Shrinking the Cross Through Performance

[the doctor]

T H E G O S P E L C E N T E R E D L I F E : W E E K 3
Shrinking the Cross Through Performance


Last week we looked at a model that illustrates what it means to live in light of the gospel. This week we want to look more closely at some of the ways we minimize the gospel and reduce its impact in our lives.
Notice that the top line of the diagram is labeled “Increasing Awareness of God?s Holiness.” As we stated previously, this does not mean that God?s holiness itself is increasing, for God is immutable in his character and has always been infinitely holy. Rather, this line shows that when the gospel is functioning correctly in our lives, our awareness of God?s holy character is consistently growing. We are constantly realizing in fuller and deeper ways the weight of God?s glorious perfections.
One of the most significant aspects of the gospel is our adoption as God?s sons and daughters. When we are united with Jesus by faith, we become children in God?s family. Part of the work of the Holy Spirit is to confirm this adoption within us: “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, „Abba, Father.? The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children” (Romans 8:15-16). Galatians 4:7 says the same thing in different words: “So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.”
But sin creates a deep sense of alienation within us. So even after we trust in Jesus, we are prone to forget who we are. We are prone to revert to an orphan or slave mindset, trying to gain God?s approval by our good works rather than believing that we already have it in Christ. When we fail to root our identity in our adoption as God?s children, we slip into performance-driven Christianity. We live life on a treadmill, trying to gain God?s favor by living up to his expectations (or our mistaken view of them). Performance is one way that we “shrink the cross” in our lives. Living this way saps the joy and delight out of following Jesus, leaving us to wallow in a joyless, dutiful obedience. Our gospel becomes very small.

To reveal your tendency toward performance, pause and answer this question: As God thinks of you right now, what is the look on his face?
Do you picture God as: Disappointed? Angry? Indifferent? Does his face say “Get your act together!” or “If only you could do a little more for me…?”
If you imagined God as anything but overjoyed with you, you have fallen into a performance mindset. Because the gospel truth is: in Christ, God IS satisfied with you. You are united with Jesus! When God looks at you, he sees that Jesus? righteousness has been credited to you (2 Cor. 5:17), so that God treats you according to Jesus? record, not yours. Jesus has perfectly met God?s holy standard, and his obedience has been counted as yours.

Performance-driven Christianity is actually a minimizing of God?s holiness. Think of it this way: if we really understood the infinite majesty of God?s holiness, there?s no way we?d ever think we could live up to his standards! The fact that we try to gain God?s approval by “right living” shows that we?ve reduced his standards far beyond what they actually are. Rather than being awed by the infinite measure of his holy perfection, we have convinced ourselves that if we just try hard enough, we can merit God?s love and approval.
So which comes first? Does forgetting our true identity drive us to performance-oriented Christianity, or does our tendency toward performance cause us to forget our true identity? The answer is: Yes. Our sin is not simple; it is complex. Richard Lovelace explains sin as “an organic network of compulsive attitudes, beliefs, and behavior deeply rooted in our alienation from God.” Sin causes us to forget our identity, which drives us toward performance. And sin tempts us to trust in our own self-effort, which spurs us to act as slaves instead of children.
The way we fight back against the performing tendency of our sinful flesh is to dwell on our true identity as God?s sons and daughters. By faith, we cling to the gospel promise that we are adopted as God?s children. (Memorizing the verses quoted in this article is a good start.) We worship Jesus for perfectly meeting God?s standard on our behalf. We remind ourselves that God is pleased with us because he is pleased with Jesus. Basically, to borrow a phrase from Jerry Bridges, we “preach the gospel to ourselves.” Martin Luther wrote: “Most necessary is it that we know [the gospel] well, teach it to others, and beat it into their heads continually!”
We never outgrow the gospel. As we realize our tendencies toward performance, we must repent of sin and believe anew in the promises of the gospel. This is the consistent pattern of the Christian life – repentance and faith, repentance and faith, repentance and faith. As we walk this way, the gospel will take root more deeply in our souls and the cross will become “bigger” in our day-to-day experience.
GCL 2.4 FALL 2009 Lakeland Presbyterian Church 2009

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