One of the stumbling blocks of gospel-centrality is that it appears to come with no demands. People ask -- "If it is all about Jesus and his work, then you will lead people into moral indifference, won't you?" Never mind that this is exactly the question Paul asks in Romans 6! It means we are getting the freeness of grace. Paul does later say we are debtors to put sin to death (Romans 8:12-13). There is obligation, but it seems it is not moral obligation.
Let me toss out an idea that has come from my study of Christ.
That "no demands" possibility has troubled me too. After all, doesn't Jesus make demands -- to take up our cross, to leave all, to renounce our lives? Yes, he does. But I have been helped recently, in this series, to realize that Jesus does not make demands of us to DO something, he calls us to TREASURE someone. That someone is HIM.
Jesus was remarkably self-referential. He spoke of his authority (I say unto you). He made claims of glory (I am the resurrection and the life). He asserted some remarkable authority -- to forgive sin. He made some outrageously global statements -- he is the light of the WORLD (even Martin Luther said this would have been far less offensive if he had said he was the light of this country!).
He is the Gospel. When we preach Christ we are calling people to respond to Him, not to an idea. This is a "demand" but it is not a moral demand. It is a call for worship.
The problem is that I tend to preach an idea -- like grace -- and miss preaching a person. The Gospel is a person, a glorious person, God the Son made man for us and our salvation. He stands and claims to be the Savior and God of all -- calls us to come to him, to respond to him. That coming brings salvation -- but it is coming to a radiant sun -- one does not approach him casually. He offers free forgiveness through his work to all who trust. To trust is to respond to HIM -- to come into living union with the glorious God-man. That brings change.
That Jesus is God the Son means he calls us to forsake all other gods for Him. The call to take up our cross is a call to come after Him. Coming after Him, treasuring him, loving him simply looks like forsaking ourselves, hating all other loves and treasures. He is not making demands, he is simply describing what it looks like to acknowledge and trust him and treasure him.
There is a world of difference between moral orders and calls to faith and treasuring of a person.
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