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Gospel Sanity in an Insane World
The gospel and its entailments are our very grounds for sanity as we navigate a world of upheaval.
One of my ministerial and theological pet peeves is when Christians, especially pastors, respond to contentious societal issues with a glib “that’s a gospel issue.” I’ve seen this response offered to racial disputes, political disputes, and just about every other kind of controversy that threatens to divide the church. While I suspect that the intent of this response is to acknowledge the underlying sinful and broken realities that cause these controversies, the impression it gives is that of shrugging off real-world pain and responsibilities with a pat answer. This response actually seems to make the gospel appear less relevant and practical in difficult real-world scenarios.
This response is frustrating because the gospel of Jesus is being used as a “get out of controversy free” card by Christians who don’t want to delve into the complexities of human experience and conflict. Beyond this frustration, flippantly referencing “the gospel” is infuriating because by doing so, people obscure the reality that the gospel of Jesus does, in fact, apply to every situation in deep, meaningful, personal ways. The gospel is not a “blah” blanket to throw over every contentious issue. But rather the means by which Christians can sanely, lovingly, calmly navigate them.
When I say that the gospel applies deeply and personally to every situation, I mean more than just that every person needs to be saved by Jesus, although this is true. D.A. Carson wrote about the gospel and its “entailments,” explaining that the gospel itself is the good news of salvation through the accomplishments of Christ, and the entailments of the gospel are the tendrils of good that come about because of the gospel. So, the gospel applies to every contentious, painful, and complicated societal and personal issue through its entailments—the working of justice, loving our neighbors, being made whole, finding peace, etc.
This means that the gospel and its entailments are our very grounds for sanity as we navigate a world of upheaval. How is this so?
The Insane World
Consider those things that so often leave us confused, overwhelmed, and utterly helpless.
- Political crisis, division, and vitriol
- Gender and sexuality confusion, loss of ethics
- A general abandonment of virtue and morals
- Global conflict and wars
- Injustice and the celebration of evil
- Failing and falling church leaders
- Personal betrayal
- Family dysfunction and pain
All of these can easily lead us to anxiety, fear, rage, and helplessness. All of these can become objects of our fixation, dominating our thoughts, emotions, and beliefs. All of these can even distract us from our true calling as pastors, to preach the gospel of Jesus and to shepherd his flock. Instead, though, we can turn to the gospel and its entailments to find ballast for our hearts and minds—to find sanity.
The Gospel’s Connectivity and Applicability
The gospel (and its entailments, but for brevity I am just going to say “the gospel”) provides personal sanity when we feel unmoored, upside down, tossed, and attacked. It tells us who we are in Christ—sons and heirs, deeply loved, sealed by the Holy Spirit. It reminds us that we are image bearers of God and emissaries for His kingdom. And it gives us a moral and ethical plumb line against which we can measure our hearts and actions.
The gospel provides corporate sanity for the church (so long as pastors boldly and clearly proclaim it) by reminding us that we are the family of God, adopted children. In fact, the church is an entailment of the gospel—God’s designed and designated institution to bring His good news to the world and represent Jesus in the world. And the gospel reminds us that Christ is our Great Shepherd, so we follow and depend on Him and Him alone.
And the gospel provides sanity for believers in a broader global and societal context, too. When we look around a world seemingly intent on tearing itself apart and glorifying evil, how can we not be overwhelmed and perplexed? But we remember 2 Corinthians 4:7-10:
Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body.
The gospel is our treasure and our sanity. It reminds us that Jesus will return to judge and to usher in His perfect kingdom once and for all. It reminds us that vengeance is the Lord’s, so every injustice and evil will receive its just due. And it reminds us that Jesus will make all things new. So, the gospel gives us hope as we navigate a fallen and tumultuous world.
These are not mantras we remember and recite. Nor is the promise of the gospel and its entailments some insubstantial positivity, some mere perspective shift. The gospel creates the reality in which we live and minister as calm, happy, peaceful, firm people of God. The gospel is the rock on which we stand as the waves of the world’s tempest break against it. In the world, “sanity” looks like self-dependence and unfettered emotive response to every problem. In Christ, sanity is strong faith, serene hearts, and bold proclamation of His gospel to a world that needs true sanity.
