Graceland: Where The Authentic Live Out The Gospel

Never before has the church needed to be clearer on our message. We must get our messaging right. What is the gospel? What is this gospel that we share and live out? What is the practice of gospel life? I think one of my favorite names for a church is Grace Gospel Church. Those two words in that name go together; grace and gospel. Ours is a gospel of grace. In Christ we experience the unmerited favor of God. We are all Adam’s children. We love credit. We love to “earn it.” We love the satisfaction of a well-earned achievement. It appeals to our penchant to have a high view of ourselves and our ability. Our pride gets in the way of appreciating grace. The terms that Augustus Toplady spoke of in the Rock of Ages are not natural to us, “Nothing in my hand I bring…”. There are many “gospels” in our ears inviting us to follow. Then our high view of ourselves and getting credit lead us down roads of crafting a gospel that is Jesus plus us and the contribution that we are making to get this salvation-thing accomplished. But isn’t the gospel just Jesus…period? The apostle Paul pens Galatians urging the church to be clear on the gospel; clear in how it is framed and understood and, just as important, in how it is lived out. Are we into grace-based living at Calvary? Are we a grace gospel place? Or do we have legal hearts that seek to endear ourselves to our Lord through more exploits of obedience? Or does holiness develop and emerge from our sinful hearts, now forgiven, in moment by moment responses to grace? Isn’t Graceland the place our hearts have longed for all along? We’ll take a tour through Graceland in the book of Galatians and hopefully get lost…and never leave.