The Gospel is not the end of life or ministry. Things ought never to be done for the sake of the Gospel. Though the Gospel is beautiful and wonderful it is the means to a far greater end, an end for which all of creation was made, but the Gospel is, however, not the end itself.
It is quite possible that some will wonder at what I’m getting at, while some others will simply wonder if I am being heretical (and indeed some may damn me for writing this). But before I get to what I’m getting at let me say this clearly: missions, evangelism, heralding of the Gospel is NOT the main end, goal, or aim of the Church.
The end for which 1) God created the Church, 2) God created the world, and 3) God created you is for his own namesake. He made it all for his own glory. Yes, this should sound like Piper and yes, this should sound like Edwards, but above either of those this should sound Scriptural.
Here is my fundamental problem with a Gospel-driven Church; the belief in the glory of God is not taught nor embraced, though it may be believed on a theoretical basis. For you see, it is very possible that in the Gospel-driven Church the end becomes man. Evangelization of the lost becomes the purpose of the Church. Though evangelism is good, it is not the reason the Church exists. The reason the Church exists is to glorify God. This is the main purpose, goal, aim and end of the Church, not missions.
“Well, duh” Really?!? If that is your response to the end for which God created the world, the Church, and you then I highly doubt you believe it! If our sole purpose for existing is to be glorifying God then why do we see the same crappy movies? Why do we still read the same cheap novels? Why do we still center our lives on self? Nothing has changed! We have the ticket for heaven and we’re fine with just that… “But God who said ‘let light shine out of darkness.’ Has shone in our dark hearts to reveal the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2Cor. 4:4-6)”
If you really believed the Gospel wouldn’t the glory of God be a constant? Would it not be regard first in all respects? Because we have seen the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, because God has shone into our dark hearts! We now see God’s glory and are enthralled with Him that is what this verse hits at.
But how many of us are enthralled with him? How many of us see joy waxing and waning because of a relationship or a broken iPod? We, ‘who have seen a great wonder’ are excited by cheap tricks and false representations, but the glory of God has no pull on us… Boys playing with a ball on Sunday afternoon is more of a wonder to us than the glory of God ever has been.
3 comments:
You've been doing some good reading! You are heading in the right direction. The gospel is, indeed, the means to an end. It is the good news about a promise that is available to sinners in Christ (Ephesians 3:6). That means that it is the means to salvation. Salvation, in turn, is the means to an end: the glory of God (Ephesians 1:12). He is the great end for which everything exists and for which he, himself, does everything.
I have not read a lot of the "gospel-centered" material, but it is my understanding that most of the guys writing it understand this. Paul, himself, said that he did everything for the sake of the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:23) He constantly had the gospel in view because he knew that, only by the gospel, the great end would be accomplished. He also knew that it was only through the gospel that he was granted the great privilege of sharing in the work of God in the lives of men.
We, too, must be gospel-centered because every blessing that is ours in Christ Jesus comes to us by that means. It is through the gospel that we are made partakers of Christ (Ephesians 3:6). It is through the gospel that death is abolished and life and immortality has been brought to light (2 Timothy 1:10). It is in the gospel that the righteousness of God has been revealed (Romans 1:17). And it is in the gospel that we see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4, 6).
Keep up the good work, brother. I am encouraged by your posts!
I agree whole heartedly with everything you said. But here is the rub: the Gospel is an ultimate end, however it is not the chief end. But, if we, evangelical Christendom in this movement of gospel-centeredness, are not careful we will make it our chief end. And in so doing make man, not God, our god.
It appears that you have been spending some time with Edwards' "Dissertation Concerning the End for Which God Created the World."
I am in agreement with you. I think, by Edwards' definition, that the gospel is a subordinate end, in that it aims at a further end. The glory of God is the chief end (greatest of ultimate ends) of everything he does. This being the case, the gospel is a subordinate end leading to the chief end of the glory of God.
Good stuff!
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