This week’s newsletter is inspired by my reading of Acts 4:4 a couple weeks ago, specifically from this note in the ESV study Bible:
The incredible growth of the church occurred in response to two activities empowered by the Holy Spirit: the powerful preaching of the gospel message about Jesus and the “many wonders and signs. (2:43; cf. 4:14, 16)
Note: The following is not a sermon, a piece of exegesis, or even an informal lesson on a passage of Scripture. The "series" which I have called Scripture Journals here on Substack is just that: reflections about what I read in Scripture. If anything, the following might even be more accurately classified as a commentary on some commentary, or a thought experiment inspired by some commentary. Just wanted to get that disclaimer out of the way for those who need it.
It’s not yet No Quarter November, so I probably need to qualify everything I say before I say it. I do not intend to argue in the pages of my humble little publication that the truth of the gospel is somehow insufficient. But I do intend to point out here the idea that merely preaching the gospel, at least in the way many talk about preaching the gospel today, is not all that is required of us. Before you start throwing things, let me explain.
There is much online discussion these days about “Christian Nationalism.” For at least a couple reasons, I’m not prepared to endorse or condemn the label at this time. The first reason is that two of the fundamental texts of the current movement, if you can call it that, are still sitting by my chair waiting to be read. I do believe the vast majority of the questions around these issues could be answered by everyone simply doing the reading so that everyone participating in the discussion would quit misrepresenting each other and talking past one another. Given that I have not done the required reading, I won’t weigh in. Secondly, I think there are very few people at this point who really know what the label even means because we're so early in the conversation, so I'm not sure there's any use in anyone fully embracing anything for or against at this point.
What I think is most important though is that we have a conversation, or at least start thinking about having a conversation, because the current trajectory of things is pretty much unsustainable no matter how you slice it. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is this: the vast majority of the public isn’t paying attention to these things and isn’t planning to start paying attention to these things. There are several reasons for this, chief among them being the fact that the vast majority of Americans, even Christian Americans, are still under the impression that we are somehow going to be able to vote our way out of this mess. That idea alone is a topic for another time.
I only bring this up because this discussion is taking place online adjacent to a discussion of the perils and promises of the “Gospel-centered movement.” What is the Gospel-centered movement? I guess in a very broad stroke, it’s the idea that Christians should not concern themselves with things like politics, culture warring, etc. Instead of “making an idol” out of politics and participating in “Culture War(TM)” issues, we should “just preach the gospel.” Nothing more, nothing less. Our job is to preach the gospel and leave the rest up to God. If we just do that and “engage with the culture” on its own terms, maybe we can win some people into the church. I think one problem with this strategy is that it assumes we’re still living in a neutral world in which Christianity isn’t explicitly favored but it’s not necessarily endangered, either. This is Aaron Renn’s “three worlds” framework. But that’s not the world we live in. The culture is more hostile to Christianity than it used to be, placing us in what Renn calls “the negative world.”
So, let's ask ourselves: what does it mean to preach the gospel? What even is the gospel? In short...
1. God loves you. He created you in his image and nothing you say or do can make him love you any less, because his love for his children is unconditional. Because of this, he also has a purpose for your life and he wants you to experience the fullness of that purpose. Genesis 1:27, John 3:16
2. Sin separates you. Sin came into the world a long time ago when Adam and Eve chose to question what God really said about what was best for them and his purposes for their lives. We’ve been trying to find meaning and fulfillment in similar ways, and this separates us from God and the plan he has for us. Without sin being taken care of, you’ll always be separated from God. Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23
3. Jesus saves you. Someone had to pay the price and die the death we deserved for our sin. The good news, the gospel, for you is that Jesus is that person! He stood in your place and died for your sin, but he also rose again. Through the work of Jesus, you can experience a restored relationship with God by faith in what He’s done and this allows you to live out the purpose he has for your life. 1 Peter 3:18, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Romans 5:8
4. Will you trust him? Now that you know this, it’s up to you to place your faith in Jesus and what He’s done for you, repent of your sin, and follow him every day.
That’s the gospel that we’re supposed to preach. And amen to that!
But what does it mean to do this? Maybe we’ve relegated the preaching of the gospel to the pulpit for too long. That is of course the primary purpose of the Church, particularly for the elders. But Jesus doesn’t merely expect us to preach the gospel from a pulpit on Sunday. He expects, nay, he commands, that we preach the gospel in all aspects of life. And that’s why the great commission has a uniquely individual emphasis. If you’re a Christian, you’re called to preach the gospel in your sphere.
But we cannot forget that this is not the end. We don’t just preach the gospel and call it a day. Sure, we preach the gospel and leave it up to God, but the thing I think we ignore is the fact that when it is truly preached, the gospel actually produces something. It produces gospel growth. But what does it produce, besides a redeemed soul? Yes, it saves individual souls. But it also changes real life things. It changes cultures. So, when we say “just preach the gospel!” what do we really mean? Do we mean to only preach the gospel about the Jesus who had an affinity for the poor, healed the sick, and dined with prostitutes and tax collectors? Or do we also mean to preach the gospel about the Jesus who, angered at the corruption of his temple, flipped tables, excoriated the hypocrisy of the religious elite of his day, and called the sinners he so famously hung out with to go and sin no more? What about the Jesus who did not come to abolish the law and prophets but to fulfill them? The Jesus who came not to bring peace, but a sword?
See, here’s the thing. We have to preach the gospel about a Jesus who does all of those things. Left, right, and center. It’s not one or the other. He does it all. Through his death and resurrection for my sin, Jesus is Lord. He’s not going to be Lord one day in the future, He IS Lord now. Lord over what, though? As some have said, Christ is not merely Lord over my sweet little heart. He’s Lord over it ALL. He’s Lord over Substack, Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and the nations, whether these entities acknowledge him as Lord or not. As a friend likes to say, “God’s presence permeates all possible future worlds.” I would just add, “And so does His Lordship.” So, when we preach the gospel, we’ve gotta stop relegating this saving work and Lordship to the private sphere of our sweet little hearts, homes, and churches as if the gospel does not proclaim this saving work and Lordship over all of culture and creation.
There is of course so much more that we could say about this truth. I can’t cover it in 1500 words or less. Men wiser and more prolific than me have devoted their lives to writing about all of the intricacies of this life changing truth of the gospel. Me? I've been writing on and off for 9-10 months. Even a lifetime of writing would not be enough time to adequately talk about the implications of the Gospel. But that's kinda the point I'm trying to make here, is it not? Yes, the Gospel does save your soul. When you believe the gospel and repent of your sin to follow Christ, you will spend eternity with Him. But that's not all. There is more, so much more. The Gospel redeems much more than hearts. We would do well to start meditating on and responding to everything else it redeems.
Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter. Comments are cool and all, but letters to the Editor are encouraged. Hit me up anytime with your feedback by emailing me here.