Getting It

In Dr. Schaumburg's book Undefiled there is an appendix that sums up one of the most glaring errors in modern evangelical culture. I have seen the error he addresses in my own life and my church. I have read it in books, heard it in sermons, and to my shame probably preached it. Dr. Schaumburg is explaining what the difference is between people who "get it" and people who don't. What is the difference between a couple who comes to him for counseling and they see real, life changing fruit and a couple who doesn't? Read carefully what he says here. I have bolded certain sentences and phrases. The ellipsis is mine, as are the brackets. All other punctuation is his.

I usually see one major reason why people come [to counseling] for help with sexual sin, and two types of responses. Generally speaking, everyone who comes has in mind the pressing need to change a behavior, end an affair, and/or save a marriage. Therein lies the basic problem in getting it. We often focus on the external-the behavior and the pain-rather than the internal. What seems like a logical center of attention is filled with flawed thinking and the pervasive false teaching within the evangelical church. This leads many to spend their energy and their entire lives on "living life well." Therefore when an affair, pornography, or some other type of sexual sin is uncovered, it threatens the goal of living an abundant, fulfilling Christian life. It prevents us from having a meaningful marriage and guarantees endless pain. The response is to do whatever must be done to recover the abundant life and get the marriage back on track. It's just common sense-but is it biblical thinking? 

If we are biblically grounded we will start from an entirely different perspective: "Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20; see Ephesians 2:19). The opposite and powerful perspective described above[previous paragraph] comes from "minds set on earthly things" (Philippians 3:19). The biblical understanding of life centers on the essential internal change that leads to life (Philippians 3:21) versus the temporal change that will fail and lead to death. Repentance is not an emotional response to sin. It is much more than behavior management or a matter of being in recovery. It is a genuine heart change that always produces a life of righteousness. God's redemptive grace requires a person's responsive obedience. Repentance is a radical inward change that results in everything else beginning to change. Repentance always bears fruit as the work of God continues and we live out our lives in a manner "worthy of the gospel of Christ" (Philippians 1:27)...repentance is not merely new behavior. Repentance is inward change leading to the fruit of new behavior. It is imperative that we understand that Jesus demands this inward change [Luke 13:3]. 

So why do some people "get it"  while others don't? Most come desperate to change a behavior, possibly save a marriage, and certainly stop the pain, but many never truly repent with an internal change of mind and heart. They leave with a false hope based on mere sorrow for their sin, a commitment to change their behavior, and a new desire to find real intimacy in their marriage. Those singles and couples die, while those who shift their perspective to their desperate need of inward change live. The former leave dependent on their good efforts; the latter leave dependent on the continued work of God. They cling to God in fear and trembling, with a desire to "walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called." (Ephesians 4:1; see Colossians 1:10, 2:6-7). 

These paragraphs sum up well what a true gospel message does. It begins with the inner man, not outward change. It causes us to see that our greatest need is not to fix our lives, but to fix ourselves. We cannot do this. Therefore we must repent and flee to Christ. As we cling to Christ he gives us grace and power to fight the sin in our hearts, which leads to outward righteous behavior. But if we begin with trying to fix our lives, our marriages, our children, our jobs, our... then we will fail. Unfortunately most evangelicals approach God like his goal is make our lives good and the Bible is there to tell us how to have a successful Christian life. There are blessings that come with obedience. But the goal should be obedience that comes from a change in heart, mind, and will. The goal should not be using God and the Bible to make our lives better.

The Danger of Hearing God's Word

God's mercy is great, but it is not endless. In the life of a man, a church, a denomination, a community, or a country a place can be reached where even God's mercy cannot be found.  II Chronicles 36:15-16 describes one such a circumstance: 

The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there was no remedy. 

God loved His people, Israel. He loved them enough to send them prophets and messengers. He loved them enough to send them messengers early and late or as the ESV says, "persistently." He sent Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, Hosea, Amos, and others. They came and they preached and they preached and they preached. They risked death and ridicule to bring them God's Word. Why? God loved His people.

But the people would not hear. They mocked, despised, and scoffed at the prophets. They killed them, ran them out of town, threw them into pits, ignored them, and laughed at them. They continued to worship idols, commit adultery with the nations, oppress the weak and poor, commit sexual immorality, and ignore God's law......Until there was no remedy. Look at that sentence. Let it sink in. "Wait," we say, "Isn't God's mercy always there for the taking whenever I need it?" No. There was a point of no return. There was a line where God's wrath could no longer be stayed. His mercy did not just keep coming and coming. Eventually His mercy dried up. Then He sent the Babylonians and they besieged Israel, burned her, led her best men away as prisoners, left the land ravaged, and killed her women and children.

