Reassessing Gospel-Centrality: A Call to Restore Reformed Balance

In recent years, “Gospel-Centrality” has emerged as a rallying cry within Reformed and broader evangelical circles. At its heart, it is a call to center the life of the church and the believer on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Properly understood, it offers a much-needed corrective to legalism and moralism, emphasizing the sufficiency of Christ’s atoning work. However, when misunderstood or misapplied, Gospel-Centrality can unintentionally abandon key Reformed doctrines, such as holiness, sanctification, assurance, and self-discrimination. It can also manifest in the rejection of the moral law and the Ten Commandments and negatively impact preaching and the proper use of the sacraments.

The Misstep of Reductionism

At its worst, Gospel-Centrality reduces the rich tapestry of Reformed theology to a single thread: justification by faith. While this doctrine is indeed the heart of the gospel and the hinge upon which the church stands or falls (as Luther declared), it is not the entirety of biblical teaching. Wilhelmus à Brakel, in The Christian’s Reasonable Service, warns against such reductionism:

"It is a grave mistake to focus solely upon the forgiveness of sins to the neglect of holiness and the pursuit of godliness, for Christ did not only die to justify us but also to sanctify us."

A gospel-centered theology that neglects sanctification flattens the full scope of salvation into a truncated message, effectively undermining the transformative power of grace.

The Role of Holiness and Sanctification in the Christian Life

The Reformed tradition holds that sanctification is the inevitable fruit of justification. As the Westminster Larger Catechism states:

“Sanctification is a work of God’s grace, whereby they whom God hath, before the foundation of the world, chosen to be holy, are in time, through the powerful operation of His Spirit, applying the death and resurrection of Christ unto them, renewed in their whole man after the image of God.” (Q.75)

However, Gospel-Centrality can subtly undermine this doctrine by overemphasizing forensic justification at the expense of ongoing sanctification. Some proponents downplay the believer’s active role in holiness, leading to antinomian tendencies. This emphasis contradicts Scripture, which calls believers to strive for holiness (“Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord,” Hebrews 12:14) and to work out their salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).

Joel Beeke addresses this imbalance:

"Sanctification is not an optional part of the Christian life. It is essential to our assurance, our witness, and our growth in grace. Gospel-Centrality that diminishes the believer’s responsibility to pursue holiness fails to account for the fullness of Christ’s work, which not only justifies but transforms." (Living for God’s Glory)

Loss of Assurance Through Evangelical Obedience

The Reformed tradition teaches that assurance of salvation is often strengthened through obedience to God’s commands. This is not a legalistic endeavor but an evangelical obedience rooted in gratitude for God’s grace. As Thomas Watson observed,

"Obedience is the best assurance. If a man walks in the paths of God’s commandments, he shall meet with Him in those paths and have the sweet evidence of His love." 

However, Gospel-Centrality, when misapplied, undercuts this truth by reducing the Christian life to justification alone and discouraging believers from seeking assurance through their sanctification. The tendency to "preach the gospel to yourself daily" as the primary means of assurance, rather than examining the fruits of obedience in one’s life, fosters a passive approach to spiritual growth.

Wilhelmus à Brakel warns, "

Let no man expect assurance apart from walking in the ways of the Lord, for it is in the path of obedience that the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." 

Scripture teaches that assurance is not merely an internal reflection on justification but is confirmed as the Spirit produces fruit in the believer’s life (Gal. 5:22-23). Paul exhorts believers to examine themselves (2 Cor. 13:5), ensuring their faith is not merely professed but proved in practice. By discouraging self-examination and minimizing the necessity of holiness, Gospel-Centrality can weaken a believer’s confidence by detaching assurance from the transforming work of the Spirit.

