Most
of the time—during my early years—I only heard one side of the gospel. I heard
that Jesus died on the cross as a payment for my sin, but I never heard that he
lived for me. While I heard that Jesus died the death I should have died, I
never heard that he lived the life I should have lived.
The
point: Jesus has accomplished for us what God has required of us. He lived a
perfect, sinless life, obeying all of God’s commands. That we are declared
“righteous” by God (the doctrine of justification) is a declaration made on the
basis that our sin has been credited to Christ and his righteousness has been credited
to us. We, therefore, stand
accepted by God because of an alien righteousness, received by faith alone.
In
reality, Jesus is our Sunday best. He is our righteousness. God is pleased, not
with the fancy tie I received for Christmas, but with the righteous robes of
his own Son, which I have received by faith alone—a “righteousness from God
that depends on faith” (Phil. 3:9).
Why
does this matter for student ministry?
Because the imputed righteousness of Christ stands as the foundation for
the good news of our being justified by God. In other words, without justification sola fide we don’t have the gospel. If you, like many who have
loved the recent “gospel movement”—The Gospel Coalition, T4G, the GospelProject, among others—want to lead a gospel-driven student ministry, the
imputed righteousness of Christ must take a central place in your teaching and
ministry to students.
Nothing
will free your students from the cyclical shame of sin like knowing and
believing that all of our sin—past, present, and future—has been cast as far as
the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12). Similarly, nothing will spur them on to
holiness and sanctification like knowing and believing that they are simply
living out what they have already been declared: “righteous.” They are not striving
to earn God’s favor; rather, they are striving to please the One who earned
God’s favor for them. The law of
God, then, comes alongside, not to condemn, but as a friend, showing him or her
how he or she can please God.
Nothing
will give your students joy like knowing and believing that their righteousness
isn’t found in being a good student, a good son or daughter, or a good soccer
player. Their righteousness is
found in Christ alone. Indeed,
their hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. Or, in the words of the hymn “Before
the Throne of God Above”
Behold him there the
risen Lamb
My perfect spotless
righteousness
The great unchangeable I
AM
The King of glory and of
grace
One with himself I
cannot die
My soul is purchased by
his blood
My life is hid with
Christ on high
With Christ my Savior
and my God
With Christ my Savior
and my God
May
student ministries across our land embrace and love the doctrine of the
imputation of Christ’s righteousness and may it free youth pastors and parents
from the success-oriented, entertainment-driven models of ministry that
undercut the very message they are seeking to communicate.
If
you are involved in the discipleship of students, reclaim the centrality of the
imputed righteousness of Christ as you teach and equip them. May that, not self-help sola-boot-strapia, provide the true
“gospel” focus of your ministry to students.
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