MISUNDERSTANDING OF GOSPEL

List of Misunderstandings

Introduction:
The misunderstanding of the Gospel is the misunderstanding of salvation and the need for salvation. This misunderstanding is a legalistic misunderstanding.
What is legalism?
Legalism is a misunderstanding and distortion of the Law of God.
There are four legalistic distortions of the law:

1. Legalism absolutizes the law - by making it God or the nature of God.
2. Legalism depersonalizes the law - by making it a thing between man and God.
3. Legalism quantifies the law - by the merit scheme.
4. Legalism externalizes the law - by adding laws to God's law.

1. Misunderstanding of the Need for salvation:
   1. Misunderstanding of sin:
      1. The Nature of sin - What is sin?
         1. Sin is misunderstood as falling short of the divine standard or
            breaking the rules (Rom. 3:23).
         2. The basic sin is misunderstood as pride or self.
      2. The Origin of sin - Why do men sin?
         1. All men are misunderstood as sinning because of a sinful nature (Rom. 5:12).
         2. The flesh (sarx) is misunderstood as the sinful nature.
   2. Misunderstanding of death:
      1. Death is misunderstood as the necessary penalty of sin (Rom. 6:23).
      2. Eternal death is misunderstood as inherited from Adam.
   3. Misunderstanding of wrath:
      1. Wrath is misunderstood as the necessary divine retribution for sin.
      2. Wrath is misunderstood as opposed to God's love.
   4. Misunderstanding of God:
      1. Misunderstanding of God's righteousness.
         The righteousness of God is misunderstood as justice,
         that is, the giving to each what he has merited.
      2. Misunderstanding of God's holiness.
         The holiness of God is misunderstood as divine moral perfection.
      3. Misunderstanding of God's love.
         The love of God is misunderstood as an emotion, a sentimentalism,
         a sympathy which tolerates human imperfection.
2. Misunderstanding of salvation:
   1. Misunderstanding of Reconciliation:
      1. God is misunderstood as being reconciled (Rom. 5:6-11).
      2. God is misunderstood as the enemy of man.
   2. Misunderstanding of Redemption:
      1. Redemption is misunderstood as paying the penalty of sin (Rom. 3:24).
      2. Forgiveness is misunderstood as requiring the punishment of sin.
   3. Misunderstanding of Propitiation:
      1. Propitiation is misunderstood as satisfaction of God's justice (Rom. 3:25-26).
      2. God's justice is misunderstood as having to be satisfied before he can forgive.
   4. Misunderstanding of Justification:
      1. Justification is misunderstood as the imputation of Christ's merits (Rom. 4:3-5).
      2. Justification is misunderstood as a legal act of acquital.
   5. Misunderstanding of Sanctification:
      1. Sanctification is misunderstood as the making sinless, acquiring moral perfection.
      2. Sanctification is misunderstood as progressive conformity to the divine standard of moral perfection.