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{"id":32526,"date":"2012-09-17T00:04:49","date_gmt":"2012-09-17T05:04:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/jesuscreed\/?p=32526"},"modified":"2012-09-16T06:13:04","modified_gmt":"2012-09-16T11:13:04","slug":"third-way-gospel-tim-kellers-proposal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/jesuscreed\/2012\/09\/17\/third-way-gospel-tim-kellers-proposal\/","title":{"rendered":"Third Way Gospel: Tim Keller’s Proposal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

$\"\"$ <\/a>Tim Keller proposes a Third Way gospel. And he thinks our era, because it is largely unchurched and Christianity is not our culture, needs a focus on gospel renewal or revival. Revival is needed not just because of our time but also because it focuses on the heart, that is, on personal response to God in Christ. Keller\u2019s chp in\u00a0Center Church<\/em><\/a><\/strong> on the work of gospel renewal (chp 6), has a good sketch of the elements of a Welsh revival small group meeting, and they are elements that personalize the gospel intensely.<\/p>\n

Question: Do you find most people to be \u201cirreligious\u201d or part of Keller\u2019s view of \u201creligion\u201d? Do you think the widespread cultural teaching of unconditional love \u2014 by parents, by pastors, etc \u2014 leads less to religion and more to irreligion? How does the gospel of acceptance by Keller distinguish itself from others who propose a gospel that God loves us? Do the gospel sermons in Acts work the gospel through the theme of performance vs. acceptance on the basis of God\u2019s work for us?<\/strong><\/p>\n

So what is this Third Way gospel? The first way is the way of irreligion, a theme Keller does not focus on so much. Irreligion is ignoring God, and it is widespread in our culture \u2014 in fact, all over the globe. Keller\u2019s pet emphasis in all his gospel preaching and in all the books of his I have read is\u00a0religion. Before I get to his widely-accepted definition (I\u2019ve seen it in Greg Boyd, among emergents, in Billy Graham, etc), I have to say that the term doesn\u2019t work for me because I see Christianity as one of the world\u2019s great religions. I grew up being told that we didn\u2019t have a religion \u2014 like the Catholics and Methodists \u2014 we believed. However this term found its footings, it has, and for now \u201creligion\u201d often means man-centered or man-created religious beliefs and practices.<\/p>\n

So three ways to approach God:<\/p>\n

1. Irreligion: ignore God.
\n2. Religion: perform before God.
\n3. Gospel\/grace: acceptance on the basis of what God has done for us.<\/p>\n

For Keller religion is about performance<\/em>. An exceptionally lucid exposition of Keller\u2019s peformance=religion approach can be found in J.D. Greear\u2019s\u00a0Gospel<\/em><\/a><\/strong> book, a book about which we blogged some time back. Anyway, Keller contrasts religion with gospel, which here means \u201cgrace\u201d and \u201clove\u201d and \u201cacceptance in Christ alone,\u201d and so I want now to sketch Keller\u2019s approach, and first is Religion and after the \u201cvs.\u201d the Gospel.<\/p>\n

Religion: I obey, therefore I\u2019m accepted. vs. Gospel: I\u2019m accepted [by God]; therefore I obey.
\nMotivation is fear and insecurity vs. grateful joy.
\nI obey to get things from God vs. I obey to get God \u2014 to delight in God.
\nWhen circumstances go wrong, anger vs. struggle but knowing God is in control.
\nWhen criticized, furious or devastated vs. struggle but know my identity is in God.
\nPrayer life petition vs. presence with God.
\nSelf view swings from confidence to lacking confidence vs. lost but accepted in Christ. Humility based confidence.
\nIdentity and self worth are achievement based vs. Christ, who he is and what he has done.
\nI produce idols to sustain my hope and confidence vs. not needing idols since Christ is all.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"