 Almost any genuine Bible-believing Christian will be able to articulate we are saved by grace not through our works. Salvation by grace is a uniqueness to Christianity not seen in any other world religion or philosophy. But in many instances the Christian church is missing something: we love our doctrine of grace, but we can be horrible at fostering a culture of grace.
By “culture of grace” I mean the church becomes a place “where good things happen to bad people” (The Gospel, Ray Ortlund Jr., p. 39). Look at that closely: a culture of grace is a place where good things happen to bad people. As professing Christ-followers, we can be so quick to tear each apart. In fact, I’m convinced the greatest threat to the church isn’t the LGBT movement. It’s our own internal gossip, back-biting, and critical spirits. Francis Schaeffer shared this concern. In explaining what he thinks is needed for a church to be gospel-centric, he writes, “…if we do not show beauty in the way we treat each other, then in the eyes of the world and in the eyes of our own children, we are destroying the truth we proclaim” (2 Contents, 2 Realities). Gospel doctrine boldly, clearly, and repeatedly proclaimed ought to lead to gospel culture experienced. Gospel + Safety + Time isn’t just theology we ought to believe and verbalize. It’s a culture we should experience every time we get together.
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