Gospel-Centered Idolatry

R L Coursey

Description

Christian growth is not only based on right facts about God (the indicatives), it is also inspired by endless possibilities (the imperitives) and accompanied by unrealized desires (the subjunctives), simply because these facts describe a God who is infinite and limitless. Since the knowledge of God is inexhaustible, to know Him is the goal of all who aleady know Him. And because His is power is unlimited, to grow in grace and be further strenghtened in the power of His might is the goal of all who have already expeienced the power of God unto salvation in the gospel.

Thomas Chalmers, in his classic sermon entited, “The Expulsive Power of a New Affection,” correctly ascribes subjective power to subjective affections, for love does have an expulsive power, whether one loves God to the despising of self, or loves self to the despising of God. But he incorrectly sides with objective justification, full pardon and gracious acceptance as the power that creates love and the engine that empowers sanctification. He is right to suggest that a new affection has expulsive power, but wrong to suggest that the source and power of a new affection is primarily in the indicative benefits.

Jonathan Edwards, on the other hand, sided with regeneration for the obvious reason that without a new nature, the natural man can only be constrained by outside considerations (the indicatives) to superficially walk in newness of life (the imperatives). Such considerations mght produce change that rises as high as the outward performance of the Legalist, but it is still only the superficial height that self-love alone can achieve.

The Spirit’s work of illuminating the higher glory and beauty of Christ to the soul is the only source of an affection that can be called new. If the expulsive power of a new affection does not dethrone self as one’s primary concern in life and theology, then what exactly is being expulsed by the power of the gospel? If one’s religion does not surpass one’s primary concern for what’s in it for oneself, then one’s self-love may have an expulsive power, but it will be the light of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus that is expulsed by the power of self-love.

The irony of the cross was that Christ was crucified by those who already had a knowledge of God’s steadfast love and rejoiced in spiritual priviledges. The proper force and source behind the believer’s love for God is not found in the objective benefits as they reflect upon the believer’s high privileges, but God’s power alone as it is exerted in the soul by the Spirit imparting a new heart, new affections and a new principle of action that did not exist prior. Good fruit is produced only by a good tree, and however constrained by outside forces, a bad tree cannot be manipulated to produce fruit contrary to its nature.

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Christian Living
• Social Issues
• Philosophie et théologie
• Idolatry
• Cross
• Gospel

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 18 octobre 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664279513
• Langue: English

Extrait

GOSPEL-CENTERED IDOLATRY
Consuming the Benefits of the Gospel on the Preeminence of Self
R L COURSEY


Copyright © 2022 R L Coursey.
 
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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
 
Scripture marked (NKJV) taken from the New King James Version® Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
 
Scripture quotations marked (NASB) taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org
 
ISBN: 978-1-6642-7950-6 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-7951-3 (e)
 
