Who said this...?

[olger]

"Getting Weak on Gospel Light

It seems light is the popular term in everything that has to do with less fattening foods. Light salad dressing , light margarine, light peanut butter. To make something light you leave certain things out and substitute. Less oil, more water. Less sugar, more artificial sweetener.

Some would like to do the same with the gospel. The terms are different but the concept is the same. Away with anything too heavy (obedience) and in with something lighter—like love and forgiveness (grace). By tipping the scales awy from a balanced view you get gospel light.

Much of the professed Christian world have accepted a concept of Christian living that puts most of the emphasis on forgiveness of sin, acceptance and God’s understanding; all elements of grace. But the idea of needing to change out thoughts and actions to conform with a set of divine rules for living has often been relegated to negative territory called legalism.

What’s left is a gospel that includes forgiveness but does not require any conduct change. The empahis is on relationships—and while having a relationship with Jesus is all important it is not something to be lift open to personal definitions. Gospel light is a carefree gospel with none of the sacrifice of having to change my lifestyle.

Trouble is, It does not exist.

While God is loving forgiving and merciful, and does want a close relationship with us, He also understands the nature of sin rather well. The heart of sin is selfishness, everyone doing what pleases themselves with little thought of how it impacts others. After Jesus forgives our sins he calls for us to make changes in our thoughts to harmonize with His (Romans 12:2).

Changing our behaviour is hard work. It means denying ourselves some earthly pleasures, giving up some things we hold dear and at time being very out of sync with people around us (Romans 7:24). That is the full gospel that builds spiritual heavyweights.. It is a lifelong process of change made possible by the holy spirit—a process called obedience and sanctification (Ephesians 4:22-24). It is just as impossible for God to have a heaven of joy and peace with everyone doing things as they please as it is to have a peaceful earthly society without rules. I pay taxes according to the amount that I choose, I pay utility bi8lls according to my own rates. I even drive by my own rules, knowing that the judge will always understand my excuses and forgive the fine. I steal a little, curse a little, lie a little, and commit a little adultery. Since the Law of God no longer applies to me, and I am under grace I am always forgiven, and there are no negative consequences. Sound ridiculous? Yet, this is exactly the philosophy I hear from some Christians.

Here is the Truth.

And now, just as you have accepted Christ Jesus your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to Him. Let your roots grow down into Him and drae up nourishment from Him so you will gro in faith, strong in the truth you were taught. Let yuour lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and from the evil powers of this world, rather than on Christ."

[olger]

It is Tom Mostert. The president of socal SDA Conference. Not bad for socal, in fact it's quite good.

olger

[LynnDel]

Elder Mostert is the President of the Pacific Union Conference. From my observation, he is a good man.

LynnDel

[Jeannieb43]

I agree, LynnDel.

Olger, where is this quotation found?

I know Eld. Mostert writes a President's Page each month in the Pacific Union Recorder. Is this perhaps taken from one of those essays?

[Nicodema]

Quote:

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olger said:

Some would like to do the same with the gospel. The terms are different but the concept is the same. Away with anything too heavy (obedience) and in with something lighter—like love and forgiveness (grace). By tipping the scales awy from a balanced view you get gospel light.

Much of the professed Christian world have accepted a concept of Christian living that puts most of the emphasis on forgiveness of sin, acceptance and God’s understanding; all elements of grace. But the idea of needing to change out thoughts and actions to conform with a set of divine rules for living has often been relegated to negative territory called legalism.

What’s left is a gospel that includes forgiveness but does not require any conduct change.

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I can think of something far worse:

A gospel that emphasizes conduct change and neglects to emphasize that this kind of deep heart-transformation which results in external changes can ONLY come from the direct action of GOD HIMSELF working inside a person.

It is THIS, more than anything else, that leads to the "unbalanced backlash" against which the author of this piece bases his complaint above. People are sick and weary of hearing the BAD news that they'd better be good OR ELSE. They desperately need the GOOD news of forgiveness AND the GOOD news that "wonder-working power" is available for ALL their character-transformation and conduct-correction needs.

Am fed up with more excuses being made for laying heavy burdens grievous to be borne without bringing the YOKE that is EASY and making the BURDEN LIGHT into the picture. That YOKE is CHRIST. HE bears the burden of transforming us and changing us. We CANNOT bear it ourselves. NEWS FLASH: the Gospel is NOT some new repackaging of rugged individualism, pull-self-up-by-own-bootstrap-ism or social Darwinism. Transformation IN Christ, BY CHRIST ALONE, is the radical solution we need ... NOT more "BAD NEWS".

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The emphasis is on relationships—and while having a relationship with Jesus is all important it is not something to be lift open to personal definitions. Gospel light is a carefree gospel with none of the sacrifice of having to change my lifestyle.

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And yet in order to have positive and RIGHT relationships with God and with other people, character-transformation by CHRIST IN YOU is the very thing that is needed -- so pitting the one against the other is a false dichotomous construct and as such, invalid. Straw man.

Quote:

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The heart of sin is selfishness, everyone doing what pleases themselves with little thought of how it impacts others. After Jesus forgives our sins he calls for us to make changes in our thoughts to harmonize with His (Romans 12:2).

Changing our behaviour is hard work ...

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On the contrary, it is precisely BECAUSE the heart of sin is selfishness, that we tend to do what we please and not care how it impacts others, and that a change is needed but changing our behavior is "hard work" that CHRIST is what is needed. It is CHRIST ALONE Who can truly change us because only HE can change us from the inside out. When we sweat and struggle and grit our teeth and muster up our "will power" and screw ourselves into knots trying to "be good" we are doomed to two types of failure:

(1) total failure (and thus discouragement, and thus despair in the end, losing hold of our faith and salvation); or WORSE:

(2) apparent success -- outwardly (thus leading to spiritual pride, self-righteousness, superior attitude over others, etc. and a host of related "secret" sins that will go undetected unless God acts in drastic measure to knock us off our imaginary pedestals!!)]

Again it is not more heavy greivous burdens, more "BAD NEWS THAT YOU BETTER BE GOOD OR ELSE" that we need. Away with this discouraging, soul-wrecking bondage. What we need more of is the power of Jesus Christ in our lives. Not more of our own efforts and our own "power".

Quote:

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It is just as impossible for God to have a heaven of joy and peace with everyone doing things as they please as it is to have a peaceful earthly society without rules. I pay taxes according to the amount that I choose, I pay utility bi8lls according to my own rates. I even drive by my own rules, knowing that the judge will always understand my excuses and forgive the fine. I steal a little, curse a little, lie a little, and commit a little adultery. Since the Law of God no longer applies to me, and I am under grace I am always forgiven, and there are no negative consequences. Sound ridiculous? Yet, this is exactly the philosophy I hear from some Christians.

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Oh yes, the favorite Adventist bogeyman: the "no wiggle room" God, the exacting dictatorial tyrant ready to pounce on you for every infraction, real OR IMAGINED ... sure, we need more of that. That will really result in changed lives. Sure. Right.

Put down the Koolaid and back away slowly.

[olger]

Yes it was, Jeannie.

All the best to you,

gcw