“Getting the gospel right is an absolute imperative for Christ’s church. Understanding how the gospel applies to every dimension of life is one of the ongoing challenges and joys for every believer. Mitch Chase brings great wisdom and clarity for this challenge as he writes The Gospel is for Christians . Read it for the sound counsel and good news you will find here.”

- Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr.

President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“The gospel is not just for unbelievers. The gospel is not just a kind of good news key that allows people to unlock the doors to heaven. The gospel is life. The gospel saves and it sustains. Mitch Chase loves this gospel and in this book he faithfully proclaims it. Written in an engaging, winsome way, his book will challenge and shape you. It will tell you why you need to believe the gospel to have eternal life and why you need to dwell upon this gospel, love it, feed upon it, depend upon it every day. The gospel is for Christians and so too is this book. I highly recommend it to you.”

- Tim Challies, author of The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment,

Sexual Detox: A Guide For Guys Who Are Sick of Porn,

and The Next Story

“I once assumed the gospel was simply what non-Christians must believe in order to be saved, but after they believe it they advance to deeper theological waters. But I’ve since realized that the gospel not only ignites the Christian life—it’s also the fuel that keeps Christians going and growing every day. Mitch Chase joins a growing group of leaders on mission to help the church rediscover the truth that the gospel isn’t just the power of God to save us; it’s the power of God to grow us once we’re saved.”

- Tullian Tchividjian , Senior Pastor, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in

Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and author of  Surprised by Grace:

God’s Relentless Pursuit of Rebels

“In The Gospel is for Christians , Mitch Chase demonstrates not merely a love for theology, but a love for the Savior to which all good theology points. Mitch reminds us that the good news of Jesus Christ is not a peripheral matter for the Christian. The gospel must remain at the center of our spiritual life in order to bear the fruits of ongoing repentance and faith.”

- Trevin Wax , author of Holy Subversion: Allegiance to Christ in an Age of Rivals

and Counterfeit Gospels: Rediscovering the Good News in a World of False Hope .

To Stacie, my wife and gift from God,

who desires to build her life on the gospel

The Gospel is for Christians

Copyright © 2010 by Mitchell L. Chase

Published by Lucid Books in Brenham, TX.

www.LucidBooks.net

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

First Printing 2010

All Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

ISBN-13: 9781935909040

ISBN-10: 1935909045

Special Sales: Most Lucid Books titles are available in special quantity discounts. Custom imprinting or excerpting can also be done to fit special needs. Contact Lucid Books atinfo@lucidbooks.net .

THE GOSPEL IS FOR CHRISTIANS

PREFACE

PART ONE :  Glorious Good News

1 : The Gospel Planned Before All Creation: Why God Never Needed a Plan B

2 : A Christ-Centered Plan: All Things Made By Him and For Him

3 : God is Holy, Man is Wicked: Hearing the Bad news Before the Good News

4 : Where Wrath and Mercy Meet: How the Cross Displays God as Just and Justifier

PART TWO : Growing in the Gospel

5 : Deepening the roots: Why True Christian Growth is Really Gospel Growth

6 : Preaching the Gospel to Yourself: The Duty of the Justified Sinner

7 : Saved by the Head to Serve the Body: Learning to Love the Church of Christ

8 : Body Building: Why the Gospel is Sufficient for Growing Churches

9 : A Global Gospel: Proclaiming to the Nations the Only Name that Saves

10 : Jesus and His Bride: Displaying the Gospel through Holy Matrimony

11 : Making it Clear: Pointing the Next Generation to the Gospel

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

PREFACE

While listening to a sermon by Tullian Tchividjian, a particular phrase arrested my attention: “The gospel is for Christians.” Now that’s powerful. Of course, Tullian doesn’t deny that the gospel is for unredeemed sinners so that they might believe the good news about Jesus Christ, but his point focused on a reality for believers: we need to remember that the gospel is not something that we leave behind at the front door of the Christian faith so that we can pursue other things. The gospel iseverythingfor the believer. The gospel is the main thing, the central thing, the indispensable thing. “The gospel is for Christians.” In practice, it’s easy to forget that. It’s easy to forget how the gospel has bearing on suffering, parenting, marriage, church relationships, and everything else. In an ironic and tragic way, it’s easy and popular to marginalize the gospel in the effort to grow as a Christian! “Oh, I already know all that . . . Jesus died for me, rose from the dead, sure, I believed all that when I was saved.” You’ve probably heard this before—or even said it yourself. If the gospel is acknowledged yet marginalized, Christians can easily develop a pattern of growth that neglects the centrality of the gospel for their sanctification. They may jump from one Bible study to another, from one DVD series to the next, but for some reason they still seem to live off-center—livingin a way in which growth and joy in Jesus eludes them. Why would that be?

It may not be because they’ve misplaced the gospel. The gospel may be just where they left it—at the beginning of their Christian life. They may have nodded their heads to it in a respectful manner for giving them the message about our Savior, and they may have (hopefully) shared it with lost people so that the latter might respond in repentance and faith in Jesus. It may not even be that they’re ungrateful for the gospel. I’ve never met a professing Christian who confessed that they really weren’t grateful that Jesus died for their sins and rose victorious over death to provide eternal life for sinners.

But some people live off-center because they’ve marginalized and underestimated the gospel’s value for their Christian life. Maybe underestimating the gospel was modeled for them by their parents, or—tragically too common—by their pastor. Maybe evangelistic encounters initiated by well-meaning Christians resulted in a portrayal of the gospel as a key to get into heaven rather than as a message that mustfirsttransform and shape your life here and now. It’s not uncommon in churches for believers to hear the gospel message watered down, sidelined, displaced, redefined, or left behind altogether.

“The gospel is for Christians.” When Tullian said this phrase, my first thought was,Someone should write a book with that title. And within seconds of hearing Tullian’s words, the Lord brought certain Bible verses and passages to my mind, and I visualized an outline of such a book. Pausing Tullian’s sermon and determining that I would simply have to finish it later, I began to type.

PART ONE

Glorious Good News

1

The Gospel Planned Before

All Creation:

Why God Never Needed a Plan B

It is important to see from the Bible that the gospel was always God’s plan, not a Plan B that he would implement if mankind disobeyed. The gospel was not incidental to God’s plan, it was not marginal in God’s mind, and it was not a small part in the play God had written. If you imagine a masterful orchestra performing beautiful music, the gospel is not the horns section or the winds section—the gospel is the beautiful music itself, and God is the composer of every note. God created the world with the gospel as something more than an incidental message bearing minor importance. To be clear, though, the word “gospel” means goodnews, not good music, but this news is even more beautiful than the most sensational music. Specifically, it is news about something—or Someone, actually: Jesus. Now don’t be discouraged because the gospel isn’t about you. I hope to convince you that it’s good news that the good news isn’t about you. We will see, though, that the gospel is a proclamation ofwhat Jesus has accomplished, and his finished work has much to do with you.

My aim in this chapter is to make a biblical case that God always planned to send this good news into the world. God created the universe with the intent of unfolding a redemptive story that centered on Jesus Christ. This is not just a story buttheStory. Once we see that the majestic plan of God has the good news about Jesus as its heartbeat (part one of this book), we can begin to live in light of such amazing grace (part two of this book).

Beginning at the End with the Lamb

There are many places where we could start our journey through the biblical text. In order to begin, let’s start at the end—the end of the Bible, that is. In Revelation 13:8, John continues to recount the various visions God granted him, and he uses an important phrase that will help us glimpse God’s plan of salvation: “the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” 1  In order to understand the significance of this phrase in relation to the gospel, we need answers to these three questions: who is this Lamb, what does it mean that the Lamb was slain, and what is the significance of the pre-creation reference?

Who is the Lamb?

In the New Testament, Jesus is the Lamb of God. John the Baptist once sees Jesus and says, “Look, the Lamb of God” (John 1:29). The word “Lamb” appears throughout the Book of Revelation, occurring twenty-eight times in reference to Christ. 2  For example, in Revelation 5, when John turns to see “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David” (Rev 5:5), he sees a Lamb (Rev 5:6). Later in that same chapter, countless worshipers declare the worthiness of Jesus the Lamb (5:12). Then in Revelation 6, when it is clear that the only one worthy to open the scroll is Jesus, John reports that “the Lamb” begins to open the seals (6:1, 3, 5, 7). In the above references, the title “Lamb” cannot describe anyone other than Jesus.

Why is the Lamb Slain?

Once the identity of the Lamb is clear, it is not difficult to discern the meaning of Jesus being “slain”: he wascrucified. Revelation again bears this out: “To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood” (Rev 1:5), “Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain” (Rev 5:6), and “ . . . because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God” (Rev 5:9). This final reference from Revelation 5:9 juxtaposes the slaying of Jesus with his blood that purchased men for God. Jesus being “slain,” then, certainly refers to his death by crucifixion (see Matt 27:33-50; Mark 15:22-37; Luke 23:33-46; John 19:17-30).

Why is the Lamb Slain Before Creation?

For our purposes, this is the most important question so far. If Jesus is the Lamb, and if being slain refers to his death by crucifixion, how can John say that Jesus was slain before the creation of the world? After all, wasn’t Jesus crucified two-thousand years ago in human history? Besides, the disciples never seemed to notice any nail marks in his hands before that Good Friday. What does John mean by a pre-creation slaying?

Jesus came into the world as good as dead already. We shouldn’t understand “slain from creation” literally, as if Mary might have noticed nail marks on her baby boy. But, when interpreted figuratively, the phrase conveys the pre-creation plan of Jesus’ death. Jesus dying was God’s plan all along—and it had been the plan before God made the world. Mounce states it well: “The death of Christ was a redemptive sacrifice decreed in the counsels of eternity.” 3

Using language denoting divine necessity, Jesus himself taught that he must be rejected and killed (Mark 8:31; cf. 10:33-34). In fact, Jesus spoke of his death as fulfilling Scripture (Luke 18:31-33). And since God doesn’t leave his predictions unfulfilled, Jesus’ death was as sure as God was trustworthy. Jesus also claimed that no one was taking his life from him against his will; rather, he was laying his life down (John 10:18). Jesus didn’t die against the will of God. On the contrary, Isaiah said that it was the will of Yahweh to crush the Suffering Servant (Isa 53:10).

With these Scriptures in view, then, we can ask and answer two important questions: First, who ultimately planned the murder of Jesus? God did. Second, when did God plan the death of his Son? Before he made the world.

An Inescapable Implication: The Cross was Not Plan B

If God always planned to send his Son into the world, then the cross was not a necessary adjustment that God made after Adam and Eve sinned. But I think some Christians have imagined the cross as God’s best effort to repair the damage that he never intended to occur.God intended Adam and Eve to dwell in fellowship with him forever, some might reason,but then, when they sinned against him, he formed a plan to send Christ into the world. This reasoning makes Christ’s sacrifice temporally contingent on the actions of man. But the Bible doesn’t portray God adjusting his plans sometime after creation because of some malfunction. Rather, God purposed before all creation to send his Son into the world to die on a cross for sinful man.

John Piper’s words are helpful here: “The biblical view is that the sufferings and death of Christ for sin are not planned after the actual sin of Adam but before. Therefore, when the sin of Adam happens, God is not surprised by it, but has already made it part of his plan.” 4  God created the world knowing Adam and Eve would sin. Since no one forced God to create, and since God exercises his will in creating, it is appropriate to say that God incorporated the disobedience of Adam and Eve into his plan. “Whatever God permits, he permits for a reason. And his reasons are always infinitely wise and purposeful. He did not have to let the Fall of Satan or of Adam happen . . . The fact that he did not stop it means he has a reason, a purpose for it.” 5  God permitted the sinning of Adam and Eve because a storyline of redemption was his plan all along. The slain Lamb was not a backup plan in case God’s initial intentions derailed.

The Disciples and the Death of Jesus

While God purposed the death of Jesus before all creation, the people in Jesus’ earthly ministry didn’t embrace the cross as God’s plan for the Messiah. In fact, the disciples initially rejected (before the cross) what Jesus taught them about his impending death, but they eventually embraced (after the resurrection) the truth of his teaching. This may surprise first-time Bible readers, since you might expect the disciples to support their Master as he sought to fulfill his earthly mission. You might imagine Peter saying, “Die on a cross? Jesus, if that’s what you want, we’re behind you one hundred percent.” You might picture Andrew saying, “Jesus, you know what you’re talking about. If you say you must die, then you must die.” Or perhaps you can see James saying, “Jesus, we know you have to suffer and die, but we’re confident you’ll come back from the dead in a glorious resurrection.” But the disciples said nothing of the sort.

The Disciples Before the Cross

The disciples initially rejected Jesus’ claims that he must die. For example, on one occasion when Jesus was teaching the disciples about his necessary suffering and death (Mark 8:31), Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him (Mark 8:32). In Matthew’s account, Peter told Jesus, “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” (Matt 16:22). Representing the other disciples, Peter’s views corresponded to the prevailing idea about the Jewish Messiah: God’s Anointed One would come to overthrow the political powers oppressing Jerusalem, not die on a cross. 6  Peter doubtless meant well with his words. After all, perhaps Jesus was simply misinformed about what the Messiah would do.

According to the dominant Jewish outlook, a crucified Messiah was an oxymoron. Because the Jews expected political triumph and royal pomp, Jesus avoided the reinforcement of such messianic misunderstanding. When they thirsted for kingly showmanship and signs of political upheaval, Jesus modeled humility and gentleness instead. On the Sunday before Jesus was crucified, he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey (John 12:12, 14), though the crowd waited to receive their deliverer on a war horse. The Jerusalem crowd waved palm branches (a symbol of national deliverance) in anticipation of Jesus subverting their political oppressors and setting up his throne. But then he appeared on a donkey, not a war horse. John said that “his disciples did not understand all this” (John 12:16). The crowd was confused, as well as the disciples. So if Jesus was the Messiah, did he know what he was doing? If he did, he certainly wasn’t acting like the messianic deliverer that they expected. But the people evidently didn’t question their messianic expectations in light of Jesus’ strange action, despite the fact that his donkey-ride fulfilled Scripture (cf. John 12:14-15; Zech 9:9).

Fast-forward to Jesus’ arrest. When armed men seized Jesus, “everyone deserted him and fled” (Mark 14:50). The disciples did not stay with Jesus. Their self-preservation instincts prevailed, especially since Jesus’ predictions of suffering were now materializing. Peter had earlier insisted to Jesus, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you,” and all the other disciples asserted the same (Mark 14:31). But despite previous verbal confessions of loyalty, the disciples deserted Jesus at his arrest, and Peter explicitly denied knowing him three times (Mark 14:30, 66-72).

Such desertion by Jesus’ followers was all part of God’s plan. In Mark 14:27, Jesus quoted Zechariah 13:7 as a scripturalproof that his disciples would desert him: “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” The shepherd (Jesus) was struck during the events of his suffering, which commenced with his arrest, and the sheep (the disciples) fled. No Scripture that pointed to Jesus’ suffering would be left unfulfilled, no matter how tragic the fulfillment would seem.

In one sense, we shouldn’t be hard on the disciples. Jewish leaders labeled any messianic claimants who died as “messianic pretenders.” A dead messiah was a false messiah. For the Jewish leaders, then, Jesus’ death was a victory on their part: they executed a problematic teacher who was leading people astray with his blasphemous claims and actions. The thorn in their side was gone. For the disciples, however, Jesus’ death was a colossal embarrassment. When the disciples fled the scene of Jesus’ arrest, they did not run into the streets shouting, “The Passion of the Messiah is beginning! The moment we’ve been waiting for has arrived!” The disciples did not flee to celebrate. In fact, when Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, they had locked themselves in a home because of their fear of the Jews (John 20:19). The disciples were disillusioned and fearful, not excited and courageous. Rather than announcing Jesus’ triumph over sin, they hid in the face of his apparent defeat and humiliation.

It is understandable why the disciples would flee and then hide in despair. Those men had left everything to follow Jesus for the years of his earthly ministry. Now the one on whom they had banked their hopes was arrested and carried off to be killed. Even though Jesus explicitly predicted that he would endure such treatment, his disciples were disenchanted when the events began to unfold. When the guards ushered Jesus away, the disciples must have felt like their whole world was falling apart.

The Disciples After the Cross and Resurrection

But the disciples’ despair was only temporary, just as Jesus told them it would be: “I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy” (John 16:20). The sinful world rejoiced at the death of Jesus, but the disciples were mourning in anguish. When they encountered the risen Lord, however, their grief turned into joy (John 20:20). The disciples were not the same people after they encountered the risen Jesus. The pre-resurrection disciples seemed timid and fearful, hiding with embarrassment and hopelessness. But the post-resurrection disciples were bold, courageous, and faithful. Before they encountered the risen Jesus, they never would have imagined that most of them would eventually give their lives in fulfillment of the Lord’s commission (Matt 28:18-20).

Truly, the disciples did not expect to see Jesus again after he died. When the women who saw the empty tomb returned to the disciples to report what they found (or, more importantly, what theydidn’tfind), the disciples “did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense” (Luke 24:11). Think about what such a reaction meant. The disciples weren’t anxiously awaiting the news of their Lord’s resurrection. They weren’t sitting on their hands, saying to one another, “Do you think it will be today? Do you think it’s already happened? Do you think he’ll come see us first?” Instead of expecting a resurrection, the disciples thought the report of the women was absurd. In their minds, there would be no resurrection on the third day.

But here’s what I want you to see: in the Book of Acts, the very same disciples who thought the idea of Jesus’ resurrection seemed absurd began to proclaim in Jerusalem that God had raised Jesus from the dead! While Jews certainly believed that there would be a bodily resurrection at the end of history (Dan12:2; John 5:29), these disciples began spreading the message that God had,in the middle of human history, performed a bodily resurrection, and that the one raised was none other than Jesus Christ. This message—part of what makes the gospel such good news—certainly didn’t exclude end-time hopes and promises, but it did show that God wasn’t leaving all of his reconciling, restoring, and transforming work for the very end of human history. God was beginning new creationnow, inaugurating it in the earthly ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

But we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves here. Let’s take Peter as a case-in-point to show how the disciples viewed the cross before and after Jesus’ resurrection. Remember what happened in Mark 8 when Jesus told the disciples that he must die? Peter rebuked him (8:31-32), as if to say that Jesus didn’t have to die. Well, in Acts 2:14-39 Peter preached a message to a Jerusalem crowd, and his words indicated an entirely different perspective on the cross: “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to youby God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross” (Acts 2:22-23, emphasis added).

Peter’s understanding is not just a nuanced version of his previous view. There has been a massive shift in his perspective. Peter now describes Jesus’ suffering as “God’s set purpose.” God had purposed the death of his Son, and that’s why Jesus suffered under the hands of wicked men. Before the resurrection, Peter thought Jesus’ death was an embarrassing disqualification from his role as God’s Anointed One, but now Peter saw the cross as the plan of God!

Marvel at what Peter himself writes in the first of his two letters: Jesus “waschosen before the creation of the world, butwas revealed in these last times for your sake” (1 Pet 1:20, emphasis added). Peter is speaking about God’s pre-creation purpose. Peter even describes Jesus as “a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Pet 1:19). Peter’s words confirm John’s words in Revelation: God’s plan was to give Jesus over to death as the sacrificial lamb, and this was his intention before all creation.

Had the disciples spiritually perceived all of Jesus’ teachings before the resurrection, they would have learned that Jesus went to the cross in obedience to his Father’s set plan and purpose. Jesus said, “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.This command I received from my Father” (John 10:17-18, emphasis added). In other words, when Jesus died, no one forced his death against his will. He gave up his life, laying it down. And when he died on that cross, it was in obedience to the command the Father gave him.

Speaking hundreds of years before Jesus died on the cross, Isaiah said, “Yetit was the LORD’s willto crush him and cause him to suffer” (Isa 53:10a, emphasis added). Whose will was it that Jesus should die? It was his Father’s will, his plan before the creation of the world. Did that remove the culpability of the wicked men who wanted to put Jesus to death? No, for Peter told his Jerusalem audience, “You, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross” (Acts 2:43b). And later during a prayer, the disciples said, “Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did whatyour power and will had decided beforehandshould happen” (Acts 4:27-28, emphasis added).

While the disciples viewed the cross of Jesus differently after his resurrection—evidenced by their interpretation of the cross as God’s sovereign and set purpose—they nevertheless confronted the wicked onlookers with the sin and guilt of rejecting God’s perfect Son. Peter once told a crowd, “You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life” (Acts 3:13b-15a). These are strong charges. Evidently, Peter isn’t forcing us to choose between divine sovereignty and human responsibility. Peter boldly proclaims both.

So the disciples’ understanding about the cross of Jesus underwent a transformation after his resurrection. What seemed shameful and reproachable to them became a message for which they would suffer shame and ridicule. What once seemed to be a human tragedy proved to be the divine plan.

1.    Scholars generally note a textual difficulty in this verse. It is grammatically possible to take the words “from the creation of the world” as modifying the verb “written,” giving the sense of when God wrote names in the book of life: he wrote them before the creation of the world. To support such a translation, some scholars point to 17:8, which tells of names that have “not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world.” So some Revelation commentators (e.g. Michaels, Smalley) argue that “from the creation of the world” doesn’t refer to the slain Lamb but rather to when names were put into the book of life. Other scholars (e.g. Mounce, Lupieri, Wall, Beasley-Murray, Morris, Osborne, Reddish) argue that the flow of the Greek text renders “the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world” as the probable sense. While it may seem odd to describe Jesus as “slain” before creation, the image is figurative and probably refers to God’s set purpose before creation that Jesus would die. This is the sense which I will argue in the chapter, but scholars remain divided over translating the phrase.

2.    Richard Bauckham, The Theology of the Book of Revelation, New Testament Theology, ed. James D. G. Dunn (Cambridge: University Press, 1993), 66.

3.     Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, rev., The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1998), 252.

4.     John Piper, Spectacular Sins: And Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2008), 59.

5.     Ibid., 58.

6.    Robert H. Stein, Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ (Downers Grove: IVP, 1996), 147-48. In fact, due to the political connotations of the word “Christ,” Jesus avoided using this title in public. Otherwise, great confusion would ensue regarding what he actually came to accomplish in his earthly ministry.

2

A Christ-Centered Plan:

All Things Made By Him and For Him

While God’s story in the Scriptures certainly includes man, careful reading of key passages reveals that the story is not primarilyaboutman. God has made himself known in Jesus (John 14:9; Heb 1:2), and the Scriptures are ultimately about Jesus (Luke 24:27, 44-47; John 5:39, 46). The story of the Bible—as well as the whole point of history—is about God. By surveying a few important Bible passages, in this chapter I want you to see the God-centered and, specifically,Christ-centered plan for which everything exists.

“What? It’s Not About Me?”

I remember my initial reaction when I first heard that God made us for his glory (Isa 43:7), that he delivers for the sake of his name (Ps 79:9), and that he displays his power and name even through judgment (Rom 9:17; cf. Ex 9:16). Basically I thought,Wow, that seems odd. God seems very concerned for his name and glory. What about us? If he loves his name and glory that much, does he not think much of us?

I had made a grave error: I thought that God valuing his glory above all things necessarily excluded any reallove for man. What a false dichotomy! Even worse, the God-centeredness of God reminded me of people who thought way too much of themselves. If it was wrong for man to be man-centered, why was it okay for God to be God-centered? After all, if someone is consumed with their own name and reputation, it seems repulsive to us. Why, then, is it right for God to be concerned about his name and glory in the world?

If I had thought more about a multitude of Scriptures that I’d read growing up, perhaps the God-centeredness of God wouldn’t have seemed so strange. After all, a vast number of psalms command people to praise him. Here is a small selection of such commands:

“Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORDglory and strength. Ascribe to the LORDthe glory due his name; worship the LORDin the splendor of his holiness” (Ps 29:1-2).

“Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him” (Ps 33:1).

“Glorify the LORDwith me; let us exalt his name together” (Ps 34:3).

“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy” (Ps 47:1).

“Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!” (Ps 66:1-2).

“Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen” (Ps 72:19).

“Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness” (Ps 115:1).

“Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples” (Ps 117:1).

If in the end I have a problem with the God-centeredness of God, worshiping him will be immensely difficult. Sinceglorifying God is worship, I will not worship him rightly if I believe that he is overly concerned about his name and glory. If God thinks too much of himself, my praise of him will be stunted if not silenced, rather than stimulated and strengthened. But if it is right for God to call people to exalt his name, and thus wrong for people to seek that glory for themselves, then my worship should not be hindered but invigorated and inspired by his greatness and worth.

Note that the preceding Scripture references don’t only address a select group here or there. The psalmist speaks to the nations of the world. “God delights in having his name known . . . He loves a worldwide reputation.” 7  The psalms constantly tell us to praise God, to glorify his name, to extol his worth, to shout his mighty deeds for all to hear, to pass on his greatness to subsequent generations, to sing of his splendor, and all of this is appropriate because he is “most worthy of praise” (Ps 48:1). In the end, it’s an issue ofworth. That’s why God should be praised, not man. That’s why God’s name should be exalted, not man’s. God is worthy of praise, and we are not. Throughout Psalms—and the Bible as a whole—God is advocated as the only one worthy of worldwide worship and glory.

As a holy and righteous God, “the great God, the great king above all gods” (Ps 95:3), he should be praised. These realities don’t imply that man is worthless, but man is certainly not worthy of worship. In Isaiah, God asks all of us, “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” (Isa 40:25). There is no worthy competitor of the glory due to God.

Why All Things Exist

In climbing a steep mountain, you want to reach for rocks that will hold your weight, that will steady you and help secure you on the side of the surface, not crumble away from the side of a mountain when you pull on them. You want your feet placed firmly on rocks that will hold you as you push down, not on rocks that will give way and send you plummeting to the ground. If firm footing and gripping are vital in rock-climbing, firm holds in dealing with the Bible are monumentally more important. Some verses provide tremendous security, or sure-footing, for the believer’s soul.

While every verse of the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit of God (2 Tim 3:16), not every verse is equally important. This claim is not blasphemous, and it can be easily demonstrated. Simply put, not every verse contributes the same amount of significance in knowing God and forming a Christian worldview. For example, John 3:16 is more important than Deuteronomy 23:3, “No Ammonite or Moabite or any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even down to the tenth generation.” Romans 12:1-2 is more important than Ezra 2:66, “They had 736 horses, 245 mules.”

Arguably there are many verses that significantly and profoundly contribute toward the knowledge of God and his ways, and Colossians 1:16 is certainly such a verse: “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.”

“By Him”

Jesus is “the firstborn over all creation” (Col 1:15), and now Paul explains why: “for by him all things were created” (Col 1:16a). In other words, Jesus is the heir of all things because he is the creator of all that exists. Paul adds, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (1:17). Jesus is theoriginof creation andsustainerof creation. These truths are confirmed in John 1:2-3, “He was with God in thebeginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”

Natural laws aren’t holding the universe together; Jesus is. Spontaneous and random interactions of atoms were not the agents of how things came to exist; Jesus was. God did not set the world in motion and then assume a passive stance in order to let the chips fall where they may. The Bible doesn’t promote such a deistic view of God. Rather, God made the world and sustains its existence through his Son. Jesus is the one “whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe” (Heb 1:2). So the Bible describes Jesus as the creator, agent, and sustainer of creation.

“For Him”

Jesus is also thepurposeof creation: “all things were created by him andforhim” (Col 1:16, emphasis added). Creation exists for Jesus Christ. While man isapurpose for why God created (Gen 1:26-28), man is not ultimate. Colossians 1:16 teaches that we exist for God’s purposes, not he for ours. What we are seeing, then, is that God’s plan for all things not only concerns his glory and name, but also that his glory and name are revealed in Jesus Christ his Son. “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word” (Heb 1:3a).

God’s purposes for all things center on Jesus Christ. Regarding sinners saved by the grace of God, Paul says that God chose themin Christbefore the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4); God predestined them to be adopted as his childrenthrough Christ(Eph 1:5); God freely gave gracein his beloved Son(Eph 1:6); God accomplished redemptionthrough the blood of Christ(Eph 1:7); and God intends to bring all things in heaven and on earth togetherin Christ(Eph 1:10). Godcreated with purpose, and Jesus doesn’t play a minor role in that purpose—he has the biggest role in the story: Jesus is the agent of all things, sustains all things, and is the purpose for all things. If we marginalize Jesus Christ in the slightest sense, we will forever search in vain for why something exists rather than nothing.

“All Things”

In Colossians 1:16, Paul expands on the “all things” made by God. First, God made “things in heaven and on earth.” This comprehensive statement is a literary device known as amerism, in which an author names the extremes in order to include everything in between them. 8  In other words, there’s nothing in heaven and earth that has its origin in someone other than God. Remember, “without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3b).

Second, “visible and invisible” is another statement of totality, since something or someone is either visible or invisible. The notion of invisibility may apply to things invisible to the naked eye, such as the heavens beyond. After all, God created every massive galaxy that we cannot see and every atom that comprises this material world. As Abraham kuyper famously said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’” But Paul probably elaborates on what he means by “invisible” in the very next phrase.9

Third, “whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities” indicates that Paul means more than just impersonal things when he says “visible and invisible.” Paul also means created beings, including the powers that rebelled and became evil. Therefore, Paul is not primarily talking about earthly thrones or rulers, though God is sovereign and supreme over them too (Rom 13:1; Prov 21:1). God made every spiritual power through and for Jesus Christ.

But how, you ask,can powers that rebelled against God still serve the purposes of Christ?Paul says in Colossians that Jesus is “the head over every power and authority” (Col 2:10) and that he “disarmed the powers and authorities” by making “a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Col 1:15). One purpose of the cross, then, was to secure the triumph of Jesus over all things, including the evil spiritual authorities in the world. Since Paul announces Jesus’ triumph over those powers, it is implied that they served the greater redemptive purposes for which Christ died and rose again. The evil purposes didn’t subvert or undermine the purpose of God. The Lamb was already slain before all creation, even before the evil powers rebelled and fell. “[Paul] knows that Christ knew they would fall before they fell. Christ knew that there would be sin and rebellion and evil. And with infinite wisdom he and his Father took it all into account as they planned the history of salvation and the triumphs of grace at Calvary . . . knowing everything they would become, they were created for the glory of Christ.” 10

Speaking of his triumph over the devil through the cross, Jesus said, “Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out” (John 12:31). The moment of Satan’s apparent victory was the moment of his certain defeat. John describes the overthrow of Satan: “For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down” (Rev 12:10b). So Jesus, not Satan, is supreme. Jesus, not Satan, is sovereign. Jesus, not Satan, reigns over heaven and earth. 11

The Supremacy of Jesus in the Universe

God is supreme and exalted in the world. And it is, according to the Bible,hisworld. David said, “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (Ps 24:1). David also said, “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all” (1 Chron 29:11).

God is not head over some things or most things butallthings. The New Testament sheds further light on the authority of God when it speaks of the supremacy and authority of Christ over all things. Since the Father and Son are perfectly united, there is never any attempt by one to undermine the role and authority of the other. The New Testament indicates that God’s authority extends through the supremacy of Jesus. Therefore, to confirm Christ’s comprehensive authority, we will briefly highlight some statements from Jesus, Peter, and Paul that teach Christ’s supremacy.

Jesus’ Words

At the end of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus gives the famous Great Commission (28:19-20) to his disciples. While the command to “make disciples” (28:19) is no doubt familiar, it is important to see that the sentence begins with a “therefore,” linking the verse to 28:18. Matthew 28:18, therefore, serves as the ground for the disciples’ commission. Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

The words “has been given” refer to his Father giving him authority over all things. No man gave Jesus authority, nor did the devil or any of his minions. And if the Father bestowed all authority to his Son, no rival power can take it away. The Father has entrusted the power of resurrection to the Son (John 5:21), he has granted the Son to have life in himself (John 5:26), and he has given the Son authority to judge (John 5:27). Jesus said, “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40). As the Son of God, Jesus has authority over life and death, as well as “in heaven and on earth.”

Peter’s Words

In Peter’s address to a crowd gathered at Jerusalem during Pentecost, he told them that “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). Jesus is Lord and Christ because God raised Jesus from the dead (2:31-32), and he ascended to the right hand of God (2:33-35). Therefore, as the risen and ascended Son of God, Jesus is supreme. The Father making the Son “Lord” is another way of saying that the resurrection and ascension of Jesus ensures his authority over all things. “Lord” denotes sovereign rule, and that is precisely what Jesus has.

Peter’s statement denies the teaching that Jesusbecomesthe Lord of one’s life at conversion. When sinners believe in Jesus as their Savior, Jesus is already Lord before their confession. Sinners who believe in Jesus are acknowledging his lordship, but Jesus is Lord whether or not they ever believe in him. We cannotmakeJesus anything, much less Lord. According to Peter’s teaching, the Father has made Jesus Lord. If we mean something else bymake Jesus the Lord of your life, perhapslive for Jesus as your Lord, then we should speak that way. I don’t think I’m just being picky here. If we’re not careful, we might unknowingly lead people to think that Jesus isn’t Lord unless they make him their Lord through faith. We must teach that the Holy Father, not human faith, already made Jesus Lord.

That Jesus is Lord over believers is not new information, but the lordship of Jesus overunbelieversmerits our reflection. If Jesus is Lord over everything and everyone, the sphere of his sovereignty logically includes unbelievers. This is not good news for them. In fact, the lordship of Jesus over unbelievers is a terrifying reality. His lordship means that unbelievers are accountable, that they are inescapably bound for judgment if they do not repent and live by faith in him under his lordship. Unbelievers should believe in Jesus because heisLord of their lives.

Jesus is both Lord and Christ. Sinners will either reject his lordship and gracious work on the cross as God’s deliverer, or they will live under his lordship by receiving him through faith as their only true deliverer. So let’s cast aside phrases such asIf you received Jesus as Savior but not as Lord, make Jesus the Lord of your life today. This phrase is misleading and unbiblical. More accurately, and certainly more biblically, we should tell unbelievers to surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul’s Words

In addition to Colossians 1:15-20, Paul writes about the universal lordship and authority of Jesus in Ephesians 1:20-23 and Philippians 2:9-11. These two texts are also firmly fixed rocks to which you should hold tightly. These passages describe what the Father has done for his Son in making him Lord over heaven and earth.

Paul talks about the Father’s mighty power “which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms” (Eph 1:20). The right hand of God is a position of power and authority. The words “in the heavenly realms” remind us that Christ’s position is supreme over any earthly authority. The Father exalted Jesus “far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come” (Eph 1:21). Paul’s words here are comprehensive and convey the truth of Christ’s universal supremacy. Using different words, Paul again affirms the authority of Jesus over all things: “God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church” (Eph 1:22). Being under someone’s feet is a picture of being conquered and subjected. The Father has subjected all things to Jesus.

Philippians 2:6-11 is a well-known Christological passage that begins with Jesus’ incarnation and ends with the promise of the day when everyone will acknowledge his lordship. The last few verses assert the universal supremacy of Jesus: “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:9-11). When sinners confess the lordship of Jesus, they acknowledge the reality to which they had been previously opposed. Before faith in Christ, the sinner is opposed to the lordship of Christ. His rejection of Christ, however, doesn’t negate the reality of Christ’s lordship.

Sinners Saved to be Christ-Centered People

Since God made all things by and for Jesus, and since the apostles proclaimed God’s Christ-centered plan through their teachings, it shouldn’t surprise believers to learn that God hassaved them to live for Christ. “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me,” Jesus said (Luke 9:23). It’s hard to exaggerate the radical nature of that statement. True Christians follow Jesus. Christians are Christ-centered people.

No Longer Living for Self

Paul wrote, “He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Cor 5:15). The one “who died for them and was raised” cannot be anyone other than Jesus. Jesus died for all sinners for a purpose: to form Christ-centered people. Jesus died for me, so that I would live for him and not me. In fact, living for me was the problem (Rom 1:18-21, 24-25, 28-31). Living for oneself is a tragic and God-dishonoring pursuit, a pursuit from which one needs deliverance. Living for oneself is so Christ-belittling and self-exalting that Jesus died to deliver sinners from such a man-centered existence. Christ laid down his life because all I cared about was my life.

Now, instead of living for themselves, Christians must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23)—in other words, they should live “for him who died for them and was raised”! Jesus was raised to life so that I might live a new life—a life centered on him, not me. Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5:15 clearly remind believers that the Christian life is about Jesus Christ. What a revolutionary idea.

Believers Have Died to Sin and Self

Paul describes his death to self like this: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20a). The language of crucifixion is graphic, even disturbing, at least it should be, if we think for a second about what crucifixion actually is. Christ was crucified and now, as a Christian, Paul is crucified with him. The words “I no longerlive” don’t mean that Paul is no longer Paul; they mean that Paul no longerlivesfor Paul. Paul lives for Christ, and Christ lives in Paul.

Believers can rightly say with Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ.” In union with Jesus, we experience a death to sin and self. “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Rom 6:3-4). Believers have died with Christ, been buried with him, and been raised with him. A decisive break has occurred from our man-centered, Christ-belittling ways. Not just a decisive break—adeathhas occurred. “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with” (Rom 6:6).

At conversion, then, we have died with Christ to sin. But Christ did not remain dead, and neither did we. “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him” (Rom 6:8). This new life is Godward. “The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God” (Rom 6:10). If Christ’s life is unto God, then the Christian’s life is certainly nothing less than that. Since Christ’s life pleased his heavenly Father (John 10:17; 12:49-50; 13:31-32; 14:31; 17:4; 17:23-24), Christ-centered believers will please the Father as well.

Believers Must Keep Killing Sin and Self

Now we’re going to feel a biblical tension. Paul says, “If you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live” (Rom 8:13).Now wait a second,you might think,have I already died to sin or am I supposed to continually kill it by the Spirit?Both are true. The believer’s death to sin is a past reality, and the call to kill sin is a present battle. Since believershave died to sin, they must now live that way. Paul puts it like this: “Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom 6:11). In other words, God calls us to believe the truth about an implication of our union with Christ: union with Christ means we have died to sin. We must reckon to our present lives the truth that, in Christ, the power of sin no longer has any dominion over us.

Because believers must reckon themselves dead to sin, they must keep killing sin and dying to themselves. How often do we die to ourselves? In Luke 9:23, Jesus said that a disciple must “take up his crossdailyand follow me” (emphasis added). Dietrich Bonhoeffer recognized the implication for Christ’s call: “The cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise godfearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” 12  The death at conversion is a death to sin, and the Christ-centered life for which God saves us incorporates the daily struggle of killing sin and denying self, so that we might manifest the truth of our liberation from sin’s bondage (Rom 6:18, 22).

Paul uses the metaphor of clothing to convey this tension. Christians have “put on” the new man, Christ, and yet they must continually “clothe” themselves with virtues coherent with a Christ-centered life (Col 3:10). Again the tension is felt. Since we have died to sin, or put on Christ, we must continue killing sin, or putting on Christ. Earlier in that chapter Paul also uses the language of dying: believers have died with Christ (3:3), and now believers must put their sin to death (3:5). This is exactly what Paul taught in Romans 6 and 8: believers have died with Christ to sin, so they must now live for Christ by killing the flesh with the power of the Spirit.

The Radical Resolve of the Christ-Centered Life

For the believer, Christ becomes the reason for living and dying; he is not a means to some greater end. Christ is not penultimate; he is ultimate. “For me,” Paul said, “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21).

Embracing God’s Purpose for Creation—Christ

Paul’s resolution sounds radical to modern ears. In fact, to the world, living for Christ is foolish. But Paul was willing to be counted a fool in the world’s eyes. Compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus Christ, nothing was greater for Paul (Phil 3:7-8). He wanted Christ more than anything else. Christ was life. If Paul lost everything, he would do so gladly, so that Christ might be seen as precious and worthy (Phil 3:7-8). In the end, there was no real loss when compared with the gain of Christ himself. Even if Paul lost his own life, so be it. He said, “I consider my life worth nothing to me” (Acts 20:24a).

When God opened Paul’s eyes to behold the One for whom he had made all things, Paul didn’t shrug his shoulders and turn away indifferently. Instead, with a heart full of faith, he embraced God’s Christ-centered purpose. When God revealed his Son to Paul, the Christian-persecutor-turned Christian-missionary immediately began preaching the gospel of the crucified and risen Christ (Acts 9:20-31; Gal 1:15-17). In becoming a disciple of Jesus, Paul died to sin and self, and then continued the battle of daily dying (Gal 5:16-18).

Worshiping the Slain Lamb—Christ

Let’s end this chapter by looking at Revelation 5: “Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne” (Rev 5:6). Everyone fell down before the Lamb and sang to him, “You are worthy to take the scrolland to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev 5:9). Then countless angels encircled the throne and sang, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Rev 5:12). Then every creature—in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea—loudly proclaimed, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” (Rev 5:13).

The Lamb, remember, is Jesus. These heavenly beings all praise Jesus for his loving sacrifice that purchased salvation for people from every nation. The worshipers ascribe worth, honor, glory, power, and wisdom to Jesus. It is important to behold Jesus encircled by these countless worshipers, because this is what our hearts should long to do. God made us to be worshipers, and he is the only one worthy of such exaltation. The one for whom God made the universe is exalted and praised by the loud cries of countless worshipers. What a sight! The whole world should worship God and praise the Lamb who was slain.

But worldwide worship of God doesn’t occur. And the ramifications of this tragedy are nothing short of eternal in scope. This brings us to the next chapter, where we will see that the holiness of God is not good news for cosmic traitors.

7.    John Piper, The Pleasures of God (Sisters: Multnomah, 1991), 98.

8.    Douglas J. Moo, The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2008), 121.

9.    Ibid., 122.

10.    Piper, Spectacular Sins, 35.

11.    I am aware that the Bible presents Satan as the “god of this age” (2 Cor 4:4), the “prince of this world” (John 12:31), a “roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:8), the “ruler of the kingdom of the air” (Eph 2:2), and other ominous titles. Those titles certainly acknowledge that Satan operates with some measure of authority, but his authority cannot be exercised to thwart God’s ultimate purposes (e.g. Job 1:12; 2:6; 42:2; Matt 16:18). Satan is a derived being; he is not ultimate. Satan’s authority is limited; he is not sovereign. Therefore, when I speak of Jesus reigning over heaven and earth, this is not to deny the severe and damaging assaults that Satan wields against people in this world. Suffice it to say, Jesus is sovereign over Satan.

12.    Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (New York: Touchstone, 1959), 89.

