The Evangelical Church has gone through a lot to preserve its doctrinal heritage of the Reformers. A myriad of movements such as Protestant liberalism, Neo-orthodoxy with prominent figures like Karl Barth, and the New Perspective on Paul, etc. have risen to contend with the doctrinal foundation of the Church.
The Church in the 21st century has not only witnessed challenges in upholding its doctrinal values but an apathy and agitation for doctrinal aberration by some Evangelical worshipers. This challenge is more common among the younger generation which has more tendency toward a post-modern ideology that frowns at absolute authority. This development, therefore, tends to make the younger Evangelicals challenge the advocacy of total submission to the absolute authority of the Scripture by the Evangelical Church. The second reason why some don't feel comfortable with a doctrinal inclination of the Evangelical Church is that they consider doctrines as a divisive tool that disunites the Church.
The Church in the first century had a similar challenge, false doctrines that contended to blur the teachings of the apostles abounded. The apostles, therefore, have to write to the churches they founded to encourage them to hold firmly to their teachings.
Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join together in following my examples, brothers, and sisters, just as you have us as a model; keep your eyes on those who live as we do (Philippians 3:16-17NIV).
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it and how from infancy you have known the holy scripture, which can make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:13-15NIV).
As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you if it does, you also will remain in the son and the father (1 John 2:24NIV).
The responsibility of keeping to the heritage of historical Christianity is one thing that the evangelical Church has not paid much attention to lately. Meanwhile, the distaste for doctrine in this century demands a commitment of the Church to the historic teaching and faith of the Protestant Church. When a church fails to uphold its doctrines it is bound to suffer the infiltration of false teachings. The Christian life is not meant to be floated on air in the winds of doctrines. The Church is rather, to consist and persist on the heritage of her historical foundation.
The role of holding to one’s belief borders on Christian apology (the defense of one's faith). Both Christian individuals and the leadership of the Church have a role to play in upholding historic Scriptural teachings. But sad to note that both the leadership and Evangelical Christians have done so little in this regard thereby the influx of false teachings in the Evangelical circle. The current realities in the modern Church; the influx of secular ideologies into the Church is a reminder to the modern Evangelical Church to hold firmly to her Reformation root that advocates for Bible-based Christian faith.
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