The Gospel of...Success

Editor's Note: Part three of six in a series entitled "The Gospel of..."

Society demands the best of the best, the successful, to earn extravagant salaries, to be well-known, to possess multiple collegiate degrees, to raise respectful and law-abiding children and to have the means by which to comfortably retire upon the coming of age.

The Church does no less to demand success. This takes the form of attendance quotas, attracting financial and political community contributors, and competing for missional clout.

A certain bomb utilized in Vietnam and Afghanistan was nicknamed the 'daisy cutter.' It was an extremely powerful bomb with widespread impact. Like a powerful bomb, society, and unintentionally the Church, have taught that an individual's worth is based on what one accomplishes.

Skye Jethani calls this fallacy the Daisy Cutter Doctrine, which is the illusion that our impact in the world defines our value.

Success, to no surprise, is not of any eternal value. The accomplishments of this world are merely transitory but not necessarily inconsequential. Personal value must first be defined.

As 1 John 3:1 states, "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." We are created in the image of God for the purpose of worship through faith, hope and love. Our value is in this identity in Christ.

Therefore, personal successes and far-reaching impacts do not define one's value but are a result of one's value as an act of worship to the Creator. "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ," Paul wrote to the church at Colossae.

Praise to the Lord who has redeemed us and now calls us His own that we need not rely on the Daisy Cutter Doctrine in order to have eternal worth!

The Gospel of...Words

Editor's Note: Part two of six in a series entitled "The Gospel of..."

The knowledge of the faith is nothing of the belief of the faith in practice, for it is of the mind of God to love, to forgive, to show mercy and to hope, for these things have no understandable explanation of knowledge.

Jesus frequently mentioned such an idea. The Pharisees knew the law, theology, and knowledge of God. Yet, Jesus continually condemned them saying to "beware of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Mt. 16:12)." Not that their knowledge was incorrect, but their understanding, application and practicality of their faith was worthless to the point that Jesus warned, "On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord'...then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you (Mt. 7:22-23).'"

It is not enough to believe with words, to have knowledge of the law, history and theology of God. Knowledge must be founded through faith in order to have a true understanding of the nature of God.

As the apostle Paul wrote, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Words, knowledge and knowing the right answer mean nothing if not founded in faith and practice.

"Preach the Gospel - if necessary, use words," is a statement often attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi. This idea supposes that the actions of our life have more value than words. Undoubtedly this is true is a culture that does not value the sincerity of words amidst widespread hypocrisy and fallenness. However, this is not to excuse the need for verbal declarations of truth. Words have their place and it is important to possess the knowledge of God as it comes from faith in Him for "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

As Paul said, the two, knowledge (words) and faith, go together in the declaration of truth.

There are many scholars who have studied the knowledge of God and never believed. And many likewise who have studied the knowledge and become believers. The principle of the matter is that knowledge is enhanced through faith because the knowledge and understanding of God is made clearer day by day as He reveals His mercies and truth through daily faith and practice.

The Gospel of Words tells us to learn all we can in order to have the right answers and human understanding but the Gospel of Jesus Christ tells us to have faith and trust Him for all the answers and by doing so we will have greater understanding and insight to the knowledge of God.

The Gospel of...Hostility

Editor's Note: Part one of six in a series entitled "The Gospel of...".

Based on the presuppositions of beliefs and attitudes, how easy it is for man to say what he is against. This hostility of condemnation demonstrates a steadfast adherence to absolute truth, which is not to be diminished. However, this hostility is just that, hostility.

J.R. Kerr says it this way, "The Church is unfortunately known by what it stands against."

Put this way, someone who is not a part of the Church, when asked, will likely say:

"The Church is against homosexuality, premarital sex, the legalization of substances, embryonic stem cell research...."

Sadly, there will likely be no mention of what the Church is for.

To this statement, it is retorted, the Church is for truth. Undoubtedly, it is. However, truth is not a statement of what is the opposite of truth. Truth is a statement of truth.

Christ said, "I am the way the truth and the life." He did not say, "I am against the adulterous, legalistic, sacrificial practices of the pharisees." Although He was against such things and even said such things, He made known what He was for and by principle was against those things that contradicted what He was for. He came into the world, not to condemn it, but to save it.

Therefore, the Church must be known by what it is for and by principle what it is against, that is, sin, will be condemned by default as it stands for what it is for.

"Love one other: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

The Church stands for Jesus Christ, Him crucified, died, resurrected and reigning. It stands for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, forgiveness, mercy, equality, righteousness, grace and justice. It stands for the hope of redemption through Him and the glorious restoration of the world and its inhabitants.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is only hostile to sin and evilness because it first stands for the good, loving, glorious, holy, magnificent, power of God.

What if all people knew Christians by what they stood for?

"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."