The Better Gospel

The next time you're at your local Christian bookstore, pick up a hymnal and take a look in the back. There is almost always a Topical Index. Every hymnal I've ever seen has sections for things like "The Cross" or "Jesus, Crucifixion" or "The Blood", and sometimes multiple combinations thereof. And there is no shortage of listings for these topics. There are titles like "Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed", "Beneath the Cross of Jesus", "In the Cross of Christ I Glory", "O, Sacred Head Now Wounded", and "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross". There are whole groups on the last week of Jesus's life, His crucifixion, the cross, and His resurrection. It is not a small topic in the classical hymns of yesterday.

Now pick up one of the more contemporary song books. They might also have a topical index. And when you look for the same topics ... you won't likely find them. For some reason, the number of contemporary praise songs that focus on the Crucifixion is pretty close to zero. There is precious little on the blood, crucifixion, and even resurrection of Christ. There is much on how much we love Him, but almost nothing on the suffering of the cross itself.

This is confusing to me. Holding this information in one hand, I compare it to Paul's statement in the other: "I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2). So while our modern praise songs have almost entirely neglected the topic, Paul considered it almost the exclusive topic of his interest. Indeed, when he explains his version of the gospel, he puts it this way:

I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:3-4).

The Crucifixion of Christ is core to the gospel. Is it possible, then, that we've managed, as illustrated by our modern song selections, to come up with a better gospel?

Perhaps it is necessary. Paul warned us that "the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Cor. 1:18). All that "sin" thing is really offensive (read "judgmental") to many people. I mean, sure, Paul devoted the first 3 chapters of his letter to the Romans to drive home the problem with sin, but that was Paul. Maybe we've figured out that it doesn't have to be that way.

Instead, we've managed to shift the focus. We have something better to offer. We have a warm, friendly God with a loving Son who wants to solve our problems and salve our wounds. His primary concern is meeting our felt needs. What God is really concerned about is that we be happy. This, indeed, is good news. It's certainly a lot easier to take than that "blood of Christ", "death on the cross, or "die to self" stuff. Now, we don't need to go so far as the "health and wealth" group because, let's face it, the facts don't seem to support that extreme. But we really like the "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life" gospel far better than the "You're a sinner and without the death of the perfect Son of God you're without hope" kind of gospel. If only the Apostles had been able to pick up on this "new and improved" gospel. No telling how far advanced the Church would be, being friendlier with the world than it was back then.