3

God is Holy, Man is Wicked:

Hearing the Bad news Before the

Good News

Has anyone ever opened a conversation with you by saying, “What do you want first: the good news or the bad news?” I always wanted the bad news first, that way the good news might be compensatory. So, for our topic at hand, I’ll give you the bad news first. While the bad news may be worse than you imagined, you will eventually see why the gospel is truly “good news.” My aim in this chapter is to explain the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man. The holiness of God is bad news for sinners, but we need to grasp our helpless state in order to properly respond to God’s amazing grace shown through Jesus.

Falling to Our Death

In order to begin, we’ll go to the beginning of the Bible this time. God made the universe (Gen 1) in which he would unfold his Christ-centered plan. In Genesis 2, Adam and Eve were in relationship with God and one another, without shame and without sin. But in Genesis 3, the aptly termed “Fall ofMan” occurred. This fall was worse than a bad stumble, and more devastating than plummeting from the tallest skyscraper. The disobedience of Adam and Eve resulted in devastation for the human race and for the universe as a whole.

Wanting to be Like God

Despite God’s command that Adam and Eve not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:17), including the warning of judgment through death, Satan approached Eve with an appealing deception: “You will not surely die,” the serpent said (Gen 3:4). “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen 3:5).You will know what God knows, Satan whispered.Your knowledge will be like his; you will call the shots, and he knows this—that’s why he doesn’t want you to eat of the tree. He’s holding out on you . . .

“Satan’s first strategy was to persuade Eve that God was stingy and narrow-minded . . . The assumption is that God is just keeping us down, holding us back from realizing our inner potential and divinity.” 13  Satan’s strategy succeeded, and Eve disobeyed God and ate fruit from the tree. She gave some to Adam, and he ate it too (Gen 3:6). We should stop for a dramatic pause here. God had given the couple everything that was good. He entrusted them over his creation as viceroys exercising dominion. He had commanded them to multiply descendants in his world. And—let these astounding words hit you with appropriate force—God made them in his image (Gen 1:26-27).

But Satan and other angels had already commenced a great rebellion, and now here in the Garden of Eden, the enemy successfully tempted Adam and Eve to go against their Creator. In wanting to be like God, Adam and Eve fell short of everything God created them to be. This was the first occasion of humans putting self in the place of God, choosing human wisdom over God’s, ignoring God’s good command for a more appealing alternative. This alternative changed everything. What should God have done in response to their disobedience?

A Holy God Can’t Turn a Blind Eye

Growing up in church, I remember hearing this story again and again and wondering,Why couldn’t God just let them off the hook and pretend it never happened?Perhaps you’ve wondered something similar. It seems like God could have avoided the whole subsequent mess if he’d just swept their disobedience under the rug, kept them in the Garden of Eden, and said, “Alright, let’s try this again, folks. Take two. Action!” Maybe your conceived scenario isn’t exactly like mine, but you get the idea.

But a holy God can’t turn a blind eye. God couldn’t ignore such transgression and still remain worthy of worship. You can’t separate the worthiness of God from the splendor and glory of his attributes, and one such attribute is hisrighteousness. God is right in himself, and he always does what is right—and ultimately what is right is the advancement of God’s glory and name in the world. God’s righteous acts will always display the wonder of his glory and the greatness of his power. In order to never compromise his righteousness and justice, God would never act in ways that would be contrary to the greatest display of his glory and name. This means that God would be devaluing his glory and name if he didn’t act righteously with Adam and Eve—and with us.

We need this truth burned into our minds: God will never act in ways that will devalue and belittle his own name and glory. In fact, if God belittles his own glory, why should Godhold anyone else morally accountable for belittling it too? Therefore, for Adam and Eve to recklessly elevate themselves to the position of moral authorities in the universe, displacing God’s sole right to know good and evil, his righteousness demanded that he keep his word of warning to them. God had told them, “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die” (Gen 2:17). The God of the Bible doesn’t bluff. He doesn’t give false warnings or secretly hold disingenuous intentions. This is about God fulfilling his own word. Does God promise and then not follow through? His trustworthiness is on the line.

So God pronounced judgment. You should expect a holy and righteous God to do nothing less. If a human judge let a guilty murderer go free without any repercussion, people would be outraged, and the media would expose the judge’s profane character. People would demand that the judge surrender his seat. They would claim that the judge tarnished the meaning of justice, and the judge’s unrighteous act would stain his name. Well, God must deal righteously and justly for the sake of his name in the universe. He doesn’t play fast and loose with his commands. God warned that there would be judgment if anyone ate the fruit of that tree, so judgment there must be. God will not compromise his righteousness for man.

First, God judged the serpent, Satan, who tempted Eve. Contained in God’s judgment was the promise of a future descendant from Eve who would crush the head of the serpent (Gen 3:15). Second, God judged the woman (Gen 3:16). Third, God judged Adam (Gen 3:17-19). After God pronounced these judgments, something else happened that often goes unnoticed in its significance: “The LORDGod made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them” (Gen 3:21). God judged Adam and Eve, and then covered their shame. God himself provided the garments of skin, likely implying an animal sacrifice.

For God to display his uncompromising righteousness, he must judge sin, not sweep it under the rug or turn a blind eye. And for there to be any hope for the transgressor(s), God must provide a covering (or anatonement), for sin. In the early chapters of the Bible, then, we are already glimpsing the themes of judgment and grace. These twin themes are like rivers intertwining throughout the Bible, meeting climatically at the cross. With his death, Jesus provided a perfect and final atonement, accomplished with his perfect sacrifice that crushed the head of the serpent. However, Jesus’ redemptive work affects more than sinful humanity. Sinners live in a broken world, a world which needs redemption.

The Groaning Universe

In Romans 8:19-21, Paul describes creation as anticipating its redemption: “The creationwaits in eager expectationfor the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God” (emphasis added). The identity of the one who subjected creation is evident when we notice the purpose of creation’s subjection: its future liberation from its bondage to decay. The devil wouldn’t have subjected creation with a redemptive purpose, nor did he have the power to do so. Adam and Eve had no conceivable authority and power to subject all of creation. So it makes sense thatGodsubjected creation for a redemptive purpose.

God subjected creation to “frustration” (Rom 8:20). Plants and animals wither and die, thorns grow along the cursed ground (Gen 3:17-18), and natural disasters occur all over the globe. In recent news headlines, earthquakes destroy structures and take lives everywhere, and flooding sometimes renders cities uninhabitable for lengths of time. Tsunamis threatencities, lightning wounds and kills, hurricanes ravage homes and cities—all of which occur in this fallen and broken world.

Christians should reflect on how the horrors of sin have affected this world. When we see the devastation of earthquakes and hurricanes, these events should remind us that our sin is incomparably more heinous to God. This broken world is a testimony to the grievous consequences of our depravity and disobedience. When Adam and Eve disobeyed, the judgments God administered fractured not only the human soul but all creation. God subjected creation to futility until the consummation of his redemptive plan.

Now all creation groans for redemption. “We know,” Paul says, “that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time” (Rom 8:22). The image of childbirth is graphic and poignant. The pains and groans of this world will give way to a glorious reality when God completes his work of redemption. As a line from “Joy to the World” tells it, “He comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found.” 14  Since the curse has reached beyond fallen man and into all creation, God’s redemptive blessings will not stop short of total renewal. The earth is not groaning in vain, for its day of redemption is sure.

The Holy Wrath of God

In view of the tremendous consequences of sin, it’s important to answer these questions:Sin is certainly awful, but aren’t the strong judgments administered in Genesis 3 simply an outrageous overreaction to Adam and Eve’s disobedience? Was their disobedience really so serious that it warranted not only their judgment but judgment of all creation?

Even if you haven’t asked these questions yourself, no doubt someone will ask you about these issues. These questions are typical objections to God’s judgment of sin. Overall the objections appear to arise from an underestimation of both God’s holiness and man’s wickedness. Therefore, in order to see how God’s judgment of sin was not a gross overreaction, we must first understand his holiness. If we don’t understand how holy God is, and thus how outrageous and terrible sin is, we might imagine God being unjustifiably angry with sinful man.

God is Set Apart and Above

While for most people holiness denotes moral perfection, describing God as holy means more than his lack of moral flaw. The root idea behind holiness is to beset apart. Sproul says that “the primary meaning ofholyis ‘separate.’” 15  God is set apart from his creation in the sense that he is different, or wholly other, than what he has made. An example of this meaning is Leviticus 11:45, “I am the LORDwho brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.” Since God separated the Israelites from Egypt, they should have lived as a separate people, a sanctified people. God grounded the command in his own holiness: “be holy,becauseI am holy.” But his command doesn’t mean “be morally perfect because I am morally perfect.” Here, being holy means being set apart for God. God is set apart, and those who serve him should be nothing less than set apart as well. “The idea of purity or of moral perfection is at best the secondary meaning of the term.”16

God is distinct from his creation, and in that sense he is certainly holy, but God is not set apart on an equal plain—he is set apart and above what he has made. God istranscendent. “When the Bible calls God holy, it means primarily that God is transcendentally separate.” 17  It is helpful to pay close attention to God’s words in Isaiah 40:25: “To whom will youcompareme? Or who is myequal?” (emphasis added). Both questions demand the same answer:no one. Comparing God and man is not comparing apples to apples. Interestingly enough, Isaiah reports that the one asking these two questions is “theHolyOne” (40:25, emphasis added). So the Separate and Incomparable One asks to whom we could compare him. If we were to search all creation, there is no one equal to the Holy One—and that’s the root idea of beingholy. God’s separateness puts his character in another category. “The wordholycalls attention to all that God is. It reminds us that His love is holy love, His justice is holy justice, His mercy is holy mercy.” 18

God also tells us, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (Isa 55:8). In what ways are his thoughts and ways not ours? They are “higher” than our thoughts and ways (Isa 55:9). God’s thoughts and ways are transcendent when compared with those of man. God has never needed counsel from anything he has made. “Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor? Whom did the LORDconsult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?” (Isa 40:13-14). God’s greatness infinitely exceeds any greatness of man. “Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing” (Isa 40:17). God’s strength has no limit. “The LORDis the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom” (Isa 40:28).

Thinking about God’s holiness prepares us to think about his holy wrath, which is something we can’t comprehend without fully acknowledging his holiness.

Wrath: The Righteous Anger of God

In order to understand the wrath of our holy God, we must understand his righteousness. As a just God, he will not simply let wickedness go without a response. In fact, we can understand God’s wrath as hisrighteous anger provoked by sin. “In itself, wrath, unlike love, isnotone of the intrinsic perfections of God. Rather, it is a function of God’s holiness against sin. Where there is no sin, there is no wrath.” 19  The idea of God’s anger beingrighteousis important, because the anger we manifest is rarely a righteous kind. Nonetheless, Paul commands believers, “In your anger do not sin” (Eph 4:26a, which quotes Ps 4:4). His command indicates that being angry is not necessarily equivalent to sinning. One can be righteously angry.

According to Psalm 2, God is righteously angry when worldly powers oppose him (Ps 2:2, 5). Literally, God “terrifies them in his wrath” (Ps 2:5). The psalmist warns the readers, “kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment” (Ps 2:12). Paul tells his readers that “the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness” (Rom 1:18). In other words, God is even now, in some sense, pouring out his wrath. The Bible also promises a future day of God’s wrath that is unparalleled in any preceding act of judgment. On that day, unbelievers will call to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of theirwrathhas come, and who can stand?” (Rev 6:16-17).

God is righteously angry at sin. “All God’s indignation is righteous.” 20  Rather than worldwide worship rising to his holy name, people have provoked the wrath of God by their disobedience and idolatry. God said, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Ex 20:3), and yet we have had many. God said, “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below” (Ex 20:4), and yet we have worshiped many things other than God, particularly the person we see in the mirror. God first commanded us, “You shall not bow down to them or worship them” (Ex 20:5a), and then he told us why: “For I, the LORDyour God, am a jealous God” (Ex 20:5b). God is jealous for his name, for his glory, for his worth. God asked, “How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another” (Isa 48:11b-c). As we’ve previously established, God will not act in ways that would devalue his name and belittle his glory. And yielding his glory to another would be a self-defaming act. The holy God of the universe will not share the glory due his name with any idols. Nor will he turn aside while men and women, made in his image no less, worship themselves and creation, rather than living for the praise of his name.

Yes, God is “the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin” (Ex 34:6-7a).But, his anger does indeed rise. “He does not leave the guilty unpunished” (Ex 34:7b). The holy God of the universe is no doormat. “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Gal 6:7). While sinners now disdainfully spurn God’s name and live as if he does not matter, the Bible says that such mockery will not be the final word. God will have the last word. “Because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed” (Rom 2:5). “For those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger” (Rom 2:8). Tragically, “The wicked will not stand in the judgment . . . The way of the wicked will perish” (Ps 1:5-6). Those who practice wickedness “deserve death” (Rom 1:32). One day God will cast unbelievers into the lake of fire, an everlasting condemnation warranted by their wickedness (Rev 20:13-15).

God’s anger is in a different category than man’s anger. God’s anger is pure, uncompromised, and righteous. His wrath is holy, terrible, and just. God is not angry at sin because he’s unholy. God is angry at sin because heisholy. As a righteous God, he should be angry at sin. As a holy God who deserves worldwide worship and adoration from the nations, he should uphold the value of his name and the worth of his glory by meting out judgment against the unrighteous. J. I. Packer says, “God’s wrath in the Bible is always judicial—that is, it is the wrath of the Judge, administering justice.” 21  And Sproul says, “His justice is never unfair, never whimsical, never tyrannical. It is impossible for God to be unjust, because his justice is holy.” 22

Therefore, since God upholds the surpassing worth of his name, he is righteously angry at sin. And he’s not overreacting either, for sin is truly more horrible than we could ever imagine.

Righteousness Accountable to Love?

But still, judgment doesn’t seem loving. This “holy anger” idea seems out of character with who I’ve understood God to be. If this is your objection, first of all, let me say how much I sympathize with you, as severe judgment does seem out of sync with the way humans think about a loving God. Second, let me point out that if we think we can judge the appropriateness of God’s actions based on our understanding of love, we will end up—as with any other doctrine understood this way—with a deity inourimage. When we thinkwecan define the actions appropriate for a loving God, we are no longer on the path of truth but rather have derailed into a direction of self-centered theology. In the end, we will imagine God as someone who will never do anything that we deem unloving.

There is a false presupposition behind the objection in the preceding paragraph:God’s acts of righteousness will never go against his supreme attribute of love. It’s important that we identify the part that is misleading: God doesn’t have a supreme attribute that makes all other attributes accountable to it. In other words, God’s justice is not accountable to his love. God’s righteousness doesn’t answer to his love. Love is not the CEO of God’s attributes. Scripture nowhere elevates any of God’s attributes to a supreme position.

You may be thinking,But doesn’t Scripture tell us that “God is love”?Yes, 1 John 4:16 includes that famous phrase, but it doesn’t therefore teach that God’s love is a supreme attribute governing all other attributes. A. W. Tozer said, “Some have taken [John’s] words to be a definitive statement concerning the essential nature of God. This is a great error. John was by those words stating a fact, but he was not offering a definition.” 23  Other Scriptural descriptions of God include: “God is light” (1 John 1:5), “the LORDis righteous” (Ps 11:7), and “the LORDour God is holy” (Ps 99:9). We should be reluctant, therefore, to talk about a supreme attribute of God that rises above the rest. “God is love” is a precious truth, but the other attributes of God are precious too. While Scripture certainly describes God as acting from a motive of love (e.g. Eph 1:4-5; 2:4), we should not assume that love is the motive behind everything that God does. “No attribute of God, however, can be separated from others and considered in isolation. God’s love is not God’s love unless it is eternal, true, righteous, and all the other aspects of his nature that characterize him as God.” 24  Therefore, “only atonement theologies that fully account for the interrelated nature of the justice and the love of God at the cross can be fully biblical and therefore satisfying . . . In the person of Christ, God’s love and justice join.” 25

Realizing God’s love doesn’t govern the rest of his attributes is a liberating insight for at least three reasons. First, we can affirm that God’s attributes are never warring against each other. “Because He is a unity He never suspends one of His attributes in order to exercise another.” 26  Second, we can recognize that a loving God indeed judges unbelievers and sends them to an eternal hell. You may have heard someone incorrectly assert that a loving God wouldn’t send anyone to hell. He would and does. Third, because God’s love and righteousness are not at odds, we are forced to realize that we often impose our ideas of love onto God, rather than letting him define what it means for him to act in loving ways. The objection that a loving God doesn’t send people to hell is a classic example of imposing our notions of love onto God’s holy character.

God’s love is not like human love. His love isholy, set apart and thus beyond our full comprehension. God must reveal to us what it means for him to love. Because God is holy and transcendent, we shouldn’t assume too quickly what it might mean for God to act in loving or unloving ways. In fact, because of our sinful minds, it is possible to mistake an act of God’s love for something unloving, and accusing our holy God of acting unlovingly is a bold charge indeed. “The love of God in our culture has been purged of anything the culture finds uncomfortable. The love of God has been sanitized, democratized, and above all sentimentalized.” 27

Instead of accepting cultural definitions of divine love, we must let the stark words of Scripture display the love of God. Paul tells us that “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). If we are to understand God’s love, we must look to the cross, where Jesus died for sinners. But, before we get to the cross, we must understand what it means to be a sinner, and then why sinners need a Savior. We need to shed Scriptural light on the dark heart of sinful man.

The Hearts of Men Depraved

We have all offended the holiness of God. We have spurned our Creator and loved the darkness of our rebellion. Our natural bent is not toward God butawayfrom him. Instead of worshiping God as he deserves, we worship what he has made. His blessings and common graces become our idols. We elevate good things to the place of which only God is worthy, thus simultaneously corrupting those good thingsanddishonoring God. We are born into this world depraved and sinful, not neutral or innocent.

Sinners Represented by Adam and Jesus

Adam was more than just an individual disobeying God. He was therepresentativeof the human race, our fleshly father. So his actions impacted more than just him. Piper explains the relationship of Adam to all sinners: “He was the representative head of their humanity, and his sin is counted as their sin because of their connection with him.” 28  When Adam acted, he acted for all of us. Paul reports that “sin entered the world through one man,” Adam, “and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned” (Rom 5:12).All sinned. In Adam, we all sin; in Adam, we all die (see 1 Cor 15:22). When Adam sinned against God, we all sinned against God. Then, “the judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation” (Rom 5:16), not just to Adam but to all men: “the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men” (Rom 5:18). Through Adam’s disobedience, “the many were made sinners” (Rom 5:19). The term “many” refers to everyone after Adam.

But didn’t Eve eat the fruit first (Gen 3:6)? Why does God seem to be so tough on Adam?God created Adam first, and thus the man was head of the human race. God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden to work it and expand it (Gen 2:15). Before God made Eve, he gave Adam the command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:16). God brought the animals to Adam so that he could name them (Gen 2:19-20). And, though God made Adam from the ground, he made Eve from Adam (Gen 2:21-23).

As head and representative of mankind, Adam bore a special responsibility. Though God warned Adam that eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would warrant a judgment of death (Gen 2:17), Adam took the fruit that Eve gave him and ate it (Gen 3:6b). When both Adam and Eve had disobeyed, God first spoke to Adam, “Where are you?” (Gen 3:9). God asked the question not for himself but for Adam, to draw the guilty one into the open. When God was outlining the judgment for Adam (Gen 3:17-19), he prefaced it by saying, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it . . . ’” Adam should have led in the way of righteousness, but instead he followed in the path of disobedience. Rather than acting as the righteous representative of mankind, he disobeyed his Creator’s command.

However, since Jesus was the slain Lamb in the Father’s pre-creation plan, the subsequent story of redemption had already incorporated the Fall of Man. Adam “was a pattern of the one to come” (Rom 5:14), Jesus. He was a pattern, ortype, of Christ in this way: they were both representative heads, Adam being the head of old creation and Christ being the head of new creation. Whereas sin flowed to “the many” through Adam, God’s grace flowed through “the one man, Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:15). Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden brought “condemnation,” but Jesus’ obedience on the cross brought “justification” (Rom 5:16, 18-19). Death reigned through Adam, but life reigns through Jesus (Rom 5:17). In other words, while Adam and Christ were both representative heads, the parallels between them are antithetical. “God imputes the failure of Adam to his humanity, and God imputes the success of Christ to his humanity, because of how these two humanities are united to their respective heads.” 29  However, while the relationship between Adam and Jesus is mainly one of contrast, Adam’s role as a type of Christ means that God’s redemptive plan was unfoldingthroughAdam’s disobedience. Piper summarizes: “God’s plan for Christ preceded his dealing with Adam.” 30

Dead in Adam

As people descending from the line of Adam, we arein him. Paul said, “In Adam all die” (1 Cor 15:22). Since everyone after Adam is in Adam, we must reflect further on what that identity means. Being in Adam means having a spiritual status derived from the Genesis 3 events. We not only sin, we are “made sinners” (Rom 5:19). Our sinful orientation and inclinations are bound up with our earthly father. Paul told the Ephesians that, before salvation, “you were dead in your transgressions and sins” (Eph 2:1), which is a further description of what it means to be in Adam.

Paul leaves his readers with no doubt that the Fall of Man affected humanity at the deepest level, our minds: “All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts” (Eph 2:3a). With our minds, we think about and desire what dishonors God. Scripture also describes the heart in dismal language: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure” (Jer 17:9a). Michael Horton wisely observes that, despite cultural encouragements to “follow your heart,” apart from Christ “our hearts are in love with that which will ultimately destroy us.” 31  Also, “Since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done” (Rom 1:28). Paul teaches here that a depraved mind is part of God’s righteous judgment.

The Fall of Man, therefore, has affected the core of who we are. Our minds are depraved; our hearts are wrong. We sin because wearesinners. “Sin is first of all aconditionthat gives rise to particularactions.” 32  Jesus said, “The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matt 15:18-19). When Scripture talks about the corruption of the mind and the wickedness of the heart, essentially the same human faculty is in view—the faculty of man’s will, desires, and inclinations.

Sin corrupts what we want. “The sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit” (Gal 5:17a), and the desires of our sinful flesh include: “sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like” (Gal 5:19-21a). As humans with a sinful nature, our desires are not easily suppressed. However, sinners certainly do not manifest as much wickedness as they could. Sinners may restrain themselves from certain flagrant iniquities because of social and legal pressures. Beingtotally depraved, then, doesn’t mean that we are all as bad as we could be, but it does mean that sin has dominion over all the faculties of the unbeliever. Sin is a reigning power in the body of the unbeliever (Rom 6:12), as well as a cruel master that deceives and destroys (Rom 6:14a, 16, 21).

The Bible also describes our spiritual deadness in terms of light and darkness. Jesus said, “Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (John 3:19-20). If we are dead in Adam, we will love the darkness instead of the light. Unaided by the Holy Spirit, unbelievers don’t long for the light; they cherish the darkness, because it covers their wicked deeds. Unbelievers don’t yearn for righteousness; they pursue iniquity. Unbelievers don’t want to please God; they want to please themselves.

Notice, now, a stark implication of our sinful nature: we still love, yearn, long for, and worship—but the objects of all our affections are our wicked deeds, not God himself. Thisis the most tragic result of the Fall of Man, for sinners have replaced God with what is not God. People dead in Adam have “exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles” (Rom 1:23), and “they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator” (Rom 1:25). This is man-centered idolatry. Sinners “neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Rom 1:21). The descent into depravity was horrific. Man’s natural desire now is to esteem himself, not God. Man’s inclination is not to worship God but rather to esteem what isnotGod.

So if sinful man doesn’t worship God, glorify God, esteem God, or obey God, what does this mean? Paul gives the verdict: “Jews and Gentiles alike are allunder sin” (Rom 3:9, emphasis added). Being in Adam and being under sin are two ways of describing the same devastating state. Being under sin means that “there isno onerighteous, not even one; there isno onewho understands,no onewho seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there isno onewho does good, not even one . . . There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Rom 3:10-12, 18, emphasis added).

Other religions are not evidence of people seeking God; they’re evidence of peoplefleeingfrom God. Remember, Paul said, “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie” (Rom 1:25a). Unbelievers aren’t pursuing truth; they’re living in deception. Idolaters aren’t secretly worshiping God when they bow down to a lifeless idol; they’re sinning against their Creator who is worthy of their praise.

Lacking knowledge of the true and living God, unbelievers are blind to the gospel of Christ. “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the imageof God” (2 Cor 4:4). It’s strange that Paul spoke of blind minds—normally you’d speak of blindeyes. But don’t miss Paul’s point: understanding with our mindsisseeing. And if we don’t understand the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, we are blind. If we fail to perceive the truth of the gospel with our minds, we will fail to see the truth of Christ. So unbelievers need to see the light of the gospel, but they cannot see it because Satan (“the god of this age”) has blinded their minds from perceiving the truth about Jesus.

So here’s our awful predicament: unaided by the Spirit of God, unbelievers cannot see the light of the gospel, which is their only hope, and they naturally reject the light because they love the darkness in which they dwell. In other words, unbelievers can’t see the gospel, and they don’t want to see the gospel. Sin affects their ability and desires. To underscore this point, the narrator of John’s Gospel explains why many Jews rejected Jesus, even though he had done miraculous signs in their presence: the Jews “would not believe in him” (John 12:37), and “they could not believe” (John 12:39). It’s both: theywon’t, and theycan’t.

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

If on their own sinners can’t and won’t embrace the light of the gospel—recall, after all, that they have blind and depraved minds, have unclean hearts, and are dead in their sins—why are sinners still accountable to God? Why is God still angry with sinners if they are in such a helpless spiritual state?These questions must be answered, because I have heard professing Christians use such language. The presupposition seems to be: if sinners are no longerableto do something (in this case, embrace the gospel on their own), they are no longerobligatedto do it. In the last subsection of this chapter, I intend to show that this presupposition is both unbiblical and theologically problematic.

Let’s first establish that God does hold sinners accountable: “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and thewhole worldheld accountable to God” (Rom 3:19, emphasis added). God doesn’t hold only Jews or only Gentiles accountable; rather, the whole world must answer to him. And Paul teaches that if everyone in the world had a chance to defend themselves and prove their righteousness, every mouth would remain shut. Not one person in the world could make a legitimate boast to be righteous before a holy God.

But showing that sinners are accountable to God doesn’t make the problem go away—arguably, it makes the problem worse, because the Bible has little confidence in human ability. Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44a). Also, “No one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him” (John 6:65). In John 6, coming to Jesus means believing in him (John 6:35). Jesus means that sinners are, on their own, unable to believe in him. That may sound surprising, but that’s what Jesus said.

Now the inability of the sinner doesn’t remove the command or obligation to believe in Jesus. Jesus never says, “No one can come to me, so I’m going to stop telling people to come to me.” Nor does he ever say, “Because of the Fall of Man, sinners are unable to obey God’s will on their own, so I’m changing the rules.” God cannot “change the rules,” because the obligation of sinners has nothing to do with any criteria outside God that he could change. There is no standard outside God—heisthe standard. God is worthy of worship, whether or not sinners are able to worship him. God is worthy of trust, whether or not sinners are able to trust him. God is worthy of obedience, whether or not sinners are able to obey him.God is worthy, and that is the point.

Therefore, our problem is with God, not with any rules he has set up external to himself. Though we have become unable, God has not become unworthy. The issue, then, of whether sinners are accountable to a holy God can be settled, not by implying human ability but by acknowledging the worthiness of God. When we see that, in the end, God is worthy of worship and obedience from mankind, the obligation to worship him is no longer dependent on what sinners are able to do after the Fall of Man. Because God doesn’t change, the duty to worship and obey him doesn’t change either.

We err, then, if we assume that God would never command us to do something that we are unable to do. I would argue, in fact, that the entire redemptive storyline pulsing through the history of Israel in the Old Testament has this as one of its themes: God commanded Israel to keep his law, but they were unable to do so. The Old Testament is one unfolding test case after another which shows that God never rescinded his law when Israel failed to keep it. Perhaps to our surprise, Paul said that “the law was added so that the trespass mightincrease” (Rom 5:20a, emphasis added). Earlier in Romans Paul argued that the Jews themselves were lawbreakers in terms of stealing (Rom 2:21b), adultery (Rom 2:22a), and prompting blasphemy (Rom 2:24). Such sins overflowed from unclean hearts (Matt 15:18-19).

In a scene of irony, God gave Moses his law on Mount Sinai while the Israelites were worshiping a golden calf at the bottom of the mountain (Ex 32:1-6). The first commandment said, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Ex 20:3), and yet the Israelites worshiped a golden calf instead of the true and living God. God had given his law, but the Israelites weren’t able to keep the first commandment! Paul confirms such inability to obey God’s law: “The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so” (Rom 8:7). The sinnerdoesn’tandcan’tsubmit to God’s law. Thesinner doesn’t desire to obey God, and he lacks the ability to obey him. It’s not unwillingness or inability—it’sboth.

We are accountable to God because he is God, and he does not change. God is worthy of worldwide adoration, worship, and obedience. The epic tragedy, then, is the failure and inability of sinful man to fulfill such God-honoring duties. But don’t think for one moment that God will devalue the worth of his glory because of human inability. God will not lower his expectations, he will not change the rules, nor will he give sinners a passing grade for doing their spiritual best.

People sometimes object to this idea with illustrations that appear to undermine my previous arguments.Would you command a legless man to run a race? Would you demand a hug from an armless man? Would you ask a blind man to drive a race car? Would you ask a man with no fingers to play the guitar?You get the point. But here’s the problem with these illustrations: they don’t actually undermine my previous argument because they’re not aiming at the same target. These arephysicalillustrations that attempt to disprove aspiritualtruth. Relying on the physical to illustrate the spiritual is sometimes problematic, and that is the case here. Our obligation and inability to honor God as he deserves is not a matter of physical handicap. There’s no moral obligation to running races, giving hugs, driving racecars, or playing the guitar.

Since the above examples have no inherent moral obligation to them, they don’t disprove the biblical concept that God still makes demands of sinners who are unable to fulfill them. Given the history of Israel in the Old Testament, would we really want to say that God only gives commands according to our ability? Did God send Jesus to the cross simply because sinners were unwilling to obey his law? Or did Jesus die because sinners were unable to fulfill God’s requirements—requirements that he was right to have?

“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin” (Rom 3:20). In other words, the law reveals to us our sin, our inability to keep its commands. The law exacerbates the sin problem (Rom 5:20a); it doesn’t curb it. Sinful man doesn’t want to, and is unable to, submit to God’s law (Rom 8:7b). We are morally obligatedandmorally unable to obey a righteous and holy God—but we are still accountable to him. In order to understand the depravity of man and see the need for amazing grace, we must come to terms with our innate inability to fulfill the duties commanded by God.

I said I’d tell you all the bad news first. With three chapters now behind us, we can turn to the fourth and final chapter in part one of this book. We have been in the Garden of Eden together, we have seen the tragic disobedience of Adam and his progeny, including the Israelites, and we have seen the dismal descriptions of the sinner’s inability and unwillingness to obey God. In Adam, therefore, there is no hope. God is holy, but man is wicked. How could a holy God ever pardon sinners? For that answer, we must go to the cross.

13.    Michael Horton, The Gospel-Driven Life: Being Good News People in a Bad News World (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2009), 112.

14.    “Joy to the World! The Lord Is Come” was written by Isaac Watts, and this lyrical reference comes from the Baptist Hymnal (Nashville: LifeWay Worship, 2008), #181.

15.    R. C. Sproul, The Holiness of God, 2 nd ed. (Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1998), 37.

16.    Ibid.

17.    Ibid., 38.

18.    Ibid., 40.

19.    D. A. Carson,The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God(Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2000), 67.

20.    J. I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1973), 151.

21.    Ibid.

22.    Sproul, The Holiness of God, 104.

23.    A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (New York: Harper Collins, 1961), 97.

24.    Paul Wells, Cross Words: The Biblical Doctrine of the Atonement (Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 2006), 55.

25.    Ibid., 65.

26.    Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy, 98.

27.    Carson, The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God, 11.

28.    Piper, Spectacular Sins, 61.

29.    Ibid., 63.

30.    Ibid., 60.

31.    Horton, The Gospel-Driven Life, 75.

32.    Ibid., 55.

4

Where Wrath and Mercy Meet:

How the Cross Displays God

as Just and Justifier

This chapter is a threshold. It is the climax of our study so far, and it is the final part of the foundation which undergirds part two of this book. My goal in this chapter is to show that the cross of Jesus is the divine solution to the problem of how a righteous God can justify wicked people. God’s wrath and mercy meet at the cross. “The cross climaxes the story line of the Bible—and it’s the true climax of the story line of our lives as well.” 33

The Problem of Forgiveness

God deserves worship, and we deserve his wrath. Our greatest need is to be right with God, and the insurmountable obstacle is our sin. “Where God’s wrath is no longer a problem, Christ’s cross is no longer the solution.” 34  So we must be clear on what the problem is for sinners. The one from whom we need pardon is the one whom we have offended. We have spat on God’s infinitely precious name with our wickedness. We have insulted his majesty and belittled his worth. We desperately need forgiveness for our sins, cleansing for our disobedience. Granting forgiveness, though, is no cheap act by God.

Understanding the Dilemma of God Pardoning Sinners

Forgiving sinners is a problem because God isrighteous. He can’t just say, “You’re forgiven,” nod his head in approval and move on to the next sinner. But I think there’s a false idea about forgiveness that cheapens what God accomplished through the cross of Jesus. The idea is,God is God, so he can forgive anyone of anything. Not so fast. The Bible says, “Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—the LORDdetests them both” (Prov 17:15, emphasis added). Think about the meaning of this verse: God detests it when guilty people go free and innocent people receive an unjust verdict.

Do you see how Proverbs 17:15 applies to our sinful situation? We are guilty of breaking God’s law, pursuing idols, esteeming ourselves instead of glorifying God, and bucking divine authority in exchange for human independence. We have committed cosmic treason. We are guilty as charged. Now if a judge simply released a guilty criminal back onto the streets unpunished, people would cry out for real justice and impugn the character of that judge! Yet there are people who assume that one of God’s roles is to be a forgiver of sin, and they see no problem with a righteous and holy God pardoning wicked rebels. Do you see what’s strange here? It’s as if we expect divine forgiveness, like forgiveness is just something God should grant out of love, or perhaps because he’s a nice guy. We should, but often don’t, see the problem of God forgiving sinners. How can he forgive and be righteous?

Back to my illustration about the pardoned criminal. Why would the public show outrage? Because there is no real basisfor the judge to release the criminal. So in order to avoid a miscarriage of justice, the guilty cannot go unpunished. If honorable earthly judges don’t release criminals without a basis of innocence, how can God ever pardon the ungodly? God even describes himself as one who “does not leave the guilty unpunished” (Ex 34:7b). If God values his name and glory, and if he is holy and just, how could God ever pardon sinners?

To be clear, there is no greater dilemma than how a righteous God forgives wicked rebels. If God acquits the ungodly without a legitimate basis, then he is no better than an earthly judge who receives bribes, plays favorites, or simply doesn’t care about justice. A God who flippantly justifies the wicked is not worthy of worship, for he would beunrighteous,unholy. The writer of Proverbs 17:15 assures us that God hates when the guilty go free. Hedetestsit.

Asking the Right Question

Imagine the Bible reader’s surprise, then, when the words of Romans 4:5 jump off the page: “However, to the man who does not work but trusts Godwho justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness” (emphasis added). Paul describes God as justifying the wicked, the very act that Proverbs 17:15 assures us he detests. Is God now doing a despicable thing, a sinful thing? This certainly isn’t the first time that the ungodly receive forgiveness. God revealed himself to Moses as “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, andforgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin” (Ex 34:6-7a, emphasis added).

This self-revelation of God should surprise us. Does it bother you that God forgives “wickedness, rebellion and sin”? The apparent incongruity of a holy God forgiving the wicked probably never crosses the minds of most people—in fact, most Christians may not even think about how a righteous God can forgive them. That’s not the question they’re asking. Instead people wonder,How come bad things happen to good people? Why is there so much suffering in the world? If God is so powerful, why doesn’t he just eradicate evil?

These are the wrong questions because they have the wrong focus. Instead we should ask,How can sinners ever receive forgiveness from a holy and righteous God? On what basis could God ever acquit the guilty?Maybe after further investigation into the matter, God actually discovers that some sinners are not guilty, and that’s why he acquits them. After all, you’ve read stories about inmates gaining liberty after DNA tests conclusively prove they are innocent of the crimes for which they were condemned. When such inmates are justified, it is on the basis of their actual innocence. But such a scenario doesn’t transfer into the realm of spiritual matters. No Bible passage indicates that God has ever found anyone righteous, or free from sin. In fact, Paul states the opposite: “There isno onerighteous,not even one. . . There isno onewho does good,not even one” (Rom 3:11-12, emphasis added).

Perhaps God justifies the wicked by changing his requirements, kind of like a teacher who really wants to pass a failing student. The teacher makes the final exam easier, the student’s normally poor performance happens to fulfill the minimum requirements, and the teacher writes a passing grade on the front page. So does God take his law less seriously so that some sinners might slide into justification by a razor’s edge? Surely not! This would introduce a host of other theological problems, such as God devaluing his name and compromising his righteousness. The standards don’t change, because Godisthe standard. God cannot modify his worth to admit the guilty into his presence. Paul already told us that “no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observingthe law” (Rom 3:20a). So much for lowering the bar of divine righteousness.

If God justifies the wicked, he must have a basis for such a seemingly outrageous act. The gospel announces that the basis of God’s justification of sinners is the work of Jesus on the cross. God justifies sinners because of what Jesus accomplished on their behalf. The good news of the gospel is that God has made a way through Jesus by which his justice is satisfied and sinners are fogiven. This news is what makes grace amazing. It makes mercy precious. It makes heaven hopeful. It makes the gospel glorious. Christians need a thorough review of the basis of their justification, in order that we might praise God for his kindness and grace. “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Eph 2:4-5).

Some people aren’t surprised at God’s kindness to us. They sort of expect it, whether or not they ever phrase it that way. God’sjudgmentsurprises them though. They may even scowl at the thought of divine wrath and wonder what God has himself so worked up about. Or they may dismiss God’s wrath as that old hell-fire-and-brimstone idea that isn’t really believed by many people today. In their minds, the love of God cancels out the wrath of God. These people expect heaven, and they despise the idea of hell.

The tragedy is that we are surprised at the wrong thing. In view of God’s holiness and righteousness, and because each of us has committed cosmic treason in our rebellion against our Creator, we should expect judgment. “Most people have no problem at all thinking of God as loving and compassionate. We Christians have done a bang-up job convincing the world that God loves them. But if we’re going to understand just how glorious and life-giving the gospel of Jesus Christ is, we have to understand that this loving and compassionate Godis also holy and righteous, and that he is determined never to overlook, ignore, or tolerate sin.” 35

Once we understand that we deserve everlasting judgment, everyone’s mouth should drop to the floor when grace walks through the door. We shouldn’t expect such mercy, certainly not the kindness shown at the cross of Jesus. When we think about the cross, we should weep with a genuine feeling of unworthiness of what took place there. Rather than being surprised at the thought of sinners going to hell, we should be astounded that anyone goes to heaven.

The Sin-Bearing Substitute

If you’re a Christian, someone has told you that Jesus died for your sins. But do you knowwhyJesus died for them? Do you know how the cross accomplished redemption for sinners? Have you ever wondered why Jesus had to die, instead of God simply announcing from heaven, “Breaking news: believe in my Son, and you’ll be saved from the penalty of your sins”? The New Testament reveals to us the meaning and message of the cross. The gospel is a cross-centered message. Therefore, we will not understand the gospel if the purpose of the cross remains unclear. We have to talk about Jesus sacrificing himself in our place. “Sadly, this doctrine of substitution is probably the one part of the Christian gospel that the world hates most. People are simply disgusted at the idea of Jesus being punished for someone else’s sin.” 36

Generations of Bloody Sacrifices

The cross didn’t introduce the notion of sacrifice. Arguably in Genesis 3:21, God covered the shame of Adam and Eve with the skin of a sacrificed animal. In Exodus 12, the events comprising the Passover occurred. God didn’t judge the Israelites who covered the sides and tops of their doorframes with the blood of a slaughtered lamb (Ex 12:5-13). The Lord said, “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt” (Ex 12:13). In Leviticus 16, the Lord gave instructions to Moses about the Day of Atonement. “On this day,” God said, “atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins” (Lev 16:30). Also, “It is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life” (Lev 17:11b). Reflecting on these Old Testament concepts, the author of Hebrews said, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb 9:22b).

Israel’s tabernacle and temple, therefore, were bloody places. The Lord beheld countless sacrifices as the generations passed. Death was necessary—lots of it. What did all this death signify? These bloody rituals pointed to the heinous nature of sin and reminded the people of its punishment. In Genesis 2:17 God warned Adam that, if he ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, “you will surely die.” Death was punishment. And following the Fall of Man, death was the pattern.

Sacrifices didn’t only point to physical death as a punishment for sin. Since sacrifices atoned for sins, the bloody rituals signified thespiritualaspect of God’s punishment. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23). Paul contrasted spiritual death with spiritual life—sinners earn the former due to their wickedness, while sinners undeservedly receive the latter by grace through faith in Christ. Spiritual death is the wage earned by the sinner. But when God grants spiritual life, it’s not because the sinner has earned it. Sinners find in Christ what can never be earned.

So the sacrifice of animals in the Old Testament pointed to the penalty and heinous nature of sin. There must be death. God granted forgiveness through sacrifice. The problem with the Old Testament sacrificial system, however, was its requirement of continual sacrifice. It seemed that, if things remained as they did, followers of God would be forever offering sacrifices for their sins. Continual offerings were necessary because no sacrifice was perfect.

The End of the Sacrificial System

God instituted the Old Testament sacrificial system to provide temporary atonement until his unfolding redemptive plan climaxed with the death of Jesus. In order to bring an end to an imperfect system of insufficient sacrifices, there needed to be a perfect sacrifice. It was always God’s intention to send Jesus, for Jesus was the slain lamb before all creation, marked with the mission of dying on the cross. If no man could ever provide a perfect and sufficient sacrifice for sins, then someone other than man would have to offer a satisfactory sacrifice. And since the Old Testament sacrifices for sins required the death of the animals, the final sacrifice offered for sins would require nothing less than death. C. S.Lewis argued this way: “But supposing God became a man—suppose our human nature which can suffer and die was amalgamated with God’s nature in one person—then that person could help us. He could surrender His will, and suffer and die, because He was man; and He could do it perfectly because He was God.” 37

The writer of Hebrews is again helpful here: God sent Jesus so that “he might taste death for everyone” (Heb 2:9b). Since people are flesh and blood, “[Jesus] too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death . . . He had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people” (Heb 2:14-15, 17).

