The Spiritual Litmus Test for True Christianity
Is There One?
Overflowing crowds. Cutting-edge music. High octane worship services. Deeply moving experiences. Signs of the Holy Spirit. What works. High church liturgy and tradition. Egalitarian church leadership. Hip youth ministry. Re-doing Church. Urban outreach and mercy ministry. Strong missions emphasis. Purpose-driven mission statements and ministry directions.
At one time or another, all of the above have been offered as evidence of the presence of true Christianity. But is there a singular, genuine spiritual litmus test for true Christianity, a test in which just one factor determines the presence or absence of true Christianity? Wherever this ‘test’ is passed true Christianity is present and powerfully at work in an individual, family, or community; but wherever this ‘test’ is failed true Christianity is absent, regardless the level of spiritual excitement, spiritual activity, and deeply felt spiritual experiences found there. Could there be such a test?
The Apostle Paul says there is a spiritual litmus test, and what it is may surprise us:
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed” (Gal 1.6-9).
Paul is not mincing words; his tone is more at home in a street fight than in a fellowship hall. Compare the way Paul speaks to the church at Galatia in the passage above to the tone he takes with the church at Corinth:
“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge – even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you…” (1Cor 1.4-6).
In Corinth, the church was plagued by divisions and interpersonal conflict: they were suing each other, pursuing idolatry in various forms, engaging in a level of sexual immorality that embarrassed even those around them who were not Christians, and were drunk at the Lord’s Supper more than they were sober! The church in Corinth was not the model of godly behavior, to put it gingerly. Strangely, however, Paul treats more harshly the church at Galatia for accepting “another gospel” than the morally bankrupt church at Corinth who had not abandoned “the testimony about Christ”, that is, the gospel.
Paul’s tone toward these two communities of Christians indirectly leads us to the spiritual litmus test that he directly identifies in his letter to the Galatians. For Paul, the message of the Gospel is the spiritual litmus test for true Christianity, not the behavior or experiences of its followers. Those who prize, proclaim, and protect the message of the Gospel passed the spiritual litmus test for true Christianity because the Gospel alone is the power of God to save them. Those who had abandoned the message of the Gospel failed the spiritual litmus test and unleashed a false gospel that only sours souls. For Paul the message of the Gospel, more than even outward behavior and experience, is where the Church stands or falls.
Why This One?
Why is holding on to the gospel the spiritual litmus test for true Christianity? The answer is because the Gospel alone is the power of God that brings you into a right relationship with God, grows your relationship with God, continues heart-change in your life, creates community, and empowers you for service and ministry (Rom 1.16).
This is why Paul’s response to the Corinthians’ bad behavior was to preach the power of the Gospel to them. He preached the gospel to a “disorderly” church so that their lives would change and they would increasingly put on display the glory of God. It is also why his response to the Galatians’ departure from the gospel was to hit them hard with a warning: recover the gospel or be ruined. What’s the answer in the case of bad behavior? The gospel. What’s the answer in the case of hardened unbelief? The gospel!
So What Is The Gospel?
OK, so Christianity is not ultimately about behavior or experiences but the power of the gospel. So what’s the gospel?! A good place to start is defining what its not: ask yourself, “Is it something I do or something that happens in me?” If the answer is “Yes”, then it is not the gospel. The gospel is not something found inside of you, nor is it something done by you; in fact it is not natural to you at all. The gospel is found outside of you, and it is something done for you. The movement of the gospel is not upward, something done by you for God; nor is it inward, something done in you; but it is downward from above, something done by God, outside of you, for you.
Lexically “gospel” means “good news.” Good news about what? The answer is the good news about Jesus - his downward incarnation, his life of perfect obedience, his punishing death on the cross, his powerful resurrection, and his present reign. In other words the gospel is the historical events of Jesus and the good message(s) about those events.
In order for Jesus to do for us what he did for us, he had to be like us, human in every way, yet without sin. Thus, the Son of God took humanity on himself, becoming man, the God-man, to represent us to God (the incarnation). In order to make unrighteous people righteous and therefore acceptable to a Holy God, Jesus, the second Adam and perfect man, had to do that which God required of the first Adam and of every human since: perfect loyalty to God. Thus Jesus obeyed the law at every point, offering a perfect life of loyal and loving obedience to the Father, so that his righteousness could be credited to the account of those who are not (the life of perfect obedience). But because of our own disloyalty and disobedience, Jesus had to take on himself the punishment due sin. Thus he humbly underwent the punishing death on the cross, taking the wrath of God in the place of those who deserve it (the cross). Finally, since Jesus life was powerfully perfect, his death was itself victory over Death. Thus, God raised him from the dead, vindicating his worth and work, and God spiritually raised us with him unto newness of life, over which Christ presently reigns (the resurrection and reign). This is the gospel; this is the power of God for salvation! If we hold on to this one thing, we have everything. If we let go of this one thing, we have nothing. That is why it is so important; that is why it is the spiritual litmus test for true Christianity. That is why wherever the gospel is prized, proclaimed, and protected all heaven is unleashed on its hearers.
