently. Never again do you ever need to worry that He'll abandon you or reject you or provide with you anything less.

2. I stopped expecting God to make things work "well" for me and have accepted that suffering can be a good thing.

One of the most confusing things I learnt in liberal theology was that if something wasn't working well in my life, it probably means I don't love God enough for Him to make sure my life was working well. After all, that's what it said in Romans 8:28.

"28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified." Romans 8:28-30 ESV

The thing with understanding Romans 8:28, or any other part of the bible, is understanding its context. Just on a few more verses on, and it explains. Read Romans 8:28 alone. Then read Romans 8:28-30. The wider context helps you understand that the bible isn't saying that God will bless you materially or with health. Rather, it's saying that God will make sure in no matter what circumstance we are in, He will use it to make us more like Jesus, and to made right through our salvation and be glorified on the last day. Isn't that heaps better? It totally explains why bad stuff happens to godly men and women. It also explains what it means to take up the cross and follow Jesus.

3. I'm no longer trying to find different meanings in the bible but have come to understand that there's only 1 message in the bible.

If you've been in a liberal church for long enough, you would have heard your pastor tell you "The bible speaks differently to different people at different times". This is often confused as you can understand the same bible verse very in vastly different ways at different times, depending what you need at that point in time. However, I've learnt that God's Word is much more purposeful and clear in its direction. From start to end, the bible's central message is all about Jesus. The Old Testament is filled with events around the history of Israel which act as a foreshadow to Jesus; as well as prophecy about Jesus. The New Testament focus on Jesus death and resurrection; as well on how to live as Jesus as your Lord.

Also, understanding the genre of the passage would further help you understand the context of it. For example there are historical books, literary books and prophetic books. To interpret the bible more accurately, you need to understand it in light of its historical setting and type of literature.

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The bible is sufficient to help us come into an understanding of the gospel, and to instruct us in Christian living. If you are looking in the bible for something it doesn't instruct explicitly, for example if you should take up one job over another, you won't find it. Instead bible will instruct on such issues of wisdom. For example you should take up a job which allows you get to church, or a job which will not be unloving to another person, e.g. a hitman. We really shouldn't try to read meaning into a particular verse to fit what we want to hear.

4. I don't need to rely on a super minister to understand the bible, instead I need the Holy Spirit.

What I'm not saying here is that I don't need a minister, in fact ministers help guide and teach us the bible. Instead, I'm saying even without a minister, God's spirit enables us to interpret the bible. In our daily reading of the bible, God's Spirit helps us to understand the bible.

"The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one." 1 Corinthians 2:14-15 ESV

Ministers are God's gift to us and they are there to guide us in our understanding in His Word, but ultimately without God's Spirit, we actually won't understand anything. So if you find yourself not understanding the bible, the wisest thing to do is to pray to God to give you His Spirit to help you understand.

5. I've realised that no amount of things I do good will make me a better Christian.

The core of why I'm a Christian is the realisation I'm actually a pretty bad person, and that I have a really good God. What makes me a Christian is not by anything I do to achieve a status of Christian, apart from repenting my sins, accepting Jesus' death in place for me, and living as Jesus as my Lord. Jesus did all the hard yards for me. Jesus' atoning sacrifice makes me perfect in the eyes of God the judge of all. There's nothing better than perfect.

"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" Romans 6:1-2 ESV

This doesn't mean Christians can go on sinning in this life, instead a Christian life is a constant work of repenting from your sins. Repenting meaning turning 180 degree away from your sin and leading the opposite life of godliness. In fact, before you become a Christian you can't actually beat sin, only after you become a Christian that you can start a winning battle over sin (Romans 6:15-23).

6. I have to do what's good and right because I totally owe my life to God.

In becoming a Christian, you are essentially signing your life away. Sounds scary, but the fact is you are signing your life over to the person who created you in the first place, your rightful owner. Before you become a Christian, you are up against your Creator who is really angry at you living life the way you like. Imagine the Lego car you just built talking back and telling you that it has decided to be a building even though it's shaped like a car. I'm sure it's pretty infuriating. And that's what it means to be a non-Christian, just that the consequences are much more dire. Living your life your way leads you an eternal hell, a place where there is nothing good - no love, no friends, and eternal suffering.

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16 ESV

Living as a Christian means living the way God wants you to live. You live doing what's good and right to glorify God.

7. I have to live in loving relationships with a community of believers.

I grew up going to church every Sunday. In fact, I grew up in a fairly large church with lots and lots of friends in Sunday School. I grew up learning from godly examples of loving your brothers and sisters in Christ and sharing your life with them. I also watched ungodly examples of people quarreling, gossiping and hating each other in church.

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV

What's different is learning why I MUST love my fellow Christian brothers and sisters. Loving one another makes others know that we are God's people (John 13:35). Loving one another helps each other get through difficult times. As part of loving one another, we encourage each other and build each other up to stay faithful to God.

