Getting in Christ's Way

Michael Horton, as host of the radio talk-show The White Horse Inn, has been dissecting Christless Christianity with his like-minded Reformed friends. Read his article of the same name here. His basic contentention is that in the post-modern era, Christians are tempted either to be like the Sadducees and prioritize the inside (reason, feelings, and imagination) over the outside (doctrine, historical facts, and the Bible) or to be like the Pharisees and prioritize the outside (law and the standard of righteousness established by the law) but in a smug, self-satisfying way.

Here's a quote from Horton on one way post-modern Christians distort the gospel:

Another way we distort the proclamation of Christ in the "Pharasaic" mode is by what has sometimes been called "the assumed gospel." This is often the first stage of taking our eyes off of Christ. Even where Christ is regarded as the answer to God's just wrath, this emphasis is regarded as a point that can be left behind in the Christian life. The idea is that people "get saved" and then "become disciples." The gospel for sinners is Christ's death and resurrection; the gospel for disciples, however, is, "Get busy!" But this assumes that disciples are not sinners, too. There is not a single biblical verse that calls us to "live the gospel." By definition, the gospel is not something that we can live. It is only something that we can hear and receive. It is good news, not good advice. The good news is that, "But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the Law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe," since sinners "are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, received through faith" (Rom. 3:21-25).

The Chief Aim of Humankind

When the English and Scottish reformers of the mid-1600s were composing the shorter version of material that would be used to teach new converts the basics of the Christian faith, they began by considering humankind. Specifically, the second generation of British reformers asked 'What is the chief end (or aim) of man?' (Yes, they used the archaic term 'man' to reference all-people). Today, we would probably phrase it differently: What is humankind's primary purpose? But the point is the same. Why are we here? What are we for?

They answered: 'The chief end (or aim) of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever' (Question 1, The Westminster Shorter Catechism). Being scrupulous readers of Scripture, they drew their answer from the deep well of God's holy word. They understood that our primary purpose was two-fold because Scripture said so.

1. The Bible proclaimed the central importance in our lives of rendering glory to God: '...whatever you do, do all to the glory of God' (1 Corinthians 10.31b) and 'For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen' (Romans 11.36).
2. It also taught that our highest purpose is to take great delight in God (Psalm 73.25-28).

When pondering one of the greatest questions of our existence, what is the purpose of life, the British reformers didn't look inwards, to themselves, or outwards, to the Church or human knowledge for the answer. They turned to a higher authority, Scripture. As the revealed word of God, Scripture was able to provide them with the knowledge of the chief aim of all humankind. It also is able to do the same for us.

It has become popular to wonder why on earth we humans are here. Some people say there is no purpose to human existence; we're simply products of the blind forces of nature. Others say we're a curse to the earth because we drain earth's most precious resources and lay waste to our environment and other species. The Bible says something far different. It says we were created for a great purpose. The men who composed The Westminster Standards learned the purpose as they carefully and thoughtfully and prayerfully studied Scripture. We can gain much wisdom from them who gained much wisdom from God's revealed word.