Moralism Isn’t the Only Option

Tullian Tchividjian was recently interviewed by Jonathan Merritt. In the interview Merritt noted that Tchividjian’s work would likely be met with criticism. Here is Tullian’s response:

I’m sure it will get mixed reactions. This isn’t the kind of book that people can feel neutral about. People who are aware of their weakness, failure, smallness, and incompetency will love it. Those who are aware of their desperation love grace and they will find new life and breath in One Way Love. But those who want to believe that they’re strong and competent, capable and sturdy, will be offended. That’s fine.

I bring out this quote to highlight something that I have been noticing recently in all of our discussion on gospel, law, antinomianism, grace, etc. In the above quote it’s as if only two options are given. Either you understand grace and love his book or you “want to believe that you are strong, competent, capable, and sturdy”. There seem to be only two options: bang the center of the gospel djembe (see here) or preach moralism.

There is a third option. That third option is what I hope to spell out today.

The Problem

The central imbalance that I perceive in some of our gospel-centered rhetoric has, I believe, already been summarized well by Kevin DeYoung in his book The Hole in Our Holiness. Speaking of an emphasis on spirit-powered, gospel-driven, faithful-fueled effort, DeYoung closes by saying:

Without this biblical emphasis, we’ll be confused, wondering why sanctification isn’t automatically flowing from a heartfelt commitment to gospel-drenched justification. We’ll be waiting around for enough faith to really ‘get the gospel’ when God wants us to get up and get to work (Phil. 2:12-13). Because when it comes to growth in godliness, trusting does not put an end to trying. (DeYoung, 91)

What has me concerned is that I keep hearing things similar to the frustration that DeYoung mentions. Folks that are really struggling with sin are being counseled to “get the gospel”, as if truths about our justification will automatically produce righteousness. The problem isn’t grounding everything in the gospel. That’s well and good. Do that. Always. But simply reiterating precious gospel truths over a struggling brother or sister is not sufficient. We need the gospel’s root work and axe work.

It is true that rules without reason lead to drudgery. To simply tell people “do more, get better, try harder, get after it” and the like isn’t good gospel preaching. It’s moralism. And it’s not Christian preaching.

But I also agree with Bryan Chapell that “information without application yields frustration” (Christ-Centered Preaching, 56). The truths of the gospel are precious indeed but a man needs to know how to specifically apply them to his marriage. He needs to be taught how to love his wife the way that Christ loved the church. And that doesn’t happen by simply telling him that he is a justified husband. Again I think Chapell is correct:

We are not simply ministers of information; we are ministers of Christ’s transformation. He intends to restore his people with his Word and is not greatly served by preachers who do not discern the transformation Scripture requires or communicate the means it offers. (57)

Moralism isn’t a good option. But neither is gospel proclamation that doesn’t get its hands dirty in the nitty-gritty of every day life.

An example

There are many faithful gospel preachers that can help us to strike the beautiful balance of faithful gospel proclamation. One of these men is Martin Lloyd-Jones. In his commentary on Romans 6 he says this:

There is no better test as to whether a man is really preaching the New Testament gospel of salvation than this, that some people might misunderstand it and misinterpret it to mean that it really amounts to this, that because you are saved by grace alone it does not matter at all what you do; you can go on sinning as much as you like because it will redound all the more to the glory of grace. That is a very good test of gospel preaching. If my preaching and presentation of the gospel of salvation does not expose it to that misunderstanding, then it is not the gospel.

That’s the type of drunk on gospel grace that I believe Tullian and others are promoting. To which I say, Amen! Let us preach grace so full that others charge us with antinomianism and misunderstand and misinterpret grace. But when they misunderstand and misapply we also need to be able to speak like this:

The New Testament calls upon us to take action; it does not tell us that the work of sanctification is going to be done for us…We are in the ‘good fight of faith’, and we have to do the fighting. But, thank God, we are enabled to do it; for the moment we believe, and are justified by faith, and are born again of the Spirit of God, we have the ability. So the New Testament method of sanctification is to remind us of that; and having reminded us of it, it says, ‘Now then, go and do it’”  (Lloyd-Jones in that same commentary on Romans 6 as quoted by DeYoung).

Moralism isn’t the only option to those that want to encourage brothers and sisters to live out the precious gospel of Jesus Christ.