I was listening to Tim Keller’s address to the Gospel Coalition from 2007 this afternoon, and he recounted some information he first heard in some audio recordings by David Martyn Lloyd-Jones some time ago. It was very interesting and enlightening, so I thought I would share my notes. (The following is a combination of direct quote and my summary, so any credit belongs to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones or Dr. Keller.)
There is a big difference between advice and news. The gospel is good news, not good advice. Advice is counsel about something to do, that hasn’t happened yet, but you can do it. News is a report about something that has happened, yet you can’t don’t anything about it. It’s already been done for you and all you can do is respond to it.
Consider the example of a king who has gone into battle against an invading army to defend his nation. If he defeats the invading army, he sends a messenger back to the capital city – a bearer of good news. The messenger is very happy because of the news he brings. He announces that “the enemy has been been defeated, we have the victory, and it has all been done for you. Go from here in joy, living in the knowledge of this peace which has been achieved for you.”
But if the king does not win, and the invading army is victorious, the king sends back military advisers. The advisers return and say “the enemy is approaching, there are archers over there, the horsemen are over there – prepare to fight for your lives!”
Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that every other religion sends military advisers to people. Every other religion says that if you want to achieve salvation, you will have to fight for your life. Every other religion is sending advice saying “here are the rites, here are the rituals, here’s the transformation of the consciousness, and here are the laws and the regulations. Prepare to fight for your lives!
But we send heralds! We send messengers and not military advisers! Isn’t that clarifying?
Both the messenger and the military adviser get an enormous response. One is a response of joy and the other is a response of fear. All other religions give advice and they drive everything you do with fear. But as you know, when you hear the gospel – the message that it’s all been done for you – it’s a historical event that has happened! Your salvation is accomplished for you! What do you want to do? You want obey the Ten Commandments, you want to pray, and you want to please the one that did this for you.
If, on the other hand, military advisers say you have to live a really good life if you want to get into heaven, what do you do? You want to pray and serve and you want to obey the Ten Commandments. It looks the same, doesn’t it? But for two radically different reasons: One is joy and the other one is fear. In the short run, they look alike. But in the long run, over here we have burn out and self-righteousness and guilt and all sorts of problems.
So what is the message? Proclaim the gospel! We are ambassadors of this good news. The old adage “preach the gospel, and if necessary use words” is rubbish! The we can only model rote behavior and adherence to laws. The gospel must be proclaimed!
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