The Gospel Rightly Taught and Lived

Monday.  In particular, Monday morning.  For this pastor, Monday morning feels like the morning after a huge bender.  My head hurts, I am weary, my emotions are on edge, and I need silence before my God.

Monday morning is when I repent of all the words I said on Sunday because I truly believe none of them were quite right.  Monday is also the day that 90% of pastoral resignations are given.  It is a day where many clergy feel exactly like I do.  I have learned not to make major decisions on a Monday!

Today I would like to and I need to reflect upon the beauty and simplicity of the gospel.  What is it?  How can it help me?  What differences does it make when I feel so tired and weary?  I will begin with a quote from the first Protestant (except Paul, Jesus, and all the way back to Abraham), Martin Luther.

A true church is the "congregation of saints in which the gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered."

Augsburg Confession, Article 7.

The gospel rightly taught.  So what does this mean?  I have heard many people say the word Gospel, but it appears that they don't have the same definition.  What is the gospel?

Luther's understanding of the gospel includes the full-orbed explanations that I share in this blog.  It is not distilled down to "what will get you into heaven," but it is marked by a life of repentance and faith.  Such a life impacts every dimension of a believer, and it propels the believer to trust in Christ alone for all of life.  

What does this mean for me today in my weariness?

A true church will teach, preach, and hold dearly to Christ alone as the source and securer of our salvation.  It will cling to salvation by grace alone, and it will emphasize faith alone as the means of living in right relationship with God.  It will also cling to the proper understanding of scripture alone as the revelation of God's will for faith and practice.  I say proper understanding because it will emphasize that one must interpret scripture within and from its proper historical, grammatical, and lexical context while keeping the whole of biblical revelation in mind as one interprets each passage.  Such an interpretation takes thoughtful exegesis and careful application.  Finally, a true church will also be committed and involved in spreading the gospel to all.  It will not just talk about reaching out, but it will challenge both believers and unbelievers to live a life of repentance and faith.  The result of this challenge will be changed lives and conversions.  The true church is never a club for religious insiders, but instead she is an outpost for mission to a lost and hurting world!

I would gladly travel 45 miles on a Sunday to attend such a church.  I probably would even go further!

Why?  Because I desperately need to be reminded of the gospel.  I so quickly forget that life is not all about me.  I forget the beauty and grace of Christ, and instead I run to my feelings, my thoughts, and my efforts as my justification and life.  I do so to my peril.

I need a community where I am reminded of the gospel.  I need a church marked by these traits.  I hope and pray that the Lord is developing us at First Seattle to be that type of place.  The Lord used this passage to remind me that my labor is not in vain.  Instead, it is to help grow a community of faith marked by these traits with the ability to reach out to new people who God is calling into the Kingdom.  I am also looking for people to join us who wish to see such a place flourish and grow!  The Kingdom grows through the True Church, and I want to see the Kingdom grow. 

What are the practical implications of what I am saying for you?  First, if you are looking for a church, do not settle for one that has "great youth programs" or anything programmatic.  The most important element of a church is not that the music makes you feel great.  First and foremost look for a church where the gospel is rightly preached and the sacraments rightly administered!  Upon these two factors we should judge the suitability of a church.

Second, if you are part of a church that holds some of these traits but not all of them be very careful!  Try to help the church repent and change.  Yet realize that a system like a church is very hard to change once it becomes set in its ways.  This is particularly true if you are not the leader of the church!  If you cannot move the system back to gospel- and grace-centered, it might well be time to leave.  Why?  The true church needs your help.  Gospel- and grace-centered churches have always been the minority of churches in the land.  Their witness needs to expand.  Join with them and be part of what God is doing!