The Gospel Redux

What I have found in Christendom these days, is the same that I am sure has been found in any era of post crucifixion life, the half truth of the gospel. The half truth of the gospel is the gospel of mere fear. It goes something like this: You don't want to go to hell do you? Then believe in Jesus so you don't have to. This gospel has probably won more false converts than any other. This gospel has led to the gospel being presented as more of an insurance commercial than a plenary gospel presentation. Think of it. Think of how insurance is sold. They cause you to fear things you didn't think you needed to fear, whether it is a flood, fire, your arm being chopped off or your kid dying, they want to bring up a fear to get your money.

How is this different than a gospel that says, "trust in Jesus and you won't go to the fire?" Atheists and agnostics see right through this fear mentality because they have seen it their whole lives in Aflac and Met Life commercials. The gospel becomes more of a fear tactic than life giving, God honoring good news.

If you think of it, it really fits in nicely with the legalists gospel. The legalist lives for showing you what he does NOT do. He doesn't go to R rated movies, he doesn't smoke, he doesn't drink, he doesn't listen to secular music, he doesn't, he doesn't, he doesn't...and...he doesn't go to hell. The legalist is all about what he doesn't do, instead of what he does do.

This isn't the gospel. The gospel isn't only what you don't do, but what you do. The gospel isn't merely, "I didn't want to go to hell" but, the gospel is more, "I am now an heir of Christ, adopted by God." The plenary gospel is the gospel that gives you God. The person who has been saved by grace doesn't tell you what they don't do, but who they live for. They live to glorify God in all they do. Sure, there are things that we are told to not do, but that isn't what defines us, what we do for the glory of God is what defines us. To be more specific, Jesus defines us.

If you notice in the presentation of the full and plenary gospel, it isn't merely that Christ died, but that he was resurrected. The Bible tells us these things:

who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
Romans 8:34

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."
John 14:1-6

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
1 Peter 3:18

You will notice that these references put much emphasis on where Christ is and where we are going. There are many places in the Scriptures that tell us of hell, and it will be a place of great sorrow and pain. But, for the believer, it isn't merely that we are not going there, but the fact that Christ has been raised to bring us in the presence of God. This is what we should be telling others. We aren't an infomercial on the best of two options, we are presenting the fact that one gets to be in the presence of their Creator who only wants our greatest joy to be full.

If we are in awe of the Grand Canyon, which is a mere creation, imagine when we see the One who Created it!

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The Best Thing About Heaven is the Worst Thing About Hell

There are many views on hell and many strange things that have been said throughout history. I am hoping that what I have to offer in this small post won’t go down in Christendom as some quack sharing his dumb thoughts on a much debated topic. What I am not going to write about is whether hell is hot, eternal or real. Although I believe all those things to be true, I believe that the historic debates on hell usually miss the point of hell. Although to tell the truth that hell is real and a long time, eternal to be specific, to focus on those two things is missing the central reason it should be feared most of all.

What we do know of hell is that it is said to be a place of torment, gnashing of teeth and also utter darkness.

What I believe this could be saying is the fact that the greatest thing about heaven is the worst thing about hell. What is the greatest thing about heaven? The greatest thing about heaven is found in 1 Peter 3:18.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
1 Peter 3:18

Notice why God sent his Son. He sent his Son to suffer and die to bring us to the greatest aspect of heaven, which his being in the presence of God himself.

The critical question for our generation—and for every generation—is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there?
John Piper, God is the Gospel

Some of the things that we know about the end is the fact that all will know that God is indeed the sovereign ruler and all will indeed bow to him.

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11

If we in fact know this, in the end people will end up knowing the greatness of the Christ and God. Because of this emotions will start to boil up in side of them. To see what those emotions are, we don’t need to look very hard as it is shown to us in Isaiah 6. Once shown the throne room with Christ highly exalted Isaiah felt undone and completely under the iron fist of wrath because of his sin. But you will notice that once forgiveness came, his worries and torment of sin was released. Afterwards an emotion came from Isaiah in the form of worship. He desired to worship through service. Isaiah proclaimed “Here am I, send me!” He loved God and desired to please him.

Here is the thing with hell. Every person will know the greatness of God. Every person will understand the vastness of their sin, yet they will be alone and not allowed to worship God face to face. They get the opposite of what we do in heaven. We get God, they get no fellowship and in that they are in complete darkness alone, without God. They don’t get to do what Isaiah was able to experience. They don’t get the relief of forgiveness and the ability to show their love for their Creator and Sustainer.

This shouldn’t be hard for us to realize that this fact is true. Jesus while beaten, scourged and hung on a tree did not find his agony at the deepest in those times. Although they were no lesser harsh and painful, we find Christ’s utter darkness and deepest pain come at the time when God forsook him. This is why we find Christ sweating drops of blood in the garden and this is when we find our silent Sheep headed for slaughter finally cry out in agony. We find this when God somehow forsakes Christ. So, as Christ gives us a picture of heaven through his bodily resurrection, he also gives us a picture of hell in the garden and on the cross when he is separated from the Father.

This is why there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, this is why there is groaning and emptiness, this is why they are in utter darkness. Because the Light of the World is not among them, but is on his throne being worshiped by those whom he purchased with his own blood and rose up on the last day.

The greatest thing about heaven, namely God, is the worst thing about being in hell, being apart from God.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Revelation 21:1-8

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Heaven Should Be Like Disneyland

I know that Southern Baptists right now are hyperventilating as they see Bambi as some underlying message condoning gay marriage and abortion, but take the grape juice out of your grocery bag and breathe deep in it. Now read on and you'll get my point.

My in laws went to Disneyland last week and invited my 6 year old son to go with them. My son has been to Disney World and absolutely loved it. He knows the fun he would have and knows most of what he would find there. We told him that he could go to see Mickey for a whole week with his grandparents and his cousins. He was very excited and thought there was no reason why he wouldn't go. Then we told him, "Mommy and Daddy won't be there though. You will be just going with your grandparents and cousins." He immediately said, "I don't want to go then."

Although Caleb knew how fun it would, how many things he would thoroughly enjoy, he didn't want to go if we weren't there. This is a very independent 6 year old who was very excited to go to Disneyland. He loves his grandparents and he loves being with his cousins, but the second he found out that we weren't going, his mood changed, and he simply said, "no thanks." He wants to be where we are, not where the gifts and "fun" are. Caleb wasn't disappointed in any way, but simply wanted to be wherever his parents were, not where many people would consider to be "heaven on earth."

I know that illustrations are never perfect and this one is no different. But, the question comes that are we more like the world that just wants the gifts of God, or do we want God himself? Do we want all the other stuff that heaven promises, or do we want to simply be where Christ is? John Piper asks this question in his book "God is the Gospel" and my son gave me a great picture of what Piper is trying to convey:

The critical question for our generation—and for every generation—is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there?
John Piper, God is the Gospel

Where do we put our excitement and hope for our eternity? We must look forward to being with our God, not what he is going to give us. He is ultimate.

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit
1 Peter 3:18

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