The Reformed position corrects this imbalance by maintaining the inseparable relationship between justification and sanctification. The Puritans were deeply concerned with distinguishing true assurance from presumption, teaching that assurance is strengthened through obedience. Anthony Burgess, in Spiritual Refining, cautions that many mistake external morality for true regeneration, stating,

"Someone may have experienced something of the power of spiritual gifts, the bitterness of sin, and a change in lifestyle—but still be unsaved." 

The 1654 New Confession of Faith, written by Reformed divines including John Owen and Thomas Goodwin, affirms that believers must "walk in holy conversation and godliness." Thomas Manton reinforces this, stating, "

God bestows two benefits upon His people in the covenant of grace: remission of sins and sanctification by the Spirit." 

The Reformed tradition teaches that faith alone justifies, but assurance is strengthened through the evidences of grace—obedience, love, and holiness—which confirm the reality of salvation. Unlike the passive model encouraged by Gospel-Centrality, the biblical pattern calls believers to actively pursue holiness as the Spirit conforms them to Christ, ensuring a well-grounded assurance rooted in both faith and transformation.

Diminishing the Law: A Theological Concern

One of the most pressing concerns within the Gospel-Centered movement is its tendency to diminish the role of the moral law, particularly the Ten Commandments, in the life of the believer. Historically, antinomianism has taken two primary forms.

The first is the rejection of the Mosaic Law, particularly the Ten Commandments, as a rule of life for New Testament believers, while the second is a more extreme denial that any law has any authority over the Christian at all.

The first form is evident in those theological systems of Progressive Covenantalists and some Dispensationalists, who reject the Reformed distinction between the moral, ceremonial, and civil law and deny the ongoing authority of the Decalogue as a binding standard for the believer. While Progressive Covenantalists at least affirm those commandments that Christ explicitly reiterates, their position fails to recognize that many Mosaic moral and civil laws, beyond what Christ directly restated, are reaffirmed and applied throughout the New Testament epistles. However, they are at least inconsistent in their application of their system, as they often seek to apply those very laws whenever they appear in the New Testament, despite rejecting the broader Reformed framework of the law’s abiding authority.

The second form of antinomianism is found among libertine groups who justify lawless living by claiming that, since Christ fulfilled the law, believers are free from any obligation to it.

While the first group may acknowledge certain ethical imperatives from Christ’s teaching, both ultimately reject the historic Reformed understanding of the threefold use of the law:

1. To restrain sin in society.

2. To reveal our sin and drive us to Christ.

3. To guide the believer in gratitude and holiness.

By rejecting the third use of the law, which John Calvin described as “the proper work of the law” in the Christian life, these perspectives remove a vital means of sanctification.

Calvin writes,

"The law is to the flesh like a whip to an idle and sluggish ass, to arouse it to work. And even for the spiritual, who are not free from the flesh, the law remains a constant spur that will not let them grow lazy." 

R.C. Sproul likewise warns against this error:

"The law and the gospel are not enemies; they are friends. The moral law shows us what pleases God and guides us in the path of righteousness. To abandon the law is to abandon the very standard that Christ came to fulfill and that we are called to follow."

By rejecting the law as a rule of life, both Progressive Covenantalists and libertine antinomians depart from the historic Reformed tradition and, at best, limit—or at worst, deprive—believers of a necessary guide for holiness, gratitude, and obedience to Christ. Progressive Covenantalists restrict the believer’s moral framework to only those laws explicitly restated by Christ, failing to recognize the broader moral and civil precepts woven throughout the New Testament epistles. However, they inconsistently apply their system by acknowledging and implementing many of these laws when they appear in the apostolic writings. In contrast, libertine antinomians abandon the law altogether, leaving no clear standard for Christian living.

This issue is deeply tied to the concern with Gospel-Centrality’s overemphasis on justification—reducing the Christian life to merely believing the gospel while neglecting the law’s necessary role in sanctification. By focusing almost exclusively on Christ’s work for us, Gospel-Centrality often fails to emphasize Christ’s work in us. Yet Christ did not abolish the law but fulfilled it—not only for our justification but also as a guide for our sanctification. The moral and civil laws remain a vital standard for Christian living, shaping our gratitude, obedience, and pursuit of holiness in response to God’s grace. A proper understanding of the gospel includes not only the good news of salvation but also the call to joyful obedience, as believers are conformed to the image of Christ.

