The Ragamuffin Gospel: Final Reflections

Final Reflections on The Ragamuffin Gospel

I have finished reading Brennan Manning's The Ragamuffin Gospel that includes in an additional chapter some of his own reflections 15 years after the first publication of his book. Though I intend to, I have not worked my way through the appendix, 19 Mercies: A Spiritual Retreat. Now I am ready to read my dear friend Charley L. Chase's Grace-Focused Optimism. 

God placed Brennan Manning's The Ragamuffin Gospel in my hand at exactly the right time. My main wish is that I had been wiser in what I wrote as I reflected on it. The book has been criticized as making too light of sin, making forgiveness too easy, encouraging anti-nominianism, making too little of the chastening God may at times employ, of failing to acknowledge the consequences that sometimes accompany sin and remain, of being unbalanced in his handling of Biblical truth. The criticism I liked best was by a Roman Catholic who accused Manning of having "out-Luthered Luther." I recall that some of the Reformed, who emphasize the centrality of justification by faith, are accused of being "crypto-Lutherans," which I now think they should wear as a badge of honor. 

I think there are some justifiable criticisms of Manning, and I have some misgivings about some of the things he says. But the book's emphasis and strength is that it is about radical grace which is the only kind of grace there is, about the radical nature of justification by faith, and justification can't be anything unless it is radical. I think Manning is exactly right in emphasizing radical grace and radical justification. I remember once reading something that even Martyn Lloyd-Jones observed to the effect that if justification by faith is rightly preached, it will sound scandalous. Manning himself said that his book is nothing more than a working out of something the Presbyterian Francis Schaeffer wrote, "True spirituality consists in living moment by moment by the grace of Jesus Christ." 

The blessing of the book to me was that it came to me at a time when, having seen my sin in its stark reality - sin against God, others, and myself - I was at the point of utter despair. God was against me, and I was against me. How could I live seeing my sin and experiencing guilt and helpless to fix myself? The book brought me first the freedom to acknowledge the reality of my sin without being destroyed. Yes, I am a sinner; yes, I have sinned in grievous ways; yes I have hurt others; yes, I have left myself in a mess. I no longer needed to deceive myself or try to deceive others. I could give up the defenses, the explanations, the minimalizations, the mitigations. I was free to say, "It's true." I am what God's Word tells me I am, what others say I am, what my own accusing conscience tells me I am. I am free to own the truth.

But there was more. My sin did not mean the end of the road; it did not have the last word. God in Christ acted unilaterally to save sinners. He forgives us freely; he accepts us freely; he is reconciled to us freely. We don't earn his forgiveness. We don't figure out how to make up for our sins in order to get to the point that we can ask for his forgiveness. We don't have to clean ourselves up and then present ourselves to him and ask for forgiveness. We are accepted, forgiven, reconciled in Christ and because of what Christ has done for us. We do not have to go to bed tonight, and see, if perhaps, we can get forgiveness tomorrow. We can go to sleep at night knowing we are forgiven. God does not "like" us because of the good things we are or the good persons we are becoming. God loves us, knowing the worst about us. God loves us "anyway" - despite what we are and aren't, despite what we have done or not done. God's love is free. It just is. It is not conditional or in any way merited.

The book gave me the freedom to say, "I am a ragamuffin Christian at my best. That's the best I've ever been and the best I will ever be." To accept yourself as a ragamuffin Christian is not a license to sin and not care. But it does allow you to accept that you sin, that you often fail, that sometimes you fall flat on your face. But you can immediately ask for and get forgiveness and acceptance. You keep on confessing, repenting, getting up and going on when you fall, confident of God's love for you, confident his love is not changing or conditional. The important thing is not if you mess up, but if, despite messing up, you keep going back to God again and again and starting over. 

I believe this book has changed, is changing, and can continue to change my life. How will I know if it is life-changing?

• If I can be less defensive and more ready to own up to my sins.
• If I do not wallow in self-recrimination, self-doubt, self-loathing, self-hatred.
• If I will take what God offers me in Christ without conditions and not try to fulfill conditions I come up with and impose on myself.
• If I can trust Christ, Christ only and Christ wholly, and not what I am or do for acceptance with God.
• If I do not try to get myself into some special class of Christians that separates me from others but am always content to take my place among the ragamuffins.
• If I am quicker to acknowledge my sins and offenses, apologize to others, and request their forgiveness, not to try to stay out of trouble, but because it is the way a Christian is. 
• If I, having received mercy, will show mercy to those in need of mercy, imitating Christ rather than the world.
• If I can focus not on how others respond to me but how I respond to them.
• If I can be less judgmental of others, less ready to take offense, and more ready to forgive, not nursing grudges or resentments or hurt feelings.
• If can can be compassionate toward others in their sufferings, even when they have brought suffering on themselves.
• If I can live, not out of guilt, but out of gratitude for grace received.

Pray that he who has begun this good work in me, will continue it, will use it to bless others, and bring it to completion on the the day of Jesus Christ.