It is Perfectly Enough

So much in my world is troubling these days - the apparent hunt and slaughter of Ahmaud Arbery, the needless deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the equally sad and needless deaths and injuries related to angry riots. Navigating the emotions, beliefs and opinions is overwhelming. Trying to lead people with all of those emotions, beliefs and opinions seems impossible at times. This while we are all still trying to figure out how to do life with COVID-19 and navigate the myriad of voices telling us what to do and what not to do.

As if all of that is not enough, there is a growing cry that I hear repeated again and again. I have heard and seen it coming like distant thunder and dark clouds as a storm approaches. I hear Christian leaders say it. I hear Christians repeat it, “The gospel isn’t enough,” or “It isn’t enough for the church to just preach the gospel.” The danger here is that we leave the gospel behind as we act according to what we think is right. The danger is that we come to believe that the gospel is not enough to bring about change. As if we need to add something to the gospel besides the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Oh, I understand what many mean in their statement - we can’t just preach the gospel, we must also act.
But what leads and controls our actions if it is not the gospel?
What informs a response that is righteous and God honoring if it is not the life, death and resurrection of Jesus?
How much do I add to the gospel?

This distant thunder is resounding for a reason.
The reason for these cries that the gospel is not enough is because for centuries the White Church has hidden behind a proclamation that they many have called “gospel.” The church has proclaimed forgiveness of sin and an escape from hell with no real call to a life that looks like Jesus. Rather than “cause problems” or upset people, the church has largely chosen to be silent and “just” preach salvation.

If that is the extent of the gospel, then the thunder will continue to roll in, louder and louder, the true gospel will not be heard and the church will have nothing to say to our culture. The silent, action-less gospel that many Christians cling to is not the gospel of the Bible.

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1

The “word” that we are to be doers of is the same “word” that that saves our soul.
What James has in mind in the “word that saves our souls” is good news of the gospel - the life, death and resurrection of Jesus! So James is telling his readers, don’t just profess the gospel, DO the gospel - do a life that is like the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

The life of Jesus was a life devoted to others. It was a life lived for the good of humanity. Jesus worked tirelessly leading, teaching and helping others. Jesus spoke up for the weak and voiceless. Jesus spoke out against tyrants and oppressors. Jesus wept in empathy and sympathy as he looked on at the needs of the weak and hurting people around him. I could go on and on. His life was lived for the needy, weak, and oppressed - that’s all of us apart from him. And his life was lived to ultimately be a sacrifice - to die the death that should have been ours. This life of giving, defending and sacrificing for us is the good news of the gospel!
Do that, James says.
Live a life of love and sacrifice for others.
Live a life that looks like the life of Jesus, a life lived loudly for the good of others.

The problem isn’t that the gospel is not enough, the problem is that we haven’t preached THIS gospel enough!
This gospel leads us to respond rightly to injustice - like Jesus did.
This gospel leads us to cry out for those who cannot cry out for themselves and to cry with those who are hurt.
This gospel doesn’t allow us to sit and wait for heaven, it calls us to act.
This gospel doesn’t allow us to ignore our brothers and sisters in pain, it calls us to enter the pain and heal the broken, just like Jesus did.
This gospel is incredible, powerful, beautiful and it changes everything.
This gospel is enough, perfectly enough.