The Old Testament high priest made atonement for the sins of Israel on a special day each year—the aptly named Day of Atonement. Year after year, and high priest after high priest, God covered the sins of the people throughout the generations. But no perfect sacrifice appeared until Jesus. “There have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood” (Heb 7:23-24). Jesus’ priesthood is permanent because of his resurrection from the dead. “When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Placeonce for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption” (Heb 9:11-12, emphasis added).

When we learn about the cross of Jesus, it is important to understand its necessity to put an end to all previously insufficient sacrifices. Temporary atonement would give way to a permanent, fully-accomplished work. “[Jesus] has appearedonce for allat the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Heb 9:26b). The author of Hebrews constantly contrasts the need of the earthly high priests to continually offer sacrifice with the finished work of Jesus that put an end to all other sacrifices for sins. “Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins” (Heb 10:11). The problem with the Old Testamentsacrificial system, then, is that the resulting atonement was only temporary. Sin was never fully taken away. The phrases “day after day” and “again and again” point to the ultimate futility of such animal sacrifices.

“But when [Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God” (Heb 10:12). Now “there is no longer any sacrifice for sin” (Heb 10:18b). Sitting down at the right hand of God, Jesus indicated the completion of his work. In fact, while hanging on the cross, Jesus said “It is finished” right before he died (John 19:30). To demonstrate what Jesus’ death accomplished, God tore the curtain of the temple in two from top to bottom (Mark 15:38), the curtain which separated the presence of God from the people of God. The temple was finished. Jesus was the temple, accomplishing a final and perfect sacrifice with his own death. “The perfect submission, the perfect suffering, the perfect death were not only easier to Jesus because He was God, but were possible only because He was God.” 38

Atonement through Substitution

The sacrificed animals were sin-bearing substitutes. “Representative substitution, as the way and means of atonement, was taught in typical form by the God-given Old Testament sacrificial system.” 39  Understanding the substitutionary nature of those sacrifices is absolutely crucial for understanding the cross. On the Day of Atonement, God told Moses that Aaron “is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert” (Lev 16:21-22). As a substitute for the Israelites, the goat bore their sins and fled to the desert, symbolically carrying away the sins of the people. But the system of animal sacrifices was temporary and insufficient to fully atone for sin. The insufficiency of Old Testament sacrifices prepared the way for the sufficiency of Jesus’ atoning work.

The notion of substitution transfers into the New Testament’s teaching about Jesus’ death. “When we give attention and authority to all parts of the New Testament canon, substitution becomes the center and focus of the Bible’s witness to the meaning of Christ’s death, and the measure of God’s redeeming love.” 40  When Jesus died, it wasn’t for sins he had committed. Rather, “God made himwho had no sinto be sin for us” (2 Cor 5:21a, emphasis added). Jesus challenged the Jews to prove him guilty of any sin (John 8:46a). On the cross, Jesus “offered himself unblemished to God” (Heb 9:14). Peter said that Jesus “boreoursins in his body on the tree” (1 Pet 2:24a, emphasis added). Since he had no sin, he could perfectly bear ours.

Paul considered the teaching of Christ’s substitutionary death as a matter of “first importance” for the early Christians: “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3). Notice here that “the Scriptures” foretold not only his death but also its substitutionary nature. Perhaps Paul was thinking of phrases from Isaiah 53:4-6, “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows . . . He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him . . . The LORDhas laid on him the iniquity of us all.” These verses clearly teach the substitutionary nature of his death. Jesus died bearing the sin of sinners.

Sinners dead in transgression have no ability to save themselves. We were not powerful friends of God when Jesus bore our transgressions. Instead, we were powerless enemies (Rom 5:6, 10). “Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6b), and we fit into that category. The substitutionary death of Jesus for enemies of God is a graphic illustration of God’s love: “God demonstrates his own love for us in this:While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8, emphasis added). In Peter’s words, Jesus dying for sinners was “the righteous” dying “for the unrighteous” (1 Pet 3:18). He laid down his life when we were helpless and powerless, not when we had gone most of the way back to God in our own strength. Leon Morris says it well: “Our Day of Atonement was the day of the cross.” 41

The Wrath-Drinking Son of God

When the Bible talks about Jesus dying as a substitute for sinners, it teaches that Jesus bore the penalty for our sin—the Father’s judgment. This understanding of the cross is known asthe penal-substitutionary view. Maintaining this view of the cross is absolutely essential in order to understand its saving function. Understanding that Christ bore the Father’s wrath is the core teaching of the cross event and of the gospel as a whole. If we marginalize or, even worse, ignore the penal-substitutionary nature of Jesus’ death, we gut the gospel of its good news for sinners. “To affirm penal substitution is to say that believers are in debt to Christ specifically for this, and that this is the mainspring of all their joy, peace, and praise both now and for eternity.” 42

Yes, you need to know that Jesus went to the cross to achieve salvation for sinners. But you also need to know what happened on the cross, the redemptive work which results in a verdict of justification for every sinner who believes in Jesus. We must talk again about God’s judgment, because “at the heart of Christ’s work on the cross is his propitiation of God’s wrath.” 43  If we don’t first understand the bad news of God’s righteous wrath upon our sin, we will not think much of the good news of Christ dying as our wrath-satisfying substitute.

Saved by God from God

God is not an uninterested third-party regarding the subject of human sin. The judge of the universe is the one against whom we have committed cosmic treason and idolatry. You may have never thought of your sin in terms of cosmic treason, but it is. “The slightest sin is an act of defiance against cosmic authority. It is a revolutionary act, a rebellious act in which we are setting ourselves in opposition to the One to whom we owe everything. It is an insult to His holiness.” 44

The king of the universe doesn’t shrug off such rebellion. God is not overreacting to human sin. Cosmic treason incurs divine judgment, and such a penalty is the obstacle to divine forgiveness—which is why a penal-substitutionary understanding of the cross is so important. “Penal substitution, as an idea, presupposes a penalty due to us from God the Judge for wrong done and failure to meet his claims.” 45  The penal-substitutionary death of Jesus makes reconciliation with God possible. In fact, Paul’s message in 2 Corinthians 5:19 was that “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.” The second part of the verse explains the first: forgiving sinners is how God reconciles them to himself.

If there is no way for the world’s righteous judge to forgive sinners, they will remain unreconciled and under wrath, for sinners are “by nature objects of wrath” (Eph 2:3b). Whoever rejects Jesus as Savior “will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:36b). In other words, “whoever does not believe stands condemned already” (John 3:18b). The gospel announces, then, that God reconciles sinners to himself by no longer counting their sins against them (2 Cor 5:19). How can a righteous God simply stop counting sins against wrath-deserving sinners? “God made him who had no sinto be sin for us” (2 Cor 5:21a, emphasis added). God counted the sins of the world against Christ, so that anyone who trusts in Christ for salvation can receive forgiveness.

But Christ’s death on the cross doesn’t automatically apply salvation to every sinner. The Bible teaches that “[Jesus] will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power” (2 Thess 1:8-9). Judgment will fall on all unbelievers. There is a “day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed” (Rom 2:5b). So if God is going to save sinners, there must be a way in which he can show forgiveness without compromising his justice.

The Most Important Paragraph in the Bible

Martin Luther once described Romans 3:21-26 as the most important paragraph in the Bible. 46  At the beginning of that passage, Paul announced the good news that the world was waiting for: “Now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known” (Rom 3:21a). The word “righteousness” here refers to the legal standing with a holy God, the state of being justified before him; it refers to “the justifying activity of God.” 47  God has a way of declaring sinnersnot guilty. This verdict of justification occurs “apart from law,” because no one can perfectly obey God’s law. The law only exacerbates our sin (Rom 5:20). Our only hope for justification is a legal declaration made apart from law.

Paul said, “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Rom 3:22a). God grants a verdict of justification, then, for believers in Jesus. God isn’t biased toward any ethnicities or other external criteria when it comes to his verdict of justification, “forallhave sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23, emphasis added). Since all have sinned and deserve God’s judgment, all are equally unworthy of forgiveness.

Paul gives the basis for God’s justification of sinners: they are “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24). This is a loaded verse. God justifies by grace. It is God’s grace, then, not the sinner’s merits, that leads to justification. God’s verdict ofno condemnationcomes to sinners through Christ’s redemptive work. God acquits the wicked on the basis of Christ, not on the basis of the wicked.

Romans 3:25-26 is the climax of this important paragraph. “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,” Paul said (Rom 3:25a). Paul actually uses the wordpropitiationinstead of the expanded phrasesacrifice of atonement. But despite unfamiliarity with the word, we should retain it so that we can understand the magnitude of the verse. To propitiate someone means to turn aside their wrath. Jesus was the propitiation for sinners under God’s wrath. Jesus has turned aside his Father’s wrath from all who believe in him, by satisfying it on the cross. “The wrath of God against us, both present and to come, has been quenched.” 48  Paul said that Jesus is our propitiation “through faith in his blood” (Rom 3:25a). Through faith in Christ, God justifies the sinner and reckons the sacrifice of Jesus as a sufficient propitiation for his wrath.

It is worth quoting J. I. Packer at length here: “Has the wordpropitiationany place in your Christianity? In the faith of the New Testament it is central. The love of God, the taking of human form by the Son, the meaning of the cross, Christ’s heavenly intercession, the way of salvation—all are to be explained in terms of it . . . and any explanation from which the thought of propitiation is missing will be incomplete, and indeed actually misleading, by New Testament standards.” 49

Pay attention to why God poured his wrath on his Son: “[God] did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished” (Rom 3:25b). In other words, in view of all the unpunished wickedness in the world, God appeared to be unjust. God had not punished sin as it fully deserved, and his judgment was not yet as comprehensive as the wickedness itself. So God had left himself open to charges of unrighteousness and injustice. And many people throughout the ages have pointed to the evil in the world and then concluded that no holy and good God could possibly exist.

The problem of evil was nothing new to Paul. Having studied the Old Testament, Paul was aware that many people cried out to God for justice. The prophet Habbakuk asked God, “Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong?” (Hab 1:3a-b). Also, “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?” (Hab 1:13).

The psalmist shared identical sentiments and called on God to act justly upon the wicked people. “Arise, O LORD, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice” (Ps 7:6). “Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out” (Ps 10:15). For evil to remain unchecked and for injustice to ultimately triumph would call God’s righteous character into question. Humans know that, despite the presence of injustice and wickedness everywhere, justice is right. Like the prophets and psalmist, we also expect the Creator of the world to be just, to right the wrongs and vindicate the oppressed.

And yet, Paul says, God in his forbearance left sins unpunished. So would God ever demonstrate his justice on sin? Would God ever pour out judgment in such a way that showed both his righteousness and the heinous nature of our wickedness? Paul answers, Yes—God displayed his justice at the cross in order to vindicate his name, since people have previously charged him with neglecting justice and tolerating evil. At the cross of Jesus, God displayed wrath against sin—the sins of the world which Christ bore. Because of the cross, no one can point to the sin in the world and rightly say, “God, you obviously care nothing about righteousness. You just let sin multiply and run awry without any consequence.” The cross of Jesus nullifies such an ignorant statement.

So God sent Jesus as a propitiation for sinners “to demonstrate his justice at the present time” (Rom 3:26a). While the vindication of God’s righteousness will be fully evident on the day of judgment, he has accomplished this already on the cross. Yes, there is a day of wrath that will come upon the wicked, but God has not reserved all judgment for that day. God poured out his wrath on the cross to revealright nowthat he is just. God answered the charges of leaving sins unpunished by sending his Son to the cross. “Jesus Christ has shielded us from the nightmare prospect of retributive justice by becoming our representative substitute,in obedience to his Father’s will, and receiving the wages of sin in our place.” 50

God planned the death of Jesus “so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (Rom 3:26b). God is justandjustifier, the righteous oneandthe one who acquits the guilty. Before the cross, it may not have seemed conceivable that a righteous God could acquit the wicked. But because Jesus bore the wrath of God for the sins of the world, God can now justify sinners who come to Jesus in faith. If Jesus’ death on the cross was not a penal-substitution on behalf of sinners, God has no basis on which to justify the wicked. In fact, a God who acquits the guilty without any basis that upholds his righteousness is not worthy of honor, for he would not be a just God. Such an unrighteous God would evidently not value his glory and worth, and there would be no reason for sinners to value them either.

Reconciled to God by God

Those who trust in Christ, then, are no longer under God’s judgment. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom 8:1-2). While there is an end-time judgment for all men, God declares the verdict of justification at the present time for anyone who trusts in Jesus. Believers do not await the final judgment in order to hear whether or not God acquits them. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith we have peace with God through our Lord Christ Jesus” (Rom 5:1). We have peace with Godnow. Believers are no longer enemies of God. Justification brings reconciliation. Or, as Paul phrased it in 2 Corinthians 5:19a, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.”

God reconciling the world assumes there was a barrier which needed to be removed. “At the heart of the idea of reconciliation there is the thought that getting people together means dealing effectively with whatever it was that was keeping them apart.” 51  Jesus came to reunite sinners with God through faith in him. “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous,to bring you to God” (1 Pet 3:18a, emphasis added). The plight of man is not unhappiness, unfulfillment, or boredom. The tragedy of man is spiritual, and it is alienation from God and condemnation by God because of our sin. Horton correctly observes that “The real crisis is not that the people are unhappy, nor that they are faced with imminent threats from foreign powers, but that they are unrighteous and God is their enemy.” 52

The news of the gospel, then, is that God sent Christ to make a way back to God through his penal-substitutionary sacrifice. Or, as a favorite writer of mine puts it, “God himself is the gospel.” 53  Believing the gospel should result in exalting God above all things and living for him. Christ died so that God could transform God-belittling and man-centered people into Christ-honoring and glory-beholding people. “If the hearers of the gospel do not see the glory of Christ, the image of God, in all the events and gifts of the gospel, they do not see what finally makes the gospel good news.” 54  What is this good news? “God is the final and highest gift that makes the good news good.” 55

In order to reconcile sinners to himself, God must justify them. But God never justifies the ungodly based on their works. The New Testament teaches justification byfaith, and Paul presents Abraham as such an example. “If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God” (Rom 4:2). In order to ensure that the object of boasting is God, God justifies the guilty by his grace. Paul then quotes Genesis 17:5: “What does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness’” (Rom 4:3). The Bible doesn’t say that Abraham’s faithwasactual righteousness; rather, “to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness” (Rom 4:5). On the ledger of Abraham’s life, God credits a legal standing of righteousness, and he no longer counts Abraham’s sins against him. “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him” (Rom 4:7-8, citing Ps 32:1-2).

Therefore, when God reconciles sinners to himself through the declaration of justification, it means two things: first, God no longer counts sins against the sinner, and, second, God reckons that sinner’s status as righteous. A righteous standing before God is possible because of Christ’s work. “[Jesus] was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Rom 4:25). Christ’s right standing with God makes it certain that any sinner trusting in him will also receive a right standing with God.

The termimputationhelps explain the transaction between Christ and the sinner: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21). On the cross, God imputed the sinful status of the world to his Son, so that God might then impute the status of righteousness to anyone who trusts in his Son. On the cross, God reckoned Jesus as the perfect sacrifice for sinners. God poured out his wrath on his Son, Jesus propitiated that anger, and now sinners can—in the present—hear God’s verdict of “no condemnation” when they trust in this glorious Savior and his penal-substitutionary work. Glory be to God for this good news! The cross exalts God as both just and justifier.

Drinking Every Drop of Wrath

Just as God first announced his judgment in a garden, so also in a garden Jesus prepared to endure the judgment of his Father. In the Garden of Eden, God announced that someday the seed of the woman would crush the serpent, though not without having a bruised heel (Gen 3:15). This head-crushing seed of the woman would one day begin the reversal of the curse. And two thousand years ago, the head-crushing seed of the woman entered the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus told Peter, James, and John, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Mark 14:33-34a). He then prayed to his Father, “Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36b-c).Cup? What’s in this cup?

The first three Gospels all report that, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed that his Father take away this cup. In fact, Matthew reports that Jesus prayed three times for the cup’s removal (Matt 26:39, 42, 44). In the end, however, Jesus committed himself to the Father’s will, and the Father’s will was that the Son should drink that cup. The cup contained the Father’s judgment on sin, and his will was that his Son should drink every drop. There could be no salvation for sinners unless the cup was empty. With the cross before him, Jesus knew he was facing more than death—he was facingwrath.

In the Old Testament, God sometimes described the outpouring of his wrath as a cup that people would drink: “Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it” (Jer 25:15). Isaiah said to the people of Jerusalem, “Awake, awake! Rise up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORDthe cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes men stagger” (Isa 51:17). God also said, “I trampled the nations in my anger; in my wrath I made them drunk and poured their blood on the ground” (Isa 63:6).

The New Testament employs the same imagery. Revelation 16 describes seven bowls of God’s wrath, indicating a full and climactic judgment upon the wicked: “They have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve” (Rev 16:6). The Garden of Gethsemane is also a scene with the imagery of God’s cup of wrath. In these two examples, drinking God’s cup means receiving his judgment. Therefore, when Jesus prays that the Father remove this cup, he is not praying that his Father spare him from death but that he might spare him fromwrath. Nevertheless, Jesus resolved to complete his earthly mission, which involved a penal-substitutionary death for sinners. His sacrifice satisfied the justice of God and ensured that all sinners who trust in Jesus will receive forgiveness.

When Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19:30), he didn’t leave the cup of God’s wrath half full. He drained the cup dry, drinking every drop. He drank the cup that you deserved. “God himself became the Savior. The judge became the deliverer . . . God’s love did not overwhelm or overrule his justice, but fulfilled it. Justice and love, righteousness and mercy, wrath and peace embraced at the cross.” 56

With the full scope of the gospel before us now, we’re ready to see the various ways that it should impact the lives of believers. But in part two of this book—as in the Christian life itself—we won’t leave the gospel behind to explain how to be a disciple. Instead, the previous chapters will be tightly woven threads crisscrossing through every practical area that we will examine. In the Christian life, it’s all about the gospel. “We are saved by grace, and we are to live by grace every day of our Christian lives.” 57  In other words, the gospel that saves us is the gospel that sanctifies us.

33.    C. J. Mahaney, Living the Cross Centered Life (Sisters: Multnomah, 2006), 30.

34.    Horton, The Gospel-Driven Life, 52.

35.    Greg Gilbert, What is the Gospel? (Wheaton: Crossway, 2010), 45.

36.    Ibid., 68.

37.    C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Touchstone, 1952), 60-61.

38.    Ibid., 61.

39.    Packer, Knowing God, 187.

40.    J. I. Packer and Mark Dever, In My Place Condemned He Stood (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2007), 109-110.

41.    Leon Morris, The Atonement: Its Meaning and Significance (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1983), 87.

42.    Packer and Dever, In My Place Condemned He Stood, 77.

43.    Horton, The Gospel-Driven Life, 51.

44.    Sproul, The Holiness of God, 116.

45.    Packer and Dever, In My Place Condemned He Stood, 82.

46.    Douglas Moo, The Epistle to the Romans, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1996), 218. Moo notes that Luther’s description is on the margin of the Luther Bible, on 3:23ff.

47.    Ibid., 222.

48.    Packer, Knowing God, 183.

49.    Ibid., 181.

50.    Ibid., 189.

51.    Morris, The Atonement, 146.

52.    Horton, The Gospel-Driven Life, 49.

53.    John Piper, God is the Gospel (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2005), 17.

54.    Ibid., 37.

55.    Ibid., 42.

56.    Horton, The Gospel-Driven Life, 62.

57.    Jerry Bridges, The Discipline of Grace (Colorado Spring: NavPress, 1994), 19.

PART TWO

Growing in the Gospel

5

Deepening the roots:

Why True Christian Growth

is Really Gospel Growth

I’m still trying to grasp the gospel. At this point I’ve been a believer for almost twenty years, but I can’t fully comprehend what it means for Jesus to die for my sins. I can’t wrap my mind around the historical event of Jesus bearing the wrath of his Father on the cross. Don’t get me wrong: I fully believe what I wrote in the previous four chapters, but sinful minds simply cannot process the full weight and glory of the gospel. I am finding, however, that I need the gospel more and more each day. In this chapter, I hope to convince you that leaving the gospel behind in pursuit of Christian growth is actually the abandonment of the path to Christian growth. Disciples of Jesus do not sideline the gospel message. True Christian growth is really gospel growth. In other words, Christian growth is not beyond the gospel or outside the gospel butinthe gospel.

Responding to Good News

In order to see how believers should respond daily to the gospel, we must consider how they initially respondedto it. The proclamation of the gospel to sinners carries with it a twofold demand: repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ. “That command—repent and believe—is what God requires of us in response to the good news of Jesus.” 58 If sinners will not turn from their sins and believe in Jesus, they will remain spiritually lost and under divine condemnation. But for too long we have used terms like repent and believe without explaining what they mean. We should no longer assume that people understand repentance. Nor should we assume that people know what it means to believe in Jesus.

It’s Both or Neither

Let’s first of all notice that the wordsrepentandbelievesometimes appear together in the New Testament. For instance, when Jesus preached in Galilee, he called people to “Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15b). And Paul told the Ephesian elders, “I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:21).

Sometimes, however, biblical figures commanded repentance without mentioning faith. Jesus said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matt 4:17b). Jesus also said, “Unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:3b). Peter told the crowd at Pentecost, “Repent and be baptized” (Acts 2:38a), and he told another crowd, “Repent, then, and turn to God” (Acts 3:19a). Paul told the Athenians, “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).

Other times biblical figures expressed the need for faith in Jesus without mentioning repentance. The narrator of the Gospel of John said that the purpose of recording Jesus’ signs was “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). Peter said that “everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:43b). Paul told the Philippian jailer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31a). And Paul wrote, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9).

Even though Bible writers sometimes speak of repentance without mentioning faith, and vice versa, it would be a serious mistake to conclude that only one is necessary. Faith and repentance are really two sides of the same coin. “One side is tails—turn tail on the fruits of unbelief. The other side is heads—head straight for Jesus and trust His promises.” 59  In other words, they stand or fall together. You can’t have genuine faith without genuine repentance. It would be unbiblical to share Jesus with a sinner and then say, “Only believe in him. There’s no need to repent.” Equally tragic would be to say, “Turn from your sins and do better. But it doesn’t really matter what you think of Jesus.”

What Believing Is and Isn’t

Not everything that passes under the concept of believing in Jesus is actually genuine faith. For example, believing in Jesus means more than believing he exists. James said, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder” (Jam 2:19). Believing that two thousand years ago a man named Jesus walked the earth does not constitute saving faith. If the demons know that God and Jesus exist, and yet are condemned, then their assent is not any kind of God-honoring belief. However, the demons at least know that they should tremble. Many unbelievers unfortunately sleep just fine at night.

Believing in Jesus includes, but is more than, acknowledging facts about him. Paul taught that Jesus’ death and resurrection fulfilled the Scriptures (1 Cor 15:3-4), and that he proved his resurrection by appearing to different people (1 Cor 15:5-8). But even the devil believes Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead. The demons know who Jesus is. A demon-possessed man shouted, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” (Mark 5:7a). The demon-possessed man correctly described Jesus’ identity. Another evil spirit cried out to Jesus, “I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” (Luke 4:34c). Reckon with this: demons know truths that unbelievers deny.

God will condemn many people who know true things about him. Merely knowing the historical facts of the cross and resurrection will not save sinners. But believing that Jesus rose from the dead is certainly crucial. The resurrection of Jesus was not an expendable teaching (1 Cor 15:12-19). Paul says that you must “confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,” and then “you will be saved” (Rom 10:9). While the latter part of the verse rightly emphasizes that a sinner must believe that Jesus rose from the dead, the first part of the verse warrants some explanation. Confessing Jesus as Lord echoes Old Testament ascriptions of that title to God. But in Paul’s day, there were political connotations to the title Lord as well. In fact, people called the emperor Lord. To confess Jesus as Lord, therefore, meant that Caesar wasn’t.

Confessing Jesus as Lord might have cost Christians their lives if the wrong people heard them making such a rival claim. In this context, then, believing in Jesus meant commitment to him. It was confession even at great cost, signifying allegiance and devotion. True belief led to following him, to discipleship. But don’t take my word for it. Listen to Jesus himself: “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did notcome to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household’” (Matt 10:34-36). If you don’t think Jesus is calling for radical faith and devotion, reflect carefully on what he said next: “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Matt 10:37-38). Jesus is describing what faith looks like.

Believing in Jesus means to esteem him above all others, to treasure him above all things, to value him above all earthly relationships. Following Jesus means to love him more than anything else. Piper explains the striking truth: “No one is a Christian who does not embrace Jesus gladly as his most valued treasure, and then pursue the fullness of that joy in Christ that honors Him.” 60  However, Christians don’t treasure Jesus perfectly. We face temptation to esteem the things of the world above Christ, and many times we may fall headlong into such traps. But the intent of the Christian’s heart is different than that of the unbeliever. The aim of the Christian is to follow Jesus. Demons believe Jesus exists, but they don’t follow him, nor do they want to. The devil knows Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, but he doesn’t worship him, nor does he want to.

People with genuine belief see Jesus through eyes of faith. They not only see Jesus as the one who died on the cross for their sins and then rose victoriously over death—they see Jesus as glorious, as worthy, as majestic, and they worship him. The heart that believes in Jesus follows him. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). The heart that believes in Jesus also worships him. In Revelation, countless worshipers sang, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Rev 5:12). The heart full of faith cries “Amen!” at such a scene.

The staggering reality, though, is that many people profess to be Christians, but they don’t follow Jesus. He is not precious to them, they don’t esteem him, and they live their lives in an indulgent pursuit of their flesh. “Drunks on the street say they believe. Unmarried couples sleeping together say they believe. Elderly people who haven’t sought worship or fellowship for forty years say they believe. All kinds of lukewarm, world-loving church attenders say they believe.” 61  Many of them would say, “Oh, I believe in Jesus, sure, I’m a Christian,” giving no thought of what it actually means to believe in and follow him.

Unfortunately, the flippant claims of professing Christians often remain unquestioned and unconfronted. But we cheapen the gospel when we don’t call people to biblical repentance and faith. Mere decisionism waters down the gospel and cheapens the grace of God—also known as easy-believism. Bonhoeffer said, “Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our church . . . The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion are thrown away at cut prices.” 62  Cheapening the grace of God compromises the gospel of God. “Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” 63  Did you notice that in Matthew 10 Jesus seemed to make following himhard? Maybe, then, we dishonor Jesus if we portray that following him is easy.

In fact, when times and teachings became tough, Jesus watched many people forsake him during his earthly ministry. When Jesus taught hard truths, “many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (John 6:66). Jesus didn’t say, “Wait, wait! I didn’t mean to make it so hard to follow me. Please,pleasecome back. I can make things easier.” Jesus knew such people didn’t have true faith. He taught, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples” (John 8:31). Many people appeared to follow Jesus, but eventually lost interest. Others claimed faith, but Jesus discerned between true and false faith. Once, after performing miraculous signs in Jerusalem, some people confessed faith in him, but “Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men” (John 2:24). Jesus knew that the faith of these people was false. Jesus knew their hearts, and he knows yours.

Jesus sees unbelieving hearts in many professing Christians. Jesus knows they’re not saved, but they think they are. Why do so many people falsely believe they are Christians? One major reason is that believing in Jesus has become so formulaic in much of evangelicalism. For example, consider these questions: “Do you believe you’re a sinner? Do you believe Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead? Do you believe Jesus is Lord?” If an unbeliever answers yes to each of these questions, many church leaders and evangelists will pronounce him or her a Christian. But consider for a moment the fact that the devil can also answer yes to each of these questions . . .

Probably most question-answer formats lead to this final step: “Would you repeat this prayer after me? And make sure you’re sincere.” Then, after the unbeliever voices “the sinner’s prayer,” the pastor or evangelist pronounces him or her saved: “You did it! You’ve been born again! Welcome to the family of God.” The intent is no doubt to keep the process simple, clear, and easy for the unbeliever. But as a result, many peoplethink they are Christians when they are no more saved than a parrot who can repeat “the sinner’s prayer.”

The above illustration is all too common. It is simple and easy, but it is unbiblical. I know my words may seem bold, but we must recognize that no biblical writer ever employed such an evangelistic method as what I’ve described. Yet I have seen both adults and children taken through such simple steps and, in a matter of minutes, declared “new Christians who invited Jesus to come into their hearts.” When we water down the gospel to trite formulas, we are not helping sinners understand the gospel better. Rather, we may be muddying the waters by attaching the labelsheepon goats—people who offered all the right answers to a few questions but who were perhaps only interested in obtaining fire insurance.

We must reexamine what it means to follow Jesus. In the New Testament, trusting Jesus leads to transformation. Following Jesus means turning our values upside down and realigning our lives with the world’s true Lord. Trusting Jesus leads to treasuring him. Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field” (Matt 13:44). The eyes of faith see Jesus as infinitely valuable and worth any earthly sacrifice. Faith in Jesus is about hoping in him for the sake of who he is, the Savior of sinners, the Pursuer of rebels. Hoping in Jesus means looking to him, and nowhere else, for deliverance from God’s wrath and the power of sin over us. Seeing Jesus through the eyes of faith means believing that his perfect atonement is sufficient to cover every transgression in our past and future.

The eyes of faith see Jesus as worthy of praise and devotion. Believing in Jesus is about recognizing the value of the king and then worshiping him. If you think you’re a Christian because you believe Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, you need to ask yourself some questions.What ismy heart’s response at the thought of Jesus dying for my sins? What do I think of Jesus when I contemplate his role as Savior? In what ways has the universal lordship of Jesus affected my values and worldview?Would you say with Paul, “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things” (Phil 3:8)? Believing in Jesus involves more than mere intellectual assent to his historical work. It involves responding to him and his work with a trust that treasures him and a faith that follows him.

Greg Gilbert says it well: “[Faith] is, biblically speaking,reliance. A rock-solid, truth-grounded, promise-foundedtrustin the risen Jesus to save you from sin . . . The gospel of Jesus calls us to . . . put our faith in Jesus, rely on him, and trust him to do what he has promised to do.” 64  And, finally, “Putting your faith in Christ means that you utterly renounce any other hope of being counted righteous before God . . . Faith means acknowledging that your heart is not good at all, and trusting Christ alone.” 65

What Repenting Is and Isn’t

Our understanding about Jesus cannot change while our view of sin remains the same. There is no salvation apart from repentance. The wordrepentancemeans to have a mind-change. It is important to understand that repentance begins in the mind, because changing behavior can often be mistaken for true repentance. Turning from sin means more than ceasing certain behaviors. After all, sin comes “out of the heart” (Matt 15:19a). Therefore, there needs to be an internal change, a shift of allegiance from sin to the Savior. Paul had this in mind when he wrote, “Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness” (Rom 6:13).

Sin is not the master of believers (Rom 6:14a), because God has set them free from sin (Rom 6:18). Repentance is the inward shifting of allegiance to God from sin. No longer slaves to sin, believers “have become slaves to righteousness” (Rom 6:18b). True repentance results in slavery—slavery of a different kind. Repentance, then, is not a turning from sin to nothing in particular; it is a turning from unrighteousness to righteousness, from sin to God. Anyone who has died with Christ “has been freed from sin” (Rom 6:7).

Repentance begins with understanding that the primary offense of our sin is against God. 66  We need forgiveness from God because we have committed cosmic treason against him. David conveyed this idea when he wrote Psalm 51: “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me.Against you, you only, have I sinnedand done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge” (Ps 51:2-4, emphasis added). David’s sin definitely affected others—he would never have denied this—but it was ultimately against his God. Repentance, then, begins with the understanding that our sin has grieved a holy God and warrants his judgment.

The Bible wants us to feel more than guilt for our sin, because guilt alone doesn’t constitute true repentance. People can feel guilty for their sin and never turn from it. Paul distinguishes between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow: “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (2 Cor 7:10). Some people may feel sorry for their sin because it hurts loved ones, provokes legal consequences, or results in bouts of self-loathing. Or perhaps they just feel sorry they were caught. The reality is that people may feel sorrow over their sin for reasons that look like repentance but are actually rooted in selfish motives void of any godly contrition. Paul says that such worldly sorrow leads to death, not to salvation.

People can also fear the thought of divine judgment on their sin, but such fear doesn’t necessarily lead to repentance. Take Governor Felix as an example: “As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, ‘That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you’” (Acts 24:25). Paul’s words evidently struck Felix, but the latter didn’t repent—instead, he dismissed Paul. The lesson is that we cannot frighten people into faith, though the judgment of God should be feared by unbelievers. In the end, Christians will not dwell eternally with God simply because they are afraid of hell. True faith and repentance come from hearts that want God because he is God, not from hearts that only fear the consequences of God’s wrath. It is possible for sinners to fear the possibility of judgment for their sin but never have a healthy fear of God. It is possible for sinners to cringe at the notion of hell but shrug at the command for holiness. People can hate the idea of condemnation but never love the God who made them. True repentance begins, then, with acknowledging that our sin has been committed against God. Such transgression, therefore, warrants his wrath, “for the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23a).

True repentance also manifests itself in the believer through a transformed view of sin. Paul says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom 12:2a). Paul juxtaposes two opposites: being conformed to the world’s pattern of thinkingand living, and being renewed by God for new thinking and living. The believer now strives not to sin against God (Ps 119:11). The believer wants to obey God, to do what is good and pleasing in his sight (Ps 119:67-68). Rather than God’s commands being burdensome and undesirable, the believer meditates on and delights in God’s word (Ps 119:97-101). Whereas before Christ the wrong path was desirable, the believer now hates the way of disobedience (Ps 119:104). Living wisely means shunning evil and trusting the Lord’s wisdom (Prov 3:5-7). “[Repentance] is deciding that you have been wrong in supposing that you could manage your own life and be your own god.” 67

Don’t imply from the preceding statements that believers never sin. They do, and they will. In fact, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). But the promise is that, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Sinners who have truly repented (i.e. believers) do not make a lifestyle out of sinning against God (1 John 3:6, 9). Sinners who have genuinely repented continue turning from sin. Repentance at conversion doesn’t nullify the need for ongoing repentance. Salvation doesn’t mean that sinning ceases. “But even if repentance doesn’t mean an immediate end to our sinning, it does mean that we will no longer live at peace with our sin. We will declare mortal war against it and dedicate ourselves to resisting it by God’s power on every front in our lives.” 68

Christians are repenting sinners. The evidence of godly sorrow unto salvation is that we continue to be contrite in heart over our sin. David, who was a follower of Yahweh when he wrote Psalm 51, said, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Ps 51:10). David desired to be pure in heart, to please God through obedience. Why? Because Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matt 5:8). Pursuing holiness isn’t optional for Christians. Turning from sin isn’t something for which only really spiritual Christians should strive. Turning from sin for the pursuit of holiness is a command: “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb 12:14).

The Bible doesn’t mince words when it comes to sin. Believers should hate sin, not love it; they should flee from sin, not pursue it. “It is God’s will,” Paul says, “that you should be sanctified . . . For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit” (1 Thess 4:3a, 7-8). God commands believers to flee and pursue: “Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Tim 2:22). Shirking the responsibility for holiness is no light matter; it is an affront to God. The truly repentant heart is one that desires the path of obedience, a desire not formerly present when the sinner loved the darkness and hated the light—which brings up an important question: if the sinner didn’t always turn from sin and believe in Jesus, where did such desires for repentance and faith come from?

God’s Gifts of Belief and Repentance

In the Bible, God commands people to believe and repent, because God is worthy of such behavior—even though fallen people are now incapable of doing what they must do to please God. Remember that no one seeks God (Rom 3:11b), no one fears God (Rom 3:18), the corrupted heart is beyond any human remedy (Jer 17:9), and sinners love the darkness and hate the light (John 3:19-20). Given these conditions, the fact that peoplerepent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ should shock us. We should be astounded when people desire God.

The Bible teaches that true faith and repentance are a work of God’s grace. Let’s take faith first. Ephesians 2:8 is so well-known that—like other famous Bible verses—our familiarity with it might make us miss what’s obvious:saving faith is a gift from God. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Sinners, then, do not innately possess saving faith. In Philippians 1:29, Paul teaches that God “granted to youon behalf of Christ . . .to believeon him” (emphasis added). Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44a), and “No one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him” (John 6:65). In John 6, to come to Jesus is to believe on him, evident by the parallel phrases “he who comes to me” and “he who believes in me” in John 6:35. Jesus taught that sinners are unable to believe in him on their own. If God doesn’t grant saving faith, sinners will gladly and willingly remain in their unbelief.

Now let’s look at repentance. Speaking about the role of God’s servant, Paul says, “Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope thatGod will grant them repentanceleading them to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim 2:25, emphasis added). Notice what leads to what: it’s repentance that leads to knowledge of the truth, not knowledge of the truth that leads to repentance. And God must grant repentance, or the referents of Paul’s words will not arrive at a knowledge of the truth.

When Peter announced that Gentiles were turning to Christ and entering the people of God, the Jerusalem church responded, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life” (Acts 11:18b). So true repentance leads to life, and sinners cannot truly repent on their own. Spiritually blind sinners cannot see the foolishness of theiriniquity, and spiritually dead sinners cannot move out of the path of destruction on their own. “We do not make ourselves into Christ-adoring people. We do not muster enough human wisdom or strength or willpower to deliver ourselves from the captivity of Satan’s deceits . . . In the end, no human means make the miracle of repentance happen.” 69 We see again that sinners must do what they cannot do on their own. “And we must do it or perish. Our inability does not remove our guilt—it deepens it.” 70

The reason God must give repentance and faith is to ensure that he remains the object of boasting for salvation. Take faith as the example, and we’ll see more of Ephesians 2 this time: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works,so that no one can boast” (Eph 2:8-9, emphasis added). So God designs salvation by grace through faith in order to remove any basis for the sinner to boast in himself for being saved. If God enables us to do what we could never do on our own (i.e. believe), then he alone deserves praise for his saving work.

We must guard against a misunderstanding at this point. In light of what I’ve said, someone might incorrectly reason,If God grants faith and repentance, then it’s like he does the repenting and believing for us, since we couldn’t have done them ourselves. But God does not believe for us, nor does he repent for us. The Bible never teaches salvation this way. When God enables a sinner to believe, that sinner then does the believing, and when God grants repentance to a sinner, that sinner then does the repenting. But because God did the granting, only God deserves the glory. God is glorified, and the sinner is saved.

The Gospel Taking Root and Bearing Fruit

In Mark’s account of “the parable of the sower,” Jesus illustrates true and false confessions of faith. One lesson about the kingdom of God is that some people who seem to be believers turn outnotto be believers after all. This is a hard lesson, because it’s easy to make excuses for people who fall away: “They’re just carnal Christians,” or “Don’t worry about them. I remember when they were saved—they’ll be back before you know it,” or—used especially for young people who leave the faith—“They were brought up right, so they’ll return after this rebellious phase is over.” We must face the tough truth: not every positive response to the gospel is a salvation experience, though many responses appear transformational—at first. Sometimes the test of time tells tragic tales.

Responses to the Sown Seed

Jesus taught this parable to a gathered crowd: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain” (Mark 4:3-7). Jesus wasn’t talking about seed here. He was talking about how people respond to the message of the kingdom.

Jesus told his disciples the meaning: “The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns,hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful” (Mark 4:14-19).

Some people confess faith in Jesus, but they may not really have faith in Jesus. Some people appear to have sorrow over sin, but it may turn out to be worldly sorrow instead of godly sorrow. Look at what’s involved with exposing a false faith: Satan snatches the word that the farmer sowed (Mark 4:15b), trouble or persecution quench the initially joyful response (Mark 4:17b), and worries and wealth choke the word and prevent any real fruit (Mark 4:19). Jesus describes some people responding “with joy” when they receive the word, but this is no guarantee of genuine faith. Jesus says this joyful response lasts “only a short time,” because there is “no root” (Mark 4:17a). Saints for a season aren’t saints at all. There is no such thing as a temporary Christian.

All hope is not lost, however. I purposely omitted one of the seeds sown: “Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times” (Mark 4:8). According to Jesus, this meant, “Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown” (Mark 4:20). More than hearing the word is necessary. Accepting it with joy is good but not decisive. Here is the question: what did the seedproduce?

Root and Fruit

What matters for farmers is that their seed takes root in soil. The word must grow roots in the receptive sinner, or there can be no growth. Jesus specifically said that the seed sown on rocky places had no root (Mark 4:17a). But once the seed takes root, it must be allowed to bear fruit that isn’t choked by surrounding threats, unlike the seed sown among the thorns of materialism (Mark 4:19). We must have bothrootandfruit. Fruit, in fact, is the proof that something took root in good soil. When the preacher sows the gospel, he never knows the state of his hearers’ hearts. But if God prepares good soil in the heart of a sinner, the word will take root and produce a crop—salvation will happen and growth will follow.

Psalm 1 is a great picture of the rooted righteous man. “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (Ps 1:3). Believers aren’t rootless and they aren’t fruitless. Paul prayed that the Colossians “may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work” (Col 1:10). Bearing fruit is part of living worthy of the Lord.

What if someone who professes to be a believer never bears any fruit? We have to be careful here. The Bible doesn’t give us a license to be professional fruit-inspectors, but we must not settle for a gospel that says we can have Jesus without any subsequent change. However, we must also remember that spiritual growth may look different for different people—such as someone saved out of prison and someone saved while attending a summer youth camp. The hardened criminal and the young teenager likely have different obstacles before them. Real progress for one might not look like real progress if applied to the other, but only the Lord knows the heart.

With that qualification made, let’s emphasize the necessity of bearing fruit. Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit . . . If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned” (John 15:1-2a, 6). It is difficult to escape the implication of this passage: people who are fruitless will face destruction. In the illustration, the branches are people, and many people appear to be “in” Jesus. But the life-giving nourishment of Jesus is not without effectin those who are truly in him. “If a man remains in me and I in him,he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5b, emphasis added). Real connection with Christ brings real change.

