Nothing More, Nothing Less

The gospel is nothing more and nothing less than Jesus Christ … who He was, what He did, and the fact that He is alive. He is alive to save and to create a community of faithful people who will proclaim Him, live and act as His presence in the world, and make real, at least in part, the Kingdom that one day He will establish in power and glory. Who Jesus is, what He did and does is absolutely decisive, uniquely authoritative, and universally valid.

In Matthew 28 Jesus announced His desire for all nations to be baptized in the name of the Triune God and to be taught all the teachings of Christ. This was and is His invitation to the Church. Could it be that the Great Commission is no longer a part of the DNA of the church because the church is no longer convinced of the uniqueness of Jesus as the incarnation of God and God's gift of Himself for the salvation of humankind? If we are unconvinced of the uniqueness of Jesus as Son, Savior and Lord, then we have no compulsion to share the gospel with the world. This is our problem in the mainline church in America. We have allowed a distorted understanding of inclusiveness to diminish the exclusive claims of the Christian gospel. We have allowed our commitment to ethnic and social pluralism muddy the water of our response to doctrinal pluralism.
 
Fifty years ago James Stewart said, “The one thing that can justify the church is a great passion for Christ." He warned that if ever a time should come when Christ and His uniqueness are no longer the central theme of the Christian Church, then the day of the Church will be finished. I'm afraid this has already happened to a marked degree. The church has lost her passion for Christ and is thus losing her identity. By diminishing the authority of Scripture and enthroning doctrinal pluralism, we have diminished, and in some cases, even denigrated the saving incarnation, death and resurrection of Jesus.
 
Lesslie Newbigin was a great apologist in the past century and the Anglican Bishop of the Church of South India. After preaching at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland a student addressed him, "Bishop Newbigin, I didn't expect to hear such a provincial message from you this morning. You've traveled all over the world, you've lived in many different cultures, and yet all you talked about was Jesus Christ. Why didn't you bring some light from Mohammed or some inspiration from Buddha or some insight from the Upanishads?”
 
Newbigin looked at the young man and courteously asked, "Are you Muslim?" The fellow responded, "No.”

"Well then, are you a Buddhist?” 

"No, I'm not.” Newbigin graciously inquired.  "If you are not a Muslim or a Buddhist, what are you?”  
The young man stammered, "I don't know," he said. “I'm supposed to be a Christian."
 
I like Newbigin's response. "You know what, young man?  If I were you, I wouldn't worry too much about Mohammed or Buddha until I had made up my mind about Christ. Depending on what you do with Him, your path in life will then take shape."
 
So, we are back to where we started. The gospel is nothing more and nothing less than Jesus Christ … who He was, what He did, and the fact that He is alive. Alive to save and create a community of faith, people who will proclaim Him, live and act as His presence in the world, making real, at least in part, the Kingdom that one day He will establish in power and glory.
— Maxie D. Dunnam


Maxie D. Dunnam is internationally known as an author and church visionary. He currently serves as the Chancellor of Asbury Theological Seminary. Maxie and his wife Jerry live in Memphis, TN.