Tag: Gospel vs. Moralism
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Gospel vs. Legalism
What is the difference between legalism and the gospel? Legalism (or Moralism) says God looks at how well we keep the law. The Gospel says we are hidden in Christ. So God sees how well Jesus kept the Law (perfectly), all his works, and his death on our behalf. Consequently, because we are hidden in…
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Fascinations that Lead Away from the Cross
by Michael Horton Martin Luther opposed the “theology of the cross” to all “theologies of glory.” The latter can be generally placed into three categories: three types of “ladders” we try to climb in order to see “God in the nude,” as Luther put it. These ladders were mysticism, speculation, and merit. I would like…
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Ways of Grace
We will never find God unless he first seeks us, but we should remember that he can do so in very different ways. Sometimes, God jumps on us dramatically, as he does with the younger son, and we have a sharp sense of his love. Sometimes he quietly and patiently argues with us even though…
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Countering Moralism
Probably the most difficult obstacle for ministry I face is moralism. Despite the obvious declining standard in our culture, licentiousness is not the biggest hurdle. Nor is Biblical and theological illiteracy. Moralism, which substitutes our becoming good in exchange for God’s grace and glory as the essence and goal of Christianity, is a plague that…
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Gospel from Mars Hill
The gospel is like a multifaceted jewel. Descriptions of it vary but the substance is never altered. Our appreciation for it’s beauty is enhanced by viewing it from it’s different aspects. We also see things fresh through the eyes of others, as we understand what they are seeing. For that reason I value whenever I…