Other New Testament writers also emphasize obedience as the demonstration of genuine faith. Paul said, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control” (Gal 5:22-23a). James said that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (Jam 2:17). And dead faith never saved anyone. Peter commanded his readers to demonstrate the truth of their salvation by bearing the fruit of obedience: “Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love” (2 Pet 1:5-7). Notice that the qualities Peter mentioned are similar to Paul’s description of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5.

All of this tells us that when the gospel pierces the heart of a sinner, roots grow and fruit results. Fruit points to identity. Jesus told his disciples that the world will recognize them by their fruit as well: “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15:8). And, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me” (John 14:21a). Therefore, people lie when they say that they love Jesus but live in disobedience to him. Jesus also said one could recognize false teachers by their fruit: “By their fruit you will recognize them . . . A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit . . . Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them” (Matt 7:16a, 18, 20).

People who claim to be Christians should know that obeying Jesus is not something only required of the super-spiritual. “The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but doesnot do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4). True Christians follow Jesus, and following him means obeying him and walking in his ways. Following Jesus is the proof of true faith. Genuine repentance and faith will result in a life of repentance and faith. Christians don’t believe the gospel for salvation only, subsequently moving to deeper teachings for the actual Christian life. The Christian life must be lived in the power of the gospel, or you must call that life something other than Christian.

Commanded to Grow in Christ

Paul commands the Colossians—and, by extension, all Christians—to live centered on Christ: “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him” (Col 2:6). The imperative is literally “walk in him,” and the tense indicates a continual way of life. The Christian life, then, is characterized by walking in Jesus. We’ll see how Paul explains “walk in him” with modifying phrases in 2:7, but we must make one other observation first. Paul connects walking in Jesus with the gospel teaching that the Colossians received when they believed. Paul shows that knowing the gospel is necessary for salvation and for growth.

Receiving the Gospel for Salvation and Growth

Paul connects the command to “walk in him” in Colossians 2:6with the statement “just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord” in 2:7. The word “received” here refers to the teaching conveyed to the Colossian Christians by Epaphras, their founder (Col 1:7). He preached to them that Jesus is Lord. Paul elsewhere spoke about his reception of teaching: “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance” (1 Cor 15:3a). Early Christian communities didn’t have various views of Jesus that they considered orthodox. Statements about Jesus could be considered either true or false (see, e.g., 2 Cor 11:4a).

Paul indicted some Corinthian intruders with preaching “a different gospel from the one you accepted” (2 Cor 11:4c), and he told the Galatians that “if anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” (Gal 1:9b). The Galatians were tempted to turn “to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all” (Gal 1:6b-7a). If sinners didn’t believe the true gospel of Jesus Christ, they couldn’t be saved, and the false teachers faced condemnation.

The Christian walk, then, has the lordship of Jesus as the banner over one’s life. “Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,” Paul said, “walk in him.” If the lordship of Jesus is part of the gospel message, and if these believers must live as Christians in light of his lordship, then they must hold to the gospel message throughout their Christian lives. There is no other message that proclaims the sovereignty of Jesus.

A Fourfold Explanation of Walking in Jesus

So far, in Colossians 2:6 Paul commanded Christians, in light of the teaching they received about Jesus’ universal lordship, to walk in Jesus. Paul could have changed subjects at that point and left us wondering,What characterizes walking in Jesus?But Paul didn’t switch subjects. In Colossians 2:7, he explained the command “walk in him” with four modifying phrases: “rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Each phrase warrants our close reflection.

First, believers should walk in Jesus, “having been firmly rooted” (literal translation of Col 2:7a). The teaching which the believers received from Epaphras had firmly rooted them in Jesus and in the faith. This image surely echoes Old Testament passages like Psalm 1 of the righteous rooted in God’s word. A passage in Jeremiah is also a possible background: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is inhim. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jer 17:7-8). Root and fruit again. Believers should walk in Jesus since they have received the true teaching about him and been rooted in it.

Second, believers should walk in Jesus, “being built up in him” (literal translation of Col 2:7b). Believers are presently under construction, indicated by the present tense. What Paul has done, then, is blend together the two images of planting and building. God has planted us in the faith through the faithful teaching of the gospel, and he is building us up in Jesus. Notice the time difference: the planting ispast, and the construction isongoing. Believers are unfinished products. The believer’s firm rootedness in the faith results in growth and fruit-bearing that honors Christ. God is building fruitful people. The Father is the gardener (John 15:1). “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that bears fruit he prunesso that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:2, emphasis added).

Third, believers should walk in Jesus, “being established in the faith, just as you were taught” (literal translation of Col 2:7c). True Christian growth looks like this: God is firmly securing and establishing the saints in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Becoming more established in the gospel doesn’t imply a previous risk of losing salvation—true believers can never lose their salvation (Phil 1:6; John 10:28-29; Rom 8:31-39). The term “establish” here is a Greek marketplace metaphor that can mean “verify” or “prove.” 71  Christian growth, then, doesn’t make God’s saving graceeffective; it makes God’s saving graceevident. This is what Jesus has in mind when he says that bearing fruit will show people that we are his disciples (John 15:8).Growthin the gospel confirmssalvationthrough the gospel. “Just as you were taught” connotes the teaching of the gospel. So once again Paul emphasizes the gospel traditions which the Colossian believers received from Epaphras. “By sticking to their roots and being built up, the readers will be established in faith.” 72

When Paul wrote to the believers at Colosse, they were facing a heresy that promised sufficiency, growth, and spirituality outside the gospel of Christ. Paul told them, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy” (Col 2:8a). Pursuing spiritual growth and experience outside the gospel of Jesus Christ doesn’t lead to deeper truth. The spiritual fullness promised by non-gospel messages is actually “hollow and deceptive,” not meaningful and truthful. The Colossians needed a deeper understanding of the gospel, not a deeper message outside the gospel.

Fourth, believers should walk in Jesus, “overflowing with thanksgiving” (Col 2:7d). Thanksgiving is the appropriate response to the gracious work of God in rooting, building, and establishing believers in the gospel. Paul previously explained that “giving thanks to the Father” (Col 1:12a) is part of pleasing the Lord and bearing fruit (Col 1:10). Living ungratefully is a mark of an unbeliever, not a believer. “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as Godnor gave thanks to him” (Rom 1:21a, emphasis added). Paul connects glorifying God with offering thanksgiving to God. Doing the latter will result in the former. Tragically, unbelievers live ungratefully before the Lord who is worthy of their worship.

Christians who grow in the gospel will also grow in gratitude. The image of overflowing with thanksgiving means that believers don’t emit trickles of thanksgiving to God. Instead, contemplating God’s work in saving sinners from his wrath should fill the hearts of the saints with gratitude. The key to becoming more grateful people, then, is knowing more of the gospel that saves us. The gospel has the power to free us from entitlement. The gospel humbles us before our mighty yet merciful God. The gospel reminds us of the judgment that we deserved, the condemnation which God saved us from—and our response should be gratitude for undeserved grace. God’s will is that Christians give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess 5:18). If Christians are to grow in gratitude, they must grow in the gospel.

True Christian Growth = Gospel Growth

I’ll end this chapter by referencing Scriptures that show the need for Christians to hold to the gospel, not leave it at the doorway of conversion. Jesus said, “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you . . . If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” (John 15:3, 7). “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples” (John 8:31). The gospel word that cleanses sinners must continually remain in them and be held by them.

The early disciples “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42a), and the “teaching” refers primarily to the gospel message about the Savior. After the threat of persecution scattered many believers, “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went” (Acts 8:4). Luke records a frequent practice of Paul’s ministry: “They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith” (Acts 14:21-22a). When Paul returned to Antioch after the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15, “[He] and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord” (Acts15:35). Toward the end of Paul’s third missionary journey, he encouraged the Ephesian elders by saying, “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32).

Indicating the importance of the gospel, Paul once described himself as “a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God” (Rom 1:1). Speaking to Roman Christians, Paul said, “That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome” (Rom 1:15). Paul told the Corinthians that the gospel of Jesus was “the gospel I preached to you,” the gospel “which you received,” and the gospel “on which you have taken your stand” (1 Cor 15:1). Further, “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain” (1 Cor 15:2). It is difficult to exaggerate Paul’s warning here. If professing Christians don’t hold to the true gospel, their faith proves to be false. If the Corinthians forsake the true gospel for a false message that promises growth and experience (2 Cor 11:4), they will no longer be sincerely and purely devoted to Christ (2 Cor 11:3). In other words, holding to the gospel is crucial in order to maintain an uncorrupted devotion to the Lord Jesus.

Paul chastised the Galatians for turning to a law-centered life after the grace-centered gospel saved them. “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all” (Gal 1:6-7a). Instead they should follow Paul’s example: “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Gal 2:21). We will place a value on Christ’s death by the way we seek to live as Christians. If we leave behind the gospel of grace for a law-driven life, we cheapen the cross. But if we live by grace, having been savedby grace, we uphold the infinite value of Christ’s redemptive work. Such a grace-centered life shows that the power of the cross is necessary to save and sanctify the sinner.

Since only the gospel is a message of God’s grace, seeking to grow as a Christian through any other message inescapably means subverting grace with a law-driven life. Paul confronted the Galatians when he heard that they were marginalizing grace and maximizing law: “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” (Gal 3:1-3). You don’t start with the gospel and then set it aside for law. “What we need most, not just at the beginning, but in the middle and at the end of the Christian journey, isGood News.” 73  Christian growth isn’t found outside the gospel, and it’s foolish to pursue any other method with such a goal. Christian growth is gospel growth. There’s no other kind, and there’s no other way.

58.    Gilbert, What is the Gospel?, 73.

59.    John Piper, Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist, rev. (Sisters: Multnomah Publishers, 2003), 64.

60.    Ibid., 54.

61.    Ibid.

62.    Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, 43.

63.    Ibid., 45.

64.    Gilbert, What is the Gopsel?, 74-75.

65.    Ibid., 79.

66.    Horton, The Gospel-Driven Life, 119.

67.    Eugene H. Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society, 2nd ed. (Downers Grove, IVP Books, 2000), 29.

68.    Gilbert, What is the Gospel?, 81.

69.    John Piper, When I Don’t Desire God: How to Fight for Joy (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2004), 51.

70.    Ibid., 53.

71.    In Moo, The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon, 181, he argues, “The word does not occur often enough . . . to justify our finding a legal metaphor here. It is used generally in the LXX and New Testament, where it means ‘confirm’ (Rom 15:8; 1 Cor 1:6; Heb 2:3), but, especially with a personal object (as here in Colossians), ‘strengthen’ or ‘establish.’”

72.    Ibid.

73.    Horton, The Gospel-Driven Life, 145.

6

Preaching the Gospel to Yourself:

The Duty of the Justified Sinner

C.J. Mahaney is absolutely right: “Reminding ourselves of the gospel is the most important daily habit we can establish.” 74  If you are a believer, then you need the gospel today—and you will need it again tomorrow. The gospel is for Christians. My hope is that you will finish this chapter with a new or reinforced resolution:my soul needs a daily feast on the good news about Jesus Christ. Others have aptly described such feasting as “preaching to yourself.” I know this may seem like a strange phrase, especially since believers are used to listening to their pastors preach to them, but it will soon become clear what I mean.

Why Christians Need the Gospel Every Day

Every Christian must be a preacher to his or her own soul. This responsibility is never intended to exclude weekly worship, in which believers sit under the preaching of their pastor. Rather, this responsibility is a practice that should be added to the weekly hearing of God’s word in a corporate setting. Assuming that you faithfully attend a church where the true gospel is preached, such consistent attendance still doesn’t constitute sufficient exposure to the good news. Even if you attend a Sunday evening service, you still need more of the gospel. And, yes, even if you attend the Wednesday evening prayer meeting and Bible study, you still aren’t getting enough of the good news. “The gospel of Christ crucified and risen is meant to be preached to the soul—both in corporate worship where we hear it week after week, and from hour to hour as we preach it to ourselves in the daily fight for joy.” 75  Let’s look at two reasons why believers need the gospel every day.

Simultaneously Saints and Sinners

First, believers are still sinners—justified sinners, to be sure, but sinners nonetheless. Martin Luther memorably said that Christians aresimuliustus et peccator, or simultaneously righteous and sinful. And if sinners need the gospel, then Christians are no exception. Believers face a myriad of temptations which need to be confronted by the gospel. It would seem that, even during the span of one hour, believers face envious thoughts, lustful instincts, gossiping words, or feelings of impatience or anger—perhaps even all of the above! We are constantly confronted with temptations to be bitter, resentful, spiteful, or vengeful. Too frequently we curse our enemies instead of blessing them; we gossip about others instead of praying for them. We want people to honor us, not to think lowly of us. We want to be liked, not disliked. We may compromise biblical teachings because of a perceived political or social advantage. I could keep going, but I think you get the point.

When God saves sinners, they aren’t automatically perfected by his power. The sinner’s legal standing before God changes from guilty to not guilty, unrighteous to righteous. God sees the believer “in Christ” (Rom 8:1), and that union with him changes our standing before God. But, morally, the believer is imperfect. Justification is the beginning of a lifelong process during which the Spirit makes the believer more like Jesus Christ. Paul told the Galatians that he was committed to their growth “until Christ is formed in you” (Gal 4:19b). He promised the Philippians that “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6). He also described such transformation with language of glory: “We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory” (2 Cor 3:18).

Ongoing transformation is occurring in the heart of the saint. In a fallen world, it may be difficult to perceive what is happening to believers. After all, believers get sick, they grow old, and they die. This doesn’t seem very glorious. But inner renewal is happening: “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Cor 4:16b-17). As saints in a fallen world, we live in imperfect bodies. So, part of God’s promise to us—and thus part of the Christian hope—is the physical resurrection of our bodies when Christ returns. “We ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Rom 8:23). The Christian’s adoption is not complete until the Lord returns and raises our corrupted bodies in an incorruptible state (1 Cor 15:53-54).

For now we are saints and sinners. We are sinners whom God has set apart for his great purposes. God predestined believers to be conformed to Jesus (Rom 8:29), a plan that climaxes in glorification (Rom 8:30). But we live in the tensionbetween thealreadyand thenot yet, between justification and glorification. “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires” (Gal 5:24), meaning that sin no longer enslaves the heart of the believer. Now we must yield to the Spirit so that we don’t walk according to the flesh (Gal 5:16-17). To put it another way, since we have died with Christ to sin (Rom 6:2-4), we must now count ourselves dead to sin (Rom 6:11) and kill the deeds of the flesh (Rom 8:13).

Prone to Forgetfulness, Not Remembrance

Second, we need the gospel every day because, as justified sinners still living in a fallen world, we are prone to forget God rather than remember him. We may be thankful for the cross on Good Friday every year but think little of Christ’s death throughout a typical week in our lives. We may feel grateful and excited when God answers a prayer, but such a blessing may be hastily shoved aside and then overlooked by what’s next on our to-do list. We may be dominated with thoughts of what God hasn’t done for us, rather than being filled with gratitude for his kindness to us.

Forgetting God is nothing new, for God warned the Israelites about forgetting him. In Deuteronomy 6, Moses continues listing the commands and decrees which God directed him to give to the Israelites. One command is prefaced by verses which foretell the fulfillment of God’s promise to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land: “When the LORDyour God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied,be careful that you do not forget the LORD” (Deut 6:10-12, emphasis added).

You might never have imagined that Israel could ever forget—of all things!—God. But God knows the fickle heart of man, and he knows that man is prone to wander from him and forget him. What does it look like to forget God? Moses tells the Israelites, “Be careful that you do not forget the LORDyour God,failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decreesthat I am giving you this day” (Deut 8:11, emphasis added). Forgetting God means failing to obey him. Moses clarified this in parallel statements: “If you ever forget the LORDyour God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. Like the nations the LORDdestroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the LORDyour God” (Deut 8:19-20). Notice that God will destroy Israel if they forget him (Deut 8:19) and if they disobey him (Deut 8:20)—which constitute the same failure.

We face the same danger of forgetting God. God blesses us, yet we disobey him. He delivers us, yet we cherish idols in our hearts. Moses describes God to the Israelites as the one “who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Deut 6:12b). Israel, then, should recall God’s past deliverances in order to not forget him. If they disobey God, they are forgetting the God who rescued them from the hand of Pharaoh. If they forsake God, they are shunning the God who saved them from captivity and destruction.

Israel sang psalms to remember their salvation history. Psalms 78, 105, 106, 135, 136 are examples of how Israel recounted God’s mighty deeds. Psalm 78 tells of the woes that God inflicted on those who “forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them” (Ps 78:11). One such wonder was the exodus from Egypt, an event of monumental importance to Israel’s devotion. Trusting in God meant trusting in the one who delivered them from Pharaoh. God was the one who “displayed his miraculous signs in Egypt” (Ps 78:43a),who “struck down all the firstborn of Egypt” (Ps 78:51a), who “guided them safely, so they were unafraid; but the sea engulfed their enemies” (Ps 78:53). After the exodus, God guided the Israelites: “He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night” (Ps 105:39). God fed them and sustained them: “They asked, and he brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and water gushed out; like a river it flowed in the desert” (Ps 105:41).

But, “They soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel. In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wasteland they put God to the test” (Ps 106:13-14). The fruit of their forgetfulness was disobedience. “At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal. They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass.They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt” (Ps 106:19-21, emphasis added). Later, when God led them into the Promised Land, “They did not destroy the peoples as the LORDhad commanded them, but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them” (Ps 106:34-36).

“They forgot the God who saved them.” These are haunting words. We must guard our prone-to-wander hearts from forgetting the God who saved us. Our need to remember God is why we must preach to ourselves.

What Christians Must Preach to Themselves

While the exodus from Egypt was an amazing deliverance, it paled in comparison to the glorious work of Jesus on the cross. The cross was God’s climactic deliverance of his people, not from Pharaoh but from sin and wrath. The drowning of Pharaoh’s armies was a miniscule victory when compared to the head-crushing blow of Christ on the serpent’s head (Gen 3:15). When Jesus established the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper, he instituted a practice by which believers preachedthe gospel to each other. During the last supper with his disciples, Jesus broke the bread and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me” (1 Cor 11:24).Remembrance. Jesus then took the cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me” (1 Cor 11:25). Paul said “whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Cor 11:26). Jesus was basically saying,Until I return, remember the cross.

Therefore, in order to remember the penal-substitutionary nature of Jesus’ death, believers must preach the gospel to one another by practicing communion. But since believers don’t take communion every day in a corporate gathering, we must care for our souls by preaching the gospel to ourselves. Believers need the good news as often as they face temptation to stray from the God who saved them—which is daily. For the sake of remembering and obeying God, then, believers must preach the gospel to themselves outside the corporate assembly of the saints. The next seven subsections fall under headings which we should frequently preach to our soul.

God Made Everyone for His Glory

This is the foundational statement of everything else that we say to ourselves. The truth that God made everyone for his glory is why sin is so heinous, it’s why we’re guilty, it’s why God is angry, it’s why he sent Jesus, and it’s why he will judge unbelievers and vindicate his name. Reminding ourselves that everything is about God humbles our proud hearts. It’s not about us. God doesn’t exist for my purposes; I exist for his.

Preaching the gospel to ourselves involves reacknowledging why we are here. knowing this truth, we will take seriously Paul’s command, “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col 3:17). Preaching the gospel to oursoul will remind us that all we do is done before our sovereign God. He sees all and knows all. Nothing escapes his view—not the most secret deed, nor the most hidden motive.

Knowing that we exist for God’s glory weakens the pull of worldly enticements for meaning. We were made for the glory of God, not for great riches or worldwide fame or power in the workplace. “Do not love the world or anything in the world,” John said (1 John 2:15a). Because we exist for the glory of God, our highest affections and worship are due to God alone, not to anything or anyone in creation. After all, “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17). Since God made us for his glory, we must not live for what is passing away.

Everyone Deserves the Wrath of God

We should think often about what God has saved us from. Christians should be grateful people, since we will not receive what we deserve—God’s judgment. We live in a culture of entitlement and rights, so it is good to go against the flow and preach to ourselves what we really deserve from God. God doesn’t owe us grace. Every breath and every heartbeat are a gift from him. In fact, anything above being instantly and eternally condemned in hell is an act of his grace.

Christians can be so petty. We hold grudges against family members and church members, allow roots of bitterness to grow against our parents and spouses, and feel that we have been so offended by this thing or the other that we can never let it go. We need to preach the gospel to ourselves, for our pettiness reveals how easily we forget about the God who has forgiven us of every transgression. How can justified sinners justify unforgiveness? “If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matt 6:14-15). God’s forgiveness tous should lead us to show forgiveness to others. When we recall our provocation of God’s righteous judgment and our unworthiness to receive his grace, we should not consider whether or not someonedeservesour forgiveness. No one deserves to be forgiven—that’s what makes gracegrace.

Jesus Died to Satisfy God’s Wrath

This is the central aspect of the cross. Redemption for sinners required the wrath-satisfying death of the blameless and righteous Son of God. We were God’s enemies, yet he sent Christ to reconcile the world to himself. We did not love him, seek him, or worship him, yet he pursued us, while we were rebels and traitors, with his relentless love and sovereign grace. That Jesus bore the penalty we had earned should fill us with love and gratitude. God demonstrated his love by sending Jesus to the cross (Rom 5:8).

When believers wonder if God loves them, they must preach to themselves how Christ bore the wrath of God for them. The horror of the cross is also a blazing display of God’s kindness, a work that purchased full atonement for sin. When Christians battle guilt because of indwelling sin, they must flee to the cross and remember that Christ bore the penalty for every sin—past, present, and future. When saints feel condemned, they must recall that there is no condemnation for all who are in Christ (Rom 8:1). God has forgiven all sinners who trust in his Son, declaring them justified. As Jerry Bridges says, “To preach the gospel to yourself, then, means that you continually face up to your own sinfulness and then flee to Jesus through faith in His shed blood and righteous life. It means that you appropriate, again by faith, the fact that Jesus fully satisfied the law of God, that He is your propitiation, and that God’s holy wrath is no longer directed toward you.” 76

As Christians we must remember what makes the good news good. The gospel is good news for sinners because God has made a way for them to be reconciled to their Creator. The gospel is not good news because it promises us good lives here on earth or eases our guilty consciences. We must preach to ourselves that God reconciles us to himself through the wrath-absorbing sacrifice of Jesus. God is the gospel. He sent Jesus to do what none of us could do: remove the penalty of our sin.

Recalling the penal nature of Jesus’ death will also prevent us from thinking that God forgives us because of something inus. God doesn’t play favorites. God doesn’t compromise his justice when he justifies the wicked, for the basis of the sinner’s justification is the perfect work of Jesus on the cross. Therefore, when we feel unworthy of Christ’s sacrifice and wonder how God could ever have forgiven us, we can rest assured that his forgiveness has no basis in us anyway. We would have never warranted justification. Clinging to the cross-centered gospel helps us to keep our eyes on Christ when our sin makes us despair. “We must be careful that, in preaching the gospel to ourselves, we do not preach a gospel without a cross.” 77

Sin is Not the Master of the Believer

Christ has not only satisfied sin’s penalty, he has broken sin’s power. “You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness” (Rom 6:18). Paul told the Romans, “Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom 6:11). In other words, preach to yourselves that by dying with Christ you have died to sin. We must recognize that our union with Christ breaks the power of sin, in order to obey Paul’s next command: “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires” (Rom 6:12). Fleeing from sin, then, begins with understanding that the power of the gospel has severed the power of sin.

In Romans 6 Paul also reminds us that being under the power of sin brings nothing but death and destruction. We must preach to ourselves the same truth: sin deceives us and never delivers on its promises. Being a slave to sin “leads to death” (Rom 6:16) and to “ever-increasing wickedness” (Rom 6:19). Paul reiterates his point: the “benefit” that sinners “reap” from sin is “death” (Rom 6:21), which is no benefit at all. Apart from Christ, sinners love what hurts and destroys them.

Believers need the gospel in order to remember that, even though we are free in Christ from sin’s bondage and control, we should not even flirt with evil. We should not give iniquity a passing glance, much less a lingering stare. The psalmist said to God, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Ps 119:11). Of all that God revealed to his people, the message of the gospel is most important. Burying the gospel deep within us is a strategy to fight against loving and committing sin. The message reminds us that since Christ died for sin, we shouldn’t love it. We should not treasure sin, for its essence is to treasure what is not God.

Believers Are Still Being Saved

The gospel does not teach salvation as a totally past event. The message of the cross is the power of God “to us whoare being saved” (1 Cor 1:18, emphasis added), indicating a present and ongoing aspect of salvation. Because God’s saving work continues after conversion, Paul said, “Therefore, my dear friends . . . continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Phil 2:12-13). We must “work out” because God “works in.” Our past conversiondoesn’t justify a passive Christian life. Instead, the gospel calls us to an active pursuit of holiness. We must seek “to act according to his good purpose,” knowing all along that it is God empowering our obedience.

God’s ongoing work of salvation is called sanctification, which is his grand plan to form a people who reflect the likeness of his Son. God justifies sinners so that their legal standing changes, but believers are still morally unrighteous. Thus begins the process by which God makes his people holy. Peter said, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do . . . Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul” (1 Pet 1:15; 2:11).

Justification is connected to sanctification, without exception. Paul says, “And those [God] predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified” (Rom 8:30). The term “glorified” refers to the completion of God’s sanctifying and transforming work in the believer. So believers must recognize that sinful attitudes and behaviors are incompatible with the pursuit of holiness. This doesn’t mean only perfect Christians are serious about holiness; rather, in the pursuit of holiness, we renounce the works of iniquity that characterized our old life in Adam. For example, “Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people” (Eph 5:3). The writer of Hebrews told his readers, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles” (Heb 12:1b).

It is biblically incoherent to cheapen grace by telling oneself,I’m forgiven, so now I can live any way I want. Such a reprehensible attitude is all too common, and Paul ascribes it to the thinking of unbelievers. “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; howcan we live in it any longer?” (Rom 6:1b-2). Unbelievers, not believers, want to live in sin. People who sin in order to make much of grace are like those who say, “Let us do evil that good may result”—and such people face righteous condemnation by God (Rom 3:8).

Believers must preach to themselves that the gospel saves them for the purpose of Christlikeness. We must flee from sin (2 Tim 2:22), kill the deeds of the flesh (Rom 8:13), not love the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does (1 John 2:16), and not let unwholesome speech come from our mouths (Eph 4:29). We must persevere in the race (Heb 12:1-2), hold to the gospel which saved us (1 Cor 15:2a), work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12), maintain a pure and sincere devotion to Christ (2 Cor 11:3), and pass on the teachings about Christ to disciples from the nations of the world (Matt 28:19-20).

Suffering Serves the Sanctification of Believers

The gospel is a cross-centered message, and a tenet of its teaching is the paradigm of the cross for the Christian life. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). The cross was an instrument of torture and death. The daily pursuit of Jesus, then, is a path marked with suffering along the way. Jesus told Ananias about his plans for Paul: “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:16).

For the believer, suffering is not aimless or pointless. James wrote, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that thetesting of your faithdevelops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may bemature and complete, not lacking anything” (Jam 1:2-4, emphasis added). In other words, suffering serves the sanctification of Christians. God’s designthrough our suffering is our maturity. Romans 8:28 assures us of this good design: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Christians are those “who love him” and “who have been called.” Paul promises, then, that there is no wasted suffering in the Christian life. God works all things for our good. Echoing James, Paul wrote, “We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Rom 5:3-4).

Paul taught churches about the connection between discipleship and suffering: “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22b). The gospel is a cross-centered message that demands a cross-centered life, which includes suffering. Despite the cost of carrying it daily, the cross became Paul’s only boast: “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal 6:14). Paul spoke of his obedience in terms of the death of Jesus: “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body” (2 Cor 4:10-11).

Discipleship demands obedience from sinners. The gospel tells them to turn from their sins and follow Christ, no matter the cost. “And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). So people should consider the cost of gospel-obedience, which includes difficulty and suffering. Jesus presented two scenarios which we should ponder: “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? . . . Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit downand consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?” (Luke 14:28, 31). The gospel is not a message that will only take five minutes of your time, as I’ve heard some evangelists say. True discipleship means you must die—to sin and self. Jesus demands your life: “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it” (Luke 9:24).

Believers shouldn’t want unbelievers to thoughtlessly and recklessly commit to Christ. Our responsibility is not to engineer decisions. We need to be clear about the gospel and what it entails. We must be upfront with sinners, just as Jesus was. Yes, many may not follow after the hard gospel when it is shared, but at least those who follow will do so because they are truly repentant and trust in Christ in a way that treasures him above all things.

So when suffering comes—and it will—preach the gospel to yourself. Remember that Jesus called his disciples to radical devotion and discipleship, graphically described as taking up an instrument of torture and death. But also preach to yourself that no suffering is ever wasted. God, the Master Designer, works all things for the good of his people. Preach to yourself and agree with Paul, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Rom 8:18).

Believers Have a Sure and Incomparable Hope

The gospel is more than, but is certainly no less than, a message of hope. This hope is both sure and incomparable. It is sure because God never promises beyond what he will deliver. He never breaks his word. Peter encouraged his readers with the promise of our future inheritance “that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you” (1 Pet 1:4). In other words, our hope is secure. Christians are children offaith like Abraham, and thus heirs of the world (Rom 4:13). Paul said, “All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours” (1 Cor 3:21b-22). It doesn’t look like this is true now, since Christians suffer rejection and persecution, but possessing all things is our hope.

The Christian hope is incomparable because our glorious future completely transcends all earthly costs paid in this life. Remember, God is working all things for our good. It may not all look good yet, but God is still at work. “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Cor 4:17). Since Paul’s next topic is the bodily resurrection (2 Cor 5:1-10), it is probable that the “eternal glory” has particular reference to the future bodily resurrection of the saints. This line of thinking parallels Romans 8, where Paul first speaks about the incomparable coming glory that will be revealed (Rom 8:18) and then mentions the bodily resurrection of believers (Rom 8:19, 23).

While we live in a suffering world now—and even suffer ourselves—this will not always be the case. A day of worldwide renewal and transformation is coming, the redemption of all creation (Rom 8:21-22), and God will make all things new (Rev 21:5). The resurrection of the body is part of the Christian hope (Rom 8:24-25; Acts 24:15), and it is incomparable. When the Lord raises the saints and transforms those still alive at his return, we will be fully convinced of the truth of Romans 8:18 and 2 Corinthians 4:17. The realization of our glorious hope will convince us that every physical pain, every sickness, every emotional turmoil, every mental burden, every spiritual trial was worth it. But we don’t have this full realization yet, which is why we hope for it—for “hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?” (Rom 8:24b-c).

Believers await the glorious return of Jesus, when “there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked” (Acts 24:15). The righteous “will rise to live,” and the wicked “will rise to be condemned” (John 5:29). At the judgment seat of God, unbelievers will face their evil deeds and receive the sentence of everlasting judgment. Regarding believers, Jesus will assess their lives and either bestow or deny rewards: “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Cor 5:10). Also, “His work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames” (1 Cor 3:13-15).

God intends the future of the saints to affect how they live now, which is why we must preach to ourselves. What you hope for will shape how you live. If your hope is anchored in this world only, you will live with a worldly mindset and values. But if your hope is rooted in God’s future plan for all things, then you will live with an eternal mindset. Paul said, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Col 3:2). Despite the mocking of many, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief” (2 Pet 3:10a). Peter taught that God will remake the world (2 Pet 3:10b, 12-13). But notice his key question: “Since everything will be destroyed in this way,what kind of people ought you to be?” (2 Pet 3:11a, emphasis added). Peter connects his readers’ Christian hope to their present obedience: “So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him . . . You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming” (2 Pet 3:14, 11b-12a). We mustpreach the Christian hope to ourselves so that we will live for Christ, not conform to the values of a world that is passing away.

Preaching to Your Soul in Happiness and Despair

In the last main section of this chapter, I want to talk about the emotional extremes of life and how the gospel applies to them. We will first look at times of prosperity and happiness, which may seem like surprising circumstances to warrant preaching the gospel to ourselves. Then we will look at times of despair, which will characterize all of us at some point, and we will see the power of preaching the gospel when our souls are downcast.

Preaching to Your Soul in Times of Happiness

While we should certainly be grateful to God for circumstances of peace and happiness, such times may tempt us to forget God. We can feel so secure that we begin to think and act independently of God. I am defininghappinessin this subsection as favorable earthly circumstances and the corresponding feelings that result. When we have worldly securities, their allure can overshadow their temporal nature. In times of earthly tranquility we may lose the urgency to be faithful soldiers in spiritual battle. The blessings of this world can become curses, idols before which we sacrifice what matters for eternity.

God knew that Israel would face the temptation of waywardness when he prepared them for entrance into the Promised Land. While we have previously referenced Deuteronomy 6, this chapter warrants a second look. The Promised Land would have “large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant” (Deut 6:10b-11). knowing theblessings in store for the Israelites, God warned them: “Be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Deut 6:12). The Israelites would be tempted to disobey God in light of such lavish blessings, so they needed to be aware of who God was, preach to themselves his mighty acts of power, and remember the slavery from which he delivered them.

“I would never do that,” you might say. But overconfidence is its own temptation, and it blinds Christians from the precipice of destruction when they approach it. Using the history of Israel as an illustration, Paul warned the Corinthians, “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Cor 10:12). We must not presume the security of our current state, since we are not above temptation and can easily lose our spiritual footing. “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov 16:18). Christians may develop an inflated sense of their spirituality, a condition that both blinds and deludes them. Christians constantly impressed with their degree of godliness don’t see the wickedness of their pride, but God does.

I am not trying to cast earthly blessings in a bad light. We shouldn’t fear blessings or spiritual victories. We should, however, keep close watch on our heart’s response to them. Take the rich young ruler as an example. Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Matt 19:21). But the rich man left sad “because he had great wealth” (Matt 19:22). Then Jesus spoke a sobering statement to his disciples: “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 19:23). The young rich man had treasure, but not where it counted. He was blessed with possessions, but he would not give them up for Jesus. Tragically, he treasured his possessions more than following Jesus.

Think back to the parable of the sower in Mark 4. The word is sown in some people “like seed sown among thorns” (Mark 4:18). The thorns represent earthly pursuits. “The worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful” (Mark 4:19). We need to preach to ourselves that times of great earthly gain and pleasure can be potentially spiritually hazardous and destructive. The wisdom of Ecclesiastes foretells the inner insatiability of money-lovers: “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless” (Eccl 5:10).

Paul warned Timothy about the seduction of great wealth: “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Tim 6:9-10). When you obsess over income and possibilities of making more money, preach to yourself the transitory nature and dangerous love of money. Preach to yourself the treasure of Jesus, the one who truly satisfies the soul. Preach to yourself about the slippery surface of self-assurance and pride. Take heed, lest you fall.

The wise person builds his or her life on the teaching of Jesus, in good times and in bad. The issue is the quality of the foundation, not the condition of the weather. Weather changes. Clear skies can quickly fill with storm clouds, and a light breeze can become fierce and deadly. There is a storm coming for the wise man. “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matt 7:25). Then there was the other builder (Matt 7:26). Things didn’t end well for him (Matt 7:27).

Many professing Christians should reevaluate their foundation. My concern is that many people have confused the gospel with the American dream. Jesus doesn’t save us in order to give us good kids, a well-paying job, two cars, great friends, long life, and a comfortable retirement. These things sound nice, but they are idols when they become the things for which we live. The American dream is not the gospel. “We have in many areas blindly and unknowingly embraced values and ideas that are common in our culture but are antithetical to the gospel [Jesus] taught. Here we stand amid an American dream dominated by self-advancement, self-esteem, self-sufficiency, by individualism, materialism, and universalism.” 78  We may, in fact, become so entitled that we think God has wronged us if any of the above luxuries don’t materialize at some point. Remember, though, it is hard for the rich to enter the kingdom, and Jesus wasn’t just talking about millionaires. On a global scale, when over half of the world’s population lives on two dollars a day,weare the rich people. If you’re reading this book, it’s probably not because you decided to purchase it instead of feeding your family for a week.

If your vision of Christian discipleship is equivalent to the American dream, you’ve been deceived. “The dangerous assumption we unknowingly accept in the American dream is that our greatest asset is our own ability. The American dream prizes what people can accomplish when they believe in themselves and trust in themselves, and we are drawn toward such thinking.” 79  Being self-reliant is tricky, because seeking moral independence from God was the temptation in Genesis 3:5.We may gain such confidence in ourselves that we reject our need for the gospel.

We always need the gospel, especially when we don’t think we need the gospel! During those times we must preach to ourselves our depravity and constant need for grace. When we feel independent of God, we must preach the cross-centered gospel that brings us to our knees and humbles our proud hearts once more. When we feel like abandoning Christian discipleship for the American dream, we must preach to ourselves the message that upholds Jesus as the satisfier of men’s souls. We must preach the gospel to ourselves because our hearts are unreliable and easily deceived. If we don’t think we need the gospel when all is well, it’s an indication that all is not well. When we don’t think we need the gospel in the good times, it’s an indication that we need it badly.

Preaching to Your Soul in Times of Despair

But all is not well in the world around us. “A Christian is a person who decides to face and live through suffering. If we do not make that decision, we are endangered on every side.” 80  Sometimes—many times—we face circumstances that drain our drive and empty our emotions. There may be times when you’ve cried so much that you can’t shed another tear. You may feel all hope is lost, that there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, and that no one could possibly empathize with your situation. You are in total despair.

I love the book of Psalms for many reasons, particularly because it presents the full array of human emotion. Many psalms portray the writer in hopeless situations, but I think Psalms 42 and 43 are the most helpful in demonstrating preaching to your soul. The psalmist begins with stating his longing for God, a longing that leaves him breathless: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God” (Ps 42:1). The psalmist’s desire for God leaves him spiritually thirsty: “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Ps 42:2).

While the psalmist wants God, he is consumed by personal distress and external taunts: “My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’” (Ps 42:3). Circumstances were not always miserable, though. The psalmist recalls times of great joy and celebration: “These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng” (Ps 42:4). Sometimes, though, remembering the good times while enduring despairing circumstances can result in more frustration, not less.

Then the psalmist models for us what we should do in hopeless situations. He preaches to himself. First he asks two synonymous questions: “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?” (Ps 42:5a-b). Next he exhorts himself: “Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Ps 42:5c-6a). The psalmist repeats his questions and exhortation two more times, in 42:11 and

43:5.“The first thing we have to learn is what the Psalmist learned—we must learn to take ourselves in hand. This man was not content just to lie down and commiserate with himself. He does something about it, he takes himself in hand.” 81

“Taking ourselves in hand” is not an automatic response. When our soul is in despair, we might consider turning from God and laying in self-pity. But instead of being led by his easily-deceived heart, the psalmist tells himself what to do.Hope in God, he tells his soul,hope in God!Exhorting ourselves about where we should fix our gaze is the remedy to despondency, and sometimes we must exhort ourselves again and again and again—for we can be awfully stubborn at heart, and self-pity is lighter fluid for a victim mentality’s flame. However, when we feel hopeless, we have a choice: hope in God, or not. “I say that we must talk to ourselves instead of allowing ‘ourselves’ to talk to us . . . Am I just trying to be deliberately paradoxical? Far from it. This is the very essence of wisdom in this matter. Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?” 82

Sometimes we may feel like the gospel isn’t the answer, but that’s only because we haven’t correctly diagnosed the problem. Despair has spiritual roots, and preaching the gospel to your soul is the solution. The battle against despair is really a battle to believe the truth of the gospel in those moments. God’s will for us is that, in all circumstances, we will find joy in him, pray continually, and live gratefully (1 Thess 5:16-18). In other words, we battle despondency by focusing on God, not on ourselves. We must tell ourselves where to fix our hope:Put your hope in God!Lloyd-Jones masterfully said, “You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself. You must say to your soul: ‘Why art thou cast down?’ . . . You must turn on yourself, upbraid yourself, condemn yourself, exhort yourself, and say to yourself: ‘Hope thou in God.’” 83

As the writer of Hebrews said, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Heb 12:2-3). Preaching the gospel to our downcast souls involves reflection on the suffering and resolve of Jesus. We must think about the cross. On the cross Christ bore our shame, our guilt, our punishment. We must “consider him . . . so that [we] will not grow weary and lose heart.” Strength in the race comes from meditating on Jesus, not from thinking on something else.

Paul exhorted the Corinthians similarly: “Therefore we do not lose heart . . . So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor 4:16a, 18). Fix your eyes, your soul, on Christ. Preach the gospel of Christ’s lordship to your downcast soul so that you can get your eyes off yourself. While it may not seem like it at the time, despair for the believer is temporary. A day is coming when “[God] will wipe every tear” (Rev 21:4a). Like the psalmist, then, we must preach hope to ourselves.

We preach to our souls so that we can develop a certain mindset in times of hopelessness. Peter told his readers, “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Pet 1:13). If we do not preach to our souls in times of distress and discouragement, we will not develop a God-honoring mindset for enduring trials. James said, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (Jam 1:12). In other words, “the big difference is not in what people suffer but in the way they suffer.” 84

Hopeless situations don’t inevitably lead to a downcast soul, but they can. So you must be ready, armed with the gospel. As a justified sinner, you can preach the gospel to yourself, and you will find that the gospel saves the wicked and sustains the weary. “Hearing the word of the cross, and preaching it to ourselves, is the central strategy for sinners in the fight for joy. Nothing works without this. Here is where we start. And here is where we stay. We never outgrow the gospel.” 85

74.    Mahaney, Living the Cross Centered Life, 132.

75.    Piper, When I Don’t Desire God, 76.

76.    Bridges, The Discipline of Grace, 59.

77.    Ibid., 60.

78.    David Platt, Radical: Taking Your Faith Back from the American Dream (Colorado Springs: Multnomah Books, 2010), 19.

79.    Ibid., 46.

80.    Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, 137.

81.    Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1965), 20.

82.    Ibid.

83.    Ibid., 21.

84.    Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, 145.

