Gospel
All right, let me try this again.
The Gospel produces many kinds of things in you (like love, hope, or faith), but it does not produce obligation or, at least, it shouldn’t. Something’s out of whack if it does. Being freed from debt shouldn’t give you a sense of debt. And, um, it’s a relationship not a religion.
… I stink at this.
-Dave says:
November 6th, 2008 at 10:22 am
“You’re free. Really fee. Free indeed. Free at last. You know those doves they set free at the Olympics? Your freedom is so far beyond that it defires comparison. More free than the clouds, than a man condemned to die being pardoned, than all the slaves in all the history of the world being released at once. Imagine freedom as broadly as you possibly can and double it. Triple it. Quadruple it, and yet you still have so far to go.”
None too witty, as it’s none too brief. But I’m aiming for being intentionalyl wordy, because I want to overcome the common habit of tying “free” to our common experience, when Gospel Freedom is so very much more.
-Dave says:
November 6th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Ugh… me speeel so godo not.
kenny says:
November 9th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
I liked this, although I guess I’ll press a little: you’ve said (fairly well, I think) what the Gospel does. But what is the Gospel?
I was listening to the radio and someone described the Gospel as “justification by grace through faith.”
One angle I was reminded of today is how justification by faith in Christ frees us from having to seek justification by success. Most everyone wants to be successful at something. For some it’s career; for some it’s relationships; for some it’s in our morality; but whatever it is, it’s doing well at what you understand to be important. Everyone wants to be successful, and it’s a tremendous burden we all labor under, I think, because we’re seeking our own justification in our success.
But reality is that we won’t ultimately succeed, so Christ has been successful for us, and now we don’t have to worry about success anymore. And in that, as Dave says, we’re free.
Just today’s thought on the Gospel.
jose says:
November 14th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I had been thinking about the cycle of faith begetting good works which begets faith. But like many cycles, it’s not clear where one can enter. Dave called it the on ramp. I used to think the only on ramp available to us was good works (or obedience). But now I see that we can start with faith. In fact, it may be the better route if the thing to which we are directing our faith is the righteousness/unrighteousness exchange graciously given to us by Christ.
jose says:
November 14th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
I’m formulating another pass at what the Gospel is. Give me a sec.
nichole says:
November 17th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
cute picture.
thats all.
jos' says:
November 19th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
yeah, it is!