Today's post brings another quote from Michael Horton's book, Christless Christianity. I have criticized the self-help gospel on this blog before, but Horton just has a better way with words than I do! And a Ph. D. That helps.
"Living in the Bible Belt, I suppose, where 'Jesus' is a rallying point for football games and the grand opening of shopping malls, the significance of Jesus can be taken for granted. The result, however, is a vague, sentimental attachment to someone who is more like an invisible friend than the incarnate, dead, raised, ascended, and reigning Savior of the ungodly.
"In this context, Jesus becomes whatever you want him to be in your life. If one's greatest problem is loneliness, the good news is that Jesus is a reliable friend. If the big problem is anxiety, Jesus will calm us down. Jesus is the glue that holds our marriages and families together, gives us a purpose to strive toward, and provides wisdom for daily life. There are half-truths in all of these pleas, but they never really bring hearers face-to-face with their real problem: that they stand naked and ashamed before a holy God and can only be acceptably clothed in his presence by being clothed, head to toe, in Christ's righteousness.
"The gospel of submission, commitment, decision, and victorious living is not good news about what God has achieved, but a demand to save ourselves with God's help. Besides the fact that Scripture never refers to the gospel as having a personal relationship with Jesus nor defines faith as a decision to ask Jesus to come into our heart, this concept of salvation fails to realize that everyone has a personal relationship with God already: either as a condemned criminal standing before a righteous judge or as a justified co-heir with Christ and adopted child of the Father."
Michael Horton, Christless Christianity
Many of the lies we tell ourselves about the gospel are, as Horton calls them, half-truths, maybe even just deceitful whole-truths. When we are lonely, Jesus really is our reliable Friend. When we are anxious, Jesus really does calm us. He can indeed be the glue that holds our family's and marriages together. The problem comes when this is the emphasis of our relationship with God; namely, what does it do for me, or what does it cause me to feel? When this becomes the emphasis, the focus of the gospel now switches from the holiness of God communicated to man through the grace of God to an emphasis and focus on me, my problems and how my incorporation of Jesus into my life may fix those.
Viewing Jesus as simply a quick fix to my own problems of anxiety or loneliness doesn't address the bigger picture of the gospel. You don't need Jesus to fix loneliness or anxiety. There's lots of unsaved people with no struggle with either of these things. Jesus, although He can and often does fix these issues, doesn't come only, or even mainly, to help me through my perceived difficulties. He instead comes to radically liberate me from the sin and error that permeated my life, and release me from chains I didn't know bound me.
When we minimize Jesus to simply my personal psychiatrist or life-coach, instead of the radical Savior to whom I owe everything, we rob Him of the glory due Him. His glory doesn't come because He made me "feel all better" but because of the transformation His love, grace, and mercy brought to liberate me from death. If we insist that our biggest problem is simply an emotional need, we will never realize the true depth of our own depravity or the depth of God's grace communicated to us through Christ.
"Living in the Bible Belt, I suppose, where 'Jesus' is a rallying point for football games and the grand opening of shopping malls, the significance of Jesus can be taken for granted. The result, however, is a vague, sentimental attachment to someone who is more like an invisible friend than the incarnate, dead, raised, ascended, and reigning Savior of the ungodly.
"In this context, Jesus becomes whatever you want him to be in your life. If one's greatest problem is loneliness, the good news is that Jesus is a reliable friend. If the big problem is anxiety, Jesus will calm us down. Jesus is the glue that holds our marriages and families together, gives us a purpose to strive toward, and provides wisdom for daily life. There are half-truths in all of these pleas, but they never really bring hearers face-to-face with their real problem: that they stand naked and ashamed before a holy God and can only be acceptably clothed in his presence by being clothed, head to toe, in Christ's righteousness.
"The gospel of submission, commitment, decision, and victorious living is not good news about what God has achieved, but a demand to save ourselves with God's help. Besides the fact that Scripture never refers to the gospel as having a personal relationship with Jesus nor defines faith as a decision to ask Jesus to come into our heart, this concept of salvation fails to realize that everyone has a personal relationship with God already: either as a condemned criminal standing before a righteous judge or as a justified co-heir with Christ and adopted child of the Father."
