Religion. The gospel changes us and changes the motivation, purpose and goals of everything we do. God becomes the goal of everything we do – not to gain acceptance (religion) or avoid him (irreligion), but to find pleasure in him (gospel). Life centered on the gospel of ▇▇▇▇▇ has huge implications on our relationship with God, ourselves, and the world. The following is a chart of differences between “religion” and the gospel.4 I obey – therefore I’m accepted. I’m accepted – therefore I obey. Motivation is based on fear and insecurity. Motivation is based on grateful joy. I obey God in order to get things from God. I obey God to get to GOD – to delight and resemble him. When circumstances in my life go wrong, I am angry at God or myself, since I believe, like ▇▇▇’s friends, anyone who is good deserves a comfortable life. When I am criticized, I am furious or devastated, because it is critical that I think of myself as a “good person.” Threats to that self-image must be destroyed at all costs. My prayer life consists largely of petition and it only heats up when I am in a time of need. My main purpose in prayer is control of the environment. My self-image swings between two poles. If and when I am living up to my standards, I feel confident, but then I am prone to be proud and unsympathetic to failing people. If and when I am not living up to my standards, I feel humble, but not confident. I feel like a failure. My identity and self-worth are based mainly on how hard I work or how moral I am, and so I must look down on those I perceive as lazy or immoral. I disdain and feel superior to “the other.” Since I look to my own pedigree or performance for acceptability, my heart manufactures idols. It may be my talents, moral record, personal discipline, social status, etc. I absolutely have to have them; they serve as my main hope, meaning, happiness, security, and significance – whatever I may say I believe about God. When circumstances in my life go wrong, I struggle but I know my punishment fell on ▇▇▇▇▇, and while He may allow this for my training, He will exercise his Fatherly love within my trial. When I am criticized, I struggle, but it is not critical for me to think of myself as a “good person.” My identity is not built on my record or performance but on God’s love for me in ▇▇▇▇▇▇. I can take criticism. That’s how I became a Christian. My prayer life consists of generous stretches of praise and adoration. My main purpose is fellowship with him. My self-view is not based on a view of myself as a moral achiever. In ▇▇▇▇▇▇ I am simul iustus et peccator – simultaneously sinful and lost yet accepted. I am so bad He had to die for me, and I am so loved He was glad to die for me. This leads me to deeper and deeper humility and confidence at the same time. Neither swaggering nor sniveling. My identity and self-worth are centered on the one who died for his enemies and who was excluded from the city for me. I am saved by sheer grace. So I can’t look down on those who believe or practice something different from me. Only by grace am I what I am. I’ve no inner need to win arguments. I have many good things in my life – family, work, spiritual disciplines, etc. But none of these good things are ultimate things to me. None of them are things I absolutely have to have, so there is a limit to how much anxiety, bitterness, and despondency they can inflict on me when they are threatened or lost.
Appears in 2 contracts