Repost (originally from 2008 but still good)

I’ve got some good news and some bad news… So which do you want to hear first? You might want a hint at just how bad the bad news is before choosing. Well, it’s very bad- unbelievably bad actually. And how good is the good news? Same story- unbelievably good. So, which do you want to hear first? (And what if you only got to hear one: either the good or the bad?)

I’d want to hear the bad news first, naturally. And I’d recognize it as true because I know my heart. The bad news is that God exists and God is completely good and just. And more bad news- God wants, expects and demands for me to be just like Him. Failure is sin and God hates sin. Even worse- I find that I sin because I am sinful. It’s not because I’m a good guy just making a few mistakes; I’m a bad guy just doing what comes naturally. Even my “good” attempts are laced, at the root, with evil intent (selfishness, manipulation, vanity, etc.) So that’s some bad news. Not so surprising really, but bad. And if the story ended there I would just give up and give in to my natural, selfish inclinations and try to numb the ride to hell. Who wouldn’t? After all, nobody’s perfect!

And so, deflated and despairing, do I now want to hear the good news? I might respond “Why not. What does it matter? I’m a sinner and I can’t change. Even if I could change a few things, I can’t be perfect.” Well, yes or no? “Why not.” (Or, what if this good news was simply assumed but never spoken and you were left trying to figure out what was wrong with you?)

The good news is that God loves you you selfish, sinful disaster. God became a man in Jesus and took all of the punishment for your sins on Himself (perfectly paying for all the bad things that you do). And more good news- as a perfect man, God supplied your perfection (doing all the good things that you can’t do). Then Jesus rose from the dead and returned to Father God in heaven- just as you will if you believe that God did this for you. In one amazing moment in history God did everything for you. And, to go a step further, if you believe this then thank God because He supernaturally provided that belief as well.

This is not an oversimplification (even though it could get waaay more complex and still remain cohesive). The bad news is: God’s good, I’m bad. The good news is: God saves bad people through faith in Christ. That’s it. No strings attached. But we so want to modify and amend this message! Which brings me to the thing that got me typing…

If you know me, you also know I’m a fan of a broadcast called The White Horse Inn. This week they’ve been covering what they call “Christless Christianity.” On one hand I think they underestimate God’s ability to reach through even the most messed up and perverse religious settings but on the other hand… If someone doesn’t fight for the essence of the gospel in every generation (this unbelievable good news) then what are we left with? Listening to the discussion made me think of the sermons I sat through (and still sit through) where the “good news” was that God is good. Is that good news to a sinner? Or maybe the “good news” was that my life can be better if I follow some good advice and work toward some good habits. Is that good news to a proven failure? Martin Luther tried to model sermons on what he viewed as the natural progression in scripture and nature: law then gospel. Every sermon, ideally, would begin with law (telling me what I’m doing wrong and what I should be doing right). Good stuff and necessary for sure, but pretty depressing when you’ve got a track record like I have. Then, every sermon would end with gospel (telling me how Christ wiped the slate clean of all my failures and secured my righteousness in God’s eyes). This way, instead of just giving up in despair because I know Ialways mess up at some point, I would be free to do what I really want to do: to try to be good! Fighting to do right really does mean something and there’s nothing more sad than life when you believe that fight is hopeless.

This pattern, law then gospel, is really what I need every day. As a sinful Christian I need to be reminded of what I should be doing. I need to repent and try again. As a sinful Christian I need to be reminded of what God has done for me. I need to be forgiven and thankful- not depressed and despairing.

But, sadly, this is not the message you will hear consistently preached in most churches. I’m in a Lutheran church now and I circle the Sundays when I catch this dangerous gospel fully illuminated! And that’s really at the heart of what the White Horse Inn guys are trying to communicate- Christ is only necessary in the gospel. Our religious rules (however good they may be) function quite well without the cross… Some might believe they work even better? It seems the pure and simple gospel is dangerous stuff- even for organized religion! Once someone realizes God did everything for them, what power does the church have over them? It’s kind of a silly question (they are the church) but the institutions are often suspicious.

I typed this quickly and I don’t think everything is as clear as I hoped it would be… Maybe I should’ve included some funny stories to illustrate the points? I’m not sure. Do you get what I’m saying?