85.    Piper, When I Don’t Desire God, 91.

7

Saved by the Head to Serve the Body:

Learning to Love the Church of Christ

We should not hate what Jesus loves, and Jesus loves the church. When God saves sinners through the gospel, they become part of the church of Jesus Christ, but that’s not a welcomed reality for many professing Christians. I’ve met people who hate the church. Some of them grew up in it and left it later, others never understood the purpose of church involvement and so have never even considered it, and then there are people who attend services every week but dread every moment of it. And every week people from group three are transferring to group one. Perhaps you fall into one of these groups, or you know someone who does. If you love the church of Jesus Christ, I still think you should read this chapter, but I especially want to address those who think the church of Christ is irrelevant. The New Testament doesn’t conceive of a Christian following Jesus divorced from a group of fellow believers; yet, many professing Christians are quite confident that they don’t need to worship with other believers, listen to the corporate teaching of Scripture, or invest their time and gifts for the edification of a church. My aim in this chapter is to demonstrate that obedience to Jesus involves devotion to his church.

The Church as the Bride and Body of Jesus

There’s not just one answer to the question, “What is the church of Jesus?” According to the New Testament, two answers are: the church is the bride of Christ and the body of Christ. We should reflect on the termsbrideandbodyin order to gain an understanding of how precious the church is to Jesus. “We don’t hear what God has to say about the church because his voice is drowned out by the noise of our own experiences, perceptions, and disillusionment.” 86  Once we understand the importance of the church, hopefully we will see the church differently.

The Bride of Jesus

Suppose someone approached you and said, “I hate your wife. She’s ugly, and I want nothing to do with her. But you and I can be friends.” How would you respond? This is certainly an awkward way to begin a relationship with someone. But many professing Christians say, “Jesus, I want you. But I hate your church. She’s ugly, and I want nothing to do with her.” When professing Christians think or say such things, they are berating the bride of Jesus Christ. That’s right:the bride. According to John 3:29, “The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.” John the Baptist was the friend of Jesus, the bridegroom. John was full of joy at the arrival of Jesus, for he had come for his people, the bride.

Using marital language, the New Testament has at least three truths to teach us about the church as the bride of Christ. First, Jesus died for his bride. If Jesus died for the church, then we should not denigrate what Jesus purchased with his blood. Paul used Jesus’ sacrificial death for the church as his analogy for how husbands should love their wives: “Husbands, love your wives,just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph 5:25, emphasis added). The words “gave himself up” refer to the voluntary humiliation of his crucifixion. No one took his life from him (John 10:18a); he gave it up. And he didn’t give his life up for something abstract—he died for the church. When Paul warned the Corinthians against causing “the weak” among them to stumble, he said, “So this weak brother,for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge” (1 Cor 8:11, emphasis added). The church is the blood-bought bride of Jesus (Acts 20:28b).

Second, Jesus cares for his bride. “The strongest argument I know for why you and I should love and care about the Church is that Jesus does.” 87  Paul said, “Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, buthe feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church” (Eph 5:28-29, emphasis added). Jesus shows his love for the church by caring for and strengthening it. Jesus cleanses the church with his gospel word (John 15:3), and he nourishes his people so that they may grow and bear fruit (John 15:4-5). “Christ’s love for His Church is not flighty—He is tender and patient. His love isn’t fickle—He is committed. He intercedes on our behalf constantly before the Father. He nourishes, cherishes, sustains, protects. Christ’s love for us is so deep and His identification with us so real that He views us as His own body. In our union with Him, His life extends to us.” 88  Apart from Jesus, the church cannot love and live for him.

Third, Jesus is returning for his bride. The first stage of a Jewish wedding was the engagement, and that’s the period of time in which Christians live. We have been promised to one husband, Christ (2 Cor 11:2), a betrothal sealed at conversion. But the consummation of the relationship between Christ and his bride is still in the future. Just as there would be a presentation of the bride to the bridegroom on the wedding day, a day of presentation will also occur for the church. Paul told the Corinthians, “I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him” (2 Cor 11:2b). Also, Jesus will “present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Eph 5:27). This presentation of the church to Christ will occur at the Second Coming. “And now, dear children,” John wrote, “continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming . . . Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 2:28; 3:2). The wedding day will be one of glorification and transformation. Even now the church is a beautiful bride, justified by the grace of God, clothed in the righteousness of Christ alone. Jesus is a faithful bridegroom, who will never forsake his church by leaving her for another.

The Body of Jesus

Salvation has both individual and corporate aspects, and marginalizing either aspect results in an inadequate understanding of what God does when he saves sinners. God certainly redeems sinners individually, but at conversion believers are also “all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Cor 12:13). We must think about what the New Testament teaches regarding the portrayal of the church as Christ’sbody.

First, a body has a head. “[Jesus] is the head of the body, the church” (Col 1:18a; cf. 1:24; Eph 1:22-23a). This means that neither pastors nor members are the head of the church. As head, Jesus is the church’s authoritative guide and Lord, source and nourishment. Jesus is the great Shepherd of his sheep (Heb 13:20b). Bridal language overlaps with body language in Ephesians: “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior” (Eph 5:23). Paul then notes that “the church submits to Christ” (Eph 5:24a), the appropriate response of the body to its head. Proper body function means that the members of the body obey the head. If the head wants the feet to move and they won’t, something is wrong with the organic connection between the head and the body.

Second, a body has members. “The body is a unit,” Paul said, “though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body” (1 Cor 12:12-13a). Individual believers are the parts of the body of Christ. Paul taught that the composition of the members is ethnically diverse—“whether Jews or Greeks”—and socially irrelevant—“slave or free,” for “we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Cor 12:13). Racism has no place in the body of Christ, for all races in Christ drink from the same Holy Spirit. And while categories of social status matter to the world, believers will view people differently through the eyes of Christ. For example, Paul taught that slaves were not inferior to free men (Gal 3:28).

Third, a body needs all of its members. “As it is, there are many parts, but one body” (1 Cor 12:20). It is important to acknowledge the necessity of all members, because as justified sinners we may face the temptation to feel inferior to others. We must preach to ourselves that all believers belong to the church. “If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body” (1 Cor 12:15-16). On the other hand, sometimes we must confront attitudes of superiority in the church. “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’” (1 Cor 12:21). Instead, the parts of the body—the members of the church—need one another. “God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be” (1 Cor 12:18). He designed his church “so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other” (1 Cor 12:25).

Fourth, a body has various abilities. An eye can see, an ear can hear, feet can walk, hands can hold, mouths can speak. These functions are analogous to the fact that the Holy Spirit has given each believer at least one spiritual gift for the edification of the body (1 Cor 12:7). “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Rom 12:4-5). Lists of spiritual gifts appear in Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, Ephesians 4:11, and 1 Peter 4:10-11, but none of the lists is exhaustive. While this is not the place to delve into a thorough investigation of the spiritual gifts, we can surmise such a topic by emphasizing that each believer is responsible to serve and edify the body of Christ with his or her spiritual gift(s). “Each one should use whatever gift hehas received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10). The phrase “various forms” is important, since not all spiritual gifts are the same (1 Cor 12:4). However, the different gifts all derive from a common source: the gifts “are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines” (1 Cor 12:11). In other words, the Holy Spirit sovereignly distributes spiritual gifts to the people of God. The body of Christ has different members with different spiritual gifts given by the same Spirit, and each member should serve the church for the purpose of edifying the whole body.

Fifth, a body is concerned about all of its members, not just some of them. There are times when one part of the body affects other parts. Sometimes a throbbing head can make your stomach sick; overworking your arms can strain your back; spraining an ankle can make your whole foot hurt and then walking upright can be painful and difficult. Paul wrote about the connection believers have with one another in the body of Christ: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (1 Cor 12:26). The parts of the body “should have equal concern for each other” (1 Cor 12:25b). Christians should “rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Rom 12:15).

Why the Church May Not Matter to You

“What someone thinks about the church tells us exactly what that person is thinking about Christianity.” 89  Judging by how many professing Christians have such a low view of the church’s value, there is much that is misunderstood about the Christian faith. There is misunderstanding about what God expects from his people. Even the notion that God expectssomething of believers may be surprising to some, since grace comes cheap nowadays, and discipleship comes without personal cost and sacrifice.

Christ expects more from his body than for its members to show up for a weekly service. God isn’t impressed that you can warm a pew. He wants a gathered people sharing life together and loving one another. He wants people serving, giving, and sacrificing. He wants people to love, compromise, and edify each other. He wants people to worship God, evangelize unbelievers, and disciple the nations. In short, Jesus wants the church to be the church!

Why doesn’t church involvement matter to many professing Christians? Many attenders are completely disengaged from the life of the church body. And why doesn’t the church matter to those who don’t attend at all—those who, if confronted about their uninvolvement or lack of attendance, are not short on excuses? Eugene Peterson said, “One of the afflictions of pastoral work has been to listen, with a straight face, to all the reasons people give for not going to church . . . I listen (with a straight face) and go home and pray that person will one day find the one sufficient reason for going to church, which is God.” 90  During my years in church ministry, here are six common reasons people have given for why they don’t attend church or, if they do attend, why they don’t pursue church involvement:

“Sunday is the Only Time I Have with My Family”

Some people might reason that precious hours with their family on Sundays should be spent at home, not at church. I want to affirm family-togetherness, but I want to insist on the proper Sunday location. My friend, if the only time you have with your family is on Sunday, then for the sake of their souls and yours take them to worship with the people of God and sit under the preaching of the word of God! Besides, the best family time that you can have together will be spent worshiping our Lord.

Dads and moms, if you don’t guide your family into weekly worship, think about what you are communicating to your children about God. You are modeling that your activities and fun as a family are more important than participating in the corporate worship of God. If you profess to be a Christian, do you replace corporate worship with anything in the name of family time? Since the body of Christ is our Christian family, involvement in corporate worshipisspending time with family—the family of God.

“We Just Don’t Have Time”

If you don’t have time for church involvement, you’re too busy. It’s as simple as that. I grew up listening to my mom say, “People do what they want to do.” Not having enough time is simply an excuse, because we make time for what we want to do. “We build our lives around our priorities. Building your life around the church means making it the kind of priority that secondary concerns flowaround, not over.” 91

People seem to make time for what doesn’t matter, thereby displacing time for what matters most. Looking at the options before us, we must choose what is best, not simply what is good. Too many good things vie for our devotion, but the church of Jesus Christ is the best choice. I hope you’re not misunderstanding me to say that we should all be at some church event every day of the week. I wouldn’t advocate that for anyone. But before you can teach your children what matters most, you must first make sure it matters most to you. We will live out what matters to us, and our children will see it.

The gospel must wreck our worldly priorities and shatter our worldly delusions. We must have our minds sobered by what is worth living and dying for. It’s about ultimate gain. If what matters to you is the earth being full of the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea (Isa 11:9), then you will not think lightly of the church of Jesus Christ. If what matters to you is growing in the gospel and helping others do the same, then you will not marginalize the church of Jesus Christ. At bottom, you will do what matters most to you. But the question is whether what you do matters most to God.

“I Attended When I Was a Kid”

People who say this seem to imagine church as a temporary obligation, and they have put in their time. This excuse reveals a fundamental misunderstanding about the whole nature of corporate worship—church isn’t something you outgrow, nor is it offered on a trial basis. This excuse reveals an ignorance of why Christians attend corporate worship in the first place. Perhaps this person hated church as a kid; they found it boring, unengaging, and ultimately irrelevant. This excuse, then, warrants an explanation of why God engages his people in corporate worship, why preaching is crucial for the growth of the believer, and why serving the church with spiritual gifts is an act of obedience to God. A person who says “I did that when I was young” needs a thorough introduction to biblical ecclesiology. After all, the church is the bride and body of Christ. God is worthy of worship, at any age, and believers should be active and involved members of his church.

“There are Too Many Hypocrites in the Church”

This is a common excuse that is easily addressed. A hypocrite is someone who claims to be something they’re not. However, most Christians don’t claim to be perfect. The word hypocrite, then, probably doesn’t apply to believers as often as the objector imagines. On the other hand, if a Christian were to say, “I don’t sin,” and then sins, he or she would be ahypocrite—and self-deceived (1 John 1:8). But I think when most people complain about hypocrites in the church, they mean something like, “This person claims to be a Christian but does things that are unchristian.” My response? Yes, Christians sin, but they are repentant sinners, justified by grace through faith. Christians have an Advocate, Christ, who dispels the accusations of the Evil One.

This excuse is easily addressed because it implies a hidden assumption about the church that isn’t true: the church should be comprised of Christians who never do anything ungodly. The Bible never gives us any reason to make such an assumption about the church. The body of Christ more closely resembles a hospital than a country club. The church is full of broken people, sinners who see their need for grace and cling to Christ as their only hope. So you’d expect that in the church there would be Christians who sometimes do ungodly things. Notice I didn’t say that it’s acceptable for Christians to act in unchristian ways, just that believers are still sinners.

So if your knowledge of Christians doing ungodly things has led to your abandonment of corporate worship with the body of Christ, let me remind you that everyone will stand before God alone on the day of judgment. The solution to the problem of Christians hurting the reputation of the church isnot to abandon the church but to lead by example. 92  We need believers who demonstrate more faithfulness to the gospel, not less. We need believers who model more devotion to the church, not less. If your frustration is with Christians acting in unchristian ways, don’t respond in such a way yourself and abandon the corporate gathering of the people of God.

I have seen many people leave a local body of Christ and never begin attending another corporate gathering anywhere else. They abandon the church, cold turkey. It’s tragic when that happens. I’ve talked with people who have said, “As long as that person goes there, I’m never setting foot in that place.” How does one’s anger at another Christian justify such bitterness and unforgiveness? It doesn’t. It just compounds sin.

Yes, the church is full of sinners, but we are justified by grace because we trust in the work of Christ alone. Christians are not perfect, but our Savior is—and he is why we gather together for worship.

“Going to Church Services Doesn’t Make You a Christian”

No, attending church services doesn’t save you, but it is an act of obedience, which is something Christians should care about. No, attending church services doesn’t redeem you, but it is the time when the redeemed gather to worship God, hear from his word, and fellowship with one another. No, corporate worship doesn’t result in forgiveness, but it is the context in which Christians spur one another on toward growth and discipleship.

Christians don’t worship corporately because they hope that God will save them but because God hasalreadysaved them. Saying “I don’t have to go to church to be a Christian” reveals ignorance about why God has gifted and commissioned Christians. God saves Christians for himself and his own purposes, not for their purposes and goals in life. This excuse exposes a fundamental me-centered attitude in the objector. The need, then, is God-centeredness and gospel growth—things which, ironically, occur in the context of a community of believers depending on the power of the Spirit to appropriate the good news in every area of their lives.

To be a faithful, obedient, God-centered disciple, you need the church of Jesus Christ. You need to belong. “Today we live in an increasingly fragmented world. That mind-set has influenced the way we approach our relationship with God. Faith is a solo pursuit. These days, experts describe America as a nation of ‘believers’ but not ‘belongers.’” 93  But believers should not succumb to the cultural ideals of independence and self-sufficiency. We should not live fragmented lives. In a true sense, we belong to the body of Christ through God’s saving work, so we should live out the reality of that belonging. Otherwise we are members in rebellion against the body—and the Head.

Charles Spurgeon spoke clearly and strongly about Christians giving themselves to the church: “I know there are some who say, ‘Well, I have given myself to the Lord, but I do not intend to give myself to the church.’ Now why not? ‘Because I can be a Christian without it.’ Are you quite clear about that? You can be as good a Christian by disobedience to your Lord’s command as by being obedient? What is a brick made for? To help build a house. It is of no use for that brick to tell you that it is just as good a brick while it is kicking about on the ground as it would be in the house. It is a good-for-nothing brick. So you rolling-stone Christians, I do not believe that you are answering your purpose. You are living contrary to the life which Christ would have you live, and you are much to blame for the injury you do.” 94

“Church is Boring”

My first reply is, Who says church should always be exciting? Boredom is also a subjective judgment, since what one person finds boring another person may find riveting. But the amusement factor of a church service shouldn’t determine whether or not we attend. We should worship corporately because we want to worship God with his people, hear from his word, and edify the body with our spiritual gift(s).

Michael Horton’s admission is a breath of fresh air: “Let’s face it: a traditional Christian service of public invocation, Bible reading, prayer, preaching, and sacraments is not ordinarilyfun. . . On an average month of Sundays, every believershouldfind church a little boring. I find marriage a little boring. And raising four children. And going to work every day . . . If we made all of our decisions based on how highly it scored today on the fun meter, we would never commit ourselves to relationships and processes that take a long time to see any results.” 95

Or take kevin DeYoung’s comments on boredom: “We haven’t learned the spiritual discipline of being bored for Jesus. Our jobs are often mundane. Our devotional times often seem like a waste. Church services are often forgettable. That’s life. We drive to the same places, go through the same routines with our coworkers, buy the same groceries at the store, and mow the same yard every spring and summer. Church is often the same too—same doctrines, same basic order of worship, same preacher, same people . . . Daily discipleship is not a new revolution each morning or an agent of global transformation every evening; it’s a long obedience in the same direction.” 96

Doesn’t that take the pressure off a bit? Quit worrying about whether church is exciting or amusing—seek to worship the Lord with his people. Quit fretting over the length of the pastor’s sermons, whether or not you think he’s funny, and try to concentrate the best you can on what he’s saying—you might even try jotting some notes. Pursuing church for its entertainment value is a dead-end road, because we should gather to worship God, not be preoccupied with our preferences and tastes.

If you find church a bit boring, maybe your attitude—rather than the church (but perhaps the church too, in some areas)—needs to change. “Pastors should strive to make their sermons easy to understand and to engage the attention of their listeners. But ultimately, it’s still the responsibility of the people hearing a sermon to listen carefully and apply the truth they hear.” 97  The most important question when leaving a worship service is not, “What did I think of the service today?” The most important question is, “What did God think of the service today?” Asking the question this way changes everything. It transfers the focus from you to God.

Why the Church Should Matter to You

Since the church matters to Jesus, it should matter to you. Having discussed some excuses that people give for not gathering together with a church, we now need to see the biblical foundation for the church’s significance. We need a framework through which to approach life in a body of Christ full of sinners. Let’s look at three biblical reasons why Christiansshouldworship corporately. I hope to motivate you to maintain devotion to a local church, wherever you are.

Christians Have a Mandate to Gather

First of all, involvement in the body of Christ is obedience to Christ. “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Heb 10:25). This first person plural statement is a command, indicating that forsaking the church of Jesus Christ is an act of disobedience. Apparently some people were “in the habit” of giving up gathering together. But the writer of Hebrews reminds us of Christ’s return—“the Day.” Since “the Day” is still approaching, we should still not give up meeting together. Instead, we should encourage one another. “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Heb 10:24).

While Hebrews 10:25 explicitly commands believers to gather together, the assembly of the saints is assumed throughout the New Testament. For example, the authors of the letters addressed their epistles to churches and to people who worked in churches. In that culture, believers wanted to gather together because of their like-minded faith, not because they were all the same. At Rome, Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians worshiped together. At Colossae, free men and slaves went to the same house church. At Corinth, the rich and the poor assembled together.

Neither Paul nor any other writer conceives of churchless disciples of Jesus. When you followed Jesus, you followed him with a band of brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. In fact, it is impossible to obey certain biblical commands without involvement in church. You can’t “be devoted to one another in brotherly love” (Rom 12:10a) if you aren’t involved with believers. You can’t exercise church discipline against wayward members (1 Cor 5:1-13) if you don’t belong to a church body that prioritizes church health. You can’t take the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Christ (1 Cor 11:23-26) if you don’t attend a church that faithfully practices this ordinance. You can’t build up the body of Christ with your spiritual gift(s) (1 Cor 12:7) if you are not serving in a church.

You can’t be a faithful and obedient Christian without involvement in the church of Jesus Christ. Gathering with other believers is what makes obedience to other commandspossible, commands which you would disobey if you refused to fellowship with the people of God. Therefore, Christians should ultimately worship with the saints because they want to obey God. “Churchless Christianity makes about as much sense as a Christless church, and has just as much biblical warrant.” 98

Christians Have a Message to Guard

Second, God entrusted the gospel of Jesus to the people of God. Therefore, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Heb 10:23). Believers should gather together because they share the hopeful message of Christ crucified and risen. Jude wrote to believers who were surrounded by false teachers: “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 3).

The saints must guard the gospel. When we gather together, then, we reaffirm the truths we hold dear. We preach the word so that believers will receive correction, rebuke, and encouragement (2 Tim 4:2). We must guard against erroneous teachings that undermine the truth about Jesus Christ (Gal 1:6-7). We must guard our minds against captivity to hollow and deceptive philosophies of man (Col 2:8). Believers must guard the gospel, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Tim 4:3).

Paul warned the Ephesian elders about teachers who distort the gospel: “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30).From your own number. That means from within the Ephesian church. “So,” he pled with them, “be on your guard!” (Acts 20:31a). Churches, especially the leadership, must guard the gospel against distortion from without and from within the body. God has not randomly assigned a few individuals with the mystery of Christ and the kingdom. He revealed the truth of the gospel and entrusted its message to the church. Are you doing your part, then, to guard its message by your corporate presence and affirmation of sound doctrine? Are you seeking to protect the true gospel of Jesus by singing it, praying it, and hearing it proclaimed with the saints to whom God entrusted it?

Christians Have a Mission to Go

Third, Jesus commissioned the church. The church of Jesus Christ is the guardian of the gospel, and Jesus sent his church to the nations with this good news. “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” (Matt 28:19-20a). This is his command to us, and we will either obey or disobey him.

No one else is taking a message of salvation to the nations. Have you ever realized that? Only the church of Jesus Christ proclaims the message that saves sinners from God’s wrath in an eternal hell. Only Christians herald this news. So if God hasn’t commissioned anyone other than the body of Christ to spread the good news about Jesus, how will the nations hear if we are disobedient? And how will we be obedient to the Great Commission if we don’t care enough about the body of Christ to worship corporately and be involved with other believers?

God spreads the gospel through obedient believers, and there is no backup plan. His Spirit empowers their witness to the nations. Jesus said to his disciples, “You will receivepower when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The responsibility of believers is to recognize their role in God’s global plan. “The church matters because Jesus chose it to tell and show the world the message of His love. And this message, carried forward through history and lived out for all to see, is the world’s only hope.” 99 Believers should get involved in a local church for the sake of their commission to the nations. “Through the local church we take part in His eternal plan to rescue men and women from their sin and totally transform their lives. This is the mission of the church. It’s our duty, our calling, and our privilege.” 100

The Gospel for Church Members

The body of Christ consists of sinners relating to other sinners. And like any close family, conflict is inevitable. The question isn’t whether or not church members will have problems with one another; the question is whether or not church members will handle conflict in Christ-honoring ways. Too often conflict provokes more acts of the flesh than fruit of the Spirit. But the gospel is for church members too; in fact, the commands about believers relating with other believers drip with gospel language. I want to examine four areas in which the gospel should impact how Christians relate to one another in church life: humility, forgiveness, love, and peace. Brace yourself: this wasn’t easy to write, nor will it be easy to read.

Humility

The gospel should affect how we think about other believers. In Philippians 2, Paul presents the example of Christ’s incarnation and crucifixion in order to portray the appropriate attitude of believers toward one another. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Phil 2:5). It all starts in the mind. If the gospel isn’t affecting our thinking, we may be simply fooling ourselves and others regarding what the Lord is doing in us. One of the ways our thinking should be affected is in regard to our attitudes toward other Christians.

Our attitude toward them should be characterized like this: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves” (Phil 2:3). Humility asks the question,How can I serve others?, instead of,How can others serve me?Humility doesn’t call for a total disregard of self: “Each of you should looknot onlyto your own interests, butalsoto the interests of others” (Phil 2:4, emphasis added). So while your interests aren’t totally unimportant, they’re not most important. We should be willing to lay aside our agendas for the sake of our brother or sister in Christ.

But there are professing Christians who wreak havoc on congregations because they will never set aside their personal preferences. Their way is the right way, and they intend to actualize it no matter the cost. They’re not concerned with the unchristian nature of their actions, nor do they care who they hurt. Their concern is being right, not being righteous. If you’ve been in church life for a few years, you know what I’m talking about. And you’ve probably heard about churches that limp for years because of church conflict—and some limp to the point of closing their doors permanently.

But church conflict doesn’t have to end with closed doors. Church members should pray for humility toward other believers, for this was the attitude of Jesus. Jesus “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man,he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Phil 2:7-8). Rather than seeking their own interests in church settings, believers should strive to serve one another and lift each other up.

Humble attitudes defuse unhealthy church conflict. I sayunhealthyconflict because some conflict is necessary—such as the defense of the core doctrines of the faith. If leaders in the church teach that Jesus isn’t the only way for sinners to be saved, then believers should proclaim thesolus Christusgospel and oppose such false teachers. If the preacher describes the Bible as a human book with no greater authority than other literature, then believers should stand up forsola Scripturaand insist that God’s inspired word is the final authority in matters of faith and practice.

But most church conflict isn’t about pluralism or the nature of the Bible. Most squabbling occurs over minor things that have no eternal value. Churches fight over musical styles, the election of leaders, allotment of funds, paint and carpet colors, stained glass windows, and other matters unrelated to the core message of the gospel. Church members squabble over how many songs to sing, who plays the piano, when choir practice begins and ends, and the length of the pastor’s sermon. The solution to such bickering is the gospel—a message about the crucified Messiah who came in humility and gave his life for others.

Humility in the body of Christ is about obedience or disobedience. “Be completely humble and gentle,” Paul commanded (Eph 4:2a). We can’t think about fellow believers any way we want and assume it doesn’t matter. It matters. God doesn’t want us to withdraw from church life simply because we encounter stubborn people with selfish ambitions. After all, how can we obey the command to be humble if we follow the trajectory of our wounded pride and leave? If we leave a church because it contains stubborn and selfish people, we willgo to another church only to find stubborn and selfish people. We are sinners sharing life with other sinners.

While we may not see it at the time, God sanctifies us through our relationships with difficult people. Paul gave this personal testimony, “To keep me from being conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’” (2 Cor 12:7-9a). We need difficult people in order to find out how much pride we really have, and proud people provoke our pride. God wants us to learn the sufficiency of his grace. It’s good to be in a church where people prefer different things than we do, and it’s good to be in a church where our preferences aren’t always accommodated. The issue, though, is that we’re learning the lesson of the sufficiency of God’s grace rather than becoming bitter against God and our Christian family.

I know it seems counterintuitive, but a thorn in our flesh is a sign of God’s grace to us. Humility doesn’t come without wounds. How will we ever learn to be humble toward others if nothing demands humility from us? “I really hate dealing with proud people” is an arrogant statement to make, and thus it reveals how much weneedthose people. God may remove the thorns, or he may not. If he doesn’t, we should learn what Paul needed to learn: “Your grace is sufficient in my weakness.” Dependence on God’s grace is the beginning of humility. We learn humility by serving others, especially those who challenge our patience and compassion.

An attitude of humility not only rectifies unhealthy church conflict, it can defuse tensions between feuding individuals. “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORDwill rewardyou” (Prov 25:21-22). Jesus’ words may seem surprising: “I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt 5:44), for “if you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?” (Matt 5:46). In other words, if the only people you treat well are those who treat you well, you’re not following the example of Jesus, for even unbelievers can return kindness for kindness.

We must seek to cultivate an attitude of humility by preaching the gospel to ourselves. There’s nothing like the message of the cross to humble sinners: apart from Christ, we have no source of salvation; we are totally depraved and live as enemies of God; we are completely dependent on his mercy and grace for redemption; and we love the darkness while hating the light. We don’t deserve grace, yet Jesus humbled himself unto an obedient death on the cross. So an attitude of humility toward other believers isn’t contingent on whether or not they deserve it—for who of us ever deserved the humble sacrifice of Jesus? If obeying God is our desire, we will submit our attitudes to the refining fire of his word and Spirit.

Forgiveness

“Every one says forgiveness is a lovely idea,” C. S. Lewis wrote, “until they have something to forgive.” 101  Because forgiveness isn’t something that comes naturally from within us, believers need to hear and heed the Bible’s teaching on the matter. An important passage about believers forgiving other believers is Colossians 3:13: “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Notice three truths about this verse: first, 3:13 explains the end of 3:12; second, the verse assumes that believers will sometimes need to grant forgiveness to other believers; and third, the verse ends with reference to the Lord’s forgiveness of believers. Let’s unpack each truth.

First, Paul explains in Colossians 3:13 what he meant by “patience” in 3:12. The phrase about forgiveness comes after Paul told them to “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Col 3:12). Being clothed with Christlike attributes and forgiving fellow believers are not mutually exclusive. In fact, Paul literally said, “Put on a heart of . . . forbearance, bearing with one another and forgiving each other.” Paul explained what forbearing with other believers involves:forgiving them. He wrote elsewhere, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Eph 4:2). If you withhold forgiveness from believers, you are disobeying God’s command to forbear with them.

Second, at the risk of stating the obvious, there are times when believers will need to forgive other believers. Since Christians are both saints and sinners, it is inevitable that we will sin against each other. Our mouths probably cause the biggest problems in intra-church conflict. James gives us this sobering reality: “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be” (James 3:9-10). An innocent conversation with one church member may smoothly transition into slandering and gossiping about another believer.

If someone sins against you, you should go to that person and talk about it instead of talking to others about it. “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over” (Matt 18:15). It is important to address the issue between the two of you so that slander doesn’t commence. Paul tells believers to rid themselves of “malice” and “slander” (Col 3:8), and we need to preach this to ourselves when another believer sins against us.

The deeper you move into serving the body of Christ, and the more responsibility you share in ministry areas, the greater the potential for a wounded heart. Though such a possibility shouldn’t stop you from serving, it will keep you from being surprised when people’s words and actions cause you to reevaluate why you do what you do. You won’t always feel appreciated, you may be taken for granted, and you might feel like someone else would do a better job. We can’t minister for the sake of pleasing people, because we’ll never please everybody. We should serve the church because Christ has saved us, not because we receive the approval of men. “God’s loving, unchanging purpose for you is stronger than anyone else’s sin.” 102

You’ve likely spotted others’ faults and quirks, but you have them too, and others have surely noticed. This means you should extend forgiveness to others who wrong you, because one day you will need forgiveness for having wronged others. Serving the church sanctifies the saints because serving with other sinners reveals how unchristian we can behave. We may not realize how selfish we are, how belligerent we can be, or how difficult we are to work with until others point out the frustration of serving with us. There is wisdom, though, in accepting the correction of others. “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom” (Prov 11:2). Also, “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid” (Prov 12:1). Ouch.

Third, Paul appeals to Christ’s forgiveness of sinners. You should forgive “as the Lord forgave you” (Col 3:13b). This thinking is parallel to what Paul wrote elsewhere: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other,just as in Christ God forgave you” (Eph 4:32, emphasis added). Paul is teaching that, when we find forgiveness difficult, we should reflect on how the Lord has forgiven us. When the sins of others anger us, we should think about how our sin once provoked God’s holy wrath. In other words, we must preach the gospel to ourselves! We must think about propitiation and justification, how Christ’s righteousness is the basis for our standing with God, and how that standing is possible because Christ satisfied God’s wrath so that he could pardon sinners. “Blessed is the man whose sin the LORDdoes not count against him” (Ps 32:2).

Since God has pardoned us, who are we to withhold forgiveness from fellow believers? Would we really insist that we have reason to be bitter against others when God, who is almighty and holy, has canceled the debt of sin against us? Jesus told a parable about an unmerciful servant, whose outstanding debts were canceled by his master (Matt 18:23-27). The servant then went to a fellow servant and said, “Pay back what you owe me!” (Matt 18:28). When the master found out what happened, he summoned the unmerciful servant into his presence and said, “Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” (Matt 18:33). The answer, of course, isyes. We should forgive someone of the small debt of sin(s) against us if God has canceled our countless transgressions for which we deserve his eternal wrath. If you are struggling with forgiving a fellow believer, preach the gospel to yourself.

It is worth quoting Gilbert at length here: “I wonder if your understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ—the good news that Jesus saved you even though you didn’t deserve it—is deep enough to swallow up the little criticisms you have of your brothers and sisters. I wonder if it’s deep enough to sink the offenses they’ve committed against you, even the mostpainful ones, and lead you to forgive them and love them just as Jesus himself has done for both of you.” 103

Love

After speaking about forgiveness Paul tells the Colossians, “Over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Col 3:14). The greatest commandment is to love God, and the second is to love your neighbor (Matt 22:36-40). “Love does no harm to its neighbor,” Paul reasoned, “therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom 13:10). Love is the first fruit of the Spirit that Paul lists (Gal 5:22). In perhaps his most poetic portrayal of love Paul says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” (1 Cor 13:4-8a). I could cite many more texts, but the point is clear: Christians must love one another. A guiding question for Christian behavior should be,Am I loving this person by what I am saying or doing?

Perhaps no one, however, is as strong and clear on the subject of Christians loving one another as John, evident in his Gospel and in his first epistle. “A new command I give you,” Jesus said, “love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). Jesus’ words are powerful because they appeal to his act of love as the example for the manner in which Christians should love one another, just as Paul’s command to forgive also appealed to Jesus’ act of forgiveness.

When believers love one another, such attitude and action authenticate their faith in the eyes of others. “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). In fact, John told his readers that the converse is true: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8). “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:20-21). If people say, “I love Jesus, but I hate the church,” they’re lying about their love for Jesus. Joshua Harris asks poignant questions: “Can I say that I love Jesus but hate the wife he cherishes? Can I say I enjoy spending time with him but refuse to enter his house? Can I claim friendship with Jesus but think his body is repulsive? It’s not possible.” 104  You can’t love Jesus and hate his people.

If you are struggling with loving the body of Christ, preach this to yourself: “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). God initiated the plan of redemption. When Jesus went to the cross, we were his enemies, condemned under wrath (Rom 5:8-10). When Jesus died for us, we were not seeking God, our words and actions were wicked, and we had no fear of God (Rom 3:11-18). Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12), but we hated him and loved darkness instead (John 3:19-20). Therefore, when he died on the cross because he loved us, he purchased our atonement for hating him.

Some people may seem unlovable, but think about how unworthy you are of God’s great love and kindness shown in Christ. Contemplate your unrighteousness. And then ponder the reality that God loved you first. There we were, “objects of wrath” (Eph 2:3b), “butbecause of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Eph 2:4-5, emphasis added). In the power of the Holy Spirit, you can love those who seem unlovable. You can embrace with genuine kindness and compassion the members of the body of Christ who have hurt you or hurt those close to you. You can love them, because Jesus loved you. Preach this to yourself, and then love the disciples of Christ—and you will show yourself to be a true disciple of Jesus too. As I said earlier, we shouldn’t hate what Jesus loves, and Jesus loves the church, his body, for which he died, and for which he is returning.

Peace

Finally, God calls Christians to let peace rule in their hearts (Col 3:15a). The people of God must be united. “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph 4:3). A church dishonors God if they divide over non-gospel issues. Paul told the Corinthians, “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought” (1 Cor 1:10). Church members must not sacrifice peace and unity for the sake of their personal agendas.

In order to cultivate a mindset of pursuing peace in the church, Christians should preach to themselves the gospel that announces their peace with God. “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1). Apart from Christ there was only condemnation, but there is no condemnation for all who are in Christ (Rom 8:1). God made peace with sinners through the blood of his Son (Col 1:20), and now that peace should manifest in church relationships. “As members of one body you were called to peace,” Paul said (Col 3:15b). In other words, if believers are at peace with God, they should be at peace with one another.

Not every battle is worth fighting. Seeking to have your way on non-gospel issues isn’t worth the price of unity in the church. Paul reserves strong words for those who damagechurches: “If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple” (1 Cor 3:17). Let’s be clear: the church is a people, not a place. But I have attended church business meetings where materials in the building seemed to matter more than the people who worship there. Our buildings can become idols when elevated over loving our fellow believers and considering them better than ourselves. If you saw someone poking himself in the eye or sawing off his foot, you’d assume something was seriously wrong. God sees feuding church members this way. We need to frequently imagine what church conflict looks like from God’s perspective—and his viewpoint is the only one that ultimately matters.

So are you making “every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace”? When you are dealing with non-gospel issues in the church, you should ask yourself,How will this affect unity in the body of Christ? Will this keep peace among us, or will it divide us?A divided church engages in divided worship, and God is not pleased. Worship is the primary purpose of gathering as the people of God. If a church cannot worship together, how can anyone take anything else they do seriously?

When faced with disunity in the church, we should preach the gospel of God’s peace to our souls. God reconciled us to himself, making peace through Christ’s blood, so that we might be united with—not divided from—the saints. We should treat the body of Christ with care and love, knowing that Christ died for us (1 Cor 8:11). It is the appropriation of the gospel that cultivates the essential attitudes of humility, love, forgiveness, and peace. Such attitudes aren’t options butcommands.

As disciples we sometimes struggle to keep the main thing the main thing—and the church of Jesus Christ is God’s instrument to send the gospel to the nations for the glory ofGod. The New Testament assumes throughout its pages that disciples of Christ are devoted to his church. At conversion we become part of the body of Christ. We are the arms, feet, hands, and eyes of Jesus. God reaches the world through his church. We have different functions, but our involvement matters. It matters because we should want to obey God, and it matters because God sanctifies us through our relationships with other believers.

Despite all the excuses for why people don’t gather with a church to worship, you should ultimately need only one reason to gather:God. “Go to church. Don’t go for the coffee, the presentations, the music, or the amenities. Don’t even go for the feelings you may or may not get when you go because, no offense, these feelings may or may not be trustworthy most of the time. Go for the gospel. Go for the preaching. Go to be near to God’s Word.” 105  The church isn’t perfect, nor will it ever be on this side of glory. We are justified sinners sharing life together. We are flawed, but our God is faithful. We are still sinners, but he’s still the Savior.

86.    Joshua Harris, Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why It Matters (Colorado Springs: Multnomah, 2010), 197.

87.    Ibid., Stop Dating the Church! (Colorado Springs: Multnomah Books, 2004), 31.

88.    Ibid., 29.

89.    David F. Wells, The Courage to be Protestant: Truth-lovers, Marketers, and Emergents in the Postmodern World (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2008), 209.

90.    Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, 49.

91.    Harris, Stop Dating the Church!, 68.

92.   I recognize that there may be legitimate and biblical reasons for Christians to leave churches, such as corrupt leadership or heretical teaching. But my concern here is for professing Christians who won’t worship corporately with certain people who once wronged them or who did something they didn’t like.

93.    Joshua Harris, Stop Dating the Church! (Colorado Springs: Multnomah, 2004), 16.

94.    Charles Spurgeon, Spurgeon at His Best, comp. Tom Carter (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1988), 33-34.

95.    Horton, The Gospel-Driven Life, 230.

96.    Kevin DeYoung and Ted kluck, Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2009), 224-25.

97.    Harris, Stop Dating the Church!, 112.

98.    DeYoung and kluck, Why We Love the Church, 164.

99.    Harris, Stop Dating the Church!, 20.

100.  Ibid., 21.

101.  Lewis, Mere Christianity, 104.

102.  Harris, Stop Dating the Church!, 23.

103.  Gilbert, What is the Gospel?, 118.

104.  Harris, Dug Down Deep, 198.

105.  DeYoung and kluck,Why We Love the Church, 196.

8

Body Building:

Why the Gospel is Sufficient

for Growing Churches

When we love the body of Christ, we want it to grow and flourish. But the topic of church growth is controversial and multifaceted. While I, as any other church leader, want churches to grow, none of us has a biblical license to define growth any way we want and then set up methods to actualize our definition. We must listen to the Bible’s words on the subject of church growth, which might seem like a revolutionary idea when we realize how many dozens of books exist on how to grow your church. The Bible is not silent on church growth, but it doesn’t reinforce most church growth theories either. In this chapter, I want to make a biblical case that the gospel is God’s sufficient instrument for growing churches. There is not a secret formula that will inspire the healthy growth of a church. I believe God has revealed in the Bible how church growth happens, and, as you read on, hopefully you will desire to steer clear of unbiblical attempts to grow churches. Church leaders need particular discernment on this subject, because we live in a culture where more is better, efficiency is ideal, boredom is the enemy, amusement is expected, cool is crucial, and edgy is effective. The worldly values of the culture have had a devastating effect on many churches. However, rather than relying on cultural criteria to grow churches and evaluate the success of ministries, I want to challenge such models and expose their flashy but flawed nature. In addition to critiquing unbiblical perspectives and methods of church growth, I want to strongly emphasize the sufficiency of God’s gospel for God’s church.

When the Body Becomes a Business

Commercials are always informing us about what is latest and greatest in the world of technology. The problem is, the moment you buy a new form of technology (new phone, computer, mp3 player), someone is already developing something better than what you just purchased. When you buy a piece of computer equipment, it’s already outdated. It’s impossible to keep up with the innovation game. Businesses need more and more consumers, so they’re always trying to reinvent themselves, present their products in more appealing ways, or compensate for previous inadequacies in their product. When it comes to church ministry, we shouldn’t try to reinvent the wheel, yet this is exactly what many leaders are trying to do. “Pastors, as a consequence, are now receiving invitation upon invitation from experts offering them help in getting up to business speed.” 106  When churches approach ministry with a business mentality, there are at least four tragic results.

The Gospel Becomes a Product

If the church is a business, and every business has a product to sell, then the product of the church is the gospel. The problem, though, is that unregenerate man is offended by the true gospel. Jews stumble over it, and Gentiles think it’s stupid (1 Cor 1:18). But a business mentality will not settle for failure. So, in order to get people to buy the church’s product, you have to do one of two things.

First, you may have to alter the gospel. After all, if you’re in the business of pushing a product, and people aren’t buying that product, then you must improve the product or the business closes its doors. “The price of marketing is that the church hide its nature and biblical Christianity hide its face.” 107  Maybe people will purchase the gospel if you tell them Jesus wants to be their friend, their buddy. Try telling them that Jesus wants them to be healthy and wealthy. Tell them that Jesus wants to make their already-great-life even better. He wants to give them bigger homes, higher-paying jobs, nicer friends, more obedient children, yards without weeds, and better gas mileage. To really reel them in, tell them that following Jesus is easy and that all they need to do is believe a few simple things. Make it easy, keep it simple. Don’t complicate it too much, or they’ll second guess their interest in your product and go somewhere else. Close the sale, or lose the buyer.

