Josh Harris has posted an excerpt from his book Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why It Matters
Here’s a snippet:
Genuine orthodoxy–the heart of which is the death of God’s son for undeserving sinners–is the most humbling, human-pride smashing message in the world. And if we truly know the gospel of grace it will create in us a heart of humility and grace toward others. Francis Schaeffer, a Christian writer and thinker from the 20th century, modeled this kind of profound compassion. He genuinely loved people. And even as he analyzed and critiqued the culture he did so “with a tear in his eye.”
That is humble orthodoxy. It’s standing for truth with a tear in your eye. Telling your friend living in sexual sin that you love them even as you tell them their sexual preference is disobedient to God. It’s remembering that angry, unkind, opponents of the gospel are human beings created in the image of God who need the same mercy God has shown you.
Is he saying that Genuine orthodoxy IS the death of God’s Son for sinners? It kind of sounds like it.
When you linked to this from facebook I was expecting to see that the message of Christ is what is most humbling and pride smashing. I don’t think you are saying “Don’t be an arrogant jerk” and then you will smash pride, but rather Christ’s death accomplishes that goal. But it sounds like Joshua Harris is making the two synonymous?
I don’t know why I’m confused. I feel I shouldn’t be.
I love the concept though, and try and remind myself of it, even though these days I’m trying to hold to more of a “humble heresy” principle as I fumble my way through college… ;-)