Gospel Illustration

The following is a gospel illustration I saw at Sojourn Community Church in Louisville. I absolutely love it, and I hope you are edified by it also. All Christians need to be aware of the truths it illustrates.

1. We first realize our need for the gospel when we become aware of God's holiness, and our sinfulness. As you can see there is a gap between God and man.
2. We trust that Christ has taken the punishment we deserve for violating God's holiness. The gospel of Christ bridges the gap between us and God.
3. As we grow in our relationship with the Lord we become progressively more aware of how great our sin is and how Holy God is. The gap grows in our understanding.4. Now that the gap is bigger. Therefore, we add our good works to what Christ has done. When we do this, however, we are not relying on Christ alone, and thus we violate the gospel.5. Therefore, as we realize more and more how great our sin is and how holy God is. The gospel must become greater to fill the gap. In this way the work of Christ becomes magnified in the our lives.

"Of Course It Does Nothin'; It's Only A Symbol!"

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

-Romans 6:3-

What he intimated in the last verse -- that Christ destroys sin in his people, he proves here by mentioning the effect of baptism, by which we are initiated into his faith; for it is beyond any question, that we put on Christ in baptism, and that we are baptized for this end -- that we may be one with him.

-John Calvin-

I do not think it stretches the words beyond ordinary use to say that Romans 6:3-4 describes the symbol of dying with Christ rather than the instrument of dying with Christ.... Now here's the analogy I would suggest to show that this language can be the language of symbol, not instrument: "All of us who have put on the ring of marriage have, by putting on this ring, forsaken all others to cleave only to our wives. Therefore by this ring I am united to my wife alone and dead to all others."... In that analogy, the vows stand for faith in Christ, and the ring stands for baptism. And the point is that we often talk this way. We often speak of the symbol as though it brings about what it only signifies.

-John Piper, October 1, 2000-

What is baptism's effect? Does baptism do anything? Many Evangelicals would say, “Absolutely not, baptism does nothing.” Piper echoes this sentiment. He and many of us, when we hear someone say something like, “Baptism now saves you (1Peter 3:21),” can only hear, “You are justified through the act of baptism.” This is clearly the mindset that Piper was arguing against when he spoke the words above. It is a good thing to argue against, because there are some that reject justification by grace, through faith and say that the act of baptism produces saving grace (ex opere operantis ).

But does baptism do nothing? Calvin clearly didn't think so. He had no problem saying that baptism initiates us into Christ's faith and that it joins us to Him. Does this mean that he rejected Sola Fide (justification through faith alone)? Possibly, but he did say that it initiates us “into His faith.” Plus, I am not about to start accusing Calvin of such things.

I personally do not know what baptism does; although, I have heard some very right-sounding suggestions. I am really only writing to point out the logical fallacy in Piper's argument. When he compares the act of baptism to a wedding ring he is begging the question in a very subtle way. He argues that baptism is only a symbol for the faith by which one is covenanted to God, and to do this he uses the symbol of another covenant. Clearly his argument can only be accepted if you already believe that baptism is only a symbol.

What would happen if we tweaked Piper's argument? What if we replaced the wedding ring with the wedding ceremony (after all baptism is more ceremonial than it is ring-like)? In that case, we must say that even if two people claim to have the devotion that the wedding ceremony corresponds to, they are not united until the ceremony. And if a man convinced a woman to have sex with him because “a marriage ceremony is only a symbol for the devotion that I already have toward you,” she will soon find his devotion fleeting. Perhaps we are united to Christ through Baptism and that ceremony obliges us to be devoted to Christ. Perhaps when a baptized person stops trusting Christ he is being unfaithful to the union he entered through baptism. And perhaps all this can be said without undermining Sola Fide. Of course, that's just a possibility.

DOUBTING BILL

What if I am not really saved?

-----Let’s imagine a scenario with a man named “Bill.” Bill grew up in a typical American Protestant Church. When Bill was fifteen he said the Sinners Prayer and “gave his life to Christ.” He was baptized that Sunday. Now, 17 years later, Bill has entered a season where he doubts the sincerity of that decision to follow Christ. Now, as he reads James, Bill is concerned, “I am not sure if I am steadfast. What if my faith isn’t real? I am not sure if my good works are really signs of FAITH.” Bill’s concerns are legitimate. He must examine himself. As 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.”

Bill’s concerns are legitimate, but his focus is not.

-----When Bill doubts his faith he, like so many other American Protestants, tries to figure out if he needs to “really, really give his life to Christ.” His pastor, in conforming to the modern style of preaching, at the end of the service likes to get those in his congregation who are professing believers, who have not in any way departed from the gospel, to examine themselves so that if they “never really believed” they can come and say the Sinner’s Prayer and “give their life to Christ again” and then get rebaptized.

-----This practice has mostly yielded doubt and confusion within the congregation, and rightly so. If one has already said the Sinner’s Prayer and it has given no assurance of faith, the repetition of that act can only give lesser and lesser assurance. The fiftieth repetition of the Sinner’s Prayer can in no way give more assurance than the first. And what if all these people realize that the Sinner’s Prayer is not found in the Bible in any form? Then they certainly will be in for a catastrophe as their spiritual legs are knocked right out from under them, and they fall headlong into doubt and frustration.

How should Bill respond to his doubt?

-----Whatever Bill does, he needs to do it all trusting Christ for his righteousness and his peace with God. When he doesn’t think his works are those that God expects from His people he must cling to Christ's righteousness. When he does think his works are those that God expects from His people he must trust Christ's righteousness. When he doubts the truth of his conversion he needs to trust Christ. Instead of thinking, “I don’t know if I really believe,” he must say, “I believe; help my unbelief (Mark 9:24).”

Doesn’t Bill still need to test his salvation?

-----Absolutely, but the apostles did not think about testing in the same regards as we do in America. In America we look at our works and then we want to say, “I am saved,” or “I am not saved.” The apostles wrote with the assumption that believers would test their works and say, “I am acting appropriately as a Christian,” or “I need to repent and act differently.”

Take Colossians 3:1-17 (or about any other passage of the New Testament). Read the passage and ask this question to yourself, “Does it sound like Paul wants his writers to say, ‘I’m not doing that; I must not be a Christian,’ or ‘I’m a Christian; I better do that’?”

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [2] Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. [3] For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. [4] When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

[5] Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. [6] On account of these the wrath of God is coming. [7] In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. [8] But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. [9] Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices [10] and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. [11] Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

[12] Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, [13] bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. [14] And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. [15] And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. [16] Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. [17] And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

-----Clearly the reader should say, “I am a Christian; I better do that.” It is true that if you do not seek to do what Paul says you aren’t a Christian, but that’s the very reason you continually, despite your all your failings, seek to do those things.

But what if Bill comes up short?

----- When he “examines [himself], to see if [he] is in the faith” he looks to see if he is striving after what God demands. When he realizes that he is not striving after what he should be striving after he doesn’t despair that his salvation isn’t real. Instead, he repents and continues to seek obedience to God’s word because he trusts that God will continue the work He began in him. All the time Bill stands upon God’s grace, that God has declared him righteous and will not let his soul see perdition.

A final word from Peter. (2 Peter 1:3-11)

-----His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

-----For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

-----Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.