Second, if you don’t alter the message, you may at least need to distract the buyer with something else during the purchase—a gimmick. Tell them how nice and wonderful everyone in the church is, brag about the fun programs you provide for their children, narrate the exciting trips that your church takes to ski resorts and campgrounds, entertain them with movie clips so that they’re not totally bored during the sermon, promise them fresh coffee before and after church, and assure them that you’re trying to create a friendly and casual atmosphere so that anyone can call your church home.Be sure they know that no one will judge them, that you want them to have an exciting time every week, and that you want to know if anything makes them unhappy. Inform them that your pastor is funny, the singers are talented, the sound system is state-of-the-art, the seating is comfortable, the temperature is perfect, and the ambiance is magical.

The above strategies aren’t something I’ve imagined. They’re real strategies employed by real churches to attract real people. Really. David Wells elaborates on the culture’s obsession with amusement: “The conventional wisdom is that seriousness is the death knell of successful churches. In an age of entertainment, such as our age is in the West, we have to be funny, engaging, likeable, and light to succeed. So, seriousness must be banished.” 108

Hopefully you can spot the numerous problems with the amusement approach. Altering the gospel results in people believing something that isn’t the gospel (Gal 1:6-7a; 2 Cor 11:4), and non-gospel messages don’t save sinners. Altering the gospel for believers will prevent their healthy growth in a church context. Churches that alter the gospel are creating “so-called followers of Christ who are in it for their own spiritual comfort but who are at sea when it comes to understanding the significance of God’s holiness for their Christian lives. And the reason for that, quite simply, is that many churches, obsessed with their own success, have made Christianity light and easy so that they can market it successfully.” 109

We must not alter the gospel, since it alone heralds the good news of salvation for sinners through faith in Christ alone. Even though people naturally reject this message, Paul knew that every other message was powerless. That’s why he said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, becauseit is the power of Godfor the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Rom 1:16, emphasis added). Even if people don’t like the only message that saves them, it’s no help to their souls if we preach to them a message that leaves them lost and condemned.

Drawing people to church services with non-gospel strategies is dangerous, because people will stay for what they came for. If attenders are lured by the various amenities a church offers, it’s unwise to presume that drawing them with such amenities will eventually give way to a new motive in their heart to attend for corporate worship, fellowship, and doctrinal instruction. In other words, we must be careful never to put Christian discipleship on the backburner of the ministry strategy to increase the number of church attenders. If people come for the music style rather than for Jesus Christ, then they may leave when the style changes. If people come because other attenders look and think like them, then they may leave if the congregation becomes more diverse.

To be clear, the gospel is not a product. It is not something we should seek to cleverly package, nor is it something leaders should alter for the sake of a more palatable message. In this case, the customer is not always right. The gospel is a nonnegotiable message, and it needs no alterations or amendments, no apologies or excuses. Rather than a product, the gospel ispower—power to save sinners from eternal judgment in hell under the wrath of God. God doesn’t say, “You’ve tried everything else; give Jesus a try.” Nor does Jesus indicate that it will be comfortable worshiping with the people of God. When Isaiah saw the Lord exalted in the temple, the prophet was undone and convicted of his sin (Isa 6:1-5). The wordslaidbackorcasualdid not describe Isaiah’s encounter with a holy God. In Leviticus 10:1-2, the tragic deaths of Nadab and Abihu demonstrated that you can’t come before God any way you’d like. “God cares abouthowHis peopleworship Him, not justthatthey worshiponlyHim. . . We’re to worship Him on His terms, and in the way that He has revealed.” 110

People Become Consumers

When church leaders apply a business mentality to ministry, they view people as consumers rather than as worshipers who need to grow in the gospel and obey the commission to take that gospel to the nations. keeping consumers satisfied becomes the top priority, because they may leave your church for another one if they’re unhappy. People-pleasing becomes the game to play, and some churches play it well.

In our daily lives we may appreciate and expect efficiency, punctuality, professionalism, and satisfaction from others. If these are the expectations brought to businesses, Sunday morning consumers may bring such expectations to church. And, rather than countering the consumer mentality of church goers, many churches reinforce it. Sometimes we might not even exit the building before evaluating the service with me-centered questions:Did I like the sermon? Did I enjoy the music? Did anyone speak to me today and ask how I was doing? Did I sit in my regular spot, or did some visitor take it?We should change the approach of our evaluation and ask more important questions:Was the Lord pleased with my worship today? Did I make a joyful noise from my heart? Did I think about the words that I was singing? Did I try to learn that new song? Did I focus on the sermon and follow along in my Bible? What did I learn from the passage that I should apply to my life this week? Did I seek out the new visitor and introduce myself? Did I go to the foyer table and volunteer for the upcoming church project?

People who attend with a consumer mentality evaluate accordingly, but people who come to worship the Lord and fellowship with his people should ask themselves different questions. Which approach does your church utilize? Since the gospel is not a product, churches should not treat people like consumers. If keeping people happy isn’t the main task of church leaders, then the church is free to fulfill its real purpose: to glorify God through edifying a worshipful body of believers who will herald the gospel all over the world.

You won’t glorify God if your main focus is keeping people happy. Church leaders have to be prepared to let people leave. Granted, ministers and other congregants should encourage those who leave to remain for biblical reasons and to serve the body as a Spirit-led and Spirit-gifted believer, but you still can’t keep everybody. Churches who only want to keep people will inevitably compromise the health of the church. For example, Paul was outraged that the Corinthian church had maintained fellowship with an unrepentant and flagrantly sinning professing Christian, when they should have expelled him (1 Cor 5:1-2, 4-5, 7, 9-11).

But consumers don’t receive harsh treatment well from their suppliers. They don’t appreciate judgment on their lives, and they certainly don’t tolerate expulsion from their church marketplace. It’s impossible to reinforce a business mentalityandpursue biblical church health. Not everyone will be happy with churches that pursue such health, and over time some people will inevitably leave. People will probably misperceive your intentions too, even airing their frustrations against you to any pair of ears that will listen. “It can be helpful to know how others perceive us, but not always. In our self-esteem-oriented, easily offended, suffering-averse world, I fear that the church is too eager to be liked.” 111  Churches should think more about fearing God than fearing man. It is his church, not ours.

Appeal Becomes the Priority

A church that functions as a business pushing a product to consumers will inevitably become a competitor in the marketplace of worship gatherings. This reality makesappeala crucial strategy in growing churches. If you draw believers to church with something other than the gospel, then you must ensure that your amenities are more appealing than what’s offered at the church down the street. If not, you may lose your consumer to another seller. You must maintain a competitive edge over other churches. “Businesspeople take pride in destroying competitors, gaining more and more material possessions, and seeing fame and personal prosperity as the end result of the ‘pursuit of happiness.’” 112  This marketing mindset overlaps with treating the gospel as a product and attenders as consumers. The gospel is not the focus, and image is king. The marketing mindset “flattens, simplifies, and converts everything into what is appealing. That is what it has done in the evangelical church. The gospel, understood as a product, loses its depth and cost. This happens so that its appeal and salability can be elevated, but along the way Christianity becomes flat, empty, and banal.” 113

When churches compete instead of cooperating with each other, the Lord is not pleased. The spirit of competition results in sheep steeling—drawing a person or family from one church to another. Trevin Wax encourages churches to subvert the culture’s emphasis on competition: “Subversive churches unite with other like-minded churches instead of competing for their members.” 114  While growth is desirable in churches, conversion growth is more desirable than transfer growth. Think about it: the number of people in the entire body of Christ doesn’t increase when members move from one local church to another. Churches, of course, shouldn’t be against transfer growth. But growth strategies that focus on luring believers from one church to another reinforce the practice of church-hopping.

The termchurch-hopperdescribes those who move from one church to another because of the power of appeal. Churches with a marketing mindset desperately try to be unique and innovative, offering what no one else does, for the sake of attracting more members. Drawn by the flash and sparkle of non-gospel amenities, people may join in droves—at least for a time, until the church down the road offers something better. “Creating a more entertaining church to draw church members from less entertaining churches is not proper church growth but is unspiritual entertainment-driven member swiping.” 115

Church leaders should be more discerning regarding their church’s strategies for growth. Methods matter, but preserving the truth of the gospel through methods of integrity matters more. The well-intended statement, “We need to get people into the church any way we can,” isn’t biblical. And the well-known statement, “Methods can change, but the message must stay the same,” sounds good, but isn’t biblical either. The end doesn’t justify the means, and methods affect the message. “The methods we use to plant and water in God’s vineyard must be subservient to and in complete harmony with the working of God’s growth method—the Gospel, as faithfully preached by His servants. Working contrary to God’s processes often means working contrary to His purposes.” 116  Paul said, “We have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Cor 4:2).

Too often, churches with marketing mentalities use the popularity of their leaders to drive the growth of the church. In a celebrity-obsessed culture like ours, churches sometimes follow suit. People come to the church only because of who the leader is. They want to be a member of So-and-So’s church. Pastors can be more like celebrities than shepherds, and the appeal is belonging to a church with a pastor of some renown. When leaders become the focus, we become like the Corinthians, who were dividing from some and siding with others. “One of you says, ‘I follow Paul’; another, ‘I follow Apollos’; another, ‘I follow Cephas’; still another, ‘I follow Christ’” (1 Cor 1:12). “Christians must guard against a celebrity culture that erodes Christian community.” 117  When churches become fixated on leaders instead of the Lord, they have forgotten that an arm or a foot or an eye is never the head of the church—Jesus is the Head, and his glory and renown matter infinitely.

Numbers Become the Measurement

In the business world, numbers equal success. The more products a buyer purchases, the more money the seller makes. More, more, more. Similarly, churches that operate with a marketing mentality evaluate success in terms of numbers. I want to be clear that numbers aren’t insignificant. People being saved and believers joining churches inevitably have an effect on numbers. However, using numbers as the measuring stick for ministry success is another matter. “In our ‘size is success’ culture, it is almost beyond our ability to resist determining the measure of God’s blessing by the numbers in our congregation.” 118  Churches with high attendances, big buildings, and large budgets are deemed successful churches. But successful in whose eyes?

While many large churches no doubt pursue biblical worship, biblical preaching, and faithful financial stewardship, a large crowd meeting in a large building is no guarantee of a ministry blessed by God. And while some small churches aren’t reaching their community through evangelism, preaching the gospel from the pulpit, or trying to expand their resources for work in God’s kingdom, there are small churches thataredoing all of these things. Thus, a small church is no indication of a ministry not blessed by God. “We must realize that the size of what our eyes see is rarely a good way to estimate the greatness of something in the eyes of God.” 119

Paul warned in 2 Timothy 4:3, “The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” It is possible, then, that large crowds may not gather for the sake of the true gospel and the true Lord. “We do not mean to imply that all congregations desire to find those who will tickle their ears, but some certainly do. Humans would rather avoid their sinfulness than confront it. We do not like facing the truth. We find it much easier to ignore sinful desires and continue living in blissful ignorance.” 120  Telling people what they want to hear might grow churches, but dishonor to God is a sure result.

Our discussion so far hasn’t exposed every assumption held by churches operating with a marketing mentality. These churches also assume that they have the ability to engineer church growth. All they need is the right formula: implement the right programs, hire the right set of leaders, choose the right location, and play the right music. “We are tempted to feel and act as if God may have made our lives and ministry possible, but it is now up to us to make them successful.” 121  But the Bible never indicates that church growth is in the hands of men.

Ministers can develop anxiety over this issue of numbers. In fact, there are plenty of Christian books telling you that something is wrong with your church if it isn’t growing numerically. “The fix-the-church books almost always figure that declining attendance, even as a percentage of the total population, means the church has messed something up . . . [Their] basic assumption: namely, that churches should be growing and something is wrong with the church that isn’t. This assumption, however, is alien to the New Testament.” 122

It is conceivable for a church to be faithful to God and not experience booming growth. Thomas White and John Yeats tell us the hard truth: “God cares more about the holiness of a congregation than He does the size of the congregation.” 123  How do you measure holiness? How do you represent sanctification on charts and graphs? If the Bible emphasizes the spiritual growth of the body of Christ, what is the formula of success in this area? If God intends for churches to be healthy and grow into maturity, then we should ask ourselves whether or not God’s priority is our priority. Many of our churches are focused on what impresses the world. God is not impressed.

The Truth about Church Growth

As I said above, the Bible is not silent on the topic of church growth. We need to discern, however, between true and false understandings of how growth happens. Such careful reflection is especially necessary in a culture of instant gratification. There are no shortcuts to church growth, there are no hidden formulas, and there are no guaranteed methods yet to be discovered. There is a strategy ministers should employ, but it’s neither a mystery nor new.

Healthy church growth is inseparably connected to the gospel—an ancient message already revealed. Preaching the gospel may initially result in fewer attenders instead of more. But what if true growth happens after an initial consolidation and shrinking of the church? “No one wants to hear about shrinking. Never mind that the concept is biblical. Never mind that Jesus talks about branches being pruned for the good of the tree. Never mind that shrinking actually happened in Jesus’ earthly ministry . . . This is the era of super-sizing everything. Bigger is better—always; isn’t it?” 124

The Gospel is the Sufficient Strategy

Church leaders shouldn’t pursue just any type of growth. “[God] intends for his churches to be healthy places and for the members of those churches to be healthy as well.” 125  Healthy growth matters most, and healthy growth is rooted in the gospel. Paul told the Ephesian elders, “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). The “word of his grace” refers to the gospel message, the news of God’s grace shown to sinners by sending Jesus as their penal-substitute. Notice, then, that the word of grace is what “can build you up.” Paul knew that the Ephesian Christians would grow if they remained committed to the gospel. If they departed from the gospel, they would not grow—in fact, when professing believers forsake the gospel, they reveal false faith (1 Cor 15:2b).

Churches cannot experience healthy growth with just any type of building material. “Each one should be careful how he builds,” Paul said (1 Cor 3:10b). The reason for careful building is due to the nature of the foundation. The church’s foundation is Jesus Christ. With church growth, then, one must factor in this reality: “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 3:11). Not all materials used to build on a foundation necessarily cohere with the nature of that foundation. For example, building walls of twigs on a cement foundation doesn’t make much construction sense. Building a grass roof over a firm foundation doesn’t make sense either.

If Jesus is the foundation of the church, then healthy church growth occurs through means and methods that honor Jesus. “If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is” (1 Cor 3:12-13a). Paul uses two triplets, “gold, silver, costly stones” and “wood, hay or straw” to show the durability and quality (or lack thereof) of different building materials. Quality is not always visible, however. Churches seeking to grow may inadvertently be laying materials of wood, hay, and straw on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Such poor quality will be made known, “because the Day will bring it to light” (1 Cor 3:13a). The “Day” is Christ’s return. Churches should be cautious in their desires and strategies to foster growth, because Jesus’ return will illuminate the quality of these ministries. “[Such work] will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work” (1 Cor 3:13b).

On the day of Christ’s return, it will be clear whether or not the strategies and efforts of man honored the foundation of Jesus Christ. “If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames” (1 Cor 3:14-15). So there are two possible results when the consuming fire of Christ tests the quality of each man’s work: the work will either survive, or be burned up. And there are two different results for the builders: one will receive reward, while the other will be saved—barely.

Church leaders should want the day of Christ’s return to reveal the good quality of their ministries, followed by the reception of their reward. Tragically, many ministries will be seen as hollow and their work revealed as a waste. Don’t waste your ministry. Build with gold, silver, and costly stones—build with the gospel. The gospel is the only strategy that adheres to the nature of the foundation—Jesus Christ. If we marginalize the gospel in an attempt to build on the church’s foundation, we will inevitably build with wood, hay, and straw, and our work will be consumed in the fire of Christ’s return.

The gospel is crucial for sinners to be saved and sanctified. For example, in Acts 2 Peter preached the gospel to a gathered crowd in Jerusalem. “Repent and be baptized,” he said, “every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Luke reported, “Those who accepted [Peter’s] message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day” (Acts 2:41). Luke recorded tremendous church growth, accomplished through preaching the gospel. If the gospel is faithfully preached, will God grant three thousand believers each time? No, and that’s not the point of the passage. The point is that God expands his church through the proclamation of the gospel, not through any other message. “The emphasis is not on the growth of the congregation as a structure—in numbers, finances and success—but on the growth of the gospel, as it is spoken and re-spoken under the power of the Spirit.” 126

When the early church gathered, they weren’t devoted to a non-gospel message. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching,” Luke said (Acts 2:42a). “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47b). Despite opposition, the early disciples “never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 5:42b). They didn’t have one strategy for reaching the lost and then another for sustaining the converts. Their strategy was the gospel, and it was sufficient. Mark Dever says, “The Gospel itself is God’s constructive power for building the body of Christ (Isa 55:10-11; Rom 1:16; 1 Pet 1:23-25). The Word builds the Church.” 127

When believers scattered because of persecution in Jerusalem, some of them went to Gentiles in Antioch, “telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:20b-21). When Barnabas went to Antioch and saw these new believers, “he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts . . . and a great number of people were brought to the Lord” (Acts 11:23b, 24b). The gospel doesn’t spread without the power of God, “because itisthe power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16a, emphasis added).

Through the preaching of the gospel, God shines the light of the gospel into the dark hearts of sinners, which gives them “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Cor 4:6). This powerful message demolishes strongholds in the hearts of unbelievers: “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor 10:4-5). These words describe what happens when the gospel overcomes the resistance in unbelievers. Every other message is powerless, which is why Paul doesn’t minister with worldly weapons. He needs one weapon—the word of God’s grace, the gospel (Eph 6:17b). In ministry warfare, don’t lay aside your sword for an impotent worldly weapon or strategy. Preach the gospel, and trust the Lord with the results.

God is the Giver of Growth

Results. Everyone wants them, and a marketing mindset says that your church is unsuccessful without them. But who really brings about these results? The biblical answer may surprise you. Paul tells the Corinthians, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, butGodmade it grow” (1 Cor 3:6, emphasis added). God grows his church. In fact, Scripture nowhere records that Christians grow the church. Believers plant and water (1 Cor 3:6), and even build (1 Cor 3:10, 12-13; 2 Cor 10:8; 13:10), but never does Scripture say believers grow the church. That work is God’s alone.

Think back to Acts 20:32 again: “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up.” Before Paul mentions the gospel (“the word of his grace”), he mentions God. Paul commits the Ephesian elders to God and the gospel because God works through the gospel to grow them and build them up. You can’t commit to God without also committing to the gospel. And commitment to the gospel is not without dependence on the God whose Son is the content of the good news. Godandthe gospel. Through this message, God grows his church.

I have heard pastors rightly say, “Our responsibility is to be faithful, not successful.” Paul told Timothy, “keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry” (2 Tim 4:5). In essence:Be faithful. Looking back on his ministry, Paul acknowledged his faithfulness and endurance: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7).

Sometimes results don’t happen quickly, if at all. “Paul did not always see a favorable response to the gospel. Neither will we. God may send a season of blessing and revival or He may use us, like so many of the prophets, to give one last warning of the judgment to come.” 128  No pastor would sign up for the commission God gave Isaiah: “Go and tell this people: ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed” (Isa 6:9-10). Isaiah had to preach to people whom heknewwouldn’t listen. God chose to judge the people of Israel instead of opening their eyes and ears to the message, yet he still sent Isaiah to them. That would be a tough pastorate indeed!

Other times growth happens slowly. Every preacher would love for each Sunday to be like Acts 2:41 and 2:47b, in which thousands were saved and more were added each day, but that’s not the reality in the life of a local church. Healthy church growth is often gradual, sometimes even inconsistent, requiring endurance and faithfulness from church leaders. Patience is not dispensable. Watching a seed grow into something magnificent doesn’t happen overnight. But in our world of mp3 players, cell-phones, and laptops, patience and gradual progress aren’t valued highly. Perhaps we should respond to our culture of instant gratification by planting a seed in some soil and learning a lesson about the kingdom of God. “Biblical metaphors are drawn from the world of agriculture, not the world of technology.” 129

The fact that God grants church growth should take unnecessary pressure off of us. It’s not helpful to expect something of ourselves which God doesn’t expect. He doesn’t tell us to grow his church, but he does call us to be faithful. He does tell us to preach the gospel. He does tell us to plant, water, and build with materials that correspond to the quality of the church’s foundation, Jesus Christ. But the results are in his hands. In Acts 16 such growth is clear on both corporate and individual levels: “So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers” (Acts 16:5). And when Paul preached the gospel beside a river in Philippi, Lydia was one of those listening to his message. “The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message” (Acts 16:14b). God saves sinners and grows his church through the gospel, not the clever methods and strategies of men.

Planting and Watering Still Matter

Though God grants growth, planting and watering are still important, because God uses such means to accomplish his purposes. Paul reminded the Corinthians, “I planted the seed” (1 Cor 3:6a), referring to his initial preaching of the gospel to them. Then, “Apollos watered it” (1 Cor 3:6b), indicating that Apollos went to Corinth and preached after Paul left. But God made the seed grow. Paul and Apollos could not make the seed of the gospel grow within an unbeliever—and neither can we.

knowing that only God can make the gospel grow, believers should understand the limits of their planting and watering. Such limits exist because of total depravity. Since unbelievers naturally love the darkness, Christians must remember that only God can perform the necessary work of salvation in the sinner’s soul. Mere preaching cannot open the eyes of the blind unbeliever. But God can shine light into darkness through the preaching of the gospel.

Understanding man’s total depravity is essential for church ministry. If leaders do not understand that no human gimmicks or methods can coerce, influence, or manipulatethe unbeliever’s dead spirit to respond to Christ, they will try all manner of things to get saving results. Getting the right speaker with the right band doesn’t create a magical formula that’s irresistible to the unbeliever. The problem with sinners isn’t that they haven’t heard the right speaker, or that they haven’t heard a certain type of music, or that the annual revival just hasn’t been scheduled. The power isn’t in rhetoric, rhythm, or revivalists. The power is in the gospel. “Nothing, therefore, is more absurd than the panic that now grips the evangelical church . . . The desperate measures being proposed for these desperate times are often little more than a case of weak knees and unbelief. We believe altogether too little in God’s sovereign control, otherwise we would not be in full retreat before the pressures and demands of the (post)modern world . . . The truth is that there is nothing in our postmodern world that is a serious threat, or an insurmountable obstacle, to the will of God.” 130

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t schedule a revivalist who preaches the gospel, or bring a Christian band to your Disciple Now event. Simply recognize that such methods have limits. We should not ascribe to people and programs the power to save sinners and grow churches. “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Onlyservants, through whom you came to believe” (1 Cor 3:5, emphasis added). God’s instruments are only servants, not spiritual magicians. The right combination of human vessels doesn’t increase the odds of conversion and church growth, because this isn’t a scenario where there are odds. God sent his church into the world with the gospel, and he doesn’t take any risks. Our sovereign God is a missionary God, and he alone has the power to convert unbelievers.

My observation is that churches pursue growth primarily by drawing the lost to them rather than by going to the lost. “Churches typically adopt an ‘event-based’ approach to evangelism. They use a variety of events to proclaim the gospel: church meetings, guest services, mission meetings, men’s breakfasts, women’s suppers, and many other creative gatherings. In order to appear successful, they keep on running more and more of these events.” 131

Christians should be agoingpeople—going into neighborhoods, communities, cities, states, countries, and continents. Jesus commissioned and empowered his people to go to the lost (Matt 28:19-20; Acts 1:8), not to use human methods to draw the lost to them. Let’s face it: “In our post-Christian, secular age, most unbelievers will never come to our events. Even our members are patchy in their attendance.” 132  I’m not against churches holding revivals and a summer Vacation Bible School, but we should not presume our obedience to the Great Commission when we only seek to draw unbelievers into our territory and through the doors of our buildings. Some people, however, seem to think they’ve really accomplished something because they’ve brought some people into their buildings, sitting in their pews. But have those people heard the gospel yet? The hope is not simply geographical relocation from outside a church building to inside a church building; the hope isspiritualrelocation from darkness to light! Drawing people into a church building but never telling them the gospel is a travesty.

What people need to hear is the gospel preached by planters and waterers who pray for God to grant growth. Though a farmer knows he doesn’t cause plants to grow, he still plants seed. In the same way, believers should plant and water, or preach and teach the gospel, even though God causes the growth. It would be a grievous mistake for a believer to become passive, even fatalistic, thinking,If God wants to cause growth, he will do it, so it doesn’t matter what I do. Such fatalism has no place in a Christian’s desire to live obediently. If God says plant and water, we should plant and water. If he says preach, we should preach. God uses means to accomplish his purposes. This should make us dependent, not disobedient.

In fact, it is God’s pleasure to use the ordained means of preaching to save unbelievers. “God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe” (1 Cor 1:21b). Preaching is only foolish from the world’s perspective, and God’s wisdom delights in using what is foolish in the world’s eyes for his glory, because such a design shows the superiority of his wisdom and power. “The foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength” (1 Cor 1:25). If planting the gospel and watering with more preaching seem like foolish acts to you, then you’re not looking through the right lenses.

God’s aim in using means to accomplish his will is that he might receive the glory for salvation and growth. “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow” (1 Cor 3:7). In the big picture, then, God deserves praise, not Paul or Apollos or any of us. While planting and watering still matter, they don’t cause salvation in the unbeliever or growth in the believer. Paul wielded great authority as an apostle, and Apollos spoke eloquently and impressively to the Corinthians. But, apart from God’s power, no growth can happen. It is like someone hoping to start a fire by simply blowing on a pile of logs.

Or, from a different perspective, people who depend on human methods to grow churches are like people running feverishly around the pile of logs, hoping to start a fire. In this case, yes, heat results, but it’s from the exhaustion of church leaders running themselves into the ground, not from actual fire. People sitting in a circle around the logs might confuse body heat with fire if they’ve never seen the latter.

Likewise, many church members may see an increase in church attendance and immediately assume there’s fire when they’re actually feeling the warmth of their leaders’ strenuous efforts and methods.

The Truth about Church Services

The gospel should drive our ministries and shape our methods. If someone attended your church’s Sunday service, would they think to themselves,This is a church that worships Jesus Christ and loves the gospel? Or would they think,This is a church that is very concerned about entertaining its members and reinforcing a me-centered mindset? If we love Jesus and the gospel which heralds his lordship, and if we want our churches to do the same, then we must learn the truth about church services. The following three truths are nothing new, but they are crucial to remember.

Corporate Worship Should Make Much of God

Church is not about us. The body of Christ doesn’t gather to focus on an arm, a foot, an eye, or an ear.Godis why the saints gather for corporate worship. “Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song” (Ps 95:1-2). The focus is God. “Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORDa new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints” (Ps 149:1). The assembly of the saints is centered on God.

Paul told Timothy, “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching” (1 Tim 4:13). Prioritize and centralize the revelation of God. What matters most is what God has said, not what we say. The goal, then, is not the hearers’ amusement. The goal is to build up the church with the practice of faithfully preaching the Scriptures to God’s people: “Preach the Word; be prepared in seasonand out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Tim 4:2). In preaching, we call listeners to reckon with God, to heed his revelation. “Seeker-sensitive churches are assuming the reverse. They are assuming that doctrine is really peripheral and that the level of tension felt over and against the culture should be minimized if they are to succeed.” 133

We may draw people into church if we design man-centered services, but we will not honor the Lord. Sinners are not helped by the reinforcement of their man-centeredness. God-centered singing and preaching confront the unbeliever with the truth of who God is and what he has done. Therefore, God-centeredness should be the goal of our gatherings. We should want to make much of God. “When you walk into church, remember the eternal significance of what you’re joining.” 134

Corporate Worship is (Mainly) for Believers

Since only believers offer pleasing worship to God and receive edification from his Word, corporate worship is mainly for believers. Granted, unbelievers will probably be present (1 Cor 14:23-24), but they are not the focus. This truth should be obvious to us, since unbelievers aren’t part of the body of Christ, nor do they know the God whom we worship. However, we should certainly seek to build relationships with unbelieving attenders, making the most of opportunities to explain the gospel to them. Hopefully, in the corporate reading and preaching of Scripture, unbelievers will hear about who God is and what he has done. Preachers may find it wise to intentionally incorporate basic gospel truths into each sermon, for the sake of any unbelievers who are present and know little about the Christian faith.

But factoring in the presence of unbelievers is not the same as focusing on the unbeliever during corporate worship. Churches should practice the former, not the latter. “No one should take issue with a church being sensitive to outsiders. On the contrary, this is simply about being considerate. Every church should put itself in the shoes of an outsider who visits for the first time, who knows nothing about Christian faith, and who is introduced to it at this first visit.” 135

Unfortunately, some churches tend to make the presence of unbelievers a determinative factor in what takes place during the service. Such churches may consider themselvesseeker-sensitive, which is a loaded term denoting the idea that church services must be sensitive to, and specifically target, unbelievers who are seeking God. This sensitivity might include the avoidance of difficult biblical topics (e.g. the wrath of God, repentance from sin, suffering in the Christian life), as well as desperate attempts to appear culturally relevant (e.g. illustrating sermons with popular movie clips, creating an atmosphere of trendiness, portraying the image of efficiency and professionalism).

Attempts to make unbelievers comfortable may not be helpful to their souls. For instance, consider the nature of worship: the saints sing to their holy God who is worthy of all praise and has delivered them from the penalty and power of sin. If unbelievers come into the presence of God, who is being worshiped by his people, shouldn’t this make themuncomfortable? Shouldn’t we hope that unbelievers leave a church service feeling fearful and convicted, instead of happy and amused?

Knowing that unbelievers, more than anything else, need to hear the gospel, it is devastating to think that churches so desperately want to grow that they seek to accommodate unbelievers in everything from sermon topics and musical styles to attire and amenities. While perhaps well-intended, such churches are misguided in this approach. Again, our understanding of human depravity is crucial in this discussion. If we believe that the problem with unbelievers is that their hearts are spiritually dead, then no manner of church appeal can influence them toward God. Unbelievers who come to church aren’t seeking God, because no one seeks God (Rom 3:11-12) apart from the power of Christ and the work of his Spirit (John 6:44).

Though church is mainly for believers, it is not wrong for unbelievers to see the saints worship God and hear from his Word. We should not exclude unbelievers from attending services. However, we must remember that God, not unbelievers, is the focus of our assembly, and that corporate worship is something believers, not unbelievers, do. We now turn to some specifics about the believer’s role in corporate worship.

Corporate Worship is Not a Spectator Sport

Believers shouldn’t attend church with a spectator mentality. Corporate worship requires the active engagement of the saints in four primary areas: praying, singing, giving, and listening. First, believers should pray corporately. Corporate prayer means that the listeners are mentally engaged in prayers voiced to God. “Amen” isn’t only appropriate at the end of a prayer, but throughout the prayer as well.

I didn’t always understand the purpose of corporate prayer. When I was a kid in church, I hardly ever paid attention to the content of someone voicing a corporate prayer. After all, they weren’t talking to me right? But corporate prayer isn’t an occasion for the rest of the church to focus less on what is said; they should focusmore. It now stirs my soul with joy to pray along with people who listen attentively and praise the Lord’s name throughout. Corporate prayer is for the participation ofsaints, who can season the intercession with affirmations of thanksgiving, blessing, and praise.

Second, believers should join together in singing to God. Singing isn’t something you watch your music director, praise band, or choir do. Paul says, “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord” (Eph 5:19). This verse shows a twofold purpose for singing: to instruct one another, and to exalt God. Since we have previously argued for the rightfulness of praising God, let’s emphasize that corporate worship is also the appropriate setting for theological education through song. Singing involves instructing, exhorting, and reminding other believers about God’s character and mighty deeds, especially through songs about the cross.

Some professing believers, though, do not participate in corporate worship. They may feel nervous to sing in front of others, they may feel awkward if they don’t know a certain song, or they may feel insecure about the sound of their voice. I would argue that such feelings are self-focused. Someone has humorously said, “God didn’t say ‘Sing beautifully to me.’ He said, ‘Make a joyfulnoise.’” Self-deprecating humor aside, believers should consider it a privilege and joy to join with the saints in congregational singing. Paul told the Colossians to sing “with gratitude in your hearts to God” (Col 3:16b). Singing with gratitude is important, because we can always be grateful to God, even when things in this world discourage us and tempt us to despair. We can preach to ourselves about God’s great glory and abounding love. We can say with Job, “The LORDgave and the LORDhas taken away; may the name of the LORDbe praised” (Job 1:21b). Before congregational singing, it may be helpful to pray for your soul. Ask God to fill your heart with gratitude and joy. Ask him to help your love for him overcome any feelings of awkwardness or embarrassment. Ask him to help you see that joining in corporate worship is an act of obedience.

Third, believers should participate in worship through giving. The New Testament sets a precedent for giving to ministers and missionaries (1 Cor 16:1-4; 2 Cor 8—9; Rom 15:24), supporting your church’s pastors and teachers (1 Cor 9:9-12a; 1 Tim 5:17-18), giving to those in need (Matt 6:1-4), and demonstrating through material sacrifice where one’s treasure truly is (Matt 6:19-21). In our materialistic culture, this call to financially invest in your church and its various ministers and ministries may seem demanding. But consider Jesus’ words: “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money” (Matt 6:24).

Believers need the Bible’s influence on how to view money, not the culture’s. Giving is not something only radical Christians do. In fact, financial generosity was characteristic of the early church. “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need” (Acts 2:44-45). “There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need” (Acts 4:34-35). Such generosity must have puzzled outsiders who loved money and possessions. We should pray for hearts of generosity. “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7). What kind of giver are you?

Fourth, believers should actively listen to the sermon. “We shouldn’t be passive listeners. How we listen and apply what we hear either honors or dishonors God.” 136  Unfortunately, some people listen to sermons in the same way they watch television: passive, disengaged, with little if any reflection. Listening that honors the Lord, however, involves active engagement of the mind and prayerful dependence on the Spirit—all with the intention to obey the message. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22). There is a danger in listening to sermons:self-deception. To avoid self-deception during the sermon, listen to the Lord’s word with the aim to obey it in the power of the Spirit. Sermons aren’t preached for mindless consumption. “God’s truth is God’s truth. It doesn’t matter if it was delivered with pizzazz or introduced with a tearjerker illustration. If I have heard God’s truth, then I am called to obey it. Period.” 137

Let’s face the truth about sermons: you won’t remember most of what you hear. You may not even recall much of what you’ve read so far in this book! The point isn’t trying to retain everything you hear and read. The point is being prayerfully dependent on the Spirit to engage God’s truth and then apply it to your life. You may not remember most of what shapes you, but that doesn’t alter the fact that it has still shaped you. This truth reminds me of an illustration I once heard about a man who said to his friend, “I don’t want to listen to anymore sermons. I don’t remember them anyway.” The friend responded, “Well, do you remember what your wife cooked for dinner a week ago?” The man thought for a moment and said, “No.” His friend said, “You might not remember what she cooked, but you’re still alive because you ate it.” Active listening to the preached word feeds our souls and sustains our joy in faith.

No matter how you look at church ministry, it all comes back to faithfulness. Faithfully attend, worship, and trust God with the results. Love believers, take the gospel to the lost, and trust God with the results. Preach and teach the gospel, be unashamedly God-centered and God-exalting, and trust him with the results. “Sales pitches, marketed faith, the gospel as commodity, people as customers, God as just a prop to my inner life, the glitz and sizzle, Disneyland on the loose in our churches—all of it is skin deep and often downright wrong.” 138  The gospel isn’t a product, the church isn’t a business, and attenders aren’t consumers. Attenders are sinners, the church is the body of Christ, and the gospel is the only message of hope for any of us.

God is the reason believers gather to worship, and we should want to make much of him in all we do. We should plant and water with the gospel, because it is the sufficient strategy that is both ancient and powerful. God calls us to be faithful to him and his word, not successful in the world’s eyes. Biblical ministry looks foolish because it looks powerless. But Paul says, “To be sure, [Jesus] was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve you” (2 Cor 13:4). Wells is right: “The church is not a business, not an experiment, not a product to be sold. It is an outpost of the kingdom, a sign of things to come in Christ’s sovereign rule, which is now hidden but will be made open and public. Then all the world will bow before him in recognition of who he is.” 139

106.  Wells, The Courage to be Protestant, 25.

107.  Ibid., 55.

108.  Ibid., 28.

109.  Ibid., 132.

110.  Mark Dever and Paul Alexander, The Deliberate Church: Building Your Ministry on the Gospel (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2005), 78-79.

111.  DeYoung and kluck, Why We Love the Church, 80-81.

112.  Trevin Wax, Holy Subversion: Allegiance to Christ in an Age of Rivals (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2010), 28.

113.  Wells, The Courage to be Protestant, 213.

114.  Wax, Holy Subversion, 28.

115.  Thomas White and John M. Yeats, Franchising McChurch: Feeding our Obsession with Easy Christianity (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2009), 159.

116.  Dever and Alexander, The Deliberate Church, 28.

117.  White and Yeats, Franchising McChurch, 159.

118.  Scott J. Hafemann, 2 Corinthians, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000), 449.

119.  Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, rev. (Wheaton: Crossway, 2004), 27.

120.  White and Yeats, Franchising McChurch, 144.

121.  Hafemann, 2 Corinthians, 449.

122.  DeYoung and kluck, Why We Love the Church, 31.

123.  White and Yeats, Franchising McChurch, 63.

124.  Wax, Holy Subversion, 59.

125.  Thabiti M. Anyabwile, What is a Healthy Church Member? (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2008), 16.

126.  Colin Marshall and Tony Payne, The Trellis and the Vine: The Ministry Mind-Shift that Changes Everything (Matthias Media, 2009), 37.

127.  Dever and Alexander, The Deliberate Church, 27.

128.  DeYoung and kluck, Why We Love the Church, 36.

129.  C. J. Mahaney, from his sermon at the 2010 Together for the Gospel conference.

130.  Wells, The Courage to be Protestant, 244.

131.  Marshall and Payne, The Trellis and the Vine, 18.

132.  Ibid.

133.  Wells, The Courage to be Protestant, 56.

134.  Harris, Stop Dating the Church!, 110.

135.  Wells, The Courage to be Protestant, 44.

136.  Harris, Stop Dating the Church!, 111.

137.  Ibid., 113.

138.  Wells, The Courage to be Protestant, 57.

139.  Ibid., 248.

9

A Global Gospel:

Proclaiming to the Nations

the Only Name that Saves

Jesus commissioned his disciples to make disciples (Matt 28:19-20). This is the church’s mission, and all other endeavors are secondary. My concern is that many churches do not operate with a disciple-making mindset. An intentional approach to disciple-making may require rethinking ministry. Obedience to Christ’s commission must be purposeful; it will not happen unconsciously or accidentally. “Most Christian churches today need to undertake a radical re-evaluation of what Christian ministry really is—what its aims and goals are, how it proceeds, and what part we all play in its exercise.” 140  My goal in this chapter is to demonstrate that the gospel is a global message which requires believers to have a global mindset. Byglobal mindsetI mean a gospel-shaped perspective that desires and endeavors (through going and giving) to send the good news to every nation and people group in the world. This mindset understands that God is working on a global scale—he is growing his church in different places all over the world. God’s heart is for the nations. Unless believers develop a mindset that wants the good news to make a global impact, they will not be thinking with a missionary mindset that reflects God’s heart.

Glimpses of God’s Global Purposes

Many Scriptures indicate that God’s purposes are global. “The local church isthemajor player, under God’s providence, in the accomplishment of God’s purposes in human history, and His ultimate vision for the church actually surpasses even the global stage.” 141  God’s specific purposes for national Israel do not nullify this truth. His global mission is evident from both the Old Testament and the New, as well as in every genre of the Bible. While not every verse of Scripture conveys this mission, the thrust of Scripture is clear. God’s global mission dominates the Bible from beginning to end.

The Blessing for the Nations

In the first book of the Bible, God promises a blessing to all people. He told Abraham, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen 12:3). The last phrase is the most significant one for our purposes because Paul echoed God’s promise when he wrote Galatians 3:7-8: “Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’”

Therefore, the global gospel is glimpsed and rooted in Genesis. God fulfilled his promise to bless all nations by sending Jesus for all people. The fullest experience of the blessing promised to Abraham is salvation through Christ alone. “Those who have faith,” Paul wrote, “are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith” (Gal 3:9). Later in the same chapter he said, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal 3:28-29).

The Call for Praise from the Nations

In the Psalms, there is abundant evidence that the nations should worship God. “Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples” (Ps 117:1). The psalmist doesn’t list any exceptions to this global command. The last verse of the last psalm says, “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD” (Ps 150:6). Every person breathing in the world has a responsibility to worship the Maker of heaven and earth, for God is great and worthy to be praised (Ps 48:1). The psalmist says, “Sing to the LORDa new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples” (Ps 96:1-3). The whole earth should resound with songs of acclamation to the Lord. “The LORDreigns” should be the anthem heard among the nations (Ps 96:10).

God has displayed his greatness and the glory of his name for all to see. He has set his glory above the heavens (Ps 8:1b), and he has declared his glory in the heavens (Ps 19:1). Everyone in the world has the book of natural revelation open to them night and day, which is why everyone is withoutexcuse in their idolatry (Rom 1:20b). Seeing stars should fill onlookers with worship of God. Beholding mountains should stir onlookers with praise to God. Watching a sunrise should prompt awe and wonder at God. But human wickedness suppresses the truth of God’s greatness (Rom 1:18). God’s revelation has not been subtle, and neither has mankind’s rejection of it (Rom 1:19-20).

The Light for the Gentiles

Among the words of the Old Testament prophets, Isaiah 49:6stands out with paramount importance. God told the Servant of the Lord, “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” The role of the Servant, then, was more comprehensive than restoring national Israel. The Servant would extend the glory of God’s salvation beyond Israel to the nations. Jesus, the Servant of the Lord, brought the light of God to the world. “I am the light of the world,” he said (John 8:12a).

Another important text is Isaiah 9:2: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Centuries later, Simeon held baby Jesus and said, “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32). The narrator of John’s Gospel described Jesus this way: “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it” (John 1:4-5). In a world of darkness, God sent Jesus as the Light, the Savior, for all nations.

The Commission to the Nations

In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commissioned the church to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them the faith. Though Matthew’s Gospel contains the well-known Great Commission, Luke’s Gospel ends with the same theme: “Repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in [the Christ’s] name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). In his second volume, the book of Acts, Luke recorded Jesus’ words about Spirit-empowerment: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). In the power of the Spirit, the disciples would witness about Jesus by proclaiming the gospel to the entire world.

