One of the beliefs of Calvinism, to the best of my understanding, is that of Limited Atonement. This is the belief that Christ died only for the elect, or those God predestined for salvation. Others would argue that Christ died for all. Without getting into a lot of theological debate, I say it does not matter as the end result is the same. Christ's death is only effective for those who are saved.
In the preface to the book, Bridges states, "The gospel, though, is only for sinners, for those who recognize their need of it." (Bridges, Jerry. Respectable Sins . NavPress. Kindle Edition.) Again, we could argue that the gospel is for all, but the end result is that the gospel only saves those who accept it. So in that regard, I agree with Mr. Bridges.
So what does this mean? To me, a lot. My understanding of the gospel is it is the good news that Jesus died on the cross to take my place. For that to really have to impact me, I need to understand that not only do I deserve death for my sins, perhaps even a death as gruesome and painful as that of Christ on the cross, but I also deserve the other punishment he took, and that is God turning his back on me, eternal damnation. If you haven't thought about that lately, let that sink in.
I think much of what is preached and responded to today is not the gospel, but the idea that if we accept Jesus we get to go to heaven. The problem with this line of thinking is that it avoids the cross, it avoids our sin, it does not lead to a full appreciation of what Christ did for us on the cross, and therefore does not lead to true repentance. It is a false gospel, or not really the gospel at all.
Do I see myself as a sinner? As one who needs salvation? Am I relying on Christ and what He has done, or am I trying to fix myself? (See this post) Is my life a response to the mercy of God (Romans 12:1), or is my life a continual striving to get things right. Or even worse, do I not strive at all anymore because God has granted me salvation because I accepted a false gospel?
Bridges describes what I believe is a logical consequence of seeing ourselves as wanting to get into heaven, but NOT seeing ourselves as sinners. "Once we trust in Christ, so the thinking goes, we no longer need the gospel." (Bridges, Jerry. Respectable Sins . NavPress. Kindle Edition.) If I believe that once I have accepted Christ I am safe, then the gospel can be put on the shelf. But if, as Bridges also states, "the gospel is a vital gift from God not only for our salvation but also to enable us to deal with the ongoing activity of sin in our lives." (Bridges, Jerry. Respectable Sins . NavPress. Kindle Edition.), then the gospel is something that I must deal with on a continual basis. It is my reason to say, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Phil. 1:21) It is also the reason Paul says a few verses later, "Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ," (Phil 1:27) notice that he says worthy of the gospel of Christ. Not the news that you have a one time get out of hell free pass, but the reality that when Jesus died on the cross he took your place both in dying and in satisfying God's wrath.
Looking forward to reading more.
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