Terry Johnson on "The Grace Boys"

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Pilgrim

Puritanboard Commissioner
Given the threads we've had here this year on this topic, I'm surprised I haven't seen this article by PCA Teaching Elder Terry Johnson linked here. I recently saw it linked on Twitter and searched here but didn't find anything.

The Grace Boys


Here he lays out the problem (click the link above for the whole article)

I know a little about God’s grace. I’ve experienced God’s grace in Christ in my own life. I’ve written three books with grace in the title. I’ve preached grace as an ordained minister for 28 years. Yet I am disturbed by certain ministries that only preach grace. They proclaim no other message. They know no other motive for the Christian life. They recognize no other gospel and insist that any formulation of the gospel that differs from their own is no gospel at all.

Essentially what the grace boys preach is this: sanctification by realization. Realize what Christ has done for you; realize His great love; realize His costly sacrifice; realize His gracious gift of salvation; realize your adoption and your security in Christ; realize the ongoing gift of the Spirit of Christ and His power for sanctification; realize all this and you will have all the motive you need to enter and sustain the Christian life.

When we succumb to temptation, or when we indulge your lust, when we bow to the idols of materialism and success, when we act selfishly or fail to love it is a sign that we need more gospel. No, we don’t need to be scolded (what the Bible calls “rebuked”) or warned or reminded of our duty, or threatened. No, no, no. When we indulge carnality and worldliness we don’t need LAW (a very scary word in these circles). We need to hear more, ever more about God’s love, His grace, His gifts, His Christ. These alone will provide the proper incentive to live the Christian life.

While not meant to be an exhaustive treatise on the subject, I think the main thrust of the article is correct in its criticism of the "Grace Boys" or "Gospel Centered" movement or whatever other label one wants to use.

There was also a lengthy comment thread about it on Wes White's blog: The Grace Boys « Johannes Weslianus Thoughts?
 
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