With a heart for Jews and Gentiles, Paul understood his mission in light of Jesus’ role as the Suffering Servant. Paul told Jews in Pisidian Antioch, “This is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth’” (Acts 13:47, quoting Isaiah 49:6). Jesus’ mission continued through Paul’s mission. Jesus told the apostle, “I am sending you to [Jews and Gentiles] to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:17b-18).

Paul thought of his mission as embodying the sufferings and death of Christ: “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body” (2 Cor 4:10). Also, “Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church” (Col 1:24). The commission to the church, then, is not a different mission from what the SufferingServant—Jesus—embodied and advanced. Disciples take up the mission of their Lord, becoming suffering servants of the Suffering Servant. Since Jesus carried the light of his message to Jews and Gentiles, his followers did—and do—the same. As a result, “All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing” (Col 1:6b).

A Vision of the Nations Worshiping God

In Revelation, John gives the reader glimpses of the worldwide worship of God. He records a song which the living creatures and elders sing to Jesus: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev 5:9). The gospel is global because the design of redemption was global. The cumulative effect of “tribe and language and people and nation” suggests the worldwide scope of God’s work.

John also portrays a great multitude ascribing their salvation to God: “There before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb’” (Rev 7:9-10).

Perhaps the clearest example in Revelation of the gospel going to the nations is in chapter 14: “Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water’” (Rev 14:6-7). The gospel includes the command that all nations worship the true and living God. God entrusted hischurch with the commission to take this message to everyone, everywhere.

The Same Message for Everyone

There is one gospel. Sinners must believe this gospel to be saved, because there aren’t various gospels used at different times for different people. It bears repeating: there is one gospel, one true message of salvation for all sinners. Examining the speeches and letters of the apostles yields a consistent summary of the gospel: repent of your sins and believe in the risen Jesus for forgiveness, or perish under the righteous condemnation of God for your rebellion and unbelief. “Affirming Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation seems especially arrogant and intolerant in this postmodern age. But Jesus himself has left us little choice in the matter.” 142

Salvation is in Jesus Alone

As the events of Acts unfolded, the apostles experienced increasing opposition from the Jewish leadership. Once, when Peter and John were teaching people in Jerusalem about the risen Jesus, members of the Sanhedrin arrested them and put them in jail (Acts 4:1-3). The next day Peter and John appeared before the Sanhedrin to answer questions (Acts 4:7). In his speech, Peter proclaimed the exclusivity of the gospel message by denying that salvation is outside the name of Jesus: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “We need to feel the force of this universal claim by taking several phrases very seriously . . . These two phrases, ‘under heaven’ and ‘[to] men,’ press the claim of universality to its fullest extent.” 143

No other name. This provokes an important question: can people be saved if they don’t know the name of Jesus? Biblically, the answer is no. Mankind doesn’t arrive at saving revelation apart from hearing the true gospel, and only the gospel of Jesus announces God’s saving work on behalf of sinners. “The name of Jesus is the focus of faith and repentance. In order to believe on Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, you must believe on his name, which means that you have to have heard of him and know who he is as a particular man who did a particular saving work and rose from the dead.” 144

Paul said, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom 10:13), but he understood that this reality requires urgency from the church. If sinners cannot be saved unless they call on Jesus, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Rom 10:14). “This rules out the argument that a person might have saving faith without really knowing or meeting Christ in the gospel . . . This rules out the argument that one might somehow meet Christ or hear Christ without a messenger to tell the gospel.” 145  Therefore, the church must proclaim Jesus to the nations, or the nations cannot be saved. There is no other name, and there is no other way. Jesus claimed, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

But this argument is by no means universally accepted by evangelicals. Albert Mohler pinpoints the problem: “The issue is a failure of theological nerve—a devastating loss of biblical and doctrinal conviction . . . Put bluntly, many who claim to be Christians simply do not believe that anyone is actually lost.” 146  It is commonly believed that people who have never heard of Jesus aren’t necessarily condemned. Perhaps God can reveal himself to them through their religion. Could it be that people who have never had a chance to hear about Jesus will be saved some other way? Maybe people who are sincerely seeking truth will be saved because of the light of revelation that they have embraced, such as those who recognize from creation that there is a God who should be feared and followed.

These postulations stem from a reluctance to believe that people who never hear the gospel will be condemned by God. I have even heard professing Christians naively assert, “God gives everyone an opportunity to believe in Jesus.” The truth is: no, he doesn’t. There are thousands of unreached people groups in the world, and people die every day who have never heard of Jesus. Does it seem unjust to you that God will condemn people who have never heard of Jesus? I want to tell you why it’s not.

God condemns sinners on the basis of their sin, not on the basis of whether or not they have heard the gospel. In Revelation John explains that judgment is based on works: “The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done . . . If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev 20:13, 15). It is not unjust, then, for God to condemn sinners although they have never heard the gospel.

The basis of salvation, however, is different—it is based on grace, not works. While people can be condemned without ever hearing the gospel, no one can be saved without hearing it. Judgment is based on works; salvation is based on grace. Therefore, the fact that many unbelievers may never hear the gospel does not leave God without a basis to condemn them at the judgment. Sinners come into this world condemned already (John 3:18, 36; Eph 2:3b) and are objects of God’s wrath (Eph 2:3b), because all are sinners, and the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23a). On judgment day God will not say, “Those of you who never had a chance to hear about my Son, step in line behind the saints.” A false assumption in this discussion is: God’s basis of condemnation is whether or not people have rejected the gospel. Rejecting the gospel, to be sure, is a sin—but that would not be the first or only transgression committed by a sinner. God does not lack a basis for the righteous condemnation of sinners.

Let’s look at this issue from another perspective: if people who have never heard the gospel will eventually be saved, while people who reject the gospel will certainly be judged, wouldn’t it be better for everyone if Christiansstoppedsharing the gospel with unbelievers? This way, no one could reject the gospel! If believers would stop talking about Jesus, no unbeliever could reject the message and then be eternally condemned. Such a notion, however, is simply absurd.

Some people believe that natural revelation in creation can lead people to the knowledge of saving truth. This idea stems from the concept that many religious adherents throughout the world recognize that there is a higher power and thus worship something. After acknowledging this overall tendency of religious devotion, some argue that sinners must be responsible only for the light of truth that they have received. This light of truth would mainly be found in what they conclude about creation. All of this is an interesting theory, but is it biblical? Can sinners be saved by any light of truth other than the light of knowing Jesus Christ?

Romans 1 is helpful here. Regarding unbelievers Paul says, “What may be known about God is plain to them, becauseGod has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Rom 1:19-20). So creation indeed demonstrates the presence of a Creator—in particular, that this Creator is divine and powerful. Pay careful attention, though, to what mankind does in response to this plain demonstration of God’s existence: “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Rom 1:21). Man is now foolish, not wise (Rom 1:22). Natural revelation in creation does not lead sinful man to worship God; instead, man rejects the truth and embraces the foolishness of idolatry. “No one responds positively to general revelation but instead rebels against it as part of an ancient conspiracy begun in the midst of Eden.” 147

Therefore, when Paul says that “men are without excuse” (Rom 1:20b), he affirms that God justly judges sinners for rejecting the truth displayed in God’s creation. Man should glorify and thank God, but doesn’t. Instead man “exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles” (Rom 1:23). When you see people worshiping idols, that devotion is not proof that they are seeking God; it is proof that they are rebelling against him. “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie,” Paul said, “and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen” (Rom 1:25). Serving created things meansnotserving the Creator. Worshipers of idols aren’t actually worshiping God. Ignorant worship is not true worship.

Natural revelation, then, doesn’t have redemptive power. When sinners look at natural revelation, their minds don’t embrace the truth of God’s divine nature and omnipotence; their minds believe a lie—that creation should be esteemed and worshiped (Rom 1:21-23, 25). “Humanity’s perception of general revelation is clouded by human depravity.” 148  Since embracing falsehood doesn’t honor God, no one should conclude that idolatry can give enough light for people to be saved. The path of falsehood doesn’t lead to truth, only to further deception and delusion. Falsehood consists of darkness, not light.

Unbelievers are truth-rejecters, not truth-seekers. The concept of unbelievers, unaided by the Holy Spirit, seeking and finding Jesus Christ is unbiblical. No one can come to Jesus unless they are first drawn (John 6:44). No one seeks the true and living God (Rom 3:11) and all have turned away from him (Rom 3:12a). Therefore, the direction of other religions is not toward God but away from him. People who worship other gods aren’t manifesting their love for truth but their tragic embrace of falsehood.

While it may be comforting to believe that sincere followers of other religions can be saved through the revelatory light of creation without ever hearing the true gospel, it is a notion without any explicit biblical basis. Creation surely communicates truth about God, but natural revelation is sufficient only to condemn, not save, sinners. The Bible never teaches that natural revelation conveys the gospel. For unbelievers to be saved, we must point them to Jesus Christ, not to the sky above or the cells within. In fact, since creation is groaning for its own redemption (Rom 8:19, 22), it has no redemption to give others. Jesus Christ is the only hope for unbelievers—and for creation.

Repent and Believe, or Perish

Athens was a city full of idols (Acts 17:16), and Paul became angry when he saw it with his own eyes. He told some of the Athenians, “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious” (Acts 17:22), and then he explained that they didn’t know the true God (Acts 17:23). He said, “We should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill” (Acts 17:29). The Athenians had manifested their idolatrous hearts by worshiping objects fashioned by the hands of skillful men.

Despite the widespread worship of idols, Paul denied that such devotion pleased God. Paul called their idolatry “ignorance” and said, “[God] commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).All people.Everywhere. Paul’s words in Acts 17 confirm his words at the beginning of Romans. Ignorant worship is idolatry, not true worship. All sinners received the same message from Paul: repent of sin and trust in Jesus Christ, or perish. Paul warned the Athenians, “[God] has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). Everyone will either know Jesus as their Savior or as their Judge. But there will be a day of judgment for all men.

Paul preached the gospel of repentance and faith to everyone. He told king Agrippa, “First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:20). The audience and content of Paul’s preaching showed his obedience to Jesus. Jesus told the disciples that “repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in [my] name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47).

Jesus makes demands of the whole world. God “commands all people everywhere to repent,” Paul said. Think about thatstatement: Jesus makes a claim on every Buddhist, every atheist, every Hindu, every Muslim—everyone. “The demands he gave only to his disciples are also meant for the world because he demands all people everywhere to become his disciples . . . Jesus dares to lay claim to ‘all nations’—all ethnic groups on the planet. No exceptions.” 149

While Paul’s message was the same for everyone, he didn’t always begin the same way. In Acts 17, he began with the doctrines of God and creation, since Athens was full of polytheism and pantheism. Athenian Gentiles needed to know the basic teachings about the one true God. This is an important starting place even in contemporary polytheistic cultures. For example, during mission trips to Thailand our teams proclaimed Jesus as the only Lord and Savior, so that the Thai Buddhists would not mistakenly add Jesus to their growing list of names esteemed in ancestor worship. Unbelievers must understand that worship is due to Christ alone.

In Acts 13, when Paul spoke with Jews and God-fearers at Pisidian Antioch, he began with Jewish history and showed how Jesus fulfilled the promises that God made to Israel. He taught them that even their condemnation of Jesus was in accord with God’s word: “The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath” (Acts 13:27). He then argued that Jesus’ resurrection fulfilled God’s promises made in Psalms 2:7 and 16:10, and in Isaiah 55:3.

It is important to observe, then, that Paul began his sermons with theological issues that pertained to his specific audience. Jews and pagans approached life from different perspectives. Jews were monotheistic, most of them believed in an end-time resurrection of the dead, and they agreed that God would fulfill the prophecies of Scripture. On the other hand, pagans didn’t anticipate a bodily resurrection, they weren’t concerned that God keep his promises to the Israelites, and they were polytheistic and pantheistic in their worldview.

While Paul didn’t always begin his messages in the same way, he still preached the gospel to his hearers. To the Jews at Pisidian Antioch he said, “Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:38-39). And we’ve previously seen how Paul told the Athenians about God’s demand for people to repent (Acts 17:30b-31). He apparently also told them about the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 17:31), because some of them sneered at the notion (Acts 17:32a). Paul continued to explain the gospel to inquiring Athenians, and some of them believed (Acts 17:32-34). Different audiences, same gospel. Different locations, same gospel. Different opening theological issues, same gospel.

When Paul talked about becoming “all things to all men” in 1 Corinthians 9, then, he was not referring to changing his message for the purpose of contextualization. Paul says, “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible” (1 Cor 9:19). Paul’s commitment to evangelism didn’t involve altering the gospel for the sake of winning Jews and Gentiles. When he writes, “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews,” he explains what he means in the next phrase, “To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law” (1 Cor 9:20). Paul didn’t forsake Judaism in the effort to win his Jewish brothers. It would have been disastrous for his witness to Christ if he cast aside the Law of Moses and the Jewish festivals. Paul demonstrated in word and deed that Christianity fulfilled, not nullified, Judaism.

Also, “To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law” (1 Cor 9:21). Paul wrote about Gentiles in this verse. When he evangelized pagans, he didn’t impose the Jewish law on them, for they didn’t have the Law of Moses. He never imposed circumcision or dietary regulations on them, nor did he insist that they keep Jewish festivals or Sabbath days. It would be a mistake, however, to interpret Paul’s words to mean that he lived like a pagan in immorality and idolatry for the sake of winning pagans to Christ. That would be ridiculous.

A biblical missionary mindset doesn’t assume that pagans will be drawn to Christ when they see how much they have in common with believers. “Churches that want to influence their culture are so often tempted to think that to be effective they must hide their otherworldliness and become slickly this-worldly. They think they must identify with their culture as if they knew nothing but that culture. They imagine that their chief tool, if not their only tool, of influence is friendship with their world.” 150

But it is the church’sdifferencefrom the world (i.e. the embrace of the gospel) that is the world’s hope, not any similarity that the church has with the world. “Churches that actually do influence the culture—here is the paradox—distance themselves from it in their internal life. They do not offer what can already be had on secular terms in the culture. They are an alternative to it.” 151  Believers won’t win the world by trying to become like the world. That wasn’t Paul’s strategy in 1 Corinthians 9. His strategy was to preach and model the clear and uncompromised gospel to all people.Everyone, everywhere: repent and believe.

Why Churches Must Think Globally

Perhaps there is no more urgent awareness to have than the world’s need for the gospel, a message billions of people have not embraced. Thinking locally is good, but it is insufficient. Christians must think globally about the gospel. Paul told the Colossians, “All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth” (Col 1:6b). “Our view of gospel work must be global as well as local: the goal isn’t church growth (in the sense of our local church expanding in numbers, budget, church-plants and reputation) but gospel growth. If we train and send workers into new fields (both local and global), our local ministry might not grow numerically but the gospel will advance through these new ministers of the word.” 152

God is Worthy of Worldwide Worship

Since Christians know the joy of worshiping the true and living God, they should want everyone to worship him. He is worthy of worldwide worship, and his glory and renown should fill the whole earth. “God is glorified in being known. To see others truly come to know him glorifies God and honors him.” 153  Therefore, Christians should not be indifferent to the nations; they should long to see every tribe and tongue offering true worship to God. Global thinking, then, is for the glory of God.

“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” 154  Though worldwide worship isn’t happening, it should be. The Father gave the Son “the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:9b-11).

At the end, people will acknowledge the lordship and authority of Jesus, but let this truth sink in: some people will never worship Jesus. They will be rebels forever. Bowing the knee to Jesus is an acknowledgment of his authority, but worship comes from the heart, and the hearts of unbelievers will never honor God. Though Paul speaks of a day on which every tongue will confess the lordship of Jesus, not every heart will be filled with wonder and reverence for the person of Jesus Christ. The powers of darkness will bow their defeated knees, and the reign and power of Jesus will be evident to everyone. But at that time it will be too late for any unbeliever to be saved.

Jesus is Sovereign over Everything

In Matthew 28, Jesus’ commission to make disciples of all nations begins with “Therefore” (Matt 28:19). A well-known adage applies here: if you see a “therefore,” ask what it is there for. Jesus introduces the command after giving its basis in the previous verse. The basis of the Great Commission is Jesus’ extraordinary claim: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matt 28:18). In other words,I am sovereign over everything. While you could probably offer different reasons for global missions, has Jesus’ comprehensive sovereignty ever stirred your obedience to make disciples?

The scope of missions extends to the scope of Christ’s sovereignty: he is sovereign over everyone, so everyone should submit to his lordship. If Jesus was not sovereign over all things, in whose authority could we take the gospel to the nations? If Jesus did not have all authority in heaven and on earth, what hope could there be for the gospel’s advance in the world? Also, if his sovereignty extended to only part ofcreation, he would have given only a Partial Commission to his disciples. “Were it not for the sovereign grace of God, evangelism would be the most futile and useless enterprise that the world has ever seen, and there would be no more complete waste of time under the sun than to preach the Christian gospel.” 155

The Great Commission sends disciples into the world over which Jesus rules. “Jesus is not a tribal deity. All authority in the universe is his, and all creation owes its allegiance to him.” 156  Jesus is Lord of every nation and every people group. Nothing in heaven and earth exists outside his total control. “So far from making evangelism pointless, the sovereignty of God in grace is the one thing that prevents evangelism from being pointless. For it creates the possibility—indeed, the certainty—that evangelism will be fruitful.” 157  This reality should fill believers with courage. It takes boldness to go to the nations, and the sovereignty of Jesus is no small motivator. Believers don’t give their lives for the work of the gospel because they believe Jesus’ lordship is in question. Christians don’t risk the deaths of family and friends in other parts of the world because they doubt the power of Jesus to spread his name and fame.

People die for the gospel because they believe Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:18: “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Christians across the globe are willing to suffer loss of job, reputation, health, and safety because they agree with the words of Philippians 3:7: “Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” Martyrs know the answers to Paul’s questions in Romans 8:35: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?”

The sovereignty of Jesus is our security in suffering and death. Paul told the Philippians, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21). Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt 10:28). Think of it this way: what’s the worst thing that can happen to a believer proclaiming the gospel? They could be killed, but nothing worse. I know that may seem devastating, but Paul believed that it “is better by far” to die and be with Christ (Phil 1:23). Would you agree with Paul’s words, or do you believe that your present life is better than being with Jesus in heaven?

If Jesus doesn’t return first, we will all die. The question is: are you trying to preserve your life by your own power, or do you entrust yourself to the sovereign Christ? Jesus said, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matt 10:39). The key is to be concerned about the gospel, not about prolonging your life. Going to doctors, scheduling surgeries, and taking medicines can all be used by God to heal our physical ailments, but none of us will live beyond the number of days which God has set for us (Ps 139:16). Should the time come, be like the believers of Revelation 12: “They overcame [the accuser] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death” (Rev 12:11). The gospel is more important than life, than safety.

Paul factored the sovereignty of Jesus Christ into his understanding of his mission: “I consider my life worthnothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24). The Lord appointed for Paul a task that included suffering. Jesus told Ananias regarding Paul, “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:16). Paul’s task and subsequent suffering were all under the sovereign appointment of Jesus Christ. Paul suffered willingly and faithfully, because he knew Jesus was sovereign over his life.

Since many believers will suffer in the hands of zealous unbelievers, the words of Jesus bring great comfort: “Make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict” (Luke 21:14-15). The sovereign Christ does not abandon his disciples when they suffer for the gospel. On the contrary, he empowers their witness and gives them wise words for such moments. We need not fear anyone or anything. “Everyone and everything is subordinate to Jesus. Every human. Every angel. Every demon. The devil himself. And all the natural world and what happens in it.” 158

Many believers will face terrible emotional and physical turmoil: “You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me” (Luke 21:16-17). The sovereignty of Jesus doesn’t prevent us from suffering but preserves us through suffering: “Not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life” (Luke 21:17-18). The wordperishrefers to spiritual destruction, since physical death is a possibility for some believers (Luke 21:16b). The believer is spiritually secure in Christ, even if he suffers the loss of his family, friends, or his head.Not a hair of your head will perish. Who could make such a promise to believers except the one who has all authority in heaven and on earth?

The Church’s Obedience is at Stake

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus didn’t give his disciples the Great Option. Making disciples of the nations is about obedience. Jesus said that disciples should teach others “to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt 28:20a). But how can we teach the nations about obeying Jesus if we disobey him by not taking the gospel to them? Churches, then, should be globally minded because obedience to Jesus is at stake. David Platt asks a key question: “Where in the Bible is missions ever identified as an optional program in the church?” 159

Granted, there are local physical and spiritual needs around you. Some church members have more financial struggles than others. Also, caring for the needs of widows isn’t a concern that expired in Paul’s day (1 Tim 5:3, 9-10). James said, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (Jam 1:27). Then there are spiritual needs: like me, you probably have friends and family who are unbelievers, and there may not be many, if any, Christians where you work. The pertinence of these local needs is this: some believers object to their church’s involvement in international missions because they believe that local needs warrant all of the church’s focus and resources.

A global mindset doesn’t exclude a concern for local needs. Instead, a closed local mindset excludes a concern for international needs. Platt is again helpful here: “Certainly there are great needs here. But must we insist on dividing the Great Commission into an either-or proposition? Who told us that we had to choose to have a heart for the United Statesor a heart for the world?” 160  Churches should start their witness for Christ in their local communities, but they shouldn’t stop there. Jesus told his disciples, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Churches in America should have hearts for all nations. Americans aren’t more valuable to God than Australians or Brazilians or Vietnamese.

Churches without a concern for world missions aren’t fully obedient to Christ. This is not an overstatement. The command in Matthew 28:19-20 is to make disciples of all nations, not just your own. So how are you invested in taking the gospel to all nations? I understand that some churches face practical obstacles and may lack direct connections to missionaries, large budgets that allocate money to missions, leaders that promote a missions mindset among church members, advertised opportunities to engage in global missions outside the country, or volunteers to travel to unfamiliar territories should the opportunity arise. But be not dismayed! I want to suggest six practical steps to implement in your church toward the cultivation of a global missions mindset.

First, pray for world missions. A church that doesn’t pray for the spread of the gospel to all nations doesn’t have a global mindset. In fact, the content of a church’s prayers is an indication of its concerns. If the nations are on God’s heart, then they should be on ours too. And the burdens of our hearts show up in our prayers. The body of Christ should intercede for missionaries around the world who labor for the sake of the gospel. There are thousands of people groups who have never been infiltrated with the good news; they are totally unreached, with no known believers or missionaries among them. Perhaps your church could emphasize an annual missions week, throughout which the church prays corporately and individually for the spread of the gospel around the world.

Second, talk about missionaries. Pastors can do this in sermons, incorporating stories of international missionaries. Learn about current opposition, persecution, martyrdom, and revival. “As the elder ultimately responsible for the teaching and leadership of the church, the senior pastor should be the primary champion of the missions cause in the local church where he serves.” 161  Other leaders in your church who teach classes can frequently incorporate world missions into their lessons. Read stories about missionaries, learn their names, and spread this information to the people in your church. What your church spends time talking about also indicates its priority. Therefore, talking about international missionaries demonstrates concern for the gospel’s work in the world.

Third, encourage people to give to world missions. Some churches announce special times of giving during Christmas and Easter, and your church may see the value in adopting these emphases. Your church might also consider budgeting to support mission agencies and organizations. Such groups can often directly and discerningly distribute funds to international gospel work. Therefore, to support them is to support world missions. For example, many Southern Baptist churches support the North American Mission Board and the International Mission Board. Prayerfully discern how to allocate funds for the global spread of the gospel. And be open to new ways of raising funds for missions. For example, every day during this summer’s Vacation Bible School, our leaders encouraged the children to bring money for a love offering to a church in Thailand. By the end of the week, the children had contributed a few hundred dollars, and they learned about the value of investing in the global gospel.

Fourth, develop direct connections with international missionaries. If no one in your church has a direct connection with one, then contact a church that does. knowing the names of a missionary family, seeing their pictures, and receiving frequent updates can greatly contribute to the cultivation of a church’s global missions mindset. By maintaining contact with full-time missionaries, your church will know the specific needs to bring to the Lord in prayer, as well as the conversions and growth for which to praise and thank him. Since international missionaries may take opportunities to visit families in their home countries, there may be a future opportunity to welcome those missionaries to your church for a time of personal visit, testimony, and edification. There’s no one like international missionaries to help a church develop an international mindset.

Fifth, participate in short-term mission trips outside of the United States. Participation may involve your church organizing and leading its own short-term trip, or it may involve going with sister churches that are sending teams. Short-term mission trips can be most effective when they are planned with a missionary who is already located in the country of interest. Such cooperation is important for the ongoing work in the other country so that short-term mission teams don’t unintentionally undermine the efforts of the vocational missionaries. Teams shouldn’t travel to other countries and think,When we arrive, we’re calling the shots. Missionaries will feel supported and edified when teams arrive with hearts of service and submission. Before a team leaves, the church should commission them through prayer and the laying on of hands (cf. Acts 13:1-3). When the team returns home, they can bring reports of the power of God displayed in other parts of the world. These reports will encourage the senders and reinforce a global mindset in that church. The congregation needs to hear about the Lord’s work during the trip: divineappointments, conversions, physical healings, and even how the lives of the team members were changed. Such reports to the congregation should preferably occur for several weeks after a trip, and Sunday morning services provide the largest number of listeners. There is an additional advantage to short-term teams: the Lord may use a two-week stint in another country to awaken the desire for international vocational ministry in the heart of a team member. In such a case, someone may depart with only a short-term commitment but return with a lifelong calling—which brings me to my last suggestion.

Sixth, frequently encourage the people in your church to prayerfully consider giving their lives to international missions. When the Lord guides believers into full-time mission work, they are probably involved in a church already—so why shouldn’t it be yours? Pray that your church would be a context from which the Lord calls people to be missionaries. When pastors preach from texts pertaining to the global nature of the gospel, they should exhort their listeners to prayerfully reflect on how the Lord wants them to be involved in international mission work—and perhaps it would be to surrender their lives to international vocational missions.

Leaders should exhort their churches toward obedience to the Great Commission. “We should be cultivating among our congregations a deep concern for the fame of God’s name to extend to other parts of the globe through the preaching of His Gospel to all nations.” 162  This should be the aim of your church, and the previous six steps—which are important, but not exhaustive—are a means to that end.

If a church isn’t doing all it can with its people and resources to make disciples of the nations, what is the barrier? Is it a lack of motivation? Is it the absence of a global mindset? Is it an explicit denial of responsibility? Is it an indifference to disobedience? Is it an unhealthy focus on unimportant issues? “We need to be weaning members off the expectation of being served or even entertained, and training them rather to expect to become a contributing part of a global and even cosmic corporate cause to glorify God among the nations.” 163  May the Lord remind us that the nations will not glorify God because we organized a successful program but because we obeyed the Great Commission and took the gospel to people who need it.

Only Christians Proclaim Salvation

In chapter one, I argued that the gospel was God’s plan before all creation; he never had a plan B. The same can be said of the church’s commission to go to the nations with this gospel. “We are the plan of God, and there is no plan B.” 164  When God saves sinners across the world, it is through the proclaimed gospel, not through any other message. Paul asks of unbelievers, “How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?” (Rom 10:14b). They can’t—which is why people must go to them with the good news.

Though living a life transformed by the gospel cannot be discounted, I’m talking about more than just modeling the gospel. More than your example is necessary. Godly Christians aren’t the message; the gospel is. Paul taught that unbelievers must hear and believe a message (Rom 10:14), and this message is proclaimed by people who go (Rom 10:15). If willing feet go but no mouths open to proclaim the gospel, unbelievers won’t hear the truth, even if they see righteous behavior in the believers who went. The gospel is goodnews.

Christians are the only ones who proclaim salvation. Every other message is one of bondage—or, rather, a message that cannot save sinners from bondage. As we discussed in chapter seven, God has not entrusted the message of the gospel to anyone other than his church. Therefore, sinners cannot be saved by looking to other religions, by looking to nature, or by looking within themselves. Salvation is only found in the name of Jesus, and that is a message heralded by believers. Christians must be globally minded, therefore, because the only hope for the nations is the Christ whom the gospel exalts. People of other faiths may live sincerely in their beliefs, but they are sincerely wrong. Lovers of nature might recognize a higher power, but their deduction is not redemptive.

An effect of the gospel on believers should be the development of a global mindset in churches. A global mindset is important because it corresponds to the scope of God’s sovereignty and work in the world. God is working among the nations through his people, and sinners from these nations will be saved only through the proclamation of Jesus, a proclamation made by Christians who are obedient to the Great Commission. We should care about the glory of God being displayed throughout the earth, and we should long to see the realization of the vision in Revelation of nations worshiping God together. When unreached people hear and embrace the gospel of Jesus, it is a picture of Isaiah

9:2:“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned”—the light of Jesus Christ that shines in the good news.

140.  Marshall and Payne, The Trellis and the Vine, 17.

141.  Dever and Alexander, The Deliberate Church, 200.

142.  Wax, Holy Subversion, 142.

143.  John Piper, Jesus: The Only Way to God (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2010), 93.

144.  John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad: The Supremacy of God in Missions, rev. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2003), 141-42.

145.  Ibid., 145.

146.  R. Albert Mohler, Jr., The Disappearance of God: Dangerous Beliefs in the New Spiritual Openness (Colorado Springs: Multnomah Books, 2009), 183-84.

147.  Russell D. Moore, “Natural Revelation,” in A Theology for the Church, ed. Daniel L. Akin (Nashville: B&H Academic, 2007), 113.

148.  Ibid., 110.

149.  John Piper, What Jesus Demands from the World (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2006), 26.

150.  Wells, The Courage to be Protestant, 224.

151.  Ibid.

152.  Marshall and Payne, The Trellis and the Vine, 26.

153.  Mark Dever, The Gospel and Personal Evangelism (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2007), 101.

154.  Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad, 17.

155.  J. I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (Downers Grove: IVP Books, 1961), 116.

156.  Piper, What Jesus Demands from the World, 26.

157.  Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, 116.

158.  Piper, What Jesus Demands from the World, 364.

159.  Platt, Radical, 72.

160.  Ibid., 76.

161.  Dever and Alexander, The Deliberate Church, 201.

162.  Dever and Alexander, The Deliberate Church, 201.

163.  Ibid.

164.  Platt, Radical, 156.

10

Jesus and His Bride:

Displaying the Gospel

through Holy Matrimony

If shifting topics from missions to marriage seems more like a giant leap than a small step, then look closer. These topics have more in common than their identical first letters. Both involve Christ, the church, and the glory of God. Both are temporary, undervalued, and derived from God’s decree. Both require grace, endurance, and prayer. And without the gospel, both are void of power and meaning. Since my aim in this book is to demonstrate the paramount importance of the gospel for the Christian life, I cannot ignore a topic that is laden with gospel language in the Bible: matrimony. I want to convince you that the gospel should shape your marriage from the inside out, becoming the central source of nourishment and empowerment for living as a Christian spouse. The gospel is for marriage.

Seeing the Big Picture

Breathtaking. That’s how I describe soaring over beautiful landscape while descending in an airplane. If you have awindow seat, you can see for miles and behold many sights. Mountains and canyons look magnificent. Human structures seem tiny, but elegant. Granted, from such a vantage point, details aren’t always clear. But sometimes focusing on the details can rob you of seeing the big picture. We’re going to view biblical marriage from twenty-thousand feet, and I hope you will absorb the sights in the subsequent pages. Some marital scenes in Bible stories aren’t so picturesque; in fact, they can be rather dark and repulsive. But from beginning to end, I hope you’ll see that God’s plan for marriage is truly magnificent.

The Creation of Marriage

When God made Adam, he didn’t immediately make Eve also. God “put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Gen 2:15). There Adam worked, alone. Then God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him” (Gen 2:18). God brought all the animals before Adam, but none of them was a suitable helper for him (Gen 2:19-20). “So the LORDGod caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh” (Gen 2:21).

After the world’s first surgery, “The LORDGod made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man”—now pause and marvel at this next phrase—“and he brought her to the man” (Gen 2:22). Eve did not have an earthly father to walk her down an aisle. Instead, her heavenly Father gave her away. “He didn’t hide her and make Adam seek. He made her; then he brought her. In a profound sense, he had fathered her. And now, though she was his by virtue of creation, he gave her to the man in this absolutely new kind of relationship calledmarriage, unlike every other relationship in the world.” 165

Though Genesis does not record how Adam awoke and deduced what had happened, he understood the gravity of what took place. For the first time, a man looked upon a woman. Adam said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man” (Gen 2:23). She was part of him, though they were different; they were two people, yet one. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (Gen 2:24). It was not Adam who joined himself to Eve, or vice versa. It wasGodwho joined them together. This is what Jesus meant when he said, “Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate” (Mark 10:9).

Genesis 2 reveals that marriage is God’s design. Though people married—and still marry—after mankind rebelled, the practice of marriage was not consequential of the Fall. God instituted marriage before the Fall in Genesis 3; therefore, it is not a consequence of living in a sinful world. The depravity of man has unquestionably impacted marriages in devastating ways, but this was not initially the case; God joined the first couple while they were still in Eden, before they rebelled. Strife, frustration, and selfishness were not part of the original union. Rather, “The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame” (Gen 2:25). The picture is one of total openness and acceptance, unity and harmony.

The Distortion of Marriage

After Adam and Eve disobeyed God, marriage suffered because of sin. In the following paragraphs, the various distortions of marriage will become clear. The Bible doesn’t mince words on the tragic effects of the Fall on God’s design. “The Bible just isn’t a cosmetic religious book. It will shock you with its honesty about what happens in the broken worldin which we live.” 166 When you see how far and how quickly marriages fell from the original design in the Garden of Eden, hopefully the destruction will leave you longing for something more.

The trouble began before Adam and Eve left the garden. God told Eve, “Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you” (Gen 3:16b). Since God is administering judgment in this context, the words “desire” and “rule” have negative connotations. The presence of sin distorted marital roles and resulted in strife between spouses. Once Adam and Eve felt no shame, but after they sinned they became concerned about their nakedness and hid from the Lord among the trees of the garden (Gen 3:8b). Their one-flesh union, once characterized by harmony, turned hostile. Instead of taking responsibility for their actions, Adam blamed Eve and God (Gen 3:12), and Eve blamed the serpent who tempted her (Gen 3:13b). God did not abolish the institution of marriage, but as a result marital covenants would consist of twosinnersunited as one.

The corruption of marriage continued beyond the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 4, Lamech married two women, Adah and Zillah (Gen 4:19). Enter polygamy. In Genesis 6, even though scholars debate the identities of the respective parties, it is indisputable that the intermarriage of the “sons of God” and the “daughters of men” (Gen 6:2) did not please God. In Genesis 16, Sarah insisted that her husband Abraham sleep with his maidservant Hagar (Gen 16:2). Although God promised to give Abraham a son (Gen 15:4), he never advised Abraham that adultery was the way to secure an heir. In Genesis 27, Rebekah conspired with her son against her husband Isaac, so that Jacob (instead of Esau) might receive his father’s blessing. These are just a few examples of the tragic marital troubles in Genesis.

God knows that sinful man does not fully grasp the value of the marital covenant. In Exodus 20, one of the commandments addresses marriage: “You shall not commit adultery” (Ex 20:14). In Leviticus 18, the multitude of laws against sexual immorality reveals that the heart of man compromises rather than upholds human sexuality. God says to the Israelites, “You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you” (Lev 18:3). God even assigns punishments to marital sins. “If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death” (Lev 20:10). Though the heart of man distorts sexuality and manifests itself in sexual perversion, God wants his people to live counterculturally: “You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own” (Lev 20:26).

Instead of becoming holy, many spouses became hardened. Some marriages ended in divorce. Moses described husbands giving wives a certificate of divorce (Deut 24:1-4), but Jesus said that he only wrote about this because of their hardened hearts (Mark 10:3-5). God designed marriage to be a lifelong covenant between a man and a woman. This is why he said, “I hate divorce” (Mal 2:16a). The dissolution of a marriage is a far cry from the original harmony between Adam and Eve.

In addition to polygamy, adultery, and divorce, cohabitation also devalues the covenant of marriage. Jesus spoke disapprovingly about the current situation of the woman at the well: “The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband” (John 4:18a). Then, in perhaps the worst distortion of biblical marriage, some people simultaneously had multiple wivesandconcubines. In one ofthe most shocking statements in the Bible, 1 kings 11:3 says, “[Solomon] had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines.” Enough said.

Despite the Lord’s words to his people about living a life set apart from their surrounding culture, the prevailing pagan worldview clearly influenced many Israelites. Despite the Lord’s warnings to his people in his word, many Christians today live under the influence of the culture’s hedonistic worldview. There’s nothing new under the sun. Sin still distorts God’s design for marriage.

The Language of Marriage

The Bible employs marital language for purposes that extend beyond human marriage. This truth indicates that the institution of marriage portrays something more than a lifelong covenant between a man and a woman. God is in covenant with his people. When Israel went after other gods, they committed spiritual adultery. God described the actions of Israel in ways that reflect a husband’s words about his cheating wife: “Let her remove the adulterous look from her face and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts” (Hos 2:2b). And, “I will punish her for the days she burned incense to the Baals; she decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot” (Hos 2:13).

Because God reared and nourished the nation of Israel (Ezek 16:9-10, 14), their idolatry was betrayal of the highest sort. Israel’s ways were like those of a wife who lived as a whore. The language is graphic and shocking: “You trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his. You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places, where you carried on your prostitution. Such things should not happen, nor should they ever occur” (Ezek 16:15-16). Entrenched in disobedience, Israel prostitutedherself to other gods. God said, “You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband!” (Ezek 16:32).

At this point you might expect God to cast Israel aside and pursue another people for himself. After all, isn’t that what happens in our culture? But he doesn’t divorce Israel. Behold the resolve of the Lord: “Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you . . . You will know that I am the LORD. Then, when I make atonement for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your humiliation” (Ezek 16:60, 62-63). Rather than abandon his people, God will atone for their wickedness. Though Israel has been unfaithful to God, he will not be unfaithful to Israel.

God spoke these radical words of covenant-keeping not only through the prophet Ezekiel; he also used the prophet Hosea to illustrate his commitment. God told Hosea, “Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD” (Hos 1:2). While this command seems strange, God didn’t withhold his intention from Hosea: “I will show love to the house of Judah; and I will save them—not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but by the LORDtheir God” (Hos 1:7). Hosea needed to demonstrate faithfulness to his unfaithful wife, as God would demonstrate faithfulness to his unfaithful people. God told him, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORDloves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods” (Hos 3:1). The point, then, was twofold. First, the Israelites should look at Hosea and learn a lesson about the covenant-keeping nature of God’s love. Second, they should look at Hosea’s wife and learn a lesson about their adulterous hearts, which were unworthy of God’s grace and devotion.

God spoke about his devotion to his people with language of love and romance: “Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her . . . I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD” (Hos 2:14, 19-20). The preceding passages illustrate that the Old Testament often uses marital language, describing Israel’s obedience as faithfulness and their idolatry as adultery.

The New Testament also contains examples of marital language applied to God and his people. When John the Baptist hears the voice of Jesus, he compares himself to the friend of the bridegroom and is overjoyed at the imminence of the union. “The bride belongs to the bridegroom,” John says. “The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete” (John 3:29).

Paul also employs marital language for strategic purposes. He describes his apostolic ministry in terms of the father of a bride: “I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him” (2 Cor 11:2b). The church is the bride of Christ, purchased by the sacrifice of Christ (Eph 5:25; cf. Acts 20:28b). The Bible’s use of marital language for God and his people indicates that the design of marriage points to truths beyond human covenant. To see this most clearly, we must go to Ephesians 5 and witness the unveiling of the mystery of marriage.

The Mystery of Marriage

In Ephesians 5, we learn that there is a mystery to the union between a husband and wife, and the declaration has been thousands of years in development. After Paul’s commands to wives and husbands (Eph 5:22-30), he cites Genesis 2:24, which introduces the concept ofone flesh(Eph 5:31). Then he makesan incredible statement: “This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church” (Eph 5:32). The mystery of marriage is that it ultimately points to the covenant between Christ and his church. This is the big picture, the revelation to which marriages throughout all human history point. While there have been billions of marriages, there has never been a relationship like that of Jesus and his bride, the church. “Marriage is a mystery—it contains and conceals a meaning far greater than what we see on the outside. God created man male and female and ordained marriage so that the eternal covenant relationship between Christ and His church would be imaged forth in the marriage union.” 167

In chapter seven I explained from Scripture that the church is the bride of Jesus. I want to build on that concept by demonstrating that the enduring covenant between God and his people is the glorious reality to which earthly marital covenants point. This is the Bible’s testimony from its first and final chapters. In the Garden of Eden, God shows that fellowship with his people is not unrelated to marriage. In fact, it is in that garden where God relates with Adam (a vertical relationship) and then creates marriage (a horizontal relationship). At the end of the Bible, John describes the New Jerusalem “coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (Rev 21:2). God’s future presence with his people in the new creation is the consummatory hope which Christians currently have. “God created the institution of human marriage to reflect, or mirror forth, this eternal union . . . Human marriage exists to point men and angels to the eternal marriage of Christ and his church. The gospel made this divine marriage possible . . . Human marriage exists to preach the gospel.” 168

Human marriage, then, is a temporary institution that will give way to an eternal reality. A group of Sadducees once asked Jesus a related question: “Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for him. Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. Finally, the woman died. Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?” (Matt 22:24-28).

Jesus answered them, “At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven” (Matt 22:30). Because there is no marriage in the age to come, Jesus renders their question moot. “Marriage is a brief blessing. A great one, but not an ultimate one. A precious one, but not a permanent one . . . Marriage is but for a moment. Jesus is for eternity.” 169

Jesus will forever be the bridegroom and the church will forever be his bride. In other words, “Ultimately, only one marriage remains—the marriage of Christ to his bride.” 170  Earthly covenants end at death so that God’s purposes will climax in the fullness of the heavenly covenant between God and his people. Paul told the Romans, “By law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage” (Rom 7:2). He told the married Corinthians, “A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife . . . A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord” (1 Cor 7:10b-11, 39).

This, again, is the big picture: human marriage between a man and a woman points to heavenly marriage between Jesus and the church. I love being married to my wife, but the Bible tells me that she will not be my wife for eternity. Rather, the purpose of earthly marriage will reach fulfillment when Jesus returns for his bride. Does this news disappoint you? If so, I pray that the Lord will deepen your gladness in the hope of the consummation of what he inaugurated in the death and resurrection of Jesus. The joyful and eternal union of Jesus with his church is far superior to the happiest earthly marriage. God’s plan will not disappoint you.

