Good News, not Good Advice

We are all bombarded with self-help programs; programs to treat violent anger, addiction, and other behavioral abnormalities. Sometimes our anger management classes bump into our 12-Step AA and NA schedules. If we are not in group therapy, we are in book clubs that discuss Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Most of these give good advice and counsel. But let’s not mistake good advice for the Good News of Jesus.

Jesus claims that He is the Son of God and the only way to the Father. He is the One who became flesh, was crucified, and rose from the dead. Jesus bridges the gap between sinful humanity and a perfect God. Christ became sin for all of us so that we might be able to live with God for eternity. He paid our debt.

The Good News of Jesus is similar to the New York Times, in that the newspaper shares accounts of events that actually happened—fact not fiction. And Jesus is not fiction. He lived, He loved, He died and He rose from the dead…fact, not fiction.

Jesus is not a self-help guru. To see Jesus as an ancient psychiatrist would be to miss His power and life-changing mission. Many of us prefer the self-help version of Jesus because it allows us to pick and choose which advice to follow. It permits us to keep the rules we like and discard the ones that complicate our lifestyles. It lets us try to save ourselves, rather than surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives.

Imitating Jesus’ commands and life choices is a good thing, but it is not good enough. He wants surrender, not imitation. Bending a knee in total surrender to the living person of Jesus as Savior and accepting His grace is the only way to salvation. This is the cornerstone lesson from the life of Jesus.