I will admit that most blogs by Lutherans about trends in wider Christianity are not writing to laud those trends but lament them. And there has been plenty to write about over the years. But I am writing with joy at a trend I see within wider Christianity and particularly within evangelical circles (widely defined).
Over the last three years, I have been introduced three pastors who are making the center of their teaching a simple question, “What is the Gospel?†And to a large extent, they are getting it right. They are speaking about how the whole Christian faith is about what God in Christ has done for us rather than what we do for Christ. Alleluia and Amen.
The first is Voddie Baucham, pastor of Grace Family Baptist Church. I became exposed to him through a pastor friend who homeschools. Voddie is quite popular in those circles. In one audio piece I listened to, I was shocked to hear how well he explained what the gospel was and even more powerfully what it was not. Read some excerpts from one of his sermons:
“First, The gospel is not just how we get saved. You talk to the average Christian and you ask them what the gospel is and more than likely they are going to give you a plan of salvation. The gospel is not the plan of salvation. The gospel is not the four spiritual laws. The gospel is not just how we get saved…Secondly, the gospel is not just the two great commandments…Third, the gospel is not the moral teachings of Jesus…If you see Jesus as merely having given you an example that you can work hard to follow, you are under the wrong yoke. Don’t just take it off, break it into pieces and burn it by the grace of God. Amen? You are under the wrong yoke…What is the Gospel? The gospel is news. The gospel is news about what God has done in Jesus Christ. For me to think that I can live the gospel is to put myself in the place of Christ. That is blasphemy….The gospel is God centered, not man centered….The gospel is Christ centered….It is cross centered….It was the spotless, sinless Lamb of God who died in your place. That is the gospel. It is news about what God has done in Christ though the cross. That is the gospel. You can’t live that. But you also can’t live without it. The gospel is grace centered.â€
Not bad huh? Not bad for Baptist who comes from a tradition that so often makes the whole faith about what we do for Jesus, first in deciding for him, then in living for him.
The second is Judah Smith. He is pastor at the City Church in Seattle. A Lutheran friend suggested his book Jesus is _______ on Facebook. I gave it a listen as an audio book. And while his style is very “Seattle,†his content is very much centered on explaining God’s activity in saving us. It is about the Gospel. Read an excerpt from an interview about the book and then one from the book itself:
“Ultimately, the only antidote to people’s sin is the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. The reason grace is always first is it’s this overwhelming sense that with Jesus I belong, even before I believe or behave.â€
“Grace is a person. And his name is Jesus.â€
The last is Tullian Tchividjian. He is the Senior Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. He also is the grandson of Billy Graham. I have read a few posts from him and also seen him talk on television shows about the church. Again his main point seems always to be that the church needs to leave behind trite moralism and return to a focus on Jesus and his work. The titles of two of his books are enough to show where he is headed. One is called Jesus + Nothing = Everything and the other is called One Way Love.
Those rediscovering these truths seem to be gathering at http://thegospelcoalition.org. I plan on reading and seeing where contact might be made with like minded believers more locally.
I have just become familiar with each of these men. You may write me and say, “Don’t you know they also say this or that?†I don’t. I am not an expert on any of their theology. But the one thing I do know is that we in our tradition have something to offer these men. They are starting to get that the faith is all about God’s sending of Jesus to save and not what we do. What they are missing is how God actively delivers the salvation of his Son through his Church. The sacraments are the critical thing missing from their understanding. They need to understand the means of God’s activity in salvation to round out their understanding of the grace of God.
In humility, I am sure there are some things they can teach us as well. Their enthusiasm and amazement at the Gospel has been instructive to me already. I all too often take it for granted sadly.
Maybe it is the fact that we are celebrating the Reformation this week but I can help wonder if we are seeing another reformation of sorts among this part of the church. Those who have wandered off into moralism (much like Rome did many years ago) are rediscovering the Gospel. They are speaking less about what we do and much more about what Jesus does. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Pastor,
I like that you acknowledge there are pastors in other Christian denominations that seem to be discovering/re-discovering the Gospel message. I absolutely believe that what we can learn from them is an excitement about the Gospel message and a sense of urgency about sharing it with others!
