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Christianity Today, April, 2008 |

CHRISTIAN VISION PROJECT

An Open-Handed Gospel

We have to decide whether we have a stingy or a generous God.

Richard J. Mouw | posted 4/03/2008 09:14AM

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But then I quickly moved to the second aspect that I needed to share. "Those of you who watch professional football games know that there is often somebody in the crowd right behind the goalposts who holds up a 'John 3:16' sign. I need to tell you this: That's me!" I find I need to live with some mystery about what God is doing in the Abrahamic religions. At the same time, I cannot fail to proclaim the John 3:16 message that God has sent a Savior, and that those who believe on him will not perish but have everlasting life.

Both of the points I made to the Chautauqua audience were about divine generosity. We serve a God whose generous ways with others are beyond our capacity to grasp. But that same generosity has been clearly displayed in the marvelous grace that sent our Savior to Calvary—an abundant grace that is greater than all of our sin. The proclamation of that overwhelming generosity must not be muted, even as we live in the presence of mysteries we cannot comprehend.

Richard J. Mouw is president and professor of Christian philosophy at Fuller Theological Seminary.

Related Elsewhere:

Mouw's most recent article in Christianity Today was "Spiritual Consumerism's Upside."

Previous Christian Vision Project themes were culture in 2006 and mission in 2007. 2008 articles include:

The 8 Marks of a Robust Gospel | Reviving forgotten chapters in the story of redemption. (February 29, 2008)

Singing in the Chains | To be saved means more than we might think. (January 31, 2008)

The Lima Bean Gospel | The Good News is so much bigger than we make it out to be. (January 8, 2008)

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April 2008, Vol. 52, No. 4

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Gregory Strong

Posted: April 09, 2008 10:28 AM

Thank you, Dr. Mouw, for this fine reflection, which is both theological and pastoral at once. In my own context, I have spoken and taught often of the need, in my own life and in the Church, for "passionate conviction with an equal humility." I believe this corresponds closely with what Dr. Mouw urges. It is a posture of being into which I and all of us in the Church should pray and strive to grow more and more.

Joe Chan

Posted: April 08, 2008 3:59 PM

I find the title of the article "arrogant". As creatures, we have no right to decide whether God is generous or stingy. God is who He is. Let us not try to create God in our liking or to make it appealing to human beings. He has revealed His nature and His plan of salvation to us in the Scriptures. Let us stop criticizing one another and focus on proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Savior and Lord.

so_free_me

Posted: April 07, 2008 8:16 AM

**And the truth is that we evangelicals often give the impression that we have decided to be a spiritually stingy people.** Sorry, this is rubbish. I refuse to waste my time trying to change others' false impressions of me. It is ONLY an impression, not the truth! No real evangelical believes that God is stingy; the problem is that of the ones doing the perceiving. I am not going to run around trying to point out how open minded I am in the false hope that it would make one bit of difference. The stereotype of the stingy evangelical actually gets reinforced when people like Mouw continue to wail and moan and tell us how bad we are. Sorry, I and all my evangelical friends give God's grace to anyone, absolutely anyone who comes our way. If someone wants to see me as a stereotype instead of for who I am, that is his problem, not mine.

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