2 things I have made certainly clear on this blog, on Twitter and in non-cyber life – 1. A come from a “faith-camp” background 2. I’m exploring the claims/doctrine of the “reformed camp.” (To say that I loathe to use the term “camp” on either of these is an understatement. How divided do we have to be before we devour ourselves totally? But I digress)
One thing that I’m noticing is both of these said “camps” heavily emphasize one thing over everything else. Unfortunately, at least in their communication and probably very unintentional, these things have been elevated even more than God Himself. Again, atleast in the communication of them.
For me, this messy journey I’m on is to know and love God better. My experience in the faith camp only brought me so far because of their particular emphasis and I’m afraid that the reformed camp is inadvertantly doing the same thing. What am I getting at you ask? Allow me to explain.
I believe, completely by accident, the faith camp has elevated “faith” and the “teachings of faith” higher than God. Its like we should worship faith because faith is the ultimate. Their is more emphasis to point us to faith than it is to point us to Jesus. Jesus has become a footnote to the teachings of faith and not vice versa. Likewise, I think the reformed camp – also completely by accident – buts more emphasis on grace and the gospel than they do about God.
Are faith, grace and the gospel important? ABSOLUTELY! Without faith you can’t please God. Without grace you can’t come to God. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. These are all emmensely important issues. But it seems like people are elevating them more than God. And I only say that purely based on the amount of air time these topics get in sermons, books, conferences, tweets, songs, etc. (I mean a song like “What FAITH can do” is limited because its not about what FAITH can do, its about what GOD can do, ya feel me?)
When reformed cats critique (and it seems like the new crop of Calvinists REALLY enjoy doing that), they usually say “but it doesn’t bring you back to the ‘gospel.’” Okay, but even if it does, isn’t that a short-coming as well because it should point back to Jesus.
What do you think? Have certain camps elevated their doctrines beyond the One who the doctrines should point to or are we just so excited to learn something new that we’re caught up in it? Or could it be neither and there are just loads of people in both “camps” that are more concerned with being right than actually knowing and loving God?
Thoughts?
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1 Corinthians 15:3,4 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures….
Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by [6] him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Ok, those texts notwithstanding, I’d have to say that I am a former WOF guy. During my time within that ‘camp,’ I can now admit I had an absolutely backwards understanding of the nature of God. I assumed that because I had his word, and it had power, that I could speak it in faith, and wield that power for myself like a light saber. I thought that while wielding this word, God became more subject to me and my faith than His will and decrees. Had you asked me “who is God,” I would’ve eventually ran up on a snag trying to describe who I thought he was and jiving that with what Scripture actually teaches. So, if I elevated faith above God during those times, it was because faith was above God, since my faith moved God in my desired direction. As I am learning about the character of the Biblical God, I realize I have no such control, therefore my faith is demoted to something less than my remote control, and God is rightly the author of that faith to begin with. (Hebrews)…..
Now that I am reformed, I actually started in a different place. First I elevated exegesis above the Gospel. Doctrinal precision and purity are what I pursued, at the expense of the Gospel. As the Lord is graciously remaking me and my heart (THANK YOU LORD), I realize that the Gospel is the point of all of Scripture. It’s hard for me to fathom one pointing another to the Gospel, and that not be pointing them to Christ, since Christ IS the Gospel. The Gospel in a nutshell is what God has done in Christ. Without Christ there is no Gospel. I guess I’m curious what you mean by a person pointing someone to the Gospel at the exclusion of Christ. How can that be?
And there is the subtle difference. Its not at the exclusion of Christ, its at the over inclusion of the gospel. Know the gospel and knowing Christ are NOT one in the same. CHRIST is the point of all scripture. The gospel points and compells us TO HIM but it is NOT Him. The gospel is the power of God UNTO salvation but is not God. Just as you and your power are not the same, neither is God’s power and His essence the same.
Hmmmmmm…….I mean, can you give an example statement of what it would look like to point someone to the Gospel over and above Christ?
So are you asserting that someone can Know Christ, and not know the Gospel?
pardon, I’m trying to edit to add thoughts rather than add whole new posts. Or are you saying that a person can know Christ, but not UNDERSTAND the import of the Gospel to all of life?
Oh Hai guys,
I think what Steve is getting at is the theological idolatry that can be found in some reformers (including myself, I’ve been there). Though I think we all can agree that what is especially egregious to Christ is having right Doctrine/Theology but a heart that is corrupt, devoid of love for the father.