Michael Horton, Christless Christianity
Many of the lies we tell ourselves about the gospel are, as Horton calls them, half-truths, maybe even just deceitful whole-truths. When we are lonely, Jesus really is our reliable Friend. When we are anxious, Jesus really does calm us. He can indeed be the glue that holds our family's and marriages together. The problem comes when this is the emphasis of our relationship with God; namely, what does it do for me, or what does it cause me to feel? When this becomes the emphasis, the focus of the gospel now switches from the holiness of God communicated to man through the grace of God to an emphasis and focus on me, my problems and how my incorporation of Jesus into my life may fix those.
Viewing Jesus as simply a quick fix to my own problems of anxiety or loneliness doesn't address the bigger picture of the gospel. You don't need Jesus to fix loneliness or anxiety. There's lots of unsaved people with no struggle with either of these things. Jesus, although He can and often does fix these issues, doesn't come only, or even mainly, to help me through my perceived difficulties. He instead comes to radically liberate me from the sin and error that permeated my life, and release me from chains I didn't know bound me.
When we minimize Jesus to simply my personal psychiatrist or life-coach, instead of the radical Savior to whom I owe everything, we rob Him of the glory due Him. His glory doesn't come because He made me "feel all better" but because of the transformation His love, grace, and mercy brought to liberate me from death. If we insist that our biggest problem is simply an emotional need, we will never realize the true depth of our own depravity or the depth of God's grace communicated to us through Christ.
Great post! Jesus can be our super glue, our emotional support, but He is also our Savior. He knew no sin, yet He became sin in our place. He gave us His right to Heaven. Thanks for the post!
ReplyDeleteThanks, man!
DeleteHmm..... You make some good points; but I think they could be easily misinterpreted, or misunderstood. Are you familiar with John Piper's philosophy on Christian hedonism?....
ReplyDeletehttp://www.desiringgod.org/articles/christian-hedonism
I didn't know it by that name, but yes, I am familiar with the doctrine. My point was not that God is not our friend when we are lonely. My point was instead that when we treat the gospel as simply a cure for my emotional needs, my health needs (yeah, I've heard that one too), or my financial needs (think Joel Osteen), we miss the gospel of redeeming grace from sin.
DeleteYes, Jesus does save us from loneliness. He does save us from anger and depression. But if that's our biggest take-away from the gospel, then we have a twisted form of the gospel. You've heard the famous line from a poem (don't ask me which), "A lie that is but half the truth is harder yet to fight."
A distortion of the gospel is only so inviting because it is that, a distortion. It contains half-truths, just as the idea of my salvation being a salvation from my physical, financial, or emotional needs does. Yeah, salvation can help me with all three of those, but we've lessened our perspective of depravity in our own minds. Instead of depraved criminals, we are miss-led, mostly innocent people in need of a push in the right direction! That's what I was trying to combat.
What statement(s) should I adjust in order to make that clearer? Please, I'm open for any suggestions!
You're right, we should enjoy the benefits of God's grace. I'm not trying to refute that. I'm saying we should never forget that the gospel's main goal, focus, and point was to liberate us from sin, not just our emotional, financial, or health needs. We should never forget that our salvation is spiritual, not purely physical.
DeleteYa, I figured that was what you meant. I am not sure exactly where I got that impression; I think it was just kind of skittered throughout the post. I just wanted to make sure I did not misunderstand you. :)
DeleteThank you for pointing it out. I appreciate the input! I'll look through it and try to make myself more clear later today.
DeleteI agree, Taylor. I misinterpreted the actual quote. However, your commentary afterward cleared things up mostly. Thanks again for the post!
ReplyDeleteAlright, thanks for telling me! It looks like it came across very differently than how I intended!
DeleteAt first. Like I said, you cleared it up afterward (for me) by saying: "Jesus really is our reliable Friend. When we are anxious, Jesus really does calm us. He can indeed be the glue that holds our family's and marriages together. The problem comes when this is the emphasis of our relationship with God; namely, what does it do for me, or what does it cause me to feel? When this becomes the emphasis, the focus of the gospel now switches from the holiness of God communicated to man through the grace of God to an emphasis and focus on me, my problems and how my incorporation of Jesus into my life may fix those." That cleared it up for me.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry if it looks like we're tearing down your comment. I'm not trying to. It was a great comment, indeed.
Okay, good. No, I'm glad I have readers and friends who will call me out! God knows I need it!
DeleteNot as much as that, but that your readers need to know. Now, you MAY have something there, but that's between you and God. :)
ReplyDelete