Last night I watched Seven Pounds starring Will Smith. Overall a good movie. An intriguing story where the actors say a lot without a lot of words. As I chewed on the story, my mind went straight to comparisons with the Gospel. I think Seven Pounds represents the American pop-gospel of good works. Will Smith's character is responsible for a horrible tragedy and tries to free his guilty conscience through great personal sacrifice. He is haunted by what he has done and is driven on his mission to make up for what he has done. The film presents this pursuit as noble but ultimately tragic. I guess this is at some level better than promoting selfish debauchery, but how sad it is if people walk away from seeing this movie thinking that this kind of "making things right" is meaningful and true.
How different this is from the Gospel of Jesus which is grace to all. We each carry a record rebellion against a completely benevolent King, we've selfishly run away from a perfectly loving Father, and each of us has a thousand shameful moments and disgusting attitudes.
But, in Christ, we are free from the drive to pay our debt. Jesus died in our place as our substitute and paid our price in full. We are free from the drive to justify ourselves before God, before others, before ourselves. The hundreds of ways we seek to build ourselves up in the eyes of others are meaningless. The internal defense mechanisms we employ to make enable us to live with ourselves are not needed because we can claim the righteousness of Christ.
When we truly embrace freedom in the Gospel, the "I ought. . .", "I should. . .", and "I've been meaning to. . ." of good works fades away into "I can" and "I want to". Under the law of self-justification we end up in-grown, depleted, and dead. The Law is death to those who try to justify themselves by it (Rom. 8:2). Will Smith's character ends up relationally isolated from everyone meaningful in his life. He fears the last moments of his life because he wonders if it is enough to make things right, to make his life meaningful. Under grace we end up alive, living beyond ourselves by faith, and confident in hope.
Crazy, but true. So counter-intuitive, but so foundational.
If only I really lived this way.
If only I could live free from the battle to justify ourselves and free to love others by faith. When I don't have to build up and cling to myself, my reputation, our idols, I am finally free to give myself to others. I make my functional Gospel Jesus + my good works. This makes me feel good because I get some of the credit for my success in good works.
Lord, give us grace to be transformed in this way. Spirit, remind us of who we are in Christ. O that we were free in You.
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