Christless Christianity

Michael Horton argues strongly that churches need to focus more on right belief and on the person and work of Jesus Christ rather than on "doing." Most pastors are more concerned with getting people to volunteer and "do" things for their local church. However, this is misplaced since without a real and solid understanding of our condemnation under the law of God we cannot understand the mercy and grace in the Gospel and the objective atonement where Christ died for the sins of His people. Only as Christians come to know their just due is damnation can they gratefully appreciate the forgiveness and propiation for their sins. And then and only then are they able to work for the cause of the Gospel out of a sense of devotion and gratitude rather than out of obligation, duty, and oppression. We begin to joyfully WANT to serve Christ when we truly understand how precious His shed blood really is.