Great article brother!
Tullian is a breath of fresh air. I have been reading him for some time. Another good site is Mockingbird Ministries, a group of Episcopalians who seem to be right on target. My daughter recently started reading their daily devotional book and it has been a real source of renewal for her.
Pastor,
I am a guy still delving into the ideas of lutheran theology. I can honestly say any consideration given to it is in part because of my exposure to Voddie Bauchem. My entire church life is first as a catholic(as a child)and then in a chaismatic church. I don’t “move” in the mircaculous, speak in tongues and the messages made me feel beat down and frankly unsaved. When I discovered Voddie’s church messages.. It was refreshing. Though my old church talked about Jesus, there was always a “do” to the done work of Christ. Now I was seeing the bible though the lens of Christ.. not simply life application. In my (continued) search for a new church, (and finding no real solid local baptist or presbyterian church, I stumbled upon a Lutheran Brethren Church and I was taken by it almost immediately. The reverence for God in Word and song, the high view of communion and baptism(though I don’t completely understand it, I always knew communion should be contemplated seriously) I have not fully committed because of my family and other considerations, a friend and listen to the churches podcast daily on our way to work and love it. This is all to say, that i do believe these two (though clearly have differences) are more in tune theologically than say baptist/prsyb and pentecoastal. There is such a lovely focus on Christ and his Cross and understanding the distinction between Law and Grace that it naturally drew me to this lutheran church. Thank you for a wonderful article. I do have one question? Do you consider men like the ones you wrote about to be truly brothers in Christ? or do you see them missing the mark(of true salvation)because of their lack of understanding of the gospel as presented in the sacraments of baptism and communion?(much like a christian going to a “church of christ” would not be consider a christian or a brother(had that happen to a friend), unless they are baptized in their church)
Thank you again!
Dominick
I’ve been blessed to hear Voddie Baucham speak at conferences, and remember thinking at that time how wonderful it was to hear grace (and also marriage, Christ as the Head of the Church, sola scriptura…the list could go on) explained so well. I know that parts of his theology have to be Baptist because he serves in this denomination, but as a Lutheran, I am grateful for his clear explanations of the foundations of Christianity, and know that many are blessed by hearing the Gospel message through him.
“What they are missing is how God actively delivers the salvation of his Son through his Church. The sacraments are the critical thing missing from their understanding. They need to understand the means of God’s activity in salvation to round out their understanding of the grace of God.”
I’m curious about your comments here, coming from an evangelical background with limited understanding of Lutheran theology. Why are the sacraments critical to salvation? Don’t the means of God’s activity in salvation extend to other means as well? After all, it is the kindness of God that leads us to repentance.
Thank you, in advance.
To all, sorry for the lateness of my reply.
Dominick, I do consider anyone who is baptized and trusts in Jesus alone for salvation to be a brother in the faith. As I mentioned, I believe they have some false understandings and would love to help sharpen them or those who follow them. I pray they would do the same if they find false understanding in my teaching.
Thom, I understand the scriptures to say that God works his salvation through his Christian church on earth as it proclaims his word and administers the sacraments in accord with Christ’s institution of them. Any other means does not carry with it the promise that God is working and could be a delusion of the devil. I certainly did not mean to suggest that God is not working through the proclamation of the Word. And yet the word always points us to baptism, absolution, and the supper as the concrete place to receive the mercy of Jesus.
If you are new to Lutheran theology, let me suggest several resources. Start with the small catechism of Martin Luther. It can be found at this address: http://sites.cph.org/catechism/. I would also suggest two books. One is Spirituality of the Cross by Gene Veith. It can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/Spirituality-Cross-Revised-Edition-Edward/dp/0758613032. the other is called Broken by Pr. J. Fisk. It can be found at: http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Seven-Christian-Rules-Possible-ebook/dp/B00ANPY3KK/. Finally, Martin Luther’s large catechism and the confession known as the Augsburg Confession are central to our faith. Feel free to email me with questions as you search more.