Overflowing crowds. Cutting-edge music. High octane worship services. Deeply moving experiences. Signs of the Holy Spirit. What works. High church liturgy and tradition. Egalitarian church leadership. Hip youth ministry. Re-doing Church. Urban outreach and mercy ministry. Strong missions emphasis. Purpose-driven mission statements and ministry directions.
At one time or another, all of the above have been offered as evidence of the presence of true Christianity. But is there a singular, genuine spiritual litmus test for true Christianity, a test in which just one factor determines the presence or absence of true Christianity? Wherever this ‘test’ is passed true Christianity is present and powerfully at work in an individual, family, or community; but wherever this ‘test’ is failed true Christianity is absent, regardless the level of spiritual excitement, spiritual activity, and deeply felt spiritual experiences found there. Could there be such a test?
The Apostle Paul says there is a spiritual litmus test, and what it is may surprise us:
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed” (Gal 1.6-9).
Paul is not mincing words; his tone is more at home in a street fight than in a fellowship hall. Compare the way Paul speaks to the church at Galatia in the passage above to the tone he takes with the church at Corinth:
“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge – even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you…” (1Cor 1.4-6).
In Corinth, the church was plagued by divisions and interpersonal conflict: they were suing each other, pursuing idolatry in various forms, engaging in a level of sexual immorality that embarrassed even those around them who were not Christians, and were drunk at the Lord’s Supper more than they were sober! The church in Corinth was not the model of godly behavior, to put it gingerly. Strangely, however, Paul treats more harshly the church at Galatia for accepting “another gospel” than the morally bankrupt church at Corinth who had not abandoned “the testimony about Christ”, that is, the gospel.
Paul’s tone toward these two communities of Christians indirectly leads us to the spiritual litmus test that he directly identifies in his letter to the Galatians. For Paul, the message of the Gospel is the spiritual litmus test for true Christianity, not the behavior or experiences of its followers. Those who prize, proclaim, and protect the message of the Gospel passed the spiritual litmus test for true Christianity because the Gospel alone is the power of God to save them. Those who had abandoned the message of the Gospel failed the spiritual litmus test and unleashed a false gospel that only sours souls. For Paul the message of the Gospel, more than even outward behavior and experience, is where the Church stands or falls.
Why This One?
Why is holding on to the gospel the spiritual litmus test for true Christianity? The answer is because the Gospel alone is the power of God that brings you into a right relationship with God, grows your relationship with God, continues heart-change in your life, creates community, and empowers you for service and ministry (Rom 1.16).
This is why Paul’s response to the Corinthians’ bad behavior was to preach the power of the Gospel to them. He preached the gospel to a “disorderly” church so that their lives would change and they would increasingly put on display the glory of God. It is also why his response to the Galatians’ departure from the gospel was to hit them hard with a warning: recover the gospel or be ruined. What’s the answer in the case of bad behavior? The gospel. What’s the answer in the case of hardened unbelief? The gospel!
So What Is The Gospel?
OK, so Christianity is not ultimately about behavior or experiences but the power of the gospel. So what’s the gospel?! A good place to start is defining what its not: ask yourself, “Is it something I do or something that happens in me?” If the answer is “Yes”, then it is not the gospel. The gospel is not something found inside of you, nor is it something done by you; in fact it is not natural to you at all. The gospel is found outside of you, and it is something done for you. The movement of the gospel is not upward, something done by you for God; nor is it inward, something done in you; but it is downward from above, something done by God, outside of you, for you.
Lexically “gospel” means “good news.” Good news about what? The answer is the good news about Jesus - his downward incarnation, his life of perfect obedience, his punishing death on the cross, his powerful resurrection, and his present reign. In other words the gospel is the historical events of Jesus and the good message(s) about those events.
In order for Jesus to do for us what he did for us, he had to be like us, human in every way, yet without sin. Thus, the Son of God took humanity on himself, becoming man, the God-man, to represent us to God (the incarnation). In order to make unrighteous people righteous and therefore acceptable to a Holy God, Jesus, the second Adam and perfect man, had to do that which God required of the first Adam and of every human since: perfect loyalty to God. Thus Jesus obeyed the law at every point, offering a perfect life of loyal and loving obedience to the Father, so that his righteousness could be credited to the account of those who are not (the life of perfect obedience). But because of our own disloyalty and disobedience, Jesus had to take on himself the punishment due sin. Thus he humbly underwent the punishing death on the cross, taking the wrath of God in the place of those who deserve it (the cross). Finally, since Jesus life was powerfully perfect, his death was itself victory over Death. Thus, God raised him from the dead, vindicating his worth and work, and God spiritually raised us with him unto newness of life, over which Christ presently reigns (the resurrection and reign). This is the gospel; this is the power of God for salvation! If we hold on to this one thing, we have everything. If we let go of this one thing, we have nothing. That is why it is so important; that is why it is the spiritual litmus test for true Christianity. That is why wherever the gospel is prized, proclaimed, and protected all heaven is unleashed on its hearers.
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