Clarifying the Gospel

When I saw a post recommending an article titled "Four Ways to Clarify the Gospel for Kids" from ChurchLeaders.com, my interested was piqued. I was eager to see the wider Church giving some focus to this crucial topic. I was not entirely disappointed. The author, Sam Luce, states among other things, "It is massively important that we are clear on what the gospel is and what it isn't." Those who know me, know I couldn't agree more. You can read the entire article here. In summary, Luce suggests that teachers (1) be real, letting kids know that they need God as much as their students do, (2) not oversimplify doctrine, (3) use diverse examples in application, and (4) "bring it back to Jesus." Explaining this fourth point, Luce writes, "The application of every story needs to come back to Jesus and what He has done that empowers us to go and do."

Christ-Centered
Thanks, Sam, to taking us this far. I'm going to suggest though that for the sake of clarity, Lutherans might seek to unpack what it means to "bring it back to Jesus."

We don't mean that Jesus is a great example of what we should strive for in Christian living. Jesus is God; we are not. He is perfect; we are not. The focus of each lesson should not be "What would Jesus do?" but "What did Jesus do?" Paul writes that "[The Gospel] is the power of salvation to all who believe" (Romans 1:16). The Gospel is not about what I should do, but about what God did for me in the sacrifice of His Son and continues to do for me as the Holy Spirit works daily through the Word to strengthen faith.

We don't mean that Jesus motivates us to greater personal effort in going and doing the work of our salvation. Scripture is clear: salvation is only by God's gracious gift of faith (Ephesians 2:-9).

We don't mean that God's gift of faith in Christ makes us "perfectly empowered Christians." Dr. Earl Gaulke, writing in "Principles of Christian Education for the Local Parish" (LCMS Board for Parish Services Bulletin 90582, undated), says "We confuse Law and Gospel when we . . . describe faith in a way that does not fit all believers at all times." Being real means acknowledging the continued presence and impact of sin in the lives of believers as well as unbelievers.

What Has Christ Done?
So then, as we teach God's children His Word, let's be clear about "what He has done." Christ has fulfilled the Law perfectly on our behalf, suffered the punishment we deserve for our sin even to death, rose from death as the first-fruit of all who believe. Through faith in Him, believers have forgiveness of sin, new life now and forever.

When we "bring it back to Jesus" in our Sunday School lessons, let's be sure that repentant sinners leave with clear consciences. Bring it back to the Gospel: forgiveness of sins and new life in Christ!

In what other ways can Sunday School teachers teach the Gospel with clarity?