8. I don't need any special ritual, prayer, liturgy or celebrate a certain festival to make me more holy.

Having grown up in high church culture with church almost ritualistically following a liturgy. When I was little, much emphasis was around learning the liturgy and following it religiously. Confusing teaching like "you have to confess your sins in the beginning of the service so that God will accept your worship for the remainder", is confusing. I've always been told to confess your sins, or you won't go to heaven. My life was spent around ritualistically confessing my sins. I felt I must do it before I sleep, worrying that if I die at night I won't go to heaven.

"But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)  he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God." Romans 9:11-14

The concept of repentance and ritualistic sacrifice stems from the Old Testament Law. However, we are living in an era post Jesus death on the cross. Jesus has come in once and for all as our High Priest and our sacrifice for the forgiveness from our sins. It means once we repent from our old lives, Jesus work on the cross is final and our forgiveness is secured. Yes, we continually repent from our sins as we realise we are wrong time and again, but our forgiveness and our standing with Him is secured from the day we ask Jesus to be our saviour and Lord.

9. I don't need a special person to pray for me to make my prayers work better.

"You must ask Pastor So-and-so to pray for you. I'm sure God will listen to his prayers." In many liberal traditional churches there is a misconception that the minister is some holy man or sage and his relationship with God is closer and that his prayers would more easily reach God. In some churches there is a special "pastors" prayer in the liturgy, which is often seen as a more powerful prayer.

"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:11 ESV

In this case, the truth is so empowering. God is our Father. He is Father to not just your minister, but also to you - every Christian is God's child. God will listen to your prayer, just as He would listen to your minister's prayer. The key is to be in the right relationship with God - that is to have Jesus as your saviour and Lord.

10. I understand that healing, justice, prosperity and perfection will come on the last day.

Throughout my teen years, I've heard many congregational prayers for "claiming God's promise" of healing and prosperity. I've even heard of teaching where you must give 10% of your earnings so that God will bless you. Even more extreme, I've heard ministers preach what you give to the church, God will give you back 10 times in this lifetime. Expecting health and wealth would also have the repercussion of believing that Christians who are poor or sick are not Christians, after all the expectation is that Christians should be wealthy and healthy.

"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself." Philippians 3:20-21 ESV

Praying for healing or material blessing itself isn't wrong. But expecting God to give all this to us in this lifetime is. It doesn't make sense as you read in the bible of the apostle Paul being ill. It doesn't make sense as you see Christians get sick and die even with a whole lot of prayer. It doesn't make sense when you walk into neighbourhoods filled with impoverished Christians. Indeed, the promises of health and prosperity, vindication and perfection come on the last day. Yes, Jesus has brought in a new kingdom, but it will only come to full fulfillment on the last day. Otherwise, why does the bible tell us to store up treasure in heaven and not on earth? (Matthew 6:19-21)

11. The style of music at church doesn't determine if it is right, the lyrics does.

I grew up playing music at church and singing in the choir. I've heard many arguments between church members on what style of music is more appropriate - traditional hymns versus contemporary music. Even how many songs to sing in a service, or how many to sing a row can be a hotly contested topic. There's even arguments whether one should stand to sing or if sitting to sing is okay.

"What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up." 1 Corinthians 14:26 ESV 

The bible tells us we should make a joyful noise to praise God (Psalm 95:2). It doesn't say you should only sing hymns or sing contemporary music (it does say noise after all). What it does say in Corinthians is is that when we sing, it should be done for building each other up, hence the lyrics of the music is much more important than the music itself. The music itself should assist (and not detract) the congregation to encourage each other in song.

12. Finding a marriage partner and knowing when to marry has been made so much easier.

Divorce is a real taboo in most traditional Christian settings. Since I started dating, I always had many questions on who to marry. I remember mum telling me I should marry a man who loves God. Alongside that, many other people in church told me I should marry someone who could get along with and treat me well. Throughout the years, the questions stacked on. Is he going to be able to support me? Is he going to be love me even after many years of marriage? Would he really understand me? Would he and my family get along? What would he think of me when I become old?

I've come to learn the biblical view of the one to marry being someone who is a Christian, isn't your close relative, is of the opposite sex, and not someone who is married or divorce. To make a marriage work too, it is important for a lady to find a guy who is able to lead you in your Christian life. Once you are married, you can be 100% sure that's the person God has meant for you to marry as he doesn't want you to divorce.

"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word" Ephesians 5:22-26 ESV

What makes a marriage work is being in the same faith and as a result of the faith, being compelled to give mutual sacrificial love. Also, wives should submit to their husbands, as to the Lord. The other question about when to marry is also easy. In marrying, a man and his wife leave their parents and form a new family (Gen 2:24). If the couple is not ready to leave their parents, or aren't ready to commit to a lifelong commitment of mutual sacrificial love, they aren't ready to marry.


I thank God for giving me a clearer, a much more realistic and logical understanding of the bible today. It has given me real hope everyday, strength in times of turmoil and clarity of what I should be doing. I'm compelled to share this understanding with as many people as I possibly can. It has really been a liberating experience.

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