WIM Blog

Abandoning the Gospel

Before we became Christians our measure of our value was largely based on performance. Therefore it isn’t surprising that not long after becoming Christians, we construct a performance-based measure of our relationship with God. Very quickly we forget who and what we were at the moment of salvation. This shift back to a doctrine of works is damaging for our relationship with God and it is very bad news for those who aren’t Christian for we are in danger of putting unnecessary obstacles in the way of someone discovering the gospel of grace.

Unbiblical Thinking

For example, for Christians, godliness may become linked with the number of Christian activities or ministries we can tick off. Or we may return to thinking there is a hierarchy of sins, for example adultery, divorce, immorality being among the worst while at the same time we may live easily with envy, pride, selfishness, ambition, lying, jealousy, resentment, materialism and deceit.

A significant side effect of such unbiblical thinking is the impression we then leave with unbelieving friends and family. First we are labelled as hypocrites as our lack of perfection is clearly obvious. Second we imply that a person’s life must be straightened out before becoming a Christian, for example messy relationships have to be sorted, addictions resolved. The gospel becomes a gospel for the respectable or the self- righteous.

This is unbiblical thinking.

Reclaiming the Gospel of Grace

Two Bible passages bring us back to the core truth of grace; each one shines a brilliant light on the simplicity of a Christian’s birth. The truth of these passages needs to reform our thinking for each epitomises the simplicity of salvation, the simplicity of the gospel message and of God’s gracious dealings with sinners. This is the gospel to live by.

Luke 23:32ff presents a dreadful scene: the brutality of crucifixion, the guards gambling over Jesus’ clothes, the quiet watchers, his friends and his mother, the sneerers and the two criminals crucified beside him. One thief joins in hurling insults at Jesus, but the other rebukes him, “Don’t you fear God? We have been judged justly. We are getting what we deserve. But this man, has done nothing wrong”. Then he cries: “Jesus remember me”. His dying cry is Saviour save me!

Surely Jesus’ answer surprised everyone standing near and except for our familiarity with this event, it would most certainly surprise us.

Jesus answered: “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise”.

This thief had only one event in life left i.e. his imminent death. In the process of dying, he found the hope of life. God’s Son’s words rang in his ears: Today, with me, in paradise.

The second Bible passage comes from 1 Timothy 1:16. Here we find Paul’s reflection on his own experience of the gospel of grace.

At the time when Paul was fully confident of his own righteousness, thoroughly involved in doing what he thought was God’s work; while his hands were still stained with the blood of Stephen and as he pursued the Christians from Jerusalem to Damascus, he was stopped by Jesus. The heavy weight of God’s judgement fell upon him. Having lost his sight, oppressed by the judgement of darkness, he had three deathlike days in which to rethink his understanding of the Messianic teachings of Scripture and of their relationship to the risen Jesus he’d just seen. In life, he was in death. In life he felt God’s judgement. Yet, like the thief on the cross he found acceptance, forgiveness and ‘resurrection’ to the life-consuming task of preaching the message of grace to the gentiles. It is no wonder that he would write later of the event of salvation as one of having been brought from death to life (Ephesians 2:1, 4).

Unlike the criminal on the cross, Paul still had the rest of his life to live and he lived it in the light of being brought from the judgement of death into the grace of a Christ. Listen to his words: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for this very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life”.

As Jesus said:
“I have not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Mk 2:17).

When sinners hear the call of God, they come as they are, as sinners. The thief and Paul didn’t have to live righteous lives before they could become Christians. One had no opportunity to live righteously. The other thought he was righteous but found he was the ‘worst of sinners’. Both were saved alone by God’s grace - and so are we.

The gospel of grace is the only gospel to live by and the only gospel to proclaim.

Of course I’ve stolen this title from T.C. Hammond’s brilliant and well-known book “In Understanding be Men.”  His work challenges Christians to reach maturity in Christ by understanding the fundamental biblical doctrines on which evangelical Christianity stands.  I believe it is important that we women take up this challenge and strive for the maturity in Christ that T.C. Hammond extolled.