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 10/12/2022
CONTENTS
Introduction: Gospel-centered Theology Defined
Chapter 1 The Imputed Benefits of the Gospel can only be Properly Cherished through the Exerted Power of the Spirit in the Proper Use and Exercise of the Imparted Benefits of the Gospel
Chapter 2 The Gospel Saves by the Goodness of a Power Exerted, not by the Power of a Goodness Perceived
Chapter 3 Gospel-centered Distortions, the Misuse and Misappropriation of Gospel Benefits
Chapter 4 The Knowledge of High Privileges, Neither the Primary Motive nor the Motor that Turns the Wheels of Obedience
Chapter 5 Corinth, a Case Study in the Application of the Gospel To Immature Believers
Chapter 6 Paul’s Use of the Atonement When Addressing an Immature Church Like Corinth
Chapter 7 Grace Shown but not Imparted, the Essence of Practical Antinomianism
Chapter 8 Gospel-centered Theology, Rejecting Christ Crucified as the Wisdom and Power of the Gospel
Chapter 9 Other Theologies that Reject Christ Crucified as the Wisdom and Power of the Gospel
Chapter 10 Sola Beneficium, the Essence of Cheap Grace
Chapter 11 The Gospel, Its God-centered Purpose, Power and Plan, and Christ-centered priority and Essence
Chapter 12 Reflecting the Benefits of the Gospel onto the Glory of God, the Unavoidable Link between Glory and Virtue
Chapter 13 The Forward-looking Power of the Gospel, the Unavoidable Link between Faith and Virtue
Chapter 14 The Objective Benefits Alone are Insufficient to Secure Reasonable Worship either Directly or Indirectly
Chapter 15 The Power of the Gospel in the Life of the Believer
Chapter 16 Gospel Worship Requires all the Gospel Benefits
Chapter 17 Eight Characteristics of Gospel-centered Idolatry
Chapter 18 Walking Worthy of the Gospel
Appendix I: The Gospel-centered Movement: An Overview and Critique
Appendix II: The Believer’s Identity, Saint and/or Sinner
INTRODUCTION
Gospel-centered Theology Defined
It is passive ingratitude to be motivated toward change on the simple basis of the indicative benefits alone. Natural gratitude is possible on the basis of grace shown, but spiritual gratitude is only possible on the basis of grace powerfully applied. Once grace has been applied through the illuminating and regenerating work of the Spirit, the expulsive power of a new affection no longer proceed simply from the good of indicative benefits alone, because the new affection does not center primarily on the same object as the old affection – oneself.
In The Gospel Transformation Study Bible, like all gospel-centered material, the general editor renders priority and attributes power to the indicative benefits in ongoing spiritual transformation of believers,
Contributors have therefore indicated how the indicatives of the gospel (i.e., the status and privileges believers have by virtue of God’s grace alone) provide motivation and power for God’s people to honor him from the heart. 1
The indicatives of the gospel (our status and privileges) provide no power to honor God from the heart, because they are not a power exerted upon the heart. Including the phrase, “by virtue of God’s grace alone,” does not place the priority on grace as a power above the believer’s status and privileges, but rather renders the efficiency of grace indebted to the perception of these privileges as the key to power. The motor that drives the ongoing transformation is the perception of man’s good above God’s glory. This implies that transformation has not yet occurred, because no change of center has taken place.
It is true that the indicatives do indirectly provide further motivation to honor God from the heart in all those whose hearts have been directly infused with a new principle to honor God. But pay careful attention as to how objective grace erroneously becomes the primary force to stimulate further loving obedience in the saint:
Only the grace of God ultimately displayed in the provision of Christ for sinners can stimulate such loving obedience. 2
An extrinsic inspiration that operated from an outside display is not an intrinsic power exerted directly upon the heart at all. The power of God exerted in the gospel is more effectual than a mere mental recognition of the love and favor offered to both the unbeliever and believer in the gospel. While it is true that “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,” 3 and that “Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it,” 4 the general manifestation of His love cannot be confused with either the end or efficacy of His death on the cross. Concerning this end, Paul writes, “that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” 5 The goal of highlighting the infinite love of God for the comfort and edification of the church is not achieved without reference to sanctification, because God’s love is not solely objective in nature; “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.” 6 The apostle John, when demonstrating the marvelous love of God in the granting of sonship, immediately connects it to present sanctification and future glorification. 7 Therefore, the general concept of God’s love and grace toward believers displayed on the cross, without the intended end or power of the cross, is not the meaning of the gospel for believers. This work of Christ by the Spirit in sanctification is not meritorious in the saint, but a manifestation of Christ’s continued work of love, and the efficacy of His death.
The infusion of a new principle of holiness within the soul often utilizes, but does not depend upon, the outside consideration God’s objective love and goodness displayed towards us to effect subjective change. His love is not simply understood in redemption accomplished, but experienced in redemption applied. Therefore, concisely defined in one sentence,
Gospel-centered theology is an attempt to exalt the benefits of the gospel that highlight God’s objective love, goodness and grace toward man for the primary purpose of either evading or effecting those benefits that come in power to produce either initial or ongoing subjective change into the image of Christ from glory to glory. 8
Whether for the purpose of either evading or effecting the power of God, the use of the objective benefits in the gospel-centered scheme is an affront to all three persons of the Trinity. For the glory of God to be revealed in the face of Christ Jesus, and for the work that ensues to be that of the Spirit, Christ must be preeminent in one’s concept of the gospel. The Spirit’s application of redemption is primarily Christ-centered. While there are innumerable benefits in the gospel and unsearchable riches in Christ, without a clear perception of the glory of God, they become counterfeit benefits and riches that are twisted to exalt the imaginary brightness of one’s own glory. To eclipse Christ with any number of preferred benefits of the gospel, or to limit the gospel to one’s preferred attribute of God, centers the gospel around the preeminence of man above the glory of Christ. Gospel-centered theology, then, becomes a more generous and appealing offer because it invents a scheme of salvation that legitimizes the customer’s claim to preeminence in the gospel.
Any attempt to glorify God through the use of indicative benefits alone, while simply referencing the subjective benefits, renders one active in those benefits that are passively received, and passive in those benefits that are actively received. It makes static benefits that are already perfect operate dynamically, and those that are increasing and dynamic to operate st