There are themes within the book that I think are very solid. The idea that faith comes by hearing the preached word is rock solid. The idea that preaching does not necessarily demand a proper motive rings true, since the power is in the words of the preacher (the gospel or good news) and not the preacher himself. But the Wesleyan influence of overemphasis of the law in evangelism is something that God is leading me away from. I quoted John Wesley in the book - "Preach 90 percent Law and 10 percent grace.” As God has shown me more and more the magnificence of grace I have begun to doubt the truth of that instruction.
This is not to say that the law is not important. Paul makes it clear that only by the law do we know what sin is, how bad it is, and that we need a savior. The problem is that people are already familiar with law. We are bombarded inside and out with thousands of messages of law every single day; I need to lose weight, I would look good in a BMW, I need to handle my finances better, my children are failing, just say no, just do it, stop, yield, my hair looks awful today, thou shalt not commit adultery. Paul says it best in Galations 3:23 – “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.” In other words, law is old hat. Law is this world’s default scheme. It is the four prison walls we have been familiar with all of our lives. We have always felt its pressure and longed for a way out, screaming, "Stop the world, I want to get off!"
So there is nothing truly otherworldly about law, even God’s law. The life experience of the unbeliever is 100% law and 0% grace. So if we are not very careful in handling the law in preaching we can just ratchet it up to 190% law and force people to close their ears off to the 10% grace we plan to preach. To someone who already understands that life is nothing but a long string of messages highlighting their incompetence, more law is simply adding insult to injury.
What is truly otherworldly is the message of grace – the gospel. Law is to be found everywhere in this world, but unconditional love - unmerited favor - do not exist in nature. They are sometimes fabricated in fiction and Hollywood, but are found nowhere in creation. The gospel is good news precisely because it is the only message that does not demand anything from us other than belief. It is the very antithesis of every other message we hear every day. Two years ago I would have said that unless people are terrified by the preaching of law to turn to Christ, they would not turn to Christ at all. Today I can recognize that the whole world lives every moment in abject terror of law, waiting for someone to preach freedom to them. If the preaching of Christ's rescue of sinners from the law is cheap grace in the eyes of the church, so be it. It is the only message that does not belong to this old world, so I'll preach it.
Perhaps it is the importance of the good news to the believer that is convincing me of this. The law still barks bad news sound bites at me thousands of times a day, but I am learning to ignore them in favor of listening for the good news. As I consider the savage attacks of the law on old Adam, I am reminded of what life was like before good news, and I feel a sorrow for those around me who live life without it. I am getting to the point that I no longer want to be just another voice in the bad news choir. I want to run into the street and yell at the top of my lungs “You can be free from the law! Let me tell you the good news!”
God Bless
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