In the 5th chapter of Center Church by Tim Keller, Keller sets up religion and the gospel side by side. Religion is obeying in order to be accepted. The Gospel recognizes that I am accepted so I obey. I have no argument with the content. Tim Keller is giving Biblical teaching.
Tim Keller’s problem is a problem of semantics. He is using the wrong words to teach us. The gospel is the opposite of merit, not of religion. The gospel is the teaching that Christ has provided our righteousness so that we may follow the way of righteousness. Merit is the teaching that you must find the way the way of righteousness and God’s law helps us with that.
Religion is something else. Religion is the practice of worship and good works according to James 1:27. More popularly, religion refers to practices such as prayer and going to church.
Keller’s problematic division shows itself later in the same chapter when he speaks of “reorientation to Christ.” How does that happen? It doesn’t merely happen through thinking about the gospel. It happens by seeking the means of grace. You seek Christ through listening to his word and partaking of his sacrament with the saints. Where that is not an option you seek him through scripture-reading and prayer. You use religion as a way to seek Christ. It is true that you can seek religion through the gospel or through merit, but it is very unhelpful to simply conflate merit and religion.
Unfortunately, Keller’s way of speaking is all too common. It is something that deeply bothers me because I believe such a way of speaking undermines the God’s ordination of the means of grace as a way to seek him.
Filip Sylwestrowicz
Yes, I always found this distinction problematic. I get that when he says “religion” he thinks about the Christianity without the gospel, which is unfortunately too common. But I’ve heard many people taking that distinction as “any form of organised religion” as opposed to “true freedom”. It is confusing and unhelpful, unlike the point which he is trying to make.