6. Two Gospel Lenses
It takes two (perspectives) to engage the gospel.
There are two lenses through which we can read Scripture but it takes both to fully understand and engage the Gospel in all of life.
#1 is the Power of the Gospel or viewing the Bible thematically
#2 is the Purpose of the Gospel or viewing the Bible as story
Both together help us see God, the world, ourselves, and others rightly
Lens 1: Power of the Gospel
This lens views the Bible thematically and emphasizes the good news that God is aware of our sin problems, and in and through the work of Jesus Christ, accepts us and recreates us by the power of the Spirit.
The key themes this lens helps us see are:
God: God is eternal, all-powerful Creator
Sin: Sin is self-rule chosen over obedience to God. The penalty for sin is separation from God, and ultimately death.
Jesus: Jesus is God incarnate, come to die as a substitute for us under the penalty of sin.
Faith: Faith is trust and reliance in what Jesus did. We are saved by faith and not by any accomplishment of our own.
Lens 2: Purpose of the Gospel
This lens views the Bible as a story and emphasizes the good news that God sent His Son to redeem the world from the effects of sin, and to restore all people, places, and things to the way He originally created them. In this larger story, rebellion, dead, decay, injustice, and suffering will all be removed. When everything is restored, God will be seen by all for who He truly is, and He will be glorified. We will experience the Kingdom of God in the fullest sense.
The key movements this lens helps us see are:
Creation
Fall
Redemption
Restoration
Gospel distortion.
When we view the world and the gospel through one lens only, we risk distorting the gospel.
Viewed only as the power that sets us free: the gospel becomes human-centered, only about personal salvation (get out of hell and go to heaven)
Viewed only as the purpose to restore all things: the gospel becomes service-oriented, without proclamation of sin, repentance, and salvation
When we view the world and the gospel through both lenses, we restore the fulness of the gospel.
The gospel places our salvation squarely on the work of Jesus, a Savior that redeems and restores us
The gospel sends us to be the body of Jesus, a family that redeems and restores the world
The world gets both: to see a demonstration of restoration and to hear a proclamation of good news
We are called to both proclaim the good news and demonstrate.
Scripture to discover
Look at the Scripture below and see if you can identify where both proclamation and demonstration show up:
2 Corinthians 5:17-19
Then ask where you “trend” in your different relationships — towards proclamation or demonstration:
Others in my family: _____
Neighbors: _____
Other Christians: _____
Co-workers: _____
Finally, ask what it would look like to re-balance the scale and bring both proclamation and demonstration to bear in these relationships.
Questions to discuss
Grab a blank sheet of paper and write a few thoughts in response to these questions. When you gather as a GC, you can draw on these responses in your discussion.
Which perspective (or lens) on the gospel are you most familiar with? How often have you heard the gospel presented from both perspectives?
Who or what does the first lens seem to focus on most? Who or what does the second lens seem to focus most on? What changes as you add both lens together?
If the purpose of the gospel is ultimately to restore and recreate all things, how might God want to use you/us to accomplish that?
Where are 5 places or things that seem “broken” in our community? How could we display the gospel in these areas?
Who are 2-3 people or families in our community that do not know the gospel? How could we proclaim or share the gospel with them?
Thoughts to engage
Grab a blank sheet of paper and write a few thoughts in response to these questions. These get more into your experience of the Gospel and may be something you can discuss with others in your GC.
The gospel is not just about my individual happiness or God’s plan for my life. It is about God’s plan for the world. How have I viewed it? How do I need to change my perception of it?