This chapter details a conversation between Dan and Markus, one of Neil's "knowing" friends. This is a meaty conversation with a lot that we could focus on, but I want to get right to the heart of the matter.
"Well, what you said a minute ago sounds like salvation by works. Good people are saved, and bad people are not - at least not yet. But justification by grace through faith, isn't that at the heart of the gospel?"
He replied, "Well, it certainly is at the heart of the modern Western gospel. But at the heart of Jesus' gospel was the Kingdom of God, which certainly includes justification by grace and all the rest. So I'm not denying salvation by grace, no, no, not at all. It's all by grace. I'm just advocating judgement by works.
I literally snapped my head in his direction. "What?"
"Salvation by grace, judgement by works. There's nothing in the Bible clearer than those two realities. Of course, you have to define salvation in Jesus' way, not just modern Western Christianity's."
Back in our notes to Chapter 13 I warned there would be more about "works". Well, welcome to Chapter 22. When I first read this section my heart just about burst out of my chest. It's like working on a puzzle and finding the one piece that connects about 10 other pieces. A whole section falls into place.
"Salvation by grace, judgement by works."
Go ahead... catch your breath.
Get a glass of water if you need it. We'll wait.
I'm leaving out some of the details... where Markus talks about Western Christianity being the religion of empire, and how leaving the theology of empire behind can change your understanding of salvation and judgement for the better.
Here's the key sentence:
"I didn't realize that being judged isn't the same as being condemned and that being saved means a lot more than not being judged."
I suspect that some of us will need to chew on this for a while. Remember that judgement does not equal condemnation. I too believe even the saved will be judged. The reason many may choke on that thought is our incredibly narrow Western definitons of "saved" and "judged".
Even as I am freed from worrying about salvation, I am not freed from concerning myself with the issues of the world that concerned Jesus. (This is the same thinking that generated my question - not many have responded to it - in my thoughts on Chapter 19.)
After all, I don't believe that Jesus will simply check my hand at the door to make sure I've got the stamp.
I think he's going to show an interest in what I did while I was in line.
"...being judged isn't the same as being condemned... being saved means a lot more than not being judged."
Interesting indeed...
Mike, aren't you agreeing with a rather large segment of the conservative church?
Many have been saying that they're not being judgmental about certain behaviors, that they're simply pointing out that it's wrong (or right), that they're not being condemning...
How will you and the Brian McLaren's of the world deal with this... inconsistency...
Or will that segment of the conservative church be let off the hook (finally)?
Posted by: RickinVa | May 12, 2005 at 11:26 AM