Recently, the president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. R. Albert Mohler, wrote an article defending why Moralism is not the Gospel. He articulates the reality that in many churches, in the lives of many professing Christians that they think it is. At one point he reflects,
“Writing about his own childhood in rural Georgia, the novelist Ferrol Sams described the deeply-ingrained tradition of being “raised right.” As he explained, the child who is “raised right” pleases his parents and other adults by adhering to moral conventions and social etiquette. A young person who is “raised right” emerges as an adult who obeys the laws, respects his neighbors, gives at least lip service to religious expectations, and stays away from scandal. The point is clear — this is what parents expect, the culture affirms, and many churches celebrate. But our communities are filled with people who have been “raised right” but are headed for hell.”
We need not think long on this quote to understand how sadly truthful it is. At BLBC, will this be said of us? Or by the grace of God, will we be a pillar of truth and a community filled with parents who teach and model the gospel not works-righteousness, a community filled with counter cultural people who have the righteousness of Christ imputed to them, a community filled with redeemed sinners who take the gospel, not moralism, into their schools and work places and their own sanctification and to every tribe and every tongue and every nation.
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
I am thankful for the impact of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, led by a President who preaches and lives out the Gospel. Take time to read his article found at http://www.albertmohler.com/ and posted on September 3 titled “Why Moralism is not the Gospel-And Why So Many Christians think it is”