Three ways to live

I am current reading an excellent book “Spiritual Depression” by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. In the book the doctor (that is what he is commonly called) examines various causes of depression among Christians. One of such causes is a lack of understanding of the gospel. To suggest a cure for this problem, he provides a very clear gospel presentation in Chapter II, one of the clearest I have ever seen. Here is a shortened excerpt of the first part of the gospel presentation - conviction of sin. I tried to keep original wording wherever is possible.

The doctor says that lack of understanding of the gospel occurs most often in those who have been brought up in Christian households and hence have taken Christianity for granted. These people go to church, are interested in Christian things, but then you compare them with the New Testament description of the new man in Christ, you immediately see the difference. Indeed, they themselves see that. They read books which are meant to give instruction about the Christian way of life, they attend meetings and conferences, always seeking this something they do not find.

The doctor calls them the miserable Christians, who did not understand the way of salvation. They assumed they were on the right road and all they have to do is to continue along it. But they were on the wrong road! Focusing on sanctification, they did not understand justification. This is the same problem the Jews of New Testament had. They said that all one have to do is to keep the Law, and on this basis God will accept you and be pleased with you.

Yet the correct teaching is that we are saved by faith and not by works. Why so many miserable Christians do not see it? Because they don’t see a need for it. Many people do not see themselves as sinners. That kind of person thinks of sin in terms of action, or what he/she does. Sometimes they put it quite plainly: “I have never really thought about myself as a sinner: but of course this is not surprising as my life has been sheltered from the beginning.” Such people have heard it preached that Christ has died for our sins and they say that they believe that; but they have never really known its absolute necessity for themselves.

Such people need to be convicted of sin. “There is no one righteous, no not one, all have sinned and fell short of the glory of God”. The way to know yourself as a sinner is not to compare yourself with other people (you can always find those worse than you), but come face to face with the Law of God. The Law of God is not just “Do not steal, do not murder”. It is also to love God with all of your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. Here is a test for you and me: “Are you loving God with all your being?”. If not, you are a sinner. You can be innocent of all gross sins and yet be guilty of being satisfied with your life, having pride in your achievements and feeling that you are better than others. If you have never realized your guilt before God you will never have a joy in Christ. “Not the righteous, sinners Jesus came to save”. “They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick”.

I will continue with the second principle in my next post.