Tullian Tchividjian: Two Ways To Realize Radical Obedience: My Indirect Response To Jason Hood – Tullian Tchividjian

Every now and again someone says something that makes perfect sense. Tullian Tchividjian's remark below is the perfect example. I agree wholeheartedly. It's gratitude and adoption as a son of God that motivates holiness, not fear and trembling as though we would be cut off at any moment. Although the warning passages are clear, it's not the warnings that motivate us to obey but knowing that we are accepted by God on the basis of Jesus' active obedience, sinless life, and his atoning death on the cross:

As a pastor, one of my responsibilities is to disciple people into a deeper understanding of obedience—teaching them to say “no” to the things God hates and “yes” to the things God loves. But all too often I have wrongly concluded that the only way to keep licentious people in line is to give them more rules–lay down the law. The fact is, however, that the only way licentious people start to obey is when they get a taste of God’s radical, unconditional acceptance of sinners. The irony of gospel-based sanctification is that those who end up obeying more are those who increasingly realize that their standing with God is not based on their obedience, but Christ’s. --Tullian Tchividjian--

To read the full article click on the link below:

Two Ways To Realize Radical Obedience: My Indirect Response To Jason Hood – Tullian Tchividjian

Update: The quote is actually from Dane Ortlund and is quoted by Tullian in his article. Sorry about that. (See The Radical Gospel: Defiant and Free).