It seems that Christianity and the Gospel are often associated with the kind of life that boils down to two lists that a Christian lives by. On one side is the DO LIST. On the other side is the DO NOT LIST. What then determines a person’s spiritual maturity is how well they do the things on the DO LIST and avoid doing the things on the DO NOT LIST.
This is tragic because this is exactly the kind of religious thinking the Gospel opposes. Religion teaches that if we do the right things (live morally, make good choices, are good people, etc.) that God will be pleased with me, love me, and when I die I’ll get into heaven. On the other hand if I do the wrong things (live immorally, make bad choices, etc.) then God will be upset with me, oppose me, kill me, and send me to hell. Basically everything rests on my shoulders and it’s important for me to do the right thing and live a good and moral life because it impacts my standing with God.
In contradiction to religion the Gospel teaches me four important things:
First, I’m wicked I only deserve God’s full wrath and judgment. At the end of the day my very existence is an offence to God because I have chosen to reject Him and worship other things. I’m an idolater. I know idolatry is mostly seen as something half-naked people in the Amazon or the Congo are into, but the root human problem is that we all have chosen to worship created things rather than the true God, our Creator (Romans 1:18-32). I may not worship a wood carving or a monkey but I do tend to worship other things: family, children, money, jobs, hobbies, looks, achievements, pleasure, entertainment, stuff, approval, adoration, etc.
Second, I’m not a good person because all my idolatry is really about me worshipping myself. As a matter of fact, I’m selfish and evil. So much so that my best behavior and all “…my righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” (Isaiah 64:6). The English translation of this looses it’s punch. A more current way of translating it might be: “…like a used menstrual rag (or tampon).” Now that hurts! Basically… I’m wicked. So no matter what I do – whether I think it’s good or bad, moral or immoral – its offensive to God because it’s all aimed at glorifying myself.
Third, religion is pointless. Religion is me thinking that I can make things right between God and myself. It’s like me saying: “God, I know you gave me life, and breath, and my very existence was a gift from you. And even though I decided that my i-pod was more important to me than you, I’m sure you’ll agree that I basically lived a good life. I helped people and never intentionally did anything to hurt anyone. You have to admit that heaven will be a better place with someone like me in it.” Too bad Isaiah said that my most righteous acts when laid before God were like a used tampon. Religion is me coming to God, handing Him a steaming terd, and saying, “We’re cool, right?.” If religion is all there is I’ve got no hope before a holy and righteous God. Even Mother Teresa’s life counts for nothing when laid against the holy and righteous character of God.
Fourth, the Gospel is my only hope. In the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ God did for me what I cannot do for myself: He lived the life I should live, took the wrath that should get, died the death I deserve to die, and gave me His innocence and righteousness in exchange. My only hope is His mercy which I don’t deserve and could never earn. The Gospel tells me that my standing with God has nothing to do with me and everything to do with Jesus. It’s not about my life – it’s about His. It’s not about my pathetic excuse for good deeds – it’s about His one beautiful and glorious deed of sacrificial love on the cross. It’s not about me at all – it’s completely, totally, and only about Jesus and whether or not I trust in His goodness and mercy.
Religion is stupid and my lists do nothing for me because in the end I still fail to keep them. At best, my lists only serve to remind me how much I need the grace and mercy that only Jesus offers.
Burn the lists. Turn to Him.
Good post. I struggled with something similar in my last post. Keep up the good thoughts and burn the “to do” lists!
Blessings,
Jim
Thanks. The issue of the Gospel as distinct from religion has occupied a good portion of my thoughts ever since encountering Tim Keller and David Powlinson.