Evangelical Piety - Part 2

1 Peter 3:14-16 “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.”

Harvard president Derek Bok wrote, the religious institutions no longer seem as able as they once were to impart basic biblical values, which has led to the widespread decline in ethical standards. Today, they do not seek to convey a set of moral truths or demonstrate a deep concern for the problem. The subject is not treated as a serious responsibility worthy of sustained discussion and determined action. It is understandable that we should not pay much attention to moral development in our society if there is no basis in the knowledge of sovereign God and His Holy Word. But, Willard states that the Christ-centered piety of the evangelical tradition provides both the knowledge and the community within which people can find a basis for moral development, because in that tradition they find a solid basis for human life. 

Evangelicalism has three essential marks: belief in the uniquely divine nature of Jesus Christ, in the Bible as the “Word of God”, and in the necessity of a new birth transformation by the Holy Spirit. The three substantive elements of evangelical piety across the ages are: conviction of sin, conversion to a godly life of faith, and testimony to the saving work of God by grace in the soul. “Sin” is defined as: The voluntary departure of a moral agent from a known rule of rectitude or duty, prescribed by God; any voluntary transgression of the divine law, or violation of a divine command; a wicked act; iniquity. Conviction of sin is no longer a popular topic among evangelical Christians, but that is quite a recent development. Yet, without conviction of sin, there is no repentance that leads to Christ, the Blessed Redeemer. No sin or punishment for sins means no conviction, no need for salvation or need for a Savior.  

Father of the Reformation, Martin Luther stated, “The first duty of the gospel preacher is to declare God’s law and show the nature of sin, because it will act as a schoolmaster and bring him to everlasting life which is in Jesus Christ.” English cleric, theologian and evangelist, John Wesley – “Before I preach love, mercy and grace, I must preach sin, law and judgment.” The Prince of Preachers, Charles Spurgeon stated, “They will never accept grace until they tremble before a just and holy law.” American evangelist, D.L. Moody – “God, being a perfect God, had to give a perfect law, and the law was given not to save men, but to measure them.” The Apostle Paul explains in Romans 7:7, “Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law.” God’s Law is the standard by which everything (including every sin) is measured. God’s Law was the standard. Romans 6:23 explains the ultimate truth: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” My Mentor Bill Stiles similarly stated, “You must know what you have been saved ‘from’ before you can understand what you are being saved “to”. What is salvation from? Today, this has been largely disregarded and people do not know sin and its consequences, if it is known at all. Look around, open your eyes and see the lawlessness today. God’s just wrath is on the God rejecting world system of rebellious sin.  Will the Christian church be silent? 

John 3:16-18, 35-36 tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Willard avows that the foundation of evangelical piety, across the ages, remains not only conviction of sin, alienation from God, condemnation, and a sense of eternal loss in hell, but also deliverance from bondage to sin. The evangelical tradition deals at great length with guilt before God and bondage of the will to the practice of sin. Without conviction of sin, there is really no problem for the gospel to solve. Sin is death. Yet “Sin” has totally disappeared as a category of analysis and understanding in “contemporary” cultural. Interpersonal relationships is now the emphasis. Without sin, evangelical religion makes no sense, and the emphasis of that religion upon sin has always been a matter of reproach to it. God’s Law exposes sin and points to the foot of the Cross for redemption and reconciliation. What is salvation to? 1 John 5:11-13 testifies clearly, “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”

Let’s continue this message on the need for “evangelical piety” in the next post.

In Christ, Brian