One thing that I am continually learning in my walk with Christ is that the theoretical and the applicable are indeed connected, though in a very specific way that I was once unaware. Of course, you need the theoretical blueprints before you can build anything practical. So in an analogical sense, I guess you could say I am learning that the main blueprints for Christian living is not primarily a manual to live by, an example to live up to, a guide to follow, or a formula to adhere to in order to accomplish or succeed. Rather, the blueprints for true Christian is actually a person, Jesus, whose life, death, and accomplishments are mine by grace through faith. What I mean is that following Jesus and trying to be like Him from a ‘manual, example, guide, or formula’ approach–which I think is especially characteristic of modern day Christianity–is a futile attempt. It just doesn’t work.
On the converse, here is what I propose and what I think is most biblical anyways: True Christian growth is not a byproduct of living by the metaphorical blueprints of the Bible or life of Jesus, but rather living in light of the life and accomplishments of The Blueprint–the Cornerstone, the Author and Founder of our faith–Jesus Christ.
I’m afraid that when we manual-ize, formula-ize, or make Jesus and his life to only be an example to live by, we fundamentally lose the igniting force of what His life and death actually means to us, both personally and corporately. Making Jesus and his life into a moral manual, theoretically, means only our behavioral compliance, practically. But understanding Jesus and his life and death as a gracious sacrifice for me when I least deserved it, theoretically, means melting my heart of stone-cold affections for God into fervent love, practically.
Indeed, is stone-cold affections for God, yet with behavioral compliance, what He wants? Or behaviors that are an overflow of love? Certainly the latter: “The greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind and love your neighbor as yourself”(Mt. 22:37). Therefore, the gospel’s power is ignited not when it is theoretically legislated into a manual, formula, or checklist for living, but when it is embraced as the news of a Person. The gospel’s power is not tapped when we make it to be a manual, example, or formula to live by, but a Person to live in light of.
Another way to say it is that life applications (about what to do for Christ and others) are only fueled by gospel implications (about what Christ has already done for others and me). What He has done for you fuels, informs, and changes the nature of what you should do for Him and others–not from the prod of compulsion, but from a response of love.
Essentially, I am learning that the power for everything I try to do, or want to do, or strive to accomplish spiritually in my life–whether that be spiritual fruit, personal growth, etc–is not fundamentally linked to my own efforts to improve, but is a power only tapped into by gazing upon Jesus’ life, accomplishments, fruit, and efforts for me. Not my efforts for Him.
Here’s an example:
Those who want to become generous shouldn’t simply try harder to give more, or try harder to be a cheerful giver—as if the fruits of generosity and cheerfulness can be emotionally mustered up from the infertile grounds of our own naturally ungenerous, selfish hearts. Rather, if you want to become generous and cheerful in giving, then you should focus on the generosity and cheerfulness of Jesus, who gave you everything when you least deserved it.
“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” -Tim Keller
Meditating on the generosity of Christ is what will fuel an organic engendering of generosity within you. Or, to say it another way, focusing on the generosity of Christ for you is what will produce generosity for Christ in you. If you want to become generous towards God and others, ruminate on God’s generosity towards you until you want to give.
And so it goes with all other spiritual fruits: dwelling on the forgiveness of God to you is what will lead you to be forgiving to others; thinking on the graciousness of God to you is what will lead you to be gracious to others; ruminating on the acceptance of God to you is what will lead you to accept those who are unlike you, even your enemies. An encounter with Jesus and his greatness is what will compel a response to Him and others that resembles His characteristics.
To conclude, I encourage you all to not make a law of what to do out of the good news of what has been already been done. Indeed, the greatest thief of the gospel’s declaration of What Has Jesus Done? might be legalism’s emphasis of What Would Jesus Do?.