As the Westminster Confession of Faith states:

"The moral law doth forever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof; and that not only in regard of the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God the Creator who gave it. Neither doth Christ in the Gospel any way dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation." (WCF 19.5)

This confession affirms that obedience to God’s moral law is not opposed to the gospel but upheld by it, providing the necessary framework for sanctification in every believer's life.

The Impact on Preaching

Gospel-Centrality often prioritizes the proclamation of justification by faith in every sermon. While every sermon should point to Christ, this approach can lead to an imbalance that neglects vital aspects of Scripture, particularly sanctification, obedience, and the believer’s duty to pursue holiness. The Reformers and Puritans understood that true biblical preaching must encompass the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27), addressing not only justification but also the believer’s growth in grace.

One of the most concerning consequences of this imbalance is the lack of discriminatory preaching—the practice of distinguishing between believers and unbelievers, the regenerate and the unregenerate, the faithful and the hypocrite, as seen throughout Scripture. Charles Bridges warns against the danger of an indiscriminate approach to preaching:

“An indiscriminate ministry is the most direct road to a fruitless ministry. If we do not discriminate, we do not preach the whole counsel of God. We must not only point to Christ but also press upon men the necessity of self-examination, repentance, and holiness.” (The Christian Ministry)

Without discriminatory preaching, churches risk fostering a false assurance—offering comfort where warning is needed and failing to call professing believers to examine themselves. A gospel-reductionist approach to preaching can blur the distinction between those who truly belong to Christ and those who only outwardly profess faith, leading to a shallow and ineffective ministry.

Thomas Boston warns of this very danger, noting that failure to preach both justification and sanctification leaves believers spiritually malnourished:

"A ministry that preaches only justification but not sanctification, that declares forgiveness but not holiness, leaves the sheep underfed and ill-equipped to fight the good fight of faith."

Joel Beeke highlights this danger:

"When every sermon is reduced to the message of justification, it fails to address the full range of human experience and biblical instruction. Christ is not only our righteousness but also our sanctification, wisdom, and redemption. To neglect preaching on sanctification is to neglect preaching Christ in His fullness." (Living for God’s Glory)

Faithful preaching does not merely offer gospel comfort but also gospel challenge—it calls believers to holiness, warns against spiritual complacency, and confronts sin with biblical clarity. The Puritans understood that true gospel preaching was both affectionate and searching—bringing both comfort to the weary and conviction to the hardened.

Preaching must apply the gospel to every area of life, making clear the distinctions between the converted and the unconverted, the faithful and the hypocrite. This requires not only proclaiming the good news of justification but also pressing the necessity of growth in grace, the third use of the law, and assurance through obedience. As Bridges so aptly puts it:

“Let us give to each his portion. Let the careless sinner be warned, the weak and doubting be encouraged, the strong be stimulated, and the backslider be reclaimed.”

A biblical pulpit is not one that merely proclaims Christ but one that discriminates in its application—calling sinners to repentance, believers to greater holiness, and hypocrites to abandon their false confidence. Without this careful application, preaching loses its power, leaving hearers with knowledge of justification but no real guidance in walking the narrow path of sanctification.

The Role of the Sacraments

The sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper are vital means of grace in Reformed theology. However, Gospel-Centrality can lead to their misuse or neglect. When the gospel is viewed narrowly as justification, the sacraments may be reduced to mere symbols rather than means by which the Spirit confirms and strengthens faith.

Wilhelmus à Brakel emphasizes the sacraments as more than reminders:

"The sacraments are not mere tokens; they are seals of God’s covenant, means by which the Spirit applies Christ’s benefits to the soul."

