I am constantly cognizant of the fact that without Jesus Christ I am doomed; that all of humanity is doomed. There is so much performative Christianity preached and proclaimed out there—whether of the mainline progressive variety all the way to the nomist-legalistic variety. This comes through, often, in the evangelical environs; often of the so-called moralistic therapeutic deism type. But also, among the Piper, JMac, and Washer types. The emphasis is on how a purported Christian person is progressing and thus performing in their daily Christian existences. The frame isn’t one of grace, but of performance; of law keeping, of virtual signaling. The problem with all of this, though, is that we can see you and you can see me. It is clear that we are all jacked up sinners every single day of our lives. We sin constantly. Our bodies of death are shot through with the death-blowing effects and actions of sin. It almost seems like people think that if they talk about a performative Christianity (theirs), that they can psychologically lull themselves into believing that in fact they are performing at a level that makes the cut; whatever that level is (nobody really knows).

But if people are honest with themselves, we all must admit that we fail even more than anyone knows. We have thoughts that no one ever sees; except for ourselves and God. Indeed, we might have actions of sin that we keep hidden. And yet, of course, everything is bare before the One to whom we must give account. Do we really believe that God doesn’t see all of our transgressions; whether acted out, or simply thought out? He does! He knows. Remember, He incarnated as a babe in a manger, becoming sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. We had better hope that He has given account for every single one of our sins, and the sins of the entire world, in all of world history; given account in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Indeed, He has! And it is the ground of His life for us in Jesus Christ that will finally get us into His beatific presence. Our intentions aren’t going to in-break us into the heavenlies. Our particular church tradition/denomination, and its respective teachings, aren’t going to bridge the gap between the Father and us. Our performances and law-keepings aren’t going to finally ingratiate us into the bosom of the Father. Indeed, we might die in the midst of an act of sin; or even with thoughts that are sinful. God forbid it! Then what? Does God put our good works performed over the entirety of our lives, up to that point, on His scales of righteousness and see if they outweigh our sinful works? Is that what ultimately determines whether or not we “make the final cut?”

If you listen closely to many pastors, and even theologians, out there today, you will often get the aforementioned sense about justification before God. But it seems exceedingly superficial and phantasmic-like to me. The good works that finally get us into the Eschaton of God’s life are not ours, they are His for us. If you cannot accept that fact then you haven’t yet accepted the Gospel reality. If you sit under teaching that emphasizes what you do for God, albeit in the name of God’s grace in Christ, as the means of eternal salvation before God, then you aren’t sitting under good teaching. The law has been fulfilled for us in Christ all the way down. If you can’t accept that, then you ought to repent and recognize that you haven’t yet accepted the fact that God’s Grace in Christ supersedes anything that we might have done, or might end up doing in our fallen selves. The Gospel ensures that even if we die, potentially in a moment of unrepentant sin, that we still make the cut. Not because of anything we have or haven’t done, but fully because of all that the Father has done for us in the Son by the Holy Spirit. If what I am communicating makes you think that I am proposing some sort of antinomianism or libertinism, please reconsider the Gospel reality. Indeed, the Gospel isn’t a license to sin. But at the same time, it isn’t also a license to beat people into heaven either; including yourself. It is the height of paganism to imagine that we must do anything to be saved before the living God; indeed, it is to trample the blood of Christ underfoot as if a vain thing. May we learn to repose in God’s life for us in Jesus Christ, as our life. And in this reposition may we learn to rest and live in the life of God’s triune life as we are participants with Him, for all eternity, through and in the vicarious humanity of Jesus Christ. May this compel us unto love and good works; indeed, not as a ground for finding favor with God, but as the outward expression of a heart overflowing with a radical love for God in Jesus Christ; indeed, from God’s love, with which He first loved us, that we might love Him, from Him, in Him, in Jesus Christ.