Women may immediately say, why challenge women?  Aren’t Christian women the mainstay of the church?  Aren’t we those who most frequently respond to the gospel?  And of course I would have to say ‘yes’ to each statement.  Yet I also have to say that while I meet many faithful Christian women who work diligently at being godly in thought and behaviour and to their credit are faithful in praying, I do not meet many who talk about the fundamental doctrines of the faith with any confidence.  Nor are many able to unpack the significance of these doctrines for our daily lives.

Let me give three illustrations:

1. In the face of a person’s illness or death or some unfathomable disaster, I hear: ‘We just need to trust God.  We don’t know why these things happen.  We just have to believe.’  While this statement has truth to it, what does it mean?  Is it an unthinking trust, a blind belief that’s recommended?  Or is there some teaching or evidence that we can, with good reason, consciously take hold of and find real God-strength in?
2. I often hear: ‘There are so many religions these days I think all of them must have some truth to them.  How can we claim Christianity alone is right?’  When Christianity is so significantly different from all other beliefs this is a sad and frightening response.
3. I frequently hear: ‘I don’t feel God loves me.  It makes no difference how often I read the Bible or pray, God seems far away.’  Why won’t we allow the knowledge we have of God’s eternal faithfulness re-educate our emotions?

Each of these illustrations reveals a deficit of Christian understanding for there are strong biblical answers for each situation.

In illness, suffering or death the Bible provides much more than ‘just believe’ as an answer.  We know from the Bible why pain and suffering exist and that these are to be expected.  We learn that God understands our frailty and stands with us and strengthens us by his Spirit.  God’s Word doesn’t protect us from reality, rather it tells us of the realities of pain, persecution, famine, war, illness and natural disaster.  God speaks about how to endure, where hope is to be found and in whom our confidence is to be placed.

On the uniqueness of God, the Bible provides testimony that extends over a 4,000 year period.  Those who have closely studied other religions, testify to their inability to provide answers to the great questions of life – why is there death, why is there suffering, why is there goodness, what is our purpose?  The Bible evidences the uniqueness of Jesus and the historicity of his life, death and resurrection.

On experiencing God:  why don’t I feel God’s closeness, love, approval, care?  I have to say that this is not a question I hear men asking, though I am sure some do.  Women ask this question.  While feelings and perceptions may be profoundly helpful they may also be a profoundly unreliable footing upon which to base our confidence or on which to make decisions.

Sometimes it can be helpful to think about God’s love in the light of a human example.  For instance I may be totally ‘in love’ with someone but unless that one acts in loving ways towards me, I would have to conclude that their words of love are insincere and even manipulative.  What then would be the point of pursuing this relationship?  We measure the sincerity of human love by the concurrence of word and action.

God’s love is clearly evidenced by such a concurrence e.g. ‘For God so loved the world – that he gave his only Son…’ Jn 3:16.  In 1 Jn 3:16 similar evidence is given: ‘This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us’.  John continues this theme in 1 Jn 4:10 ‘This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins’.

The challenge is will we believe God when he not only declares his love but also actively demonstrates his love for us?  His love isn’t fickle!  This knowledge can inform our minds, if we let it.  This knowledge will change how we think about ourselves in relation to God, if we let it.  God’s love is the one constant in the Christian’s life.  Irrespective of how we feel, God is faithful.

In understanding, ‘be men’.  How is this mature understanding gained?  Let me suggest 3 ways, each of which involves a choice:

1. Choose to read the Bible differently.  For example, rather than reading the Bible book by book, read by topic e.g. what does the Bible have to say on suffering or on the uniqueness of Jesus God’s Son, or on the significance of his death.  A helpful guide is Dr J. Packer’s work ‘A Concise Theology.’
2. Choose to go to a Bible Study group that studies doctrine as well as the content of the Bible.  Or ask your Bible study leader if your group could study one doctrine per term.
3. Choose to join a group that is studying doctrine/theology e.g. PTC course in Doctrine or study this subject with a college that offers part-time study.

Maturity is attained by getting to know God on his terms.  If we want a ‘feel good’ religion we will be like the seed sown on shallow soil that was unable to survive the difficulties of its environment.

Therefore women, in understanding, let’s be mature.