I’ve got lots of posts written but have felt woefully lacking in tone–
In any case, I’ll share a little of what has been rolling around in my head. Hopefully I can keep my tone under control.
We seem to need a more robust (i.e., biblical) idea of sanctification. That’s safe, isn’t it? We can all grow in our understanding of sanctification.
Lately, I’ve been disturbed by this fad of addressing all our failures by lamenting the need for more gospel-centered this or that. I’m not opposed to being gospel centered! But I am opposed to making gospel centered be a required part of every conversation. (It feels like a grammarian banning pronouns. I’m not sure if this makes sense to anyone but me.) The gospel-centered people don’t want me to feel guilty when I sin. They are especially worried about legalism (a term that should be excised from our Christian vocabulary– we have better Bible words that are far more precise and useful). Remembering the gospel is almost a panacea for overcoming sin. When God’s commands are discussed, in order to be “gospel centered,” every exhortation must contain “gospel centered” language. Otherwise, it’s obviously not gospel centered. Of course. I’d like to be friends with the gospel-centered people, but I don’t think I’m on the approved list.
Peter says it this way:but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. (II Peter 3:18)
Paul (ehem, the writer of Hebrews) says it this way: For everyone who partakes only of milk isunskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is,those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:13)
Growing in patience or wisdom or discipline takes a lot of time. A lot of practice. Sigh. If I could master patience in a year, anger in eleven months, love (since its so basic) in a month or two, and so on, I’d be perfect by the time I was forty. What fun! I’d love to be perfect for a few decades. Seriously, I do need to serious about sin. I need to be diligent to add a whole lot of things to my faith. But I can take heart in knowing that growth (i.e., failure and success) is an expected and blessed part of life. Can God be pleased with my life when I’m full of failing? Not just seeing Christ’s righteousness, but actually pleased with me?
I think how we answer that question reveals a lot about whether we really possess the joy of the Lord.
this focus is something I have picked up on, but not really understood. What does it really mean to be “gospel focused?” I got into a discussion with someone about abusive men and basically his answer was that the gospel solved everything for the women who needed to escape these men. With my understanding of this from personal experience helping a friend, a better understanding of the gospel is not what is needed. But, perhaps I am wrong. I can say it’s not something I have spent much time studying out, that’s for sure! More patience, more love, more dedication to my own study of the scripture, these are all areas i need to improve!
so I’d love to hear more about your thoughts on this. I’m having a hard time posting lately too, even though I have several posts written–I just can’t seem to get the tone right. Anyway, I have some questions about your thoughts, because I’m sort of into the gospel these days…
when you say, “The gospel-centered people don’t want me to feel guilty when I sin. They are especially worried about legalism (a term that should be excised from our Christian vocabulary– we have better Bible words that are far more precise and useful). ” I’m wondering which “gospel-centerred” people you’ve been talking to. Because to me it seems that addressing sin is central to the idea of being “gospel-centerred.” So to me, if someone is saying they are being “gospel-centerred,” and yet are trying to not talk about sin, or “milk-ify” the gospel, to me it seems that’s not the gospel at all…
I do agree that the “gospel” anything is a popular term these days, so I’m sure the spectrum of people who use this term or phrase is broad. But I think that your thoughts on sanctification are crucial to the “gospel” talk. But I also think that sometimes we segment our conversations and compartmentalize them, and do a really bad job of bringing them back to the central thought…Jesus. I think in a very abbreviated summary, it’s more about being gospel-minded in general throughout life, and being purposeful in our conversations to have a Biblical perspective or worldview, and to be able to share that.
And to me, you do a really great job at that.
And I also wonder why you think you aren’t on the “approved list.” If you aren’t, then for sure I’m not!
So anyway, good thoughts. keep it coming–I’d love to understand more of your meaning.
Gab, Lee was confused by that sentence, too. Here’s an example that might help me explain better: I don’t think gospel-centered people have a hard time identifying sin. I think they have a hard time knowing what to do about it. If I decide not to have a television, the “gospel centered people” (the good sort and the bad sort) seem to be concerned that I’m substituting rules for the gospel. Anytime I make a decision that I see is intended to keep myself from being pressed into the world’s mold, some people assume I’m making rules because I’m feeling guilty or I’ve forgotten the gospel. With my television example, I don’t think television is evil. I don’t think that watching it means that I (or anyone else) is sinning. I don’t think that families who don’t have a television are spiritually inferior. But some people don’t see the connection between my awareness that television defines reality for a great many children in godly homes, and my desire to define “gospel saturated thinking” and not the thinking of the world. You’re right that the GOOD gospel-centered people wouldn’t make such assumptions. (I wouldn’t lump you in with the non-thinking gospel-centered people either– those who embrace any new book or person who uses gospel-centered vocabulary simply on the basis of the password gospel-centered.) I don’t consider myself in the gospel centered camp because my vocabulary is different, mostly. This might be a good coffee conversation. You are brave and kind not to walk away when I am unclear! Thank you! (And I do think that Jon Gleason is correctly stating some of my concern.)
You are correct, Michelle. The “Gospel-centered” emphasis is misplaced.
It’s not that there is nothing to be said for it. We are to pursue holiness because we have been saved, called into light. We are to mortify the deeds of the flesh because they are contrary to our salvation. So in a sense, the Gospel-centered message is Biblical.
But….
The New Testament didn’t end with John 3:16. For some reason, it was necessary to tell us to mortify the deeds of the flesh, to resist the devil and he will flee from us, to put on the whole armour of God, etc, etc, etc.
Everything is Gospel-centered, but we aren’t always very good at working through all the ramifications of that. We need these specific teachings. They need to be taught with the Gospel in mind and with a Gospel-consistent emphasis. But they need to be taught. Paul’s epistles don’t just consist of “contemplate the cross” repeated 15,000 times — but some people seem to sound like that is all that is needed.
Jon, Thanks for your comments. You have long been able to say what I try to say, but better. You should start a blog. Wait! You have, and I’ve enjoyed it.
Jon, my husband really appreciated your post. This is a topic of conversation in our home often (well between him and myself, not our preschool children) and your thought summarized what he has been thinking.
Nicole, thanks for the encouragement. Blessings to your family.
Michelle, I’ll have to see if I can find that blog you are talking about :). Hopefully what I write honours the Lord alone.