Wednesday, August 20, 2014

The Balance of the Gospel


“Behold then the kindness and severity of God”   

Romans 11:22a


When the Gospel is properly preached, there is a balance between the Bad News and the Good News, the severity of God and the kindness of God. “Unmerited favor,” the very definition of grace, actually sums up this innate balance between the two parts of the Gospel message. We are commanded to “behold” this balance, to focus on it and to thoroughly understand it (Phil. 1:27.) Though kindness is mentioned before severity in the above verse, it was written well after Paul had already devoted his first three chapters to the Bad News before he introduced the Good News at Romans 3:21. The order of presentation is important because the Bad News establishes the context and need of the Good News. Therefore, I will also begin in that order.


The severity of God refers to His justice, holiness, and position as Creator. In no way do these attributes diminish God’s love or goodness, but rather reinforce them. By nature creatures are dependent, yet the entire human race has chosen to rebel against and reject their Maker. This insanity is called SIN. In our quest to become like gods, we gained instead the knowledge of evil, spiritual blindness, and death. Prideful insanity deceives us into loving its lies and our chains of corruption, while hating the very One who is our source of life, truth, and fulfillment. We continually take sustenance from our Creator without even a word of thanks. God declares that all have sinned. No one does good, not even one. We are all guilty of sin, cut off from God, and under His wrath. It is only just that we must die. The proper response in accepting this Bad News is to literally shut our mouths. No more boasting. No more suppressing the truth by arguing against God or making excuses.  Agreement with God’s judgment produces SILENCE. We are guilty. It is at this point that we are ready to hear the Good News.


The kindness of God refers to His innate goodness, love, compassion, and mercy. He alone is the source of these qualities. From within His own nature, God has chosen to save a people for Himself from a hostile, sinful and hopeless humanity. God incarnate, Jesus Christ, came to earth to pay the death penalty of sin by taking our place on the cross. His resurrection proves His power and authority to be our savior. God’s Holy Spirit raises His children from spiritual death, being born again as new creatures able and willing to seek God. Those believing in Jesus Christ are forgiven of all their sins, are now reconciled and have PEACE with their Maker, and have eternal life. This plan of salvation originated with God alone. No one can claim that he deserves God’s favor. The balanced Gospel levels humanity both in sin and salvation so that no one can boast over another. Instead, it produces genuine humility.


When one part of God’s Message is emphasized over the other, it becomes distorted and diluted and ceases to be the powerful tool of God for saving sinners. Both the justice and love of God must be equally preached. Over emphasizing “unmerited” produces condemnation, legalism, and fear. Over emphasizing “favor” produces pride, lawlessness, and presumption. Therefore, since God has entrusted His church to proclaim His Gospel to the world, it should be our top priority to get this balance correct. 


We are to speak this truth in love. To distort truth in order to avoid offense is not true love. It is only by the Gospel of Grace that God saves souls. How much do we really care about the people around us? They will perish without the Gospel. Moved by compassion, love tells the truth even to its enemies, because it identifies with their need of deliverance from sin and death. Richard Baxter once wrote, “I preach as a dying man to dying men.”