The Great Commandment and the Great Commission

I am excited about Michael Horton’s new book, The Gospel Commission, discussing the mission of the church. It’s very relevant to the current issue I am discussing in class. In an interview with The Gospel Coalition, Horton was asked a few questions about the mission of the church and, at one point, asked to compare his book with Tim Keller’s Generous Justice:

I just finished Tim Keller’s Generous Justice and was impressed with many of his arguments. What is the connection between justification and justice? I devote a chapter in The Gospel Commission to “The Great Commandment and the Great Commission,” with similar results. On one hand, we have to avoid setting aside one or the other. But we also have to be wary of confusing these mandates. The Great Commandment—love of God and neighbor—is the summary of the law, not the summary of the gospel. It’s therefore inherent in the conscience of every living person, while the gospel is news that can only be proclaimed by a herald and believed by Spirit-given faith. Believers are especially obligated to this command to love, because we’ve been liberated from the law’s condemnation and the dominion of sin. We are already part of God’s new creation. And yet, we are still plagued by our own sin. Nothing we do can be confused with the gospel.

The rest can be read here.