Freely Given

Working through the book, "Making Christian Counseling More Christ-Centered," Katie Koplin and Gretchen Ronnevik discuss how the theology of the cross impacts how we view ourselves.

Luther put the focus on idolatry rather than ethics or morality. This puts our works in the hot seat, as we need to ask the question: why are we doing what we are doing? What is our striving for?

Do we need God because we are sinners, or do we need God because we are his creation? Did we need God before the fall? We did! We just called it good back then. Now we despise our neediness, and so often use our good works as a defense against his grace.

The theology of the cross boils down to: you are not crazy, it is that hard and God is that good. It is a core theology that fights the gaslighting of ourselves that we "should be" doing better, if we could just get on top of the law.

Show Notes:

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What’s New from 1517:

• The Inklings: Apostles and Apologists of the Imagination with Sam Schuldheisz

• Hitchhiking with Prophets: A Ride Through the Salvation Story of the Old Testament by Chad Bird

• 30 Minutes in the NT on Youtube

• Remembering Rod Rosenbladt

• Encouragement for Motherhood Edited by Katie Koplin

More from the hosts:

• Gretchen Ronnevik

• Katie Koplin