Having just read ‘The Reason for God’ by Timothy Keller I was particularly taken with the thought that we respond to the good and bad of life from one of two motivating principals: Religion or the Gospel. The test to help us know whether we live from a religious or a gospel foundation is answered by how we deal with the good and bad things that enter our lives.
I hope the following comments encourage you to develop a mind-set that raises religious warning bells and guides you to live under the gospel.
There is a great difference between the understanding that God accepts us because of our efforts and the understanding that God accepts us because of what Jesus has done. Religion operates on the principle, 'I obey––therefore I am accepted by God’ But the operating principal of the gospel is ‘I am accepted by God through what Jesus has done––therefore I obey.’
Two people living on the basis of these two different principles may be part of the same church. They both pray, give money generously and are loyal and faithful to their family and community, trying to live decent lives. However, they do so out of two radically different motivations, in two radically different spiritual identities. The result is two radically different lives.
The primary difference is that of motivation. In religion people try to apply God’s standards out of fear. They believe that if they don’t obey they will loose God’s blessing in this world and the next.
In the gospel, the motivation is one of gratitude for the blessing we have already received because of Jesus Christ. The religious person is forced into obedience, motivated by fear of rejection, When we understand the gospel we rush into obedience, motivated by a desire to please and resemble the one who suffered and gave his life for us.
Religion and the gospel also lead to different ways of handling troubles and suffering. Religion is deceptive and leads people to the conviction that if they live a ‘good’ life, then God (and people) owe them respect and favor. These people believe they deserve a decent, happy life. If, however, life begins to go wrong, religious people (moralists) will experience devastating anger. Either they will be furious with God (or the universe) because thy feel that since they live better than others; they should have a better life. Or else they will be deeply angry at themselves, unable to shake the feeling that they have not lived as they should or kept up to standards.
The gospel, however, makes it possible for us to escape the spiral of bitterness, self-recrimination and despair when life goes wrong. We know that the basic premise of religion- that if you live a good life, things will go well for you–is wrong. Jesus was the most morally upright person who ever lived, yet he experienced poverty, rejection, injustice and even torture,
The Threat of Grace
When many people first hear the distinction between religion and the gospel, they think that it just sounds too easy. ‘Nice deal!’ they may say. ‘If that is Christianity all I have to do is get a personal relationship with God and then do anything I want!’ Those words, however, can only be spoken on the outside of an experience of life changing grace. No one from the inside speaks like that. In fact, grace can be quite threatening. The religious/moralistic person can find the reality of grace very threatening. Grace calls us to reject our claim––that God should accept us because we are trying to be good. Then the way is open to receive Jesus as Lord. Then and only then will we be free to follow Jesus out of gratitude and ‘do as we please’
Bill Saville
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