The Lord’s Supper, for example, is a communion with the whole Christ, nourishing believers in their sanctification and deepening their assurance. Furthermore, Paul warns against partaking unworthily (1 Corinthians 11:27-29), a command that necessitates self-discrimination. The absence of this call in some gospel-centered practices diminishes the reverence and caution with which the sacrament must be approached.

Paul’s solemn warning that unbelievers and unrepentant believers should abstain from partaking lest they bring judgment upon themselves is often softened or overlooked in some Gospel-Centered circles. Believers are encouraged to participate without the call to self-examination. At the same time, unbelievers are not urged toward self-examination, minimizing the gravity of their standing before a holy God. Rather than emphasizing the need for self-examination, godly fear, and trembling in the presence of His holiness, the weight of God’s judgment is diminished, fostering a sense of false comfort that stands at odds with the reverence Scripture demands. This approach undermines the gravity of the sacrament and Paul’s teaching:

"Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself" (1 Corinthians 11:28-29).

Reformed worship should call believers and unbelievers to fear God, repent, and approach Him reverently. Properly administered sacraments remind us of the gospel’s power while also confronting sin and judgment. As R.C. Sproul put it:

"The sacraments are a means of grace, but they are also a call to holiness and a warning to those who would approach God flippantly."

A Call to Reformed Balance

The dangers of Gospel-Centrality are not inherent to the gospel itself but arise when the gospel is misunderstood or isolated from the broader framework of Reformed theology. To avoid these pitfalls, we must recover a balanced approach that:

1. Embraces the Whole Counsel of God: Preaching and teaching must address justification, sanctification, and the believer’s duties, as well as the law’s ongoing role in guiding the Christian life.

2. Maintains the Third Use of the Law: The moral law remains a guide for holiness and gratitude. As John Owen observed, "The law, though it cannot justify, remains a perfect rule of righteousness."

3. Highlights Assurance Through Obedience: Assurance is deepened as believers walk in God’s ways and see the Spirit’s fruit in their lives, not merely rehearsing the gospel to themselves.

4. Restores the Sacraments’ Proper Use: The sacraments must be understood as means of grace, not mere symbols, nourishing believers in their sanctification and strengthening their faith.

5. Balances Grace and Effort: As Paul writes, "By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me" (1 Corinthians 15:10). Grace and effort are not enemies but partners in sanctification.

Conclusion

Gospel-Centrality rightly exalts the gospel of Jesus Christ as the foundation of the Christian life. However, when it becomes reductionistic, it distorts the full counsel of God by downplaying sanctification, the moral law, assurance through obedience, and the proper use of the sacraments. The Reformed tradition has always held that justification and sanctification are inseparable—both the work of God’s grace, yet distinct in their role.

Justification is the foundation, but sanctification is the necessary outworking of that foundation in the believer’s life.

If Gospel-Centrality focuses solely on Christ’s work for us while neglecting His work in us, it risks fostering an incomplete view of Christian discipleship. Scripture calls believers not only to trust in Christ’s finished work but also to strive for holiness, grow in grace, and actively obey God’s law as a rule of life. The moral law remains a vital standard, not for earning salvation, but for guiding believers in gratitude and righteousness.

As the Westminster Confession of Faith reminds us:

"Neither doth Christ in the Gospel any way dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation." (WCF 19.5)

The call of the Christian life is not to remain in spiritual infancy, continually laying the foundation of repentance and faith without progressing in maturity. Instead, we are exhorted:

"Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity…" (Hebrews 6:1)

As Wilhelmus à Brakel so fittingly puts it:

"The gospel is the fountain, but holiness is the stream that flows from it. Let us drink deeply from the fountain and walk steadfastly in the stream, to the glory of God and the edification of His church."

May we embrace a gospel that is truly central—not by isolating it from the full breadth of biblical teaching, but by upholding the whole counsel of God, that we may faithfully proclaim Christ in all His fullness.

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