The Gospel

Wednesday, our first full day with the students, was a lengthy day of meetings. Among many topics covered from their jobs at Disney to project policy, was the Gospel. It's so easy for me to ignore my continual need for the Gospel and treat it more as just an "entry point" and get caught up in living a "religious" lifestyle. I'm excited as we get to know the students here, to walk together with them through the Gospel as I continue to seek that out in my own life.

I love the way Mark Driscoll explains the Gospel vs. Religion. It's such a great reminder for me and something I love to share with students. He says:

Religion is "a way" of seeing God - it says that God says, "If you obey me, then I will love you, so try harder".

Gospel says, because God loves you, you want to obey Him. He already loves you, so you don't need to try and earn it.

Religion sees people as good and bad.

Gospel says God is good and loves us - we're bad, all of us. It's about sinners who repent and sinners who don't.

Religion is about "getting from God" - the prosperity gospel

Gospel says you're going to get God.

Religion sees hardship as punishment - God must be punishing.

Gospel doesn't see hardship as punishment - Jesus paid our debt - Hebrews does say that God gives us corrective discipline like a good dad would.

Religion talks about what I have done for God.

Gospel says this is what God has done for me.

Religion ends up in pride or despair.

Gospel ends in joy, it's about what He's done, it's not about what I have done or what I do.