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“People are too complex and the gospel too rich for a philosophy of ‘one size fits all’. The gospel is beautifully and wisely diverse in its message. That it cannot be reduced to a formula is clear in the varying ways in which Jesus addressed His message to different people (e.g. Samaritan woman, Rich Young Ruler, Nicodemus, woman caught in adultery, etc.)
The same is true of the Apostles, (e.g. Paul with the Athenians, before Felix, before Agrippa). Given their examples, shouldn’t we resist the temptation to limit what we mean by "gospel" to something more restrictive and more formulaic than what they demonstrated? There are occasions when in preaching the gospel free grace should stand alone. There are other occasions when in addition to grace law must be emphasized. There are other times when the cost of discipleship, or repentance, or warnings of judgment must be underscored if we are faithfully to communicate the whole gospel…
"Grace," narrowly constructed and understood, is not the whole gospel. If we only preach "grace" we are not preaching as Jesus and the Apostles preached, and indeed we betray their message. It is in this sense that we can preach "too much grace," that is, if by preaching only the graciousness of the gospel we neglect the cost. Our responsibility is to proclaim not grace but the gospel. Grace is vital to the gospel but the gospel is more than grace.”
- Terry Johnson, Sonship: An Adequate Psychology of Experience?
I coudn’t agree more focusing too much on God’s grace is similar to focusing too much on his love, the next thing you know your teaching a message that’s no deeper than love wins…Grace and love are wonderful aspects of salvation, but there’s more to it than that…
Amen Joel & John. God – any of the Three – is NOT one dimensional. In order to comprehend Him with our tiny minds, we tend to deconstruct him to fit therein. All such effort is sin and we are right and good to expose and oppose it.
The message of “Grace” is never amazing to a heart that’s not prepared to receive it. Forgiveness is just not all that exciting to those who can’t see the seriousness of why they need to be forgiven. Law prepares the heart for the gospel.
It seems to me that your beef is against lawlessness not grace. There is no grace apart from the Law. God was, is, and always will be a Holy God with Holy standards that never were or ever will be reachable by men. That is why we need grace. Grace it the means in which God deals with all men, sinner or saint, because even our most pious acts fall miles short of God holiness. But still we are loved and accepted based on Christ’s fulfillment of the whole law on our behalf. We are free. When that truth becomes a reality to me (or any regenerate soul), my response is not to cast off all restraint and live a life of licentiousness, but rather it melts my cold hard heart into a puddle of willing obedience.
As Steve Brown puts it, ‘men are not lawless because we have made the gospel too good. They are lawless because we a have not made it good enough.’
My old moralistic fundamentalist upbringing led me to prideful self-righteousness when I thought I was behaving well, and despairing when I realized I wasn’t. Only a realization that God relates to a sinner like me purely by His grace, set me free from this cycle and leads me to obedience as worship not as payment. Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty I’m free at last.
Grace and Peace.