The Gospel has two shoes. The church reformers of the sixteenth century were right when they insisted that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Yet the good news of the gospel is not only that we are saved by grace, but also that we are called by grace into Christ's plan for his church. The pattern of teaching throughout the New Testament often referred to as 'the faith' or 'sound doctrine', lays out the basics for both our salvation and for fulfilling our calling.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:8–10 (ESV)
Christian faith is not merely mental assent to the facts about Jesus. Just agreeing with the great truths of the gospel; is something daemons do! (James 2:19) Demons know who Jesus is. They believe he is the Son of God. They know what he's done. They know he is the exalted king and it scares them! Faith in Jesus is not really faith at all unless you are ready to make it your own by acting on it. Isn't that the whole point of the story of Abraham? He was justified by faith when God made a promise and Abraham took him at his word and started packing his bags to leave town. He took God at his word. He didn't just agree with it and move on with his life. He received the word of God as something to be put into action. To be clear his actions didn't make him righteous, they just revealed his heart, his intention to do and trust what God says. In his heart, Abraham said, 'OK God, you're the boss.' So God, by his grace, declared him righteous. Yet it is through his obedience, as imperfect as it was, that Abraham's faith in God became a tangible reality.
This is why the Apostles and leaders of the early church were quick to instruct new believers in the basic principles that guide our calling in Christ. Read everything that comes after Ephesians 2:8-10 and it becomes clear that Paul is laying out some key instructions for living as God's family and participating in his eternal plan (Eph 3:10-11).
In fact, a careful study of the New Testament will reveal clear and consistent teaching on the way of life for all who believe the gospel. For example, believers in Jesus are called to...
- Abandon their old ways and learn a new way of life in contrast to the philosophies of this world (Rom 12:1-2, Col 2:8-10, Eph 4:20-24).
- Pursue character qualities that are only attainable through God's resources by his Spirit (Gal 5:22-23).
- Relate differently within their own families (Eph 5:21-6:9, 1 Peter 2;13-3:8).
- Relate to their local church as a true family in which they have real responsibility (Titus 2, 1Tim 3:14-15, John 17)
- Follow a pattern of respect for authority and pursue good deeds and good occupations that benefit society (1Thess 4:11-12, Titus)
To be sure, these good works we are called to are not about earning salvation but about completing our mission as his redeemed people. And like with Abraham, it is through obedience that we own our faith and are transformed by it. (Even when our obedience is imperfect, messy and inconsistent).
The New Testament teaching on the way of life is really about acting on the great truths of the gospel. The thinking goes something like this... Do you agree that Jesus is Lord? Well then, here are his instructions. If you have been freed from the bondage of sin by his grace and received the gift of his empowering Spirit then obedience is possible. And if you believe he loves you to the point of buying you back from the devil with his own blood, then that love will motivate you to obey his commands.
But the amazing part of all this is that as soon as you start to put the teaching into practice you will quickly discover you need his grace more than you originally realized. The gospel will not be some theoretical truth but something you must keep returning to and relying upon to make any progress in this new way of life. The more we pursue our calling, the more we appreciate how much we need Jesus and the depths of his great love for his church.
Today there are a lot of people hopping around on one foot with weak or empty faith. Some agree with the gospel in a kind of theoretical way and are held captive by broken sinful lifestyles. Others have vigorously tried by their own efforts to live some version of the Christian life and have ended up in legalistic bondage. Each is missing a shoe and needs some careful establishing in the gospel. The gospel has two shoes; we need both to run in the freedom of his amazing grace.
Comments