Gospel Motivation

I could say much more about internet use, but I have the privilege of attending the Gospel Coalition Women's Conference this weekend, and I'm hoping that in the coming weeks, I'll have plenty to think and write about in relation to things learned there, so I'm going to bring this discussion to a close for now.


I've spent a few posts talking about practical things to consider when using social media, the "how" of social media, if you will. But I don't want to leave you with a 12-step program to break unhealthy internet habits. I want to leave you with the gospel.


If you think that cutting back your Facebook time, controlling what you say on Twitter and how you say it, and guarding yourself against pride in your blogging is necessary because you need to earn God's favour, and be a good enough Christian to merit your relationship with God and prove to the world that you're for real, you've missed the point. We CAN'T do enough good to earn God's favour. In fact, apart from Christ, all our righteous deeds are like filthy rags in His sight (Isaiah 64:6). No amount of scrupulousness in your internet habits (or any other habits) will ever justify us in God's eyes. None of us keep even our own internet standards perfectly, let alone GOD'S standards. So do not change your habits to make God happy with you; it won't work, and in fact, will only lead to self-righteousness, a sin that drives us even farther from grace.


Here is the reason we want to be careful about our use of time, the reason we want to avoid evil and impurity in online entertainment, the reason we want to use our words to build up rather than tear down and to express humility rather than pride: We who are in Christ have been given a free gift of grace so lavish and so undeserved that gratitude toward the Giver moves us to love and obey His commands, seeking to live in a way that glorifies and pleases our Saviour. He gave His life for us; He paid the sin-debt that we could not pay, and overwhelming thanksgiving for such mercy motivates us to want to do whatever it takes to become more like Him. If you are finding it hard to become a better steward of the time and energy that God has given you (and even if you're not!), don't just spend your time planning practical steps to do it. Spend time marinating in the gospel. Meditate on the depths of God's mercy toward you, an undeserving sinner. Pray for intense and joyful thankfulness, the kind that moves us to true and heart-felt commitment to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12; note that in context, the "therefore" relates to Philippians 2:5-11, which is the gospel.)


And when you fail--again--don't give up. Don't wallow in guilt and self-pity. That failure is not the end of your righteous standing before God. Confess it; repent of it, turn again to the cross in thanksgiving for God's unending forgiveness, and press on in reliance on the Spirit, in the confidence that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion, not because of your good work, but because of His steadfast love and faithfulness.  


"The way sanctifying growth takes place is not, in essence, by redoubling moral efforts, writing out new resolutions and intensifying spiritual disciplines. The fundamental means of change is deeper and deeper reflection on the very gospel that rescued us in the first place. It sounds backward, but the path to holiness is through (not beyond) the grace of the gospel, because only undeserved grace can truly melt and transform the heart." - Dane Ortlund in Defiant Grace


"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." (Romans 5:6-11)


Hallelujah, what a Saviour!