The Gospel - Pt 5

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:16-19 ESV).

The third mistaken interpretation of the gospel is in what we have come to call a brokenness gospel. This heresy declares we are saved by releasing ourselves from the memory of old sins; we are saved from feeling bad about ourselves; and, we are saved to live whole again. The catch word is “authentic.” The reason for this development is that evangelicalism, both on the individual and institutional level, is trying hard to purge itself of a polished veneer that smacked of hypocrisy. But by focusing on brokenness as proof of our “realness” and “authenticity” these messengers have turned “being screwed up” into a badge of honor, its own sort of works righteousness. Authenticity has become a higher calling than holiness. That is not the message of the gospel. Our notion of authenticity should not primarily be about affirming each other in our struggles. Rather, authenticity comes when we collectively push each other, by grace, in the direction of Christ-likeness. Megan Hill wrote, “If we are constantly looking for someone else who is broken in all the same places, we overlook the comfort we can have in the perfect God-man.” Hill wisely notes, “Grace covers. And it covers again and again. Thanks be to God.” But if we stop there, “We are only telling half of the story. . . . Receiving grace for my failures also includes Christ's help to turn from sin and embrace new obedience.” The Scripture teaches again and again that Christians are “dead to sin” and risen to new life, no longer slave to sins but to righteousness (cf. Romans 6). That doesn't mean the battle with sin is gone. But as Paul describes the struggle, he says “it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me” (cf. Romans 7:17), noticeably separating his identity from this unwanted alien thing still residing within. The struggle is neither the point nor the marker of one's identity. In Christ we are new creations (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17), called to flourish through life in the Spirit (cf. Romans 8). Sin is necessarily part of our story as redeemed people. We shouldn't ignore or make light of it. But we also shouldn't wallow in it or take it lightly, for the sake of earning authenticity points. Grace is extended because of the work of Christ on our behalf so that we might become as He is. That is our hope. That sets us free.