The Tip of the Spear

Think of a spear:  See it in mid-flight, piercing through the air with streamlined efficiency.  See the spear hurtling toward a target with precision and deadly grace.  And behold its uncompromising ability to overwhelm its target as it penetrates and then comes to rest.

And then think of the tip of this spear:  it is the tip that guides the whole process.  It is the tip that points the direction, that divides the air in flight, and that ultimately pierces the prey.  Without the tip--there is no spear.

And now I want you to think of the Gospel.  Yes, that's right, the Gospel, the 'Good News' that Christians always talk about.  It is a phrase often heard, but often misunderstood.  It has become a catch-all phrase for anything that seems to be related to Christian life that is generally `good`.  It could be something that makes you feel good; or something that seems pleasant.  It has slowly become an amorphous sentiment--and that is not enough.

Because the Gospel is the tip of the spear.

It is that which moves with streamlined efficiency as it addresses the obstacles that stand in its way.  It is precise and deadly accurate as it moves with intent toward its goal.  And it is uncompromising as it penetrates its target and accomplishes the tasks it is assigned.

The Gospel is `dual-core` to borrow from the computer world.  One of its cores is theological and the other is based on practical application.  Its theological component states clearly what it is about:  the Gospel is Jesus` sinless sacrifice of His life on the cross to make atonement for humanity`s sins and the purchase peaceful relationship with God for those who by faith accept Jesus` sacrifice on their behalf.  In this, the `Good News` is the now possible forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life and not death.

And the practical component of the Gospel is how it directs life:  this `tip of the spear` provides a clear dividing line between two extremes.  On the one hand is the religious extreme of legalism, which is continually telling people that they must live more moral lives in order to find favor with God.  The other extreme is antinomianism which says that because Christians are saved already it doesn't really matter how we live or the choices we make.

The ancient church father Tertullian recognized these extremes and said `Just as Jesus was crucified between two thieves, so the gospel is ever crucified between these two errors.`

I think he was right.

But what I think has happened today is that the reigning cultural sense of relativism has caused us to stop trying to figure out how the gospel actually functions between these two competing ideologies and because now it is perceived that `there is no real truth anymore`  then why would we try and figure it out?  When this happens the tip of the spear is lost and the flight and purpose of the Gospel becomes very unclear.

I'm thankful that God, in His power and wisdom, promises to accomplish everything He has in mind regardless of the struggles and weaknesses of humanity.  Our inability to always understand clearly the purpose and power of the Gospel is one of the reasons that the Gospel exists in the first place! 

God provides Good News to us in order to save us from ourselves.  And we should be thankful that He is providing this direction and help that we so desperately need.

But this is my closing thought:  If God has provided such a wonderful gift in the Gospel of salvation, then wouldn't it be appropriate to respond to it?  We should be motivated by God's desire for His children to 'make disciples of all nations' because of this Good News that is a spear that is designed to pierce the heart of every human being.  We should be motivated by the love that is expressed to us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to invest ourselves with all our hearts, mind, soul and strength.

To do any less is not worthy of this great Gospel gift.

So lets avoid both extremes:  let us not allow apathy and indifference settle into our souls because we believe that the Gospel means that 'there is nothing left for us to do'---that is a lie and it prevents us from participating in the Great Commission.  And let us also avoid the error of thinking that the Gospel message is something that we must earn through our efforts. Instead, let's consider what it would mean to live a life that is infused with the love of Jesus, and to be filled with a desire to serve our Lord with everything we've got, in response to what He has already done for us.

BT