From Timothy Keller’s book ‘The Reason for God,’ continued from a previous post * Saving Themselves. . . ?:
There is, then, a great gulf between the understanding that God accepts us because of our efforts and the understanding that God accepts us because of what Jesus has done. Religion operates on the principle “I obey—therefore I am accepted of God.” But the operating principle of the Gospel is “I am accepted by God through what Christ has done—therefore I obey.” Two people living their lives on the basis of these two different principles may sit next to each other in a church pew. They both pray, give money generously, and are loyal and faithful to their family and church, trying to live decent lives. However, they do so out of two radically different motivations, in two radically different spiritual identities, and the result is two radically different kinds of lives.
The primary difference is that of motivation. In religion, we try to obey the divine standards out of fear. We believe that if we don’t obey we are going to lose God’s blessing in this world and the next. In the gospel the motivation is one of gratitude for the blessing we have already received because of Christ. While the moralist is forced into obedience, motivated by a desire to please and resemble the one who gave His life for us.
Another difference has to do with our identity and self regard. In a religious framework, if you feel you are living up to your chosen religious standards, then you feel superior and disdainful towards those who are not following in the true path. This is true whether your religion is of a more liberal variety (in which case you feel superior to bigots and narrow minded people) or of a more conservative variety (in which case you feel superior to the less moral and devout). If you are not living up to your chosen standards, then you will be filled with loathing towards yourself. You will feel far more guilt than if you had stayed away from God and religion altogether.
When my own personal grasp of the gospel was very weak, my self-view swung widely between two poles. When I was performing up to my standards—in academic work, professional achievement, or relationships—I felt confident but not humble. I was likely to be proud and unsympathetic to failing people. When I was not living up to standards, I felt humble but not confident, a failure. I discovered, however, that the gospel contained the resources to build a unique identity. In Christ I could know that I was accepted by grace not only despite my flaws, but because I was willing to admit them. The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less. I don’t need to notice myself—how I’m doing, how I’m being regarded—so often. ~Timothy Keller, is the author of ‘The Reason For God’ and a Pastor at New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church Reason for God (New York, NY 10014, Penguin Books, 2008) 186-87
* Posts with a preamble asterisk * are for a more general audience and not specific to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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