Whenever we hear the Word preached it is God's mercy to us. He is being kind to all, but especially to the hard-hearted. He is saying, "Here is my Word one more time. Now repent and turn." He is saying, "Don't take advantage of my patience. Don't wait. Turn and be saved."  

Sitting under God's Word week after week, month after month is only good if we are repenting and pushing on to greater obedience. Hearing God's Word without seeing the holiness of God, our own depravity, the wonderful provision of Christ, and the need to be forgiven will lead to hearts of stone, eyes that glaze over when the Word is preached, and a life that is not conformed to Christ. Often the hardest hearts in the world are those who hear the Word of God over and over and yet do not repent.

God's compassion can run dry. A man who sits under the preaching of God's Word week after week, but does not turn and change will find himself crying out for help and it will not come (Proverbs 1:28-29).  A denomination that tolerates sin despite the prophets in her midst will find her gates battered and the sheep slaughtered.  A church that allows grievous sins in her midst to go without rebuke and without discipline will find Jesus striking her with sword of His mouth (Revelation 2:16). There comes a point where there is no remedy, where the only option left is judgment. This idea is echoed in Hebrews 6:1-8 and in James 1:21-27, as well as numerous other passages throughout God's Word.

II Chronicles 36:15-16 is a warning for all of us who enter God's house week after week. Hearing is not enough. We must pray that the Spirit will work through the Word to change us. We must strive for holiness and the death of sin in our lives (Romans 6:12). Where we fail we must confess our sins and throw ourselves upon the mercy of Christ. Where we grow in holiness we must give thanks to the One who has begun a good work in us (Philippians 1:6). Otherwise we will find ourselves looking for a remedy when there is none. And we will be cast out with those who mocked God's messengers.

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The Way to Preach the Gospel

John Calvin's sermons are quite different in tone from his other writings.  Few things have changed my opinion of Calvin as much as reading what he said to the congregation he preached to week in and week out. Here is are two great quotes from his sermon on Acts 3:17-19:

In fact, if we only proclaim how God shows himself to be our Father through our Lord Jesus Christ, a few will accept that, but to no avail unless we first lead them to a knowledge of their sins so they will be grieved by them. In this way, we also must be cast down in ourselves if we want our Lord to lift us up. Then we will know it is not in vain that we confess that our lives are filled with nothing less than filth and contagion. Not only must we make that kind of general confession, but each of us must also confess his particular sins before God if we are to be humbled under his strong hand. May our arrogance, our rebellion, and our wicked affections not keep us from recognizing the truth expressed here, that there is no salvation except through Jesus Christ, and for that that reason we must cling unreservedly to him. 

Calvin is expressing the need for men to recognize their sins in all their ugliness before they will come to God. Notice his emphasis not just on general confession, but also on confessing "particular sins." Many men will confess they are sinners without confessing their sins. Throughout this sermon Calvin shows great balance. Men need to see their sins clearly. But they also need to see God's mercy in Christ clearly. To remove the first is to give a man no need to run to Christ. To remove the second is to give them nowhere to run. Here is a second quote from later in the sermon. Calvin does something he is known for. He gives his people an example of what words could be said,  which also sum up his points.

So let us always acknowledge our sins so that we may be grieved by them, and then let us look to God's mercy so that we may come to him in all humility and say, "Alas, Lord here we are on the road to hell. We are guilty and worthy of everlasting death because of the sins we have committed against your holy majesty, but you do not desire the death of sinners before they are converted and enter into life. With confidence in your great mercy we lay claim to it, asking you not to look on the enormity of our sins, but to look upon with pity, pardoning us by your freely bestowed kindness." This is the way to preach the gospel. After people are overwhelmed by the knowledge of their sins, they must be brought to repentance and shown this is not a matter of putting on a happy face for God with the thought of deceiving him by pretense and hypocrisy, as people are accustomed to doing. That is not the way they are to come to him, but when they want to be truly repentant, they must be displeased with themselves and displeased for having offended Go. When they are thus affected, offer them God's mercy so their sins will be forgiven, provided they return to God, as we said earlier. 

It is hard to find a clearer or more affecting statement of the gospel than what is in the quotes. Calvin clearly articulates our total depravity, lack of merit, condemnation, and sinfulness alongside God's great holiness and mercy. Notice that Calvin uses "us" and "we" a lot. He included himself among those who needed this great gospel. The gospel was not for the congregation. It was for all men, including the pastor.  As I have read Calvin's sermons I have tried to use "us" and "we" more.