What is the Theology of Glory vs the Theology of the Cross? | askTheocast.com

The Theology of Glory as Self-Advancement

Hi, this is Jon, and today on Ask Theocast, I'm answering the question, what is the difference between a theology of the cross versus a theology of glory? This is a theology that is old as the mountain.

It's been around forever. Martin Luther is the one who kind of brought it back to life in comparing the two theologies. So let me explain what the first one is, a theology of glory. It is this idea that we are always improving and we're getting better and we can get better.

So the more faith, the more work we put into our life, we will see a financial blessing, health, we'll see protection, we'll see progress, and it's always about the progress of the Christian life where we're moving up and onward.

And the design of God is this very purpose where the more we put in by faith and obedience, the more we give to God, the more God will bless us. And the reason why it's called a theology of glory, because it's for our own glory.

The more that we are doing, the more we're advancing. It's pointing towards us. In contrast, a theology of the cross is the exact opposite of everything that has to do with the theology of glory. That when we are called into faith with Christ, that we are just, we are called, that we are, we are to die with him, that Paul says in Philippians two, that not only have we been called to believe, we've been gifted or granted to believe, but also to suffer for his sake, that as we enter into this relationship with God, there is not a guaranteed of our health being protected or our wealth being protected.

Suffering, Weakness, and Grace in the Christian Life

That we are told multiple times by Peter and Paul that we are going to suffer for the sake of the cross. In second Corinthians, Paul talks about God giving him a thorn in the flesh and that he asked God three times to take it away, and in the end, God said, no, and says, my grace is sufficient for you.

Paul says that in calamity and suffering and destruction, all of this is exposing his weakness. And he says, when I am weak, then I am strong. And where Paul puts his hope and his rest is in the grace of God that comes to him.

And where is the center point, the center focus of grace? It's always in the cross because it's in the cross, all of our sin is being forgiven and all that is needed to have a new life, to be adopted, to be in the presence of God, is granted to us through the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ.

The Already Not Yet and the Groaning Creation

What we're being told today is that if we do more and try harder, then God will provide protection and blessing and healing. But it just doesn't line up with what the New Testament tells us. All but John, John died of old age, but all the rest of the apostles, they died of horrendous deaths.

And was it because they didn't have enough faith? Or that God didn't protect them? And for 2000 years, you have seen Christians who are being persecuted, who die from disease, who die of cancer, who die in accidents, is it because that God wasn't protecting them?

We have never been told that God will come in and for those who faithfully follow him will have this protection. There's a confusion of the promises given to Israel for the nation of Israel, for the purpose of Israel, bringing us a Messiah, and confusion of the new heavens and the new earth.

We are almost trying to bring the new heavens and the new earth here and now. And that's a theology of glory. We live in what's called an already not yet state. We have already all the forgiveness of God and the benefits and the promises of God.

But the not yet part is we live in a Romans 8 world where we are told that the earth is groaning, it's been cursed, our bodies are awaiting this redemption, and as we await, we are looking forward to the day of the not yet.

Where God will give us the same body that Christ has. He is described as the first fruits. He is the one to demonstrate what life will look like when we are raised from the dead. But that's not yet yet.

So we live in the already, we have redemption, we have forgiveness, we are being sanctified, we're being transformed, but we're not glorified. We don't live in that new state. That's the not yet. So we live every day trusting in the grace of God.

Christ Strengthens Us in Suffering

This is why Paul says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. He doesn't mean the advancement of my finances or of my health. He means as I am still living in the sin sick broken world, the power of Christ in me will sustain me to accomplish what it is that I've been here to do, which is to love my neighbor and to be a part of my church and to advance the gospel.

Paul writes, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me to the church who's being persecuted. So theology of the cross understands that we will live in a sin sick world full of pain, full of suffering, full of anxiety, and that it's the grace of God that will get us through.

Theology of glory is basically the more you do, the harder you have, the more faith you have, the more relief God will provide, and that's just not what scripture tells us. So hopefully this is helpful for you to understand that it is not your fault if you get cancer, if a calamity happens, or if there's suffering.

That's part of living in a sinful world. We rely on the grace of God to get us through so one day we will be in the new heavens and the new earth where all sin will be done away with. Well, God will wipe away our tears.

So for now, we live in a theology of the cross. We look to Christ. We understand their suffering and pain, but one day we'll all be removed. Hopefully this is encouraging. Please continue to send in your questions and we'll see you next week.