The Gospel is Relational (not merely legal)
This past Easter, I had a conversation where someone made a statement that struck me as provocative: “The most important thing was Christ’s death on the cross, because without that sacrifice our sin couldn’t be paid for.” The reason this stood out to me was that I had recently been studying 1 Corinthians 15, where Paul specifically emphasizes the importance of the resurrection. This elevation of the cross over the empty tomb confused me. Would we still call Good Friday “good” if we didn’t also have Easter Sunday?
As I’ve contemplated their statement, I think it reveals a partial misunderstanding of the gospel. Is the gospel only about getting our sins forgiven, and could a merely crucified Savior accomplish that? Or is the end goal of the gospel about something more—namely, life with a risen Savior?
Our Legal Focus
For years, many pastors and teachers have sought to simplify the gospel for ease of understanding, but have accidentally reduced it to “you sinned, so you need Jesus’ death to be forgiven.” This anemic version of the “narrow gospel” has inevitably produced converts who understand the legal ramifications of Christ’s work, but who stop there. If the gospel is just a legal exchange of sin and righteousness, then why would anyone need a lifelong relationship with Christ?
For example, if I owe a large debt to a bank, and someone I don’t know pays that off on my behalf, I may express gratitude to them and even interact with them personally to truly thank them, but I wouldn’t expect to talk to that person every day. I wouldn’t expect them to become a part of my everyday life just because they paid my debt.
There is a difference between accepting a gift and experiencing a changed life. Jesus is more than a good man who’s paid our debt, he is the Almighty King who has conquered death and gives life. Through his life, death, and resurrection, he demonstrates himself worthy of more than simple gratitude. Jesus is worthy of our surrender and allegiance and invites us to experience a transformed life in him.
This points to the problem that results from viewing the gospel as just a legal transaction. It’s not surprising that those same students mentioned above often talk about how they need to be grateful to God, and even view their good works as a form of paying thanks. But something is missing from their view of the gospel.
The Beauty of a Relational God
The missing piece of this misunderstood gospel is a clear portrayal of God’s work as relational. This enhances the legal aspect and makes this “good news” even better than a “Not Guilty!” Verdict.
When we consider Christ’s incarnation, we see the transcendent God take on flesh to dwell among us (John 1:14). God wants to be with His people, where they are, eternally! What we need to make sure our students see is that it is because of Jesus’s resurrection we can experience life with him eternally! A dead sacrifice cannot bring about the life God promises; only a resurrected and conquering King can do that.
As we expand our view of the gospel further to include creation and future glorification, we see this relational thread every step of the way. God created us to live in personal communion with him, and full restoration of that communion is what awaits us in the future.
John’s vision in Revelation 21:3 illuminates this clearly: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’” The reason God paid the greatest penalty on the cross was love. It’s also why He rose from the grave. The empty tomb means the love of God is not an abstract concept. The atonement achieved on the cross was not simply intended to wipe our slates clean, but to restore us into fellowship with God.
How Then Shall We Pastor?
Here are two brief suggestions to help our students see the gospel as both legal and relational.
1. Examine Our Own Experience
First, we must check our own hearts and minds. Do we experience daily life with Christ? Do we view Christ as a way to pay for our sin and grant us a ticket to heaven, or do we see the exalted King who invites us to be with him? Do we neglect the relational component of the gospel in our ministry because we struggle to give up control of our own lives? We cannot impart what we don’t have ourselves. If our view of the gospel has become too narrow or simple, we may need to adjust our schedule and priorities to remind ourselves of exactly how and why Christ did what He did, to experience the fullness of life with Christ that’s available to us. Thanks be to God that he works through our weaknesses and completes what He has begun in us.
2. Clearly Cast the Gospel
As self-proclaimed “youth pastor theologians,” many of us likely tend to focus on a lot of study to teach with theological depth. That is a great thing and is often lacking among today’s youth ministries. At the same time, if we are not careful, our desire can create an imbalance in our discipleship efforts and obscure the beautiful simplicity of the gospel. May we continue to work diligently in our preparation and teaching, while at the same time clearly and passionately present the whole gospel to our students. If we focus on teaching penal substitutionary atonement or double imputation without also placing the relational heart of the gospel before our students, we’re doing them a disservice.
Christ’s sacrificial work on the cross is a wonderful thing to celebrate. It is the fullest expression of God’s love for us. But thank the Lord that the gospel is not simply about being forgiven of our sin from a wrathful God - we are brought into his heart, united with Christ, and restored into fellowship with God through our risen Savior.