"I know that there are those who are terribly afraid that such Christ-centered preaching will lead to licentiousness; but I categorically deny it. I've witnessed with my own eyes the difference between believers who suffer through moralistic preaching and those who experience Christological preaching. The former are never as strong or vibrant in their Christian discipleship as the latter. In theory, we all say we believe, for instance, that good works are the 'inevitable' fruit of saving faith. I not only say this; I believe it.
I believe that as people's confidence in Christ goes they do, ordinarily and inevitably, bear fruit that accords with faith.Thus, there is no need for some trade-off here, or some alleged dichotomy suggesting that we need to preach morality if we are to have morality. No, preach Christ and you will have morality. Fill the sails of your hearers' souls with the wind of confidence in the Redeemer, and they will trust him as their Sanctifier, and long to see his fruit in their lives. Fill their minds and imaginations with a vision of the loveliness and perfection of Christ in his person, and the flock will long to be like him. Impress upon their weak and wavering hearts the utter competence of the mediation of the One who ever lives to make intercession for them, and they will long to serve and comfort others, even as Christ has served and comforted them."
— T. David Gordon, Why Johnny Can't Preach
Source: JollyBlogger: T. David Gordon on Moralistic vs. Christological Preaching
I believe that as people's confidence in Christ goes they do, ordinarily and inevitably, bear fruit that accords with faith.Thus, there is no need for some trade-off here, or some alleged dichotomy suggesting that we need to preach morality if we are to have morality. No, preach Christ and you will have morality. Fill the sails of your hearers' souls with the wind of confidence in the Redeemer, and they will trust him as their Sanctifier, and long to see his fruit in their lives. Fill their minds and imaginations with a vision of the loveliness and perfection of Christ in his person, and the flock will long to be like him. Impress upon their weak and wavering hearts the utter competence of the mediation of the One who ever lives to make intercession for them, and they will long to serve and comfort others, even as Christ has served and comforted them."
— T. David Gordon, Why Johnny Can't Preach
Source: JollyBlogger: T. David Gordon on Moralistic vs. Christological Preaching
Beautifully said .No nonsense deep provocative whatever.Without Christ and appreciation of His being, His good works. There can't be realization enough for the believer to commit himself for change. The transformation follows. Otherwise, he will just follow the preacher's instructions of morality and will pursue sanctification with his own basic understanding of "good works" salvation....ie. Attending services . No different from how he shifted From another church believing that this " good work" will bring him to salvation.
ReplyDeleteI believe this with all my heart, and I've seen and sensed it in my own life. When my focus is on Christ, when the preaching and reading I do is centered on Christ, I am encouraged as at no other time. If I am striving to toe a moral line, I will always fail and be frustrated - but as I follow Christ and am drawn by His love, I find sanctification becomes a matter of course. I resolve to preach Christ! :)
ReplyDeleteI am an adherent of HR or RH and I agree that all sermons and preaching be Christ-centered. Jesus is not only one of the "truths" - He is the Truth (John 14:6). This simply means all other "truths", sanctification included, must be seen in their right relationship to Christ. Imperatives must be grounded in the indicatives of redemptive history, otherwise, sanctification becomes mere human moralism.
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