We Never Get Beyond the Gospel

God uses Tim Keller to help my soul, and I hope yours. Keller says:

For a long time, a frighteningly long time, I understood the Gospel as being the elementary, basics, you know, the Gerbers of the Bible, just the basic elementary stuff of that people needed to know to become a Christian, just the basic minimum; and theology was the advanced stuff. So the Gospel was the basics, the elementary stuff; and theology was the advanced stuff, the deeper Biblical principles, deeper Biblical themes. How wrong I was. All theology has to be an exposition of the Gospel . . .

We never “get beyond the gospel” in our Christian life to something more “advanced.” The gospel is not the first “step” in a “stairway” of truths, rather, it is more like the “hub” in a “wheel” of truth. The gospel is not just the A-B-C’s of Christianity, but it is the A to Z of Christianity. The gospel is not just the minimum required doctrine necessary to enter the kingdom, but the way we make all progress in the kingdom.

We are not justified by the gospel and then sanctified by obedience but the gospel is the way we grow (Gal. 3:1-3) and are renewed (Col 1:6). It is the solution to each problem, the key to each closed door, the power through every barrier (Rom 1:16-17).

It is very common in the church to think as follows: “The gospel is for non-Christians. One needs it to be saved. But once saved, you grow through hard work and obedience.” But Colossians 1:6 shows that this is a mistake. Both confession and “hard work” that is not arising from and “in line” with the gospel will not sanctify you—it will strangle you. All our problems come from a failure to apply the gospel. Thus when Paul left the Ephesians he committed them “to the word of his grace, which can build you up” (Acts 20:32).

The main problem, then, in the Christian life I that we have not thought out the deep implication of the gospel, we have not “used” the gospel in and on all parts of our life. Richard Lovelace says that most people’s problems are just a failure to be oriented to the gospel—a failure to grasp and believe it through and through. Luther says (on Gal. 2:14), “The truth of the Gospel is the principle article of all Christian doctrine… Most necessary is it that we know this article well, teach it to others, and beat it into their heads continually.” The gospel is not easily comprehended. Paul says that the gospel only does its renewing work in us as we understand it in all its truth. All of us, to some degree live around the truth of the gospel but do new “get” it. So the key to continual and deeper spiritual renewal and revival is the continual re-discovery of the gospel. A stage of renewal is always the discovery of a new implication or application of the gospel — seeing more of its truth. This is true for either an individual or a church.

Amen! Lord, help me! Help my family and my church understand and apply and preach Your Gospel, in all its fullness, in every area of life, with Christ as its goal and center and Savior! Amen!

Mohler on Being Men and Raising Men

I don't know where Al Mohler taught this message, but it is very good and very helpful for unschooled men like myself to hear. He walks through the book of Proverbs and what is says about manhood and teaching.

Some great notes:

• God's glory is displayed through full, honest, leading, serving Biblical masculinity
• Father's are supposed to teach and discipline their children, but especially their sons
• Men are the leaders in culture - morally, socially, economically, spiritually
• Fathers must make family traditions and stick to them
• Men should be able to speak well
• Boys should be raised to be husbands and fathers
• Men are made to work hard
• Men are measured by how they love their wives and families
• Men are sharpened by having sons

I am so very thankful to God for Dr. Mohler's faithfully Biblical ministry.

To Movie Or Not To Movie? - Movie Reviews

I've been thinking for a while about posting some regular movie reviews, since my wife and I go see and rent quite a few. They make for good storylines, conversations, and dates, if well-chosen. Many evangelicals, especially the more "fundamental" or "conservative," shun movie-watching. They think it "unholy" to participate in such things, as if holiness comes mainly from abstaining from certain things. That thought is gnostic and wrong, but I certainly have that strand of thought in the backlog of my mind. By God's grace, I am learning to be schooled by His Word on this one. Some Biblical pointers:

• God created all things, including artistic media, emotions, pictures, and words, for His glory. "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer." 1 Timothy 4:4f
• Seeing something evil does not constitute participating in that evil, especially in art. Isn't that our assumption as we read Biblical narrative?
• We ought, however, to hate that which is evil, in movies and all of life. "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good." Romans 12:9
• We know, too, from experience that we struggle with certain things depicted in movies - things like immoral sex, foul language, crude joking, robbery and greed, slander, gossip, drunkeness and substance abuse, anger and violence, and many other things that spring from our hearts, as Jesus says in Mark 7:21.
• So we must choose and watch movies (like everything) very carefully, knowing that it is not the art or entertainment that is sinful, but our own hearts and our specific sin struggles.

Now we're ready to review. On to the movies!

Newer
"How To Eat Fried Worms"
This is a great movie - fun, energetic, realistic, and hopeful. I can't remember the last movie that reminded me so well of middle school (and almost made me want to go back!), plus there is really nothing objectionable in this movie, unless you have a weak stomach. The eating-worms-all-kinds-of-ways jokes never get dull, either.

"The Illusionist"
This movie was interesting and entertaining. Midway through, I found myself wondering why it hadn't ended yet, but not in a bad way. It kept us guessing in a different way than most magic/murder/heist movies do. The love story, apart from the obvious fornication, was sweet, genuine, and winsome. Many would object to the movies use, almost commendation, of magic, but the reaction of the on-film audience gives us a distance from the truth-or-deception scheme that remains helpful throughout. We still found ourselves happily surprised at the end.

"Invincible"
A pretty typical sports movie - your average, down-and-out, working-at-a-bar-part-time dude gets a chance to play for the big, hometown, down-and-out team, with relatively amazing results. Even though this plot has already been pretty well beaten down, I found myself rooting for Vince Papali, even if all the details weren't accurate. It's a rare movie that makes you want to move to Philadelphia, hang out with the down-and-outters, and play football in a muddy little field late at night.

Now on Video
"Rumor Has It"
An interesting modern American coming-of-age, finding-yourself story told through the eyes of the wishy-washy, flimsy-handed morality that appeals to postmodern relativists. The romantic comedy storyline is tried and leaves the view feeling empty in the end. I certainly wouldn't watch this movie with any children around, but it does have some beautiful shots and landscapes.

"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"
Hmmm, dark and disappointing. Lot's of good, weird material but without the spunk of the first installment. I'd skip it and wait for the third.

Random/Old
"Gettysburg"
Good movie, great acting, good history lesson for my high-school-history-forgetting self. We especially like "Dumb and Dumber"s Jeff Daniels playing a serious role as a professor-turned-Army captain.

"Chariots of Fire"
Great movie. The film spends too much time on the arrogant, barely likable runner Harold Abrahams, and not enough on the Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell (for whom the movie is best known), yet it still packs enough of a God-centered punch to leave an impact for years to come. And it makes you want to get out and just . . . run.

"Almost Heroes"
Chris Farley and Matthew Perry are funny, very funny. Much of the subject matter is inappropriate and offensive. You make the call.