Is the Gospel Conservative?

A couple of weeks ago I was in a discussion with my small group and we somehow got on the topic of conservatism.

Most of us in this group would consider ourselves conservative in one way or another, and the current book we were reading was challenging many of the ideals we held closely.

As were discussing, a question came into my mind: Is the Gospel conservative?

Conservative by definition means: disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.

In contrast Liberal by definition means: favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.

In Matthew 28 Jesus commands us to: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

As I processed this thought, I began to realize that in many ways the Gospel is anything but conservative.

Matter of fact many of the commands that Jesus gives us are rather liberal.

Jesus tells us to love God liberally. Mt 22:37
Jesus tells us to love people around us liberally. Mt 22:39
Jesus tells us to serve people around us liberally. Mt 18
Jesus tells us to give liberally. Mt 6:1-4; 19-24
Jesus tells us to share the truth with those around us liberally. Mt 28
And God loves us liberally Mt 11:28-30

I am still processing this thought but as the church moves forward maybe what we need is not to look back to what was once, but rather what could be in the future.

Maybe we need to be less conservative, and a maybe we really need is to live a new liberal.