Is the the Gospel of great importance? Absolutely. As Trueconvert pointed out, the Gospel that doesn’t point to Jesus and the cross is no Gospel at all. This is vital, we can certainly agree. Though one can know the Gospel and even share it with biblical precision and still have no Christ or working of the Spirit in their lives.
Is doctrine / theology important? Absolutely! Right teaching allows us to see the Gospel and Christ throughout the scripture and gives us a point of reference to identify false teaching. All of these things are important but because of the wickedness of man’s heart can be exalted above our creator. We are all in dire need of the Gospel applied daily to our lives, that by God’s grace, we are shown our indwelling sin and granted repentance, this is the power of God.
Thanks Jean. While I have said and will continue to say – the gospel is important. But knowing the gospel isn’t the end, knowing God is. Too often I see people emphasize knowing the gospel. Knowing the gospel without showing that knowing God IS the end places more value on the gospel than God. Just like how its understood that Jesus is the point of faith, it has gone wrong. “What is faith w/o Jesus?” a faith camp guy would say, just as a reformed guy would say “what’s the gospel w/o Jesus?” An over emphasis of the message on both sides creates theological idolatry.
To insinuate that if someone doesn’t see how the gospel impacts every part of life, then they must not know God clearly says that if people don’t know what you know then they are not saved. Jesus had that same problem w/ the Pharisees. Jesus CLEARLY cared more about what the heart believed than what the head knew. Should we go on and not teach clearly the gospel? HECK NO. But is knowing the gospel the clear identifier that one knows Christ? No.
Agreed…
Mr. Patton. (how ya like that for respect?)
I get what you are saying…what you seem to really have an issue with is the Christianese that people use and forget to get it back to the actual Persons that make those terms have substance.
So, when someone says “grace is amazing.” They are using a lot of “Christianese” What is grace? Who’s grace? Why grace? Why is it amazing?
Same goes for the other words you were putting forth.
You might be splitting hairs here…but I get what you are getting at. So, it isn’t totally lost on me what you desire to see changed. And, most should be greatful for reminders to get to the source of grace, gospel and faith.
Peace bro.
Seth.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh. Got you!!!! Yeah, so there are many points there I agree with. Namely, if someone insinuates that because a person doesn’t know how the Gospel is to be worked out in all of life they’re unsaved, that’s ludicrous. I think what folks who push the Gospel (including me) are trying to get at is this: Yes, you can absolutely be saved, and we praise God for His grace towards you: Yet, we are BENT towards self-righteousness/works righteousness, which binds us. We as believers often base how we think God feels about us on performance. ie, you wake up as soon as the clock goes off, you do your morning devos, you pray well, and you kiss your wife and kids before work. Somehow, it is w/i our sinful nature to now believe that God must be pleased with us in a way different than if we missed the alarm, kicked the dog, and didn’t pray a lick. What we’re trying to say I think is, go back to the Gospel. You didn’t receive grace and favor because you DIDN’t Kick your dog, or because you prayed long, or read hard. It was God’s doing through Christ. That’s the Gospel, and that indeed is what we must point one another back to. It’s because we’re sinners that we want to contribute, ALWAYS battle our own contribution, and need to be redirected to God’s all sufficient and final contribution. I think that plays out in a myriad of ways, but that example was just one. Finding liberation from self/works (dumb idols), by going back to the Cross of Christ (the Gospel; how were you saved? then how will you be sanctified)…..Though I was saved, I still didn’t understand what Paul was pressing in Galatians until like 4 months ago. In the Gospel, Christ did everything needed for me to have favor with God….maybe you’ve heard folks treat the Gospel differently, in an elite way? Those that over the last 4 months pushed me to the Gospel Gospel Gospel, meant it to be a freeing agent for me, who though saved, was in bondage to guilt, and feelings of inadequacy in my walk. I knew God, and knew Christ’s work well; How that could potentially free me as a believer, I was ignorant to…..
Wow, this *is* messy.
I believe that you can be more reformed than you can be biblical and that you can put anything in God’s place in your life, including theology.
A look at the Ephesian church is a good example. They were warned by Paul and, in fact, taught by Paul, sound theology. And then by the end, Revelation 3 I think, they were warned by Jesus Himself that though they had held to sound doctrine, they had left His love.
We need Jesus to constantly rebuke us for idolatry and mostly so in places where the idols are good and acceptable.
Excellent Point Gabe, and very true. That’s Rev 2.
Gabe – broham – welcome to the blog. Thanks for the comment and I think THAT hits right to the core of the conversation. Thanksfor the comment and Jesus’ is a great blog too.