Asking the question, "what is the gospel?"

The church is struggling with the gospel. In these last few years of emerging revolution in the church, I have encountered church leaders struggling to re-understand the gospel. I use the word struggle in an intentional way, both in the sense of aggressive engagement and in the sense of frustrated grappling.

Serious engagement with the meaning and power of the gospel is nothing new to our century. One can hardly point to an era in church history when faithful men and women have not been simultaneously enraptured by the gospel's beauty and held fast by its convicting truth. And while many have come near to claiming they have at last divined the gospel's true meaning, the struggle continues unabated, often by those who once felt they had momentarily gained the better of its truth.

In our day, both seasoned saints and emerging radicals are struggling to comprehend and articulate the gospel even while they live within and out of its transformative power. This is a very good thing. Over time, I've found that my ears perk up when someone asks aloud the question "what is the gospel?" The answer one gives to such a question says as much about one's faith as it does about God and His redemptive work in the world. How one answers the question tends to have an enormous impact on the way one's faith is lived. To struggle with the gospel is ultimately to ask hard questions about whether or not we are living the fullness of the gospel as given us in Scripture.

The best part of the question, "what is the gospel?" is that it is a deceptively difficult question to answer. It is even more difficult to do so succinctly. Those of us trained to quote Scripture to such answers have an especially tough time doing so, since anything much shorter than the book of Mark leaves a lot of the gospel out of the answer. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, as a friend of mine is fond of saying, comes close to a concise statement of the gospel. So does Titus 3:3-7. Hard pressed, one might also point to John 3:16-20. But a close look at these texts reveals a frustrating fact about our Scriptures: very often, the writers assume we know what the gospel is, and use the term more loosely than we would like. Sort of like the same writers do with the Kingdom of God. Even Jesus won't let himself be pinned down about such powerful ideas, preferring to illuminate them with a broad brush through parable and story. The question "what is the gospel?" is a tough one to answer.

That's why I have found myself collecting short versions of answers to this question as I have struggled with it myself. Here is one version I came across recently:

The gospel is the story of the work of the triune God (Father, Son, and Spirit) to completely restore broken image-bearers (Gen. 1:26–27) in the context of the community of faith (Israel, Kingdom, and Church) through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the gift of the Pentecostal Spirit, to union with God and communion with others for the good of the world.

Dr. McKnight errs on the side of completeness over simplicity or comprehensibility. If you read the rest of his article (which is very good and every bit worth your time), you'll see that each phrase fragment stands in for a large and important theological concept that McKnight believes is central to the overarching story of the gospel.

In forthcoming posts, I'll share more gospel paraphrases that I've come across. For now, perhaps we can content ourselves with a little imaginative exercise: if you found yourself across the coffee table from someone sincerely asking the question, "what is the gospel?", what would you tell them given three minutes or less?

Cross-posted to sanctus.cross.

Making decisions with discernment: A simple, practical approach for all Christians

A few weeks ago, we came together as a church to approach the future together, wondering where God may be taking us as a people. It is an act of worship to approach the future expectantly, staying in step with the Spirit of God and prayerfully considering the choices which might lead us toward God's preferred future.

It proved helpful to remind ourselves of the nature of decision making in the context of the Christian life. This is the core of the sermon supporting this future-orientation. It centers on the idea of making decisions in partnership with God, looking forward with the expectation that His presence is active in guiding His people, whether individually or collectively.

The X-Factor: the Holy Spirit

Rather than ending with a disclaimer about the Holy Spirit and God's prerogative in interrupting or drastically changing our direction, perhaps we should begin with the "X-factor" of the Holy Spirit. It is true that the Spirit will sometimes intervene in dramatic ways, and we should be open and prepared for that to happen in our midst as we seek God's hand in the decision making process. But it is also helpful to remind ourselves the Holy Spirit works vigorously and continually within the seemingly mundane processes of planning, wise thinking, and prayerful discussion.

Converse with God in prayer

Having begun with the understanding of God's presence through and in our decision making, we approach the future as a conversation with God. By conversation, we imply a 2-way interaction rather than the list of concerns often associated with the practice of prayer. We ask ourselves the question, if I were talking with Jesus about this decision right now, what would he say to me? In this conversation, we cultivate a posture of humility, yielded to God and ready to hear the counsel of His Scriptures, the Words of His Son, the moving of His Spirit, regardless of where that counsel may take us.

And we remain quiet enough (and long enough) to listen. Very often we are too busy to stop long enough to listen. We find ourselves unwilling to be let go of control of the situation which rightly belongs to God. But we remain hopeful, humble, and expectant: God has promised to lead us, to speak to us in various ways. In our conversation with God, we expect to benefit and find guidance from God.

Align with the Scriptures

As we converse with God, we involve Scripture as a conversation partner, trusting its authority and wisdom. Overall, we seek to align our decisions with the narrative of Scripture. This does not mean looking for identical parallels and simply following the outcomes; as the outcomes of many passages of Scripture describe, this can be a shaky prospect. Rather, we seek to align with the character of God we see in Scripture as He shapes a people for His purposes.

