Articles
The Contemporary Vagueness of the Gospel
Someone recently shared an article by John MacArthur wherein MacArthur made the following observation:
“People say, ‘You have [Jesus] as your personal Savior’ … The ambiguity of that phrase suits the contemporary vagueness of the gospel … You have to understand, everybody on the planet has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ – everybody. And for most people it’s not a good one, but it’s very personal. We have lost this incredibly important concept of Jesus as Lord and I am His slave.
“We have man-centered theology that dominates evangelicalism, in which we talk about Jesus … as a kind of a buddy who loves you and wants to satisfy all your desires and give you everything you want. But that’s not what the New Testament teaches. What the New Testament teaches is not that you’re lord and He’s your slave; it’s that He’s Lord and you’re His slave … It is inherent in saying Jesus is Lord that you are a slave who understands that obedience is the necessary response. The reality of Christ’s lordship has been obscured by hiding the word ‘slave’” (transcript from sermon 8/26/2010).
MacArthur’s phrase “contemporary vagueness of the gospel” is insightful. We are living in a time of vagueness, for those speaking in the public arena want to either mitigate their responsibility for wrongdoing or obscure an unpalatable truth:
* When some public relations debacle befalls a company, we can expect a bland, meaningless, self-promoting statement. We could probably write it ahead of time: “The XYZ Corporation is dedicated to providing a safe, positive experience for all customers. We adhere to all non-discrimination policies and are reviewing our employee training procedures. The XYZ Corporation regrets any discomfort or inconvenience experienced during this unfortunate episode.”
* Or, when a celebrity or other public figure is caught red-handed in some unseemly behavior, the mea culpa goes something like this: “I want to apologize to anyone I may have offended. I did not intend to hurt anyone. What I did was not reflective of the person I am. I am temporarily stepping away from my duties for personal reflection and education. I am dedicating myself to being a more sensitive, sympathetic individual.”
* Or, when politicians address a hot-potato issue, it is common for them to speak indistinctly so that they can later “spin” their way out of a difficulty or a contradiction. This is called “plausible deniability”: “Oh, I never said that …”, or “I was taken out of context.” This kind of obfuscation is a close cousin to outright lying.
When we find ourselves in an unpopular or incriminating position, the tendency is to be evasive, to obscure our true thoughts by vague language that sends the listener down the wrong path. But one problem with this tactic: alert people will spot the indistinct language. We can often tell by the absence of clear, plain words that someone is trying to pull the wool over our eyes. You would think that by now people would realize such “non-speak” doesn’t work – yes, you can fool some of the people some of the time – but we see examples of it in the news nearly every day.
But as MacArthur notes, the same thing happens in a spiritual context. Modern evangelicalism realizes that the gospel message is getting further from the mainstream of our culture. So what does it do? It changes its language to reflect the culture; it sands down the sharp edges of Scripture so that it is easier to swallow. There is a fine line between removing unnecessary barriers between the church and culture – preaching in jeans and a t-shirt; using sleek, modern graphics; etc. – and downplaying or completely bypassing the unpopular aspects of the truth of God’s word. Crossing into the later territory is being untrue to our charge of preaching the gospel “in season and out of season.”
There is a growing list of NT truths that are incendiary in today’s culture:
* “And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence” – 1 Tim 2:12.
* “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God … Neither fornicators … nor homosexuals, nor sodomites … will inherit the kingdom of God” – 1 Cor 6:9-11.
* “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female’ …?” – Mt 19:4.
* “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” – Jn 14:6.
* “Whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery” – Mt 19:9.
So, what shall we do with such passages that offend modern sensibilities? We should not: deny, soften or apologize for them or make exceptions without warrant. God is sovereign and His words, whether we understand them or agree with them, are always right and true. When we whittle them down, explain them away or just ignore them, we are in effect standing in judgment over God. We must tell the truth – with grace and compassion – and let God deal with the fallout of His own words.
This takes courage, the kind that Jeremiah demonstrated when he was imprisoned on false charges (Jer 37:11ff). “When Jeremiah entered the dungeon … and had remained there many days, then Zedekiah the king sent and took him out. The king asked him secretly … ‘Is there any word from the Lord?’ And Jeremiah said, ‘There is …’” (37:16-17). Here is Jeremiah’s moment of truth. What he says next could secure his freedom or cost him his life. How does he answer Zedekiah?
“Then he said, ‘You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon!’” (37:17b). We know how this story ends, but Jeremiah didn’t know it at this point. He spoke the truth, and he spoke it plainly. He did not work from the consequences backward. The Bible says what it says – about salvation, sexuality, family structure, worship, etc. Let us not be ashamed of it when the world judges it to be “unwoke.” God doesn’t need apologists; He needs courageous speakers of the truth which sets men free.
