“Like many Emergent Church leaders, [Dan] Kimball invokes a famous line from Francis Assisi that I also heard growing up in conservative evangelicalism: “Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.” Kimball goes on to say, “Our lives will preach better than anything we can say.” (We encounter nearly identical statement from [Joel] Osteen…). If so, then this is just more bad news…because despite my best intentions, I am not an exemplary creature. The best examples and instructions –even the best doctrines– will not relieve me of the battle with indwelling sin until I draw my last breath. Find me on my best day –especially if you have access to my hidden motives, thoughts, and attitudes– and I will always provide fodder for the hypocrisy charge and will let down those who would become Christians because they think I and my fellow Christians are the gospel. I am a Christian not because I think that I can walk in Jesus’ footsteps but because He is the only one who can carry me. I am not the gospel; Jesus Christ alone is the gospel. His story saves me, not only by bringing me justification, but by baptizing me into His resurrection life.”
“Conformity to Christ’s image (sanctification) is the process of dying to self (mortification) and living to God (vivification) that results from being regularly immersed in the gospel’s story of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection…That my life is not the gospel is good news both for me and for my neighbors… We do not preach ourselves but Christ. The good news…is that what we say preaches better than our lives, at least if what we are saying is Christ’s person and work rather than our own. The more we talk about Christ as the Bible’s unfolding mystery and less about our own transformation, the more likely we are actually to be transformed rather than either self-righteousness or despairing.” (P117, 118)
excerpt from "Christless Christianity"
(HT:Nathan White)
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