Specifically, as we consult the Scriptures in our decisions, we ask ourselves, which is the wise choice? What aspects of down-to-earth wisdom seen in the Scriptures applies to this choice?

But more than this, we approach Scripture as Christians. We must ask ourselves, which choice aligns with gospel? For whom is this choice good news? How does this affect the people around me for their good? Which choice demonstrates and announces God's intention for the world in Jesus, even in subtle ways? How does this choice find alignment in God's purposes for restoring wholeness in the small part of the world we find ourselves?

Seek wise counsel

As we converse with God in prayer and seek alignment in the Scriptures, we listen also to the voices of those who are also listening to God. We open ourselves the counsel of other godly people who have experience in the practice of spiritual decision making. We submit ourselves to the wisdom of people who can ask good (hard) questions and remind us of both the big picture and point the way which experience has illuminated. We are often afraid of going to people who will ask hard questions; we have been burned by people telling us what to do, or we simply are afraid they will confirm where we sense God is leading us because of the sacrifice involved. But these fears can be given to God, whom we trust with our lives (and therefore decisions). God's most profound activity is very often displayed in community; seeking godly counsel is a pathway to this wisdom.

Watch for opportunities

Once we have attuned ourselves to the vision of God, we begin to expectantly watch for the play of circumstances around us. This is a learned discipline. We form habits of responding to God's direction in the midst of circumstances out of a character increasingly conformed to Christ. We begin to see doors opening or closing around us. We humbly trust that God is at work in the circumstances around us, and we learn to read the landscape. It is difficult to remain clear-eyed about the landscape, either because we don’t take the time to look around or because we desperately wish the situation was different. There is nothing wrong with wanting different circumstances and praying that they will change; but we must not pretend that reality isn’t reality. As we watch for opportunities around us, we train ourselves to trust in God's firm control of the events around us, and there is nothing we cannot face with His strength; there are people here to stand with us. We trust that if we stop to look, God will open our eyes to the opportunities within immediate reach that will lead us closer to Him, that will lead to blessings for us and others we serve.

Move forward boldly

Lastly, as we move organically through these steps, we begin to gain a confidence born of God's guidance. We hold the decision loosely, heeding Pauls wisdom to say “if it is the Lord’s will”, but we move forward boldly. Again we find ourselves resting in the character of God, knowing that He rewards fearful boldness. As we approach our decisions with a bold spirit, we find ourselves becoming people of radical faith, sold out to God's purposes in the world. We begin to see that each choice we make can be a part of God's unfolding story of redemption.

That is a future worth joining.

All that stands before the gates of Hades

Overheard in a devotional recently: "You church planters need to understand that you are all that stand between your community and the gates of Hades."

His intention was to remind a group of tired men and women of the importance of their task and of the wonderful and terrible responsibility laid upon us by God.

Sometimes I do feel as though I carry a heavy burden, wondering if indeed there would be anyone else to take my place if I were KIA, victim to the schemes of the one who would isolate and devour every person in our community of South Salem. Even understanding that God is a sovereign King, more than able to accomplish all those things which He determines to do, there remains a certain responsibility which He has given to me and expects of me. A heavy burden indeed.

But I think again of the words of the devotion: we are "all that stand between the community and the gates of Hades" and I realize how easy it is to misunderstand Jesus' phrasing in that text of Matthew. The picture is not one of demonic forces spilling over Hades' gate and assaulting the scattered forces of Light wherever they can be found huddling pitifully together on the plain. Rather, Jesus has in mind the forces of Light storming the gates, a called out people who take the arms of Heaven and batter down the last refuge of our enemy's strength. The image is thus: the gates will not stand against those called by God. The captives will be freed, the poor fed and clothed, the essence and joy and peace of life restored to those who are beloved of God.

And in my more honest moments, I realize that I am all that stands between my community and the gates of Hades. If I do not obey the call of God in my life, if I ignore his outstretched hand beckoning me to partner with Him in restoring a corrupt community, then I am at best a stalling force, standing between south Salem and the battle for which they are called.

God will not go without me, or so I should think if He has so entrusted the gospel to the frail, limping church. What can the Incarnation mean but that each of us, in our weaknesses, is somehow essential to the task for which God called us, gifted according to His plan for a divine purpose in announcing freedom?

So He waits for me. Perhaps others may be called to a similar task, perhaps not. Far be it from me to stand between God and those He loves, may I not be a hindrance to His plans but rather a willing instrument in His hand.

South Salem's people await the call to storm the gates of Hades. Many of them currently languish in gloomy dungeons of spiritual death, waiting to be called, chosen by God. And they wait on me to announce (even if in uncertain tones) the call to freedom! And together with God, we will take the battle to the enemy, plunder his treasured captives, and triumphantly set them free into the glorious wonder of God's New Creation. Far be it from me to stand between my community and the gates of Hades.