There are perhaps several reasons why God’s consummatory work may not seem desirable to some, but surely the confusing messages of our culture are a major factor. We have been wrongly influenced about love. Finding love is the theme of many romantic movies, books, and music. Relational happiness is an idol, especially evident when married people leave their spouses for someone who makes them happier. Also tragic is the low value placed on marriage. Some people see no reason to marry at all; the notion seems too traditional. Professing Christians don’t help the situation when they live together before marriage or divorce soon after.

We are missing the big picture. Marriage is an ordinance that unbelievers certainly share in, but they don’t understand the full gravity of their covenant and all that it points to. “The world cannot know what marriage is without learning it from God. The natural man does not have the capacities to see or receive or feel the wonder of what God designed marriage to be.” 171  Christians have less excuse to remain ignorant of God’s unfolding plan for marriage, but the culture’s shallow spirituality and unabated sexuality form a disastrous combination that assaults the value of Christian marriage.

To remedy such a situation, Christians need not only to believe that two people in marriage can certainly experience great joy, but that this is only a temporary bliss, eventually to be eclipsed by the superior and ever-increasing joy that will characterize the union of Jesus and the people of God in the new world. To be in an earthly marriage covenant is to take part in a greater story that God is telling. It is the story of the true “happily-ever-after” that God promises his people.

What Christian Spouses Must Never Forget

Christians need daily reminders of the past inauguration of God’s kingdom work and the hope of future restoration and consummation. To preach to our souls what God has done and what he will do is to invoke the language of the gospel. By applying the gospel to our marriage, we will aim to avoid the pitfalls that derail marriages and send them onto joyless paths. It is easy to forget that we are part of a bigger picture. We can become caught up with bills, yard work, washing dishes, folding laundry, feeding the dog, and picking up the kids from school. All such details are important, because they make up our daily lives, but we must keep them in the proper perspective—in a gospel perspective, that is.

There are a plethora of marriage books in almost any bookstore, promising tips to improve your communication, have more fulfilling sex, rekindle lost romance, and cultivate more quality time together. While I firmly believe that such things are important, I want to give you the building blocks for a Christ-centered and gospel-saturated marriage. Marital problems are ultimately spiritual in nature, and only the gospel addresses spiritual problems in the most helpful and transformative way. To consistently apply the gospel to your marriage, you must remember the following five truths.

All Spouses are Incompatible Sinners

Apart from Christ, none of us is fundamentally compatible with anyone else. We are all the same at our core—depraved—and we repel one another like the same sides of two magnets. You and your spouse might enjoy walking together, watching movies, going out to eat, or playing board-games, but I’m not talking about shared activities. I’m focusing on the heart of the matter, whichisthe heart. Our hearts want what we want when we want it, and we don’t like anything or anyone getting in the way of acquiring it.

Fundamentally, then, humans are hostile toward one another. Paul said, “The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Gal 5:14, quoting Lev 19:18), but none of us keeps the essence of this command. Our spouse’s sin aggravates our sin. His anger makes her angry. Her snobbery aggravates his pride. His selfishness makes her withdraw from intimacy. Her spitefulness tempts him to harbor bitterness. His sloth bothers her impatience. Her free-spending provokes his greed. It’s sin against sin—or sinner against sinner. In marriage, two sinners enter a covenant together and promise lifelong love and faithfulness to one another, in good times and in bad. The concept of total depravity might lead us to expect that such a venture is doomed before it even begins.

Many marital problems have this common denominator: an unrealistic view of your spouse, an underestimation of sinfulness in his or her heart. No spouse can meet your every need and fulfill your every longing. No one meets your every expectation, not evenyou. If you were married to yourself, you would be left unfulfilled and disappointed. I’m not trying to cast a discouraging view of marriage; instead, I want to start us out on the right foot, which means not treating your spouse like a functional god: as your anchor, your hope in this world, your unshakable rock, or your satisfaction. As sinners we often look for in our spouses what we should seek in God alone.

Marriage is the union of two sinners. These words can free you from unrealistic expectations and many subsequent disappointments. Your spouse is not your hope. Your spouse is not perfect. The sun may have shined brightly on your wedding day, but there will be storms in your marriage. Where will you look for hope? Whom will you trust when trust is broken in your marriage? Whom will you lean on when the burdens your spouse carried proved too much to bear? What will you do when physical illness, emotional breakdown, or spiritual depression occurs? There aren’t many certainties in life, but the sinful hearts of two people in marriage is something you can take to the bank.

Recognizing the brokenness of your own life leads to acknowledging the difficulty of your situation. You and your spouse made vows before God to love, cherish, and remain faithful to one another—yet your indwelling sin says to act in your best interest, put yourself first, and justify your selfishness any way you can. How could two sinners in covenant possibly glorify God in such a union? Where will the endurance to love each other “until death do you part” come from? I didn’t ask about the endurance to simply live together. Unbelievers can tolerate each other for decades, living in misery and complacency. Learning to live together and learning to love together are not synonymous goals. For the latter to take place, you will need strength outside your marriage, a power that is made perfect in your weakness.

Returning to my illustration about magnets, God is like a piece of metal put between them. Now, rather than repel, the magnets attach to either side of the metal. Likewise, God is glorified when he is at the center of a marriage, and at the center of the life of each spouse. A marriage centered on the glory of God has a covenantal core that is stronger than any human sin that threatens to tear it apart. God can overcome depravity with grace, display strength in human weakness, andaccomplish his perfect will in imperfect people. His revealed will for your life is holiness, and he uses the means of marriage to mold you into the likeness of Jesus.

Holiness Matters More Than Earthly Happiness

“God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life” (1 Thess 4:7). God not only called us to holiness, he is forming us for it (Gal 4:19; Phil 1:6) and has predestined us to it (Rom 8:29). Without holiness, no one will see him (Heb 12:14; Matt 5:8). Our earthly trials and difficulties occur for the sake of our holiness (Jam 1:2-4; Rom 5:3-4). We have repeatedly seen the promise of Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

The Bible’s message to Christians is this: God uses marriage for sanctification. He works all things for the good of believers, and “all things” includes holy matrimony. His aim is our holiness, which is often far above where we set the bar. Earthly happiness is ultimately futile, because it does not last. “Most of us have apersonal happiness paradigm. .. The problem is not that this is a wrong goal, but that it is way too small a goal. God is working on something deep, necessary, and eternal . . . God has apersonal holiness paradigm.” 172  God is working something permanent in us, something transformative, something which outweighs all earthly suffering (Rom 8:18; 2 Cor 4:17).

It would be an error to conclude that holiness for us means no happiness for us. Quite the contrary! While God’s will is not ourearthlyhappiness, his will is that we find happiness in knowing and obeying him. Let no one ever lead you to think that true holiness comes without true happiness. “[The blessed man’s] delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Ps 1:2). Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matt 5:6). “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds” (Jam 1:2).

God’s plan for our holiness includes necessary lessons of dependence on his grace and power in times of inadequacy and weakness. Perhaps nothing reveals our need for grace like marriage. Trying in our own strength to live as godly husbands and wives should reinforce our radical inability to meet God’s standards. We are powerless to change others, and we are not able to bring godly change within ourselves. If marriage doesn’t teach us to depend on God, we’re not paying close enough attention to our sinfulness. The lesson of our sin is that we need God in order to be who he has called us to be.

Paul conveyed to the Corinthians a lesson that God taught him about dependence. While there is no evidence that Paul was ever married, his teaching about the thorn in his flesh certainly applies to marriage. 2 Corinthians 12:1-4 tells us that the Lord took Paul to heaven fourteen years earlier, but God prohibited him from sharing with others what he heard. Paul’s return from heaven was accompanied by a thorn in his flesh, given by God “to keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations” (2 Cor 12:7a). Paul didn’t initially understand the Lord’s design in the thorn, which was to keep him from pride, because he prayed three times for its removal (2 Cor 12:8). The Lord’s response to Paul’s prayer is a climactic statement in 2 Corinthians: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9a).

There is no clear evidence from which to identify the thorn. Was it opposition in his ministry? A physical disability? An emotional struggle? A spiritual battle? Perhaps an unidentified thorn is better for Bible readers throughout the centuries, since believers can embrace the promise of the Lord’s graceand strength in times of weakness without trying to match their particular circumstance with Paul’s struggle.

Though the nature of the thorn is unknown, the Lord’s answer is clear: it will not be removed, because it is for Paul’s sanctification (“to keep me from becoming conceited”). I wonder if you’ve ever considered that your circumstantial sufferings may be the Lord’s way of keeping you from further sin. Paul’s thornwas givento him, a passive verb that points to a divine origin. Satan would never have designed Paul’s thorn to curb pride, because he never wants us to sin less.Godgave the thorn to Paul for the apostle’s sanctification and deeper experience of grace. “My grace is sufficient,” Jesus told him. Have you ever considered that your present sufferings are a sign of God’s grace to you? I know we don’t normally think of grace in such terms. For us, grace may be more pain-free than painful, but God’s grace strips us of our idols because he wants us to be holy, and holiness is often a painful process. His grace brings us to the end of ourselves because we must deny ourselves and take up our cross if we are to follow Jesus. God’s grace may afflict you in order to save you. He may wound you in order to heal you (Hos 6:1-3).

How different would our marriages be if we sought to learn the sufficiency of God’s grace? We are powerless so that God can be seen as powerful. “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10). He endures hardships not because he loves them but because he loves Jesus (“for Christ’s sake”). Paul’s joy is higher than earthly happiness and more substantive than temporary comforts. He is confident that he will never face any trial that God’s grace cannot empower him to endure. He will never encounter any problem where God’s grace isn’t sufficient. Though Paul has the presence of the thorn, which is painful, he also has the presence of Christ, who is powerful.

Christians need to preach to themselves the sanctifying power of the gospel for their marriages. The gospel says that on the cross God’s grace accomplished what our works never could: redemption. The same redeeming grace can teach two justified sinners how to glorify God in a marital covenant. If spouses are focused on earthly happiness, they will not depend on God’s strength. But if spouses want to be holy, then they will cast themselves at the foot of the cross and plead for grace to have its way.

Every married couple, Christian or not, faces familial, financial, sexual, emotional, and personal conflict in some way, at some point. The question is,Since I claim to know Christ, how will I handle conflict differently than an unbeliever would?We must also ask,How can I glorify God in this suffering?Unbelievers don’t ask these questions, because they don’t care what God thinks. Even though marriage is his design, they don’t desire to magnify him in it. When unhappiness sets in, unbelievers may desert their spouses. But don’t you know professing Christians who have done the same? You may have seen it happen in your own church. Or perhaps you’ve seen it happen in your family as my wife and I have. It is a tragedy when people sacrifice their marriage on the altar of their personal happiness.

When holiness is the goal for a marriage, Paul’s words in Philippians 2:12b-13 are welcomed: “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” When you fear God, you will seek to live wisely (Prov 1:7). Pleasing God will become more important than obtaining comfortable circumstances. A few years ago, I was speaking with a man who had separated from his wife while they were experiencing strife in their marriage. I exhorted him from Scripture to obey the Lord in this matter and encouraged him to return to his spouse. He told me with utter seriousness,“I would rather stand before the judgment seat of God than move back in with her.” A man who truly feared God would not so arrogantly and foolishly presume that God’s judgment of him would be more endurable than keeping his marriage covenant.

More than earthly happiness, then, marriage is about covenant-keeping for the sake of holiness. Covenant-keeping is the foundation of every godly marriage, and the gospel exerts enormous influence on how spouses should relate to one another within this covenant. In fact, the more Christians take the gospel seriously, the more they will take their marriage covenant seriously. Most unhappiness in the marriages of professing Christians can be traced to a lack of understanding and application of the gospel.

The New Covenant Shapes the Marriage Covenant

“Essential to bringing our marriages under the discipline of the Gospel is a biblical understanding of our roles in marriage.” 173  The marriage commands most clearly shaped by the gospel are those found in Ephesians 5. Paul first addresses wives: “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything” (Eph 5:22-24). The words “Christ,” “church,” and “Savior” denote the New Covenant, since Christ is the savior of the church.

Paul doesn’t mean that a Christian husband is a redeemer, but he is the spiritual leader and head of the marriage and family. Two-headed creatures aren’t natural, and neither is a two-headed marriage. One of my sisters-in-law once illustrated this truth for me in terms of football. While there are many members of a football team, there is only one quarterback; but they are all pursuing the same goal: move the ball across the field for a touchdown. In the same way, the wife is a valuable teammate, but the husband is the quarterback, and they should both be pursuing the display of the gospel in their marriage for God’s glory and their holiness.

In a culture that understands submission to be an outdated concept, it may surprise you that I insist on its relevance for marriages today. Biblical submission is not a scary idea for Christian marriages, but many of its misrepresentations are indeed frightening and should be rejected. Some understand submission to meanobedience, but that isn’t what Paul meant. Children must obey their parents (Eph 6:1), but Paul doesn’t tell wives to obey their husbands. Others imply that submission excludes the voice of the wife from seeking compromise with her husband—but this isn’t what Paul meant either. Peter (who also told wives to submit to their husbands in 1 Peter 3:1) told husbands, “Be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner” (1 Pet 3:7a). The Bible doesn’t teach that biblical submission excludes the voice of the wife in marital discussion. On the contrary, Peter commands husbands to consider and respect their wives.

The main misunderstanding of submission, however, seems to be that it implies a wife’s inferiority to her husband—but this is incorrect. The best way to illustrate how some things can have essential equality but different roles is by pointing to God himself. Orthodox Christianity teaches that God is three persons—Father, Son, and Spirit—yet one God. The Father, Son, and Spirit are all divine persons of the Godhead; yet, we cannot attribute all actions in salvation history to all members of the Trinity. For instance, the Bible teaches that the Father sent the Son (John 3:16), but it never says that the Spirit sent the Son. The Bible says that the Sondied on the cross (Luke 23:46), but it never says that the Father died on the cross. In other words, it is possible to speak of the three persons of the Godhead in terms of essential equality but difference in role.

Do you see how this applies to marriage? The husband is the head of the marriage, and the wife is called to submit to her husband as the church does to Christ, but Christian spouses have the same spiritual status before God: justification by grace through faith. If you are unable to see how some things simultaneously have essential quality but functional difference, you will have greater problems than not understanding God’s assignment of marital roles; you will struggle to understand God himself. Though we already read 1 Peter 3:7, it warrants a second look, this time to focus on the words of spiritual equality and functional distinction: “Be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner, and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life.” The wife is the weaker partner, but is an equal spiritual heir. The husband is the head of the marriage and family, but is not superior in essence.

To understand submission, we must look at the church, because that is what Paul draws a comparison to (“as the church submits to Christ”). If wives neglect to reflect on the relationship between Christ and his bride, they will fall prey to the misunderstandings of the culture and distort biblical submission. The bride of Christ should gladly affirm and follow the authority of Christ, and likewise wives should gladly affirm and follow the leadership of their husbands. However, just as the bride of Christ should never engage in sin, wives should never submit on an issue that would mean disobedience to God. Granted, Jesus will never sin nor will he ever lead the church into sin, but Christian husbands are justified sinners and thus subject to error. To address husbands more directly, let’s return to Ephesians 5.

Continuing to employ New Covenant language, Paul explains how husbands must treat their wives: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph 5:25). Paul is depicting the cross on which Jesus died for his bride. Jesus died for his church “to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Eph 5:26-27). This is another area in which the New Covenant shapes the marital covenant: the concern of the former is holiness, which means the concern of the latter must be no less. Between Jesus and his bride, holiness is no burdensome task. The bride loves the bridegroom and waits in eager expectation for his return, when Christ will “present her to himself as a radiant church.” Jesus cleanses his bride with the power of the gospel (Eph 5:26), and so the gospel must be central in the marriage covenant too.

The husband’s biblical headship means sacrifice (Eph 5:25), holiness (Eph 5:26-27), love (Eph 5:25a, 28), care (Eph 5:29), and devotion (Eph 5:31). This doesn’t sound dictatorial or abusive to me. Instead, it sounds edifying and God-honoring. Paul’s language doesn’t drip withmachismo, but he does demand countercultural values—counter to his culture and ours. It is a Christian worldview that esteems wives to a respectable and valuable place.

The Bible prohibits husbands from practicing biblical leadership that is authoritarian. Ironfisted leadership doesn’t cohere with laying down your life for your wife. “If you want to be a Christian husband, you become a servant, not a boss.” 174  A husband who is not leading his family through sacrifice and care is not leading biblically. “Perhaps the most distinctive aspect of Christ’s leadership of his bride is his selflessness. In fact, selflessness is a thread running through the entire list of duties to which husbands are called . . . None of us is naturally inclined to think of others first. However, that is precisely what the Lord models for us in his headship.” 175

In God’s infinite wisdom, he has assigned roles to husbands and wives. “Since these functional differences are part of the Creator’s design, it is only when men and women embrace their God-ordained roles that they will be truly fulfilled and that God’s creational wisdom will be fully displayed and exalted.” 176  Do we think we are wiser than God to such a degree that we could take it upon ourselves to improve his design? That would be absurd. Marriage is at its best when it glorifies God according to his design, which simultaneously affirms the essential equality and different roles of the husband and wife. Understanding New Covenant language is the key to understanding the importance of these roles. If we are going to understand how to live as Christian spouses, we must think about the relationship between Christ and the church as described by Paul in Ephesians 5.

Husbands and wives, you must preach to yourselves the gospel, because it proclaims the sacrificial work of Christ that purchased the church, and his cross—an instrument of sacrifice and love—must be central to your marriage covenant. A godly marriage is centered on the gospel, which is centered on the cross. “The cross will always be the central truth of your life as a Christian. It should always be the main thing. For your comfort, your hope, your inspiration, and the source of all your effectiveness as a husband [or a wife], look to the cross.” 177  When centered on the cross, your marriage can display the truth about Christ and the church by the way you and your spouse relate to one another, for God’s glory and your holiness.

Grace Accomplishes What the Law Cannot

Grace brings transformation, while the law brings condemnation. In marriage, then, we must be people of grace, or we are doomed to continually berate each other for unmet expectations. Law, not grace, comes natural to us. We make demands of ourselves and others, wanting things to be done in certain ways. “The law excels in dividing married couples on the basis of power and influence . . . Grace nullifies competition in marriage.” 178  Forgetting (or ignoring) the fact that law cannot accomplish what grace can—inner transformation—Christian spouses can live with unending frustration and anger, despite how things may appear to others. A clean house inhabited by unholy people doesn’t honor the Lord. A nice yard around a home of angry people doesn’t glorify God.

The law is what drives us to Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in him (Gal 3:24-25). Now, through Christ, “we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand” (Rom 5:2a). Whether or not we acknowledge it, our life is all of grace. We deserve wrath and hell, not thousands of sunrises. We deserve immediate judgment, not many years with friends and family. God is patient with us. Now that we have been saved by the power of the gospel, we must grow in the gospel. The Christian life consists of daily dependence on the unearned grace of God. The grace that God shows to us was purchased by Jesus on the cross. Christ bought our redemptionandsanctification.

Since God sanctifies us with his redeeming grace, we cannot be indifferent to how we live as Christian spouses. A gospel-driven person can, by the power of the Spirit, become a grace-centered person. We have the opportunity to be vessels of grace to other people—especially the one with whom we are in covenant before God. We have been forgiven by Christ, and now marriage provides us with countless opportunities to show that grace to others. However, sometimes the people with whom we are the least gracious are the ones God has given us for our sanctification. Paul Tripp said, “More couples than I can number have been surprised that their marriage needs the regular rescue of grace.” 179

In order to be gracious in marriage, we need the transforming power of the Spirit at work in us. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal 5:22-23a). Does the fruit of the Spirit characterize your marriage? I’m not referring to mere outward behavior. People can fake all manner of kindness. I’m referring to real heart transformation and attitude sanctification. Do you daily seek the Lord’s redeeming grace to sanctify your heart and mind?

Preaching God’s grace to ourselves will empower us to show grace to our spouses. Paul said, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Eph 4:32). Did you notice the New Covenant language? God’s forgiveness of us is the impetus for us to forgive others. Elsewhere Paul wrote, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Col 3:13). Since we have previously applied these verses to the church context, we will focus specifically on marriage. As a Christian spouse, you needed God’s grace today, and you will need it tomorrow. He blesses us each day with new mercies and astounding kindnesses. How could we ever measure the love and faithfulness of our God? The psalmist tried to: “For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies” (Ps 57:10). What aboutyourlove and faithfulness? What aboutyourkindness and grace? When I’m not relying on the power of God, my kindness doesn’t exceed my own height.

How willing are you to forgive your spouse of wrongdoing? Does the Lord’s patience with you soften your heart toward your spouse? Does the Lord’s forgiveness of your sins increase your compassion toward your spouse? Does the Lord’s daily bestowal of grace on your life motivate you to show grace to your spouse? Grace should beget more grace. The law kills whatever it touches. If Jesus bore the curse of the law in our place (Gal 3:13), then don’t lay the law on your spouse for whom Jesus also died.

Radical love seems reckless, and grace seems too good to be true. But consider Peter’s words: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Pet 4:8). Consider the power of restraining your tongue: “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise” (Prov 10:19). Consider the effect of gracious words: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Prov 15:1). Consider the warning against needless conflict: “He who loves a quarrel loves sin” (Prov 17:19a). Love, according to 1 Corinthians 13, doesn’t keep a record of wrongs (1 Cor 13:5). What the law cannot do (bring transformation to spouses), God’s grace and love do through the gospel. The law leads you to fight with your spouse, but grace empowers you to fightforyour spouse.

Jesus Never Forsakes His Church

“Jesus demands that husbands and wives be faithful to their marriages. He does not assume this is easy. But he teaches that it is a great thing because marriage is the workof God himself whereby he creates a new reality of ‘one flesh’ that surpasses human comprehension and portrays to the world in human form the covenant union between God and his people.” 180 Divorce, though, does not accurately portray the relationship between Jesus and his people. God never divorces his people, and he hates divorce between spouses. In other words, he wants his people to display, in marital covenants, the truth about his relationship with his people: though the church consists of justified sinners, he never forsakes them. “God never abandons his wife. And when he has to put her away for her adulterous idolatry, he goes after her in due time. This is what marriage is meant to portray: God’s invincible and gracious commitment to his covenant people—his wife.” 181

Paul says, “If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself” (2 Tim 2:13). Since the church is the body of Jesus, he would disown himself if he divorced the church. Piper applies this truth in a poignant way: “If Christ ever abandons and discards his church, then a man may divorce his wife. And if the blood-bought church, under the new covenant, ever ceases to be the bride of Christ, then a wife may legitimately divorce her husband. But as long as Christ keeps his covenant with the church, and as long as the church, by the omnipotent grace of God, remains the chosen people of Christ, then the very meaning of marriage will include:What God has joined, only God can separate.” 182

We should be students of the Bible’s teaching on the nature of the church. A good ecclesiology will be helpful to your marriage. If Christ’s faithfulness to the church doesn’t matter much to you, your faithfulness to your spouse may not matter much either. If you don’t marvel at the glorious union between Christ and the church, which earthly marriage typifies, then you may see no reason for your family to be involved in a local body of believers. Hopefully, however, the more you understand what your earthly covenant ultimately points to, the more you will love the bride for which Jesus died—the church. And, conversely, I hope that an increased understanding of Christ and his church will deepen your love and commitment to your spouse and the earthly covenant which unites you as one.

Jesus never forsakes his bride, so neither should you forsake your spouse. “Staying married . . . is not mainly about staying in love. It is about keeping covenant. ‘Till death do us part’ or ‘As long as we both shall live’ is a sacred promise—the same kind Jesus made with his bride when he died for her.” 183  Until the day Jesus returns for his bride, I hope you will seek to live as a Christian spouse in your marriage by relying on the grace of God. God’s redeeming grace transforms us through the gospel, for his glory and our holiness. By his grace, then, your earthly marriage can be a faithful display of the permanent union of Jesus and his bride.

Let’s end with this hope: “Very soon the shadow will give way to Reality. The partial will pass into the Perfect. The foretaste will lead to the Banquet. The troubled path will end in Paradise. A hundred candle-lit evenings will come to their consummation in the marriage supper of the Lamb. And this momentary marriage will be swallowed up by Life. Christ will be all and in all. And the purpose of marriage will be complete.” 184

165.  John Piper, This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2009), 22.

166.  Paul David Tripp, What Did You Expect? Redeeming the Realities of Marriage (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2010), 25.

167.  Piper, Desiring God, 213.

168.  William P. Farley, Gospel-Powered Parenting: How the Gospel Shapes and Transforms Parenting (Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 2009), 110.

169.  Piper, What Jesus Demands from the World, 322.

170.  Farley, Gospel-Powered Parenting, 113.

171.  Piper, This Momentary Marriage, 20-21.

172.  Tripp, What Did You Expect?, 22.

173.  Barbara Hughes, Disciplines of a Godly Woman (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2001), 145.

174.  Piper, Desiring God, 217.

175.  Voddie Baucham, Jr., What He Must Be: . . . If He Wants to Marry My Daughter (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2009), 115.

176.  Andreas J. köstenberger, God, Marriage, and Family: Rebuilding the Biblical Foundation (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2004), 37.

177.  C. J. Mahaney, Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God: What Every Christian Husband Needs to Know (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2004), 103.

178.  Paul F. M. Zahl, Grace in Practice: A Theology of Everyday Life (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2007), 143.

179.  Tripp, What Did You Expect?, 20.

180.  Piper, What Jesus Demands from the World, 301.

181.  Ibid., 303.

182.  Piper, This Momentary Marriage, 159.

183.  Ibid., 25.

184.  Ibid., 178.

11

Making it Clear:

Pointing the Next Generation

to the Gospel

Every generation of believers faces the same challenge: to ground Christian maturity, ministry, missions, and marriage in the gospel. In this final chapter, I want to convey that our responsibility is to emphasize the relevance of the good news for the next generation. Since everyone builds their life on something, we must point people to Christ and to his cross, or they will not know what life is about. Granted, even pointing people to the gospel is no guarantee that they will embrace it. But the results aren’t in our hands. God builds his church, and the gates of hell cannot overcome it. Until Christ returns for his bride, we must be faithful witnesses to the truth about him.

The Sin of Silence

The Bible commands believers to pass on the faith to the next generation (Deut 6:4-7, 20-25), so we cannot be silent. In order for others to embrace truth, we must share it with them. In order for people to worship God, we must tell them abouthim and his mighty deeds. This calls for strategic speech. We will then see, from the Bible, what happens when a generation grows up and knows nothing about the Lord—the result is ignorance and wickedness, a lethal combination.

Speaking Strategically

Pointing the next generation to the gospel requires strategic speech on our part. We cannot be thoughtless and incomplete about the faith; we must be thorough and intentional in communicating the content of the gospel. This assumes, of course, that we ourselves understand the gospel. If we do not grasp the truths of the good news, how can we tell this news to others? Chapters one through four of this book were my attempt to thoroughly explain the Christ-centered gospel.

Psalm 145 consists of phrases which describe the result of transferring the truth of God to the next generation. “One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty . . . They will tell of the power of your awesome works . . . They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness . . . They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom” (Ps 145:4-7, 11-12). To summarize, believers should declare and explain the following truths: God’s mighty deeds are awesome, his majesty is splendid, his goodness abounds, his righteousness is praiseworthy, and his kingdom is glorious.

When the psalmists spoke about God’s mighty deeds, they originally had in mind his acts of deliverance in Israel’s history. Psalm 78 is an example of this: “O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from ofold—what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done” (Ps 78:1-4).

Psalms 145 and 78 do not speak explicitly about Jesus, but Christians must recognize how the work of Jesus interprets these truths. To be faithful to the gospel, we must declare that God’s greatest work was sending his Son to die on a cross and rise from the dead. We must exalt the majesty of our ascended Lord who sits enthroned at the right hand of his Father in heaven. We must speak about God’s unmerited goodness to the just and the unjust, particularly his incredible kindness shown to us through the crushing of the Suffering Servant for our sins. We must praise God for his righteousness, because he satisfied his justice through the propitiation of his wrath onto Jesus. We must declare the kingdom of God that was inaugurated by Jesus Christ, the never-ending rule of his light and display of his glory. knowing such glorious truths, howcanwe remain silent?

God taught his people not only through works but throughwords. “He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children” (Ps 78:5-6). Clearly, the people of Israel were responsible to pass on the word of God to their children, for the sake of future generations.

The psalmist explained what would occur in the next generation if God’s word was passed on: “Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands. They would not be like their forefathers—a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him” (Ps 78:7-8). This should stir Christian hearts toobedience. What we want are generations of worshipers who remember God and keep his commands in the power of the Spirit. We must speak strategically by teaching God’s word—in which his mighty deeds are also declared—for the sake our children and our children’s children. If the next generation does not know the authoritative word and powerful works of God, they will be “a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts [are] not loyal to God, whose spirits [are] not faithful to him.” This is no empty warning. It’s happened before.

Learning from Past Mistakes

Judges 2 describes what results when a generation fails to pass on the word and wonders of God. “The people served the LORDthroughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the LORDhad done for Israel” (Judg 2:7). So far, so good. However, the Israelites reached a threshold. “Joshua, son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of a hundred and ten. And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.” Then, there is a summary statement about the death of that whole generation (Judg 2:10a). This is when things took a turn for the worst.

“After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORDnor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORDand served the Baals. They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them” (Judg 2:10-12b). When you read about the disobedience of the Israelites, does it grieve you?

They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers. Do you know why? While the total depravity of man is one answer, the writer points us to a specific neglect of responsibility onthe part of the previous generation: they did not pass on the word and works of God. If the writer indicated that the new generation simply did not know the Lord, we might be able to conclude that rebellion against the truth was what led to blatant disobedience. But the generation that grew up did not even know “what he had done for Israel.” These people were ignorant of God’s mighty deeds because no one told them. Again, people can hear truth which they later reject, and they will have to answer for such disobedience. In this case, however, the new generation never learned the truth of God’s word and ways.

Pointing People to the Offensive Gospel

I want to leave you with some closing exhortations about the gospel in the four subsequent sections. We need these encouragements because, when we open our mouths to declare the word and works of God in salvation, we are preaching a message that is both amazing and unpopular. “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor 1:18). Paul divides all humanity into two groups: those who are perishing and those who are being saved. People reveal which group they belong to by how they respond to the cross. So, if you love the cross and want others to do the same, apply the following truths so that you may faithfully transmit the truth of God’s word and works to the next generation.

Believers, Make the Gospel Clear

We should not apologize for the offensive nature of the gospel message. After all, who apologizes for good news? The gospel is God’s revelation to mankind about how he has purchased redemption through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Our responsibility is to be clear and thorough regarding biblical truth. Only God can open the eyes of the spirituallyblind to see the wonder of the gospel, since unaided sinful man cannot discern spiritual truth in his natural state (1 Cor 2:14). When God shines the light of the gospel, he shines it into the hearts of sinners “to give [them] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Cor 4:6).

We are completely dependent on the Spirit of God to do the inward work that we cannot accomplish. Remember those 3-D posters which required prolonged staring in order to see the hidden picture? In some ways, pointing people to the gospel is like sitting them in front of a 3-D picture while gushing about how wonderful and beautiful the picture is. If they, like me, can’t ever see such images, they will not respond with awe. They will scrunch their faces, scratch their heads, and say, “I’m not seeing what you’re seeing.”

When it comes to the cross, unbelievers can’t see what we see. Their situation is far worse than being unable to focus on a hidden image in a 3-D picture. Similarly, imagine directing a blind person to stand in front of an art masterpiece and then saying, “See? Isn’t it amazing?” Without sight, the artwork means nothing to them. Spiritually speaking, sinners are hopeless apart from the power of God opening their eyes. When Lydia believed the gospel, it was because “the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message” (Acts 16:14b). Jesus commissioned Paul to preach the gospel to unbelievers “to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18a).

God delights to save sinners through the “foolishness” of preaching (1 Cor 1:21b). No other message proclaims true salvation. So let’s avoid two mistakes. First, don’t dilute the gospel of Christ’s death on the cross and his command for sinners to repent. “One of the greatest dangers the body of Christ faces today is the temptation to rethink and rearticulate the gospel in a way that makes its center something other thanthe death of Jesus on the cross in the place of sinners.” 185 A diluted gospel is not the true gospel, and a false gospel doesn’t save anyone. Second, don’t assume that people know what the gospel is. Paul could not have assumed the gospel in his culture, and we, like Paul, live in an era of pervasive biblical confusion.

If opponents of Christ understand the message of Christianity at all, it may not be beyond the controversial aspects which make them angry. The exclusive truth-claims of Jesus, and the supernatural aspects of the gospel like his resurrection, are what make some unbelievers stop listening. Pointing people to the gospel, then, involves continually exposing them to the truths of Christianity, answering their questions, and labeling their smokescreens, all while praying that God will open their eyes to see the truth.

Parents, Instruct Your Children

God puts the discipleship of children on the shoulders of their parents. If you claim to know Christ, you must train up your child in the way of the Lord. The primary responsibility for the discipleship of your children doesn’t belong to the youth minister, the children’s minister, or even the pastor. Thankfully the Lord uses such church leaders to mentor, guide, and teach children, but God has entrusted your children to you as the parent. And here’s what concerns me: most Christian parents that I know don’t obey God’s command to bring up their children in the faith.

In the Old Testament, God told the Israelites to teach his word and works to their children: “Love the LORDyour God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deut 6:5-9).

If it sounds to you like God is serious about the next generation being brought up according to his word, you’re correct. God expects godly parents to live a life that is permeated by God’s word. Children come into this world foolish (Prov 22:15), and the Lord wants to use godly parents and his authoritative word to make them wise. “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching” (Prov 1:8). We must tell our children, “Trust in the LORDwith all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Prov 3:5-6). We must say to our sons, “My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Prov 4:20-23).

Though Proverbs 1:8 recognizes that both parents should instruct their children with the Lord’s wise words and ways, the primary responsibility for discipling children belongs to the father. “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Eph 6:4). You must teach your children about the Lord. To put it another way, catechize your kids. Your children will not learn biblical truth without instruction. You should pray with them, read the Bible with them, sing songs with them, try to answer their questions, worship corporately as a family, encourage their interest in Christianity, and involve other wise believers who can mentor them and support your objective as a parent.

Voddie Baucham’s words are encouraging: “So many parents think they don’t have enough Bible knowledge to teach their children. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you can read, you can teach your children God’s Word. All you have to do is stay a step ahead of them. Don’t be afraid. God has given you everything you need to do this. You don’t have to be a seminary-trained theologian to read the Bible and talk about what it means.” 186  The spiritual investment which you make in your children is superior to every other conceivable investment.

As a pastor, I have seen firsthand the spiritual dislocation that can happen within families. Members of an older generation may attend church without any of their subsequent generations joining them—and their absence is often due to spiritual, not geographical, distance. It is heartbreaking to see a son’s indifference to the faith which his father holds as precious. Similar tragedies are already on the horizon for many families. Parents who bring their children to church but never disciple them at home shouldn’t be surprised when their kids eventually rebel against Christianity. If children don’t receive more exposure to the Christian worldview than a brief time in church on Sunday, they will be spiritually malnourished, biblically ignorant, and susceptible to all manner of spiritual assault. “The most fundamental task of a mother and father is to show God to the children. Children know their parents before they know God.” 187

Christian parents, you must instruct your children in the words and ways of Christ, but this will only happen when you love and live according to his words and ways first. Part of the Great Commission is teaching the nations to obey all that Jesus commanded (Matt 28:20a). Fulfilling the Great Commission begins in your home, with your children, whom the Lord placed in your care for discipleship. Because nothing else matters more than Christ and his cross, point your children to the gospel. “We have no guarantee that they will grow up to truly know the Lord. But if we fail to teach what we have known and seen of God’s ways, we will be without excuse when God calls us to account for how we raised our children.” 188

Churches, Instruct Your Members

Churches must preach not only to the nations butto all generationsof the nations. Since we have already seen the Old Testament passages which describe one generation passing on the truth of God to the next, we will focus on the New Testament. When the church gathers together, the primary activity should be worship of the Lord through the teaching of his word. In the teaching ministries of the church, Paul addressed the older and younger members differently. “Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good” (Titus 2:2-3).

While Paul expects older men and women to learn, they are not mere receivers of truth; they are also conveyors of it. Regarding older women, “Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God” (Titus 2:4-5). Regarding older men, “Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us” (Titus 2:6-8).

While all generations in the church must be disciples, not all have equal responsibilities. Paul envisions the older generation guiding, mentoring, and teaching the younger generation. Honestly, though, how often does this take place in churches? Too many churches have generational tension instead of generational harmony. Too many churches want to separate the generations by having traditional services for older folks and more contemporary services for younger folks. A Titus 2 vision cannot possibly be applied to generations that are divided over the most important thing a church does: worship. The generations need one another. The older generation must set an example of godliness. This doesn’t mean the younger generation is exempt from this responsibility: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity” (1 Tim 4:12).

When believers attend a church, they should expect and receive faithful instruction for their souls, regardless of their age. Reading the Bible should give you a sense of the importance God attributes to teaching. “There is a kind of drumbeat with regard to teaching that resonates through the New Testament. Teaching . . . was at the heart of their church life.” 189  Paul said, “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching” (1 Tim 4:13). Also, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Tim 4:2). An elder “must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:9). Paul’s words to Timothy apply to every preacher: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15).

Churches should care about teaching because God cares about teaching. “The church is to be a learning-and-teaching fellowship in which the passing on of what we learn becomes a regular part of the service we render to each other. Surely this is a realization that today’s churches urgently need to recover.” 190  Are your members being instructed in the Christian faith? Does your church foster discipleship based on the gospel and sound doctrine? Are the generations in your church working with one another or feuding with one another?

You need a Bible-driven church, because “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17). To put it another way, we must instruct church members in the Bible so that they will be equipped to faithfully obey God. The gospel should remain the primary content of the church’s teaching. “We must speak clearly that the heart of the gospel is the good news of divine self-satisfaction through divine self-substitution. Never compromise on the cross.” 191  Your people need it more than anything else.

Remember, we can’t assume that people know the gospel. In fact, the reality is sobering: “We have scores of people in our congregations, let alone the world, who have never heard of their need to repent, never heard of God’s anger against sin, never heard of the judgment to come. If preachers fail to proclaim this message . . . they are not simply off the mark, they are being unfaithful to their calling as God’s ambassadors. Worse, they are unfaithful to the Word of God itself.” 192

Brothers and Sisters, Hold Firmly to the Gospel

We will not be able to pass on what we ourselves do not hold to. In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul reminded his readers about the gospel which he preached to them. “By this gospel you are saved,” he wrote, “if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain” (1 Cor 15:2). This verse, in many ways, summarizes this book. Christians, we must hold firmly to the gospel which saved us; otherwise, we reveal our true identities as unbelievers who have false faith.

We must hold firmly to the gospel for the sake of our children and for the sake of the nations. We must cling to this message of salvation because it is the message for our sanctification as well. “Having begun our journey in the Gospel we must move on, and indeedcanmove on, only in that same Gospel.” 193  We must adhere to the good news because it alone exalts the Lord Jesus Christ in his saving work as the wrath-bearing substitute for sinners, and it alone provides the lens through which we should view our lives as Christ’s disciples.

“Name any area of the Christian life that you want to learn about or that you want to grow in. The Old Testament? The end times? Do you want to grow in holiness or the practice of prayer? To become a better husband, wife, or parent? None of these can be rightly understood apart from God’s grace through Jesus’ death. They, and indeed all topics, should be studied through the lens of the gospel.” 194  To put it another way, “The gospel isn’t one class among many that you’ll attend during your life as a Christian—the gospel is the whole building where all the classes take place!” 195  The gospel is for Christians.

185.  Gilbert, What is the Gospel?, 102.

186.  Voddie Baucham, Jr., Family Driven Faith: Doing What it Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk with God (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2007), 93.

187.  Piper, This Momentary Marriage, 143.

188.  J. I. Packer and Gary A. Parrett, Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old-Fashioned Way (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2010), 37.

189.  Packer and Parrett, Grounded in the Gospel, 15.

190.  Ibid.

191.  Kevin DeYoung, The Good News We Almost Forgot: Rediscovering the Gospel in a 16 th Century Catechism (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2010), 43.

192.  Ibid., 152.

193.  Packer and Parrett, Grounded in the Gospel, 141.

194.  Mahaney, Living the Cross Centered Life, 150.

195.  Ibid.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am grateful to Lucid Books for two reasons: for believing in the subject of this book and for taking on an unknown author. It has been a pleasure to work with you along the way.

I thank God for my parents, who were thrilled to hear my announcement about this book. They have always supported my commitment to ministry, no matter where it has led me.

The Lord has also blessed me with two churches which have been places of affirmation and encouragement. The first is Baptist Temple Church in Edna, Texas, the church in which I grew up, where I preached my first sermon eleven years ago. The second is First Baptist Church in Santo, Texas, where I had my first pastorate. I am forever grateful to God for my years of ministry there and for the great joy that characterizes my memories of them.

I am deeply grateful to God for Stacie. She is my wife, best friend, and awesome editor. While faithfully maintaining her responsibilities as a fulltime mom, she found time to comb through every draft of every chapter of this book. Her suggestions and encouragements were invaluable, and her wise influence is on each page.

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Table of Contents

PREFACE

PART ONE :  Glorious Good News

1 : The Gospel Planned Before All Creation: Why God Never Needed a Plan B

2 : A Christ-Centered Plan: All Things Made By Him and For Him

3 : God is Holy, Man is Wicked: Hearing the Bad news Before the Good News

4 : Where Wrath and Mercy Meet: How the Cross Displays God as Just and Justifier

PART TWO : Growing in the Gospel

5 : Deepening the roots: Why True Christian Growth is Really Gospel Growth

6 : Preaching the Gospel to Yourself: The Duty of the Justified Sinner

7 : Saved by the Head to Serve the Body: Learning to Love the Church of Christ

8 : Body Building: Why the Gospel is Sufficient for Growing Churches

9 : A Global Gospel: Proclaiming to the Nations the Only Name that Saves

10 : Jesus and His Bride: Displaying the Gospel through Holy Matrimony

11 : Making it Clear: Pointing the Next Generation to the Gospel

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

BIBLIOGRAPHY