TOO SMALL

We believers like to assume we know the definition of all the churchy words, but when we are called on to define one, we often stumble over our words.

It seems like people feel pretty confident about "faith", though. 

"Faith is just believing in the truth that Jesus died for your sins."

And "gospel"? People might be a little more hesitant, but eventually you would get a definition something along the same lines:

"The gospel is the good news that Jesus died for your sins." 

But what do we do when our assumed definitions make no sense in a particular Scripture passage? Do we even notice?

The Apostle Paul opens his letter to the church in Rome by praising their faith. He says their faith is "proclaimed all over the world" (v.8)! 

He goes on to explain that he is eager to visit them, in part that he and they "may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine" (v.12).

Wait a minute. If faith is just mental assent to some propositional truth about Jesus, what exactly does Paul anticipate upon arriving in Rome?

    Paul: Hey, guys! Do you believe Jesus died for your sins?

    Romans: Yup. You?

    Paul: Sure do! 

    Romans: This is really great. Very encouraging.

    Paul: I know, right? I'm so glad I came.

But there's more. Paul then throws us for a loop with his use of the word "gospel". He says another reason he would be excited to visit the church in Rome is because he is "eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome" (v.15). 

Wait. Have they not heard that Jesus died for them? 

Is Paul going to Rome to be encouraged by their belief that Jesus died for their sins and THEN tell them that Jesus died for their sins?

Either Paul is really confused about what "faith" and "gospel" mean or ... we are.

Could it be our own definitions of "faith" and "gospel" are too small?

ANEMIC THEOLOGY

I received a Christmas email from an innovative ministry providing rugged, affordable transportation to impoverished people in the boonies of Africa and elsewhere. 

I fully support the organization, but I cringed at their Christmas theology:

Merry Christmas!  Do you know the completion of the Christmas Story? It involves transportation. 

Jesus is coming back. He will come on the clouds, a unique form of transport. 

When I’m asked “What is the most affordable transportation in the universe?” I say it's the supernatural trip to heaven. If you believe Jesus died for your sins and that he is your Lord and Savior, you receive a spot on that heaven-bound, soul train. 

This is an anemic understanding of the gospel. 

Dictionary.com defines "anemic" as "lacking power, vigor, vitality, or colorfulness; listless; weak". 

In other words, it's not as healthy as it needs to be.

Here are the main problems:

1) It implies that faith is primarily a matter of giving mental assent to propositional truths. 

2) It's very transactional: believe this and receive that.

3) It makes Christianity out to be an escape from this world. (The book of Revelation makes it clear that we don't get whisked off to heaven in the end. Heaven is brought down to a renewed earth. We stay put.)

In other words, it is a pretty good summary of most Americans' understanding of the gospel. 

WRONG QUESTION

Believers have these crazy debates about whether or not you "have to" do good works in order to get to heaven. 

One side says good works are unnecessary. All you need is belief in Jesus.

The other says you have to obey Jesus as your Lord or you get locked out.

Back and forth and round and round it goes. 

There are big problems with the entire discussion, beginning with the fact that none of us are even going to heaven. 

According to Scripture, in the end heaven and earth are renewed and heaven comes down to earth. We stay put. 

Salvation isn't about escaping earth. (This thought alone would make many Christian heads explode.) 

But back to the core argument - do we have to do good works or not?

To me that's like asking, "To consider myself married, do I have to have daily conversations with my wife, spend time with her, willingly do what she asks of me, and kiss her or was saying 'I do' once at the church altar enough?"