Chris Seay discusses his most recent book, The Gospel According to Jesus: The Faith that Restores all Things, in this recent Faith Conversations interview.
Many people have rejected Christianity, says Seay, for things that Christianity isn’t even about. “Righteousness” is a word used all the time in Christian circles, and many think it means some kind of piety or Christian rules. On the contrary, Christ talks about “righteousness” as the restoration of all things. The church gets to be a part of restorative work, and people get excited about that. That’s why people get so moved by shows like Extreme Home Makeover, etc.If we focus on rules, and tell our kids not to do drugs, kids want to do drugs. Rules bring out the worst in us. On the other hand, Christ focuses on the heart. The Gospel is not calling us to “jump through hoops,” but summoning us to a relationship. Sin is not a violation of rules, but a violation of this relationship.
Chris Seay is the pastor of Ecclesia, A Holistic Missional Christian Community, in Houston, TX. He and his wife, Lisa, have four kids.