Is There A Social Gospel?

"They asked only that we remember the poor, which  I made every effort to do" (Gal. 2:10, HCSB). 
"... 'He defended the cause of the poor and the needy, and so all went well.  Is that not what it means to know me?' declares the LORD"  (Jer. 22:16, NIV).  
"The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern" (Prov. 29:7, NIV).

Jesus brought the good news to the poor, but He met them where they were at in their need.  For instance, he never sent a crowd of listeners away hungry.  But the primary purpose was to focus on the gospel message and make it relevant.  There is no social gospel, which is a misnomer; however, we have another commission--the Social Commission, which hasn't been rescinded, to practice what we preach and to care for each other in the family and our community as good neighbors so our testimony will not be jeopardized as a church body.  Jesus said we would be known by our fruits and we must all practice practical, sacrificial love to our neighbors, especially to the family of faith.

But we want to keep the main thing the main thing (the Great Commission), but also realize our call to turn stones into bread.  And we must not end there; being known primarily as do-gooders; even Jesus didn't want to be known as a miracle worker and didn't do any for show, but only out of compassion and to illustrate a point in His teaching, especially His Deity.  The church must not despise the poor or down and out, but show mercy (this is a spiritual gift) and reach out to the people who are down on their luck.  Some people feel used and manipulated and are taken advantage of even by the church.   We must not stereotype them as lazy or having made bad choices, but be gracious with the attitude:  "There but for the grace of God, go I"--the words of George Whitefield.  It could happen to you!  Anyone could need someone to help them get back on their feet someday.

Sympathy would help the church to put themselves in the shoes of the destitute, the homeless, and the needy or ill.  Why do you think we have high crime rates, but due to social injustice?  Part of the problem is systemic; namely, our education and economic safety net.  This means some have the cards stacked against them from the get-go.  Poverty can happen to anyone because God says He's the One who makes one rich and another poor.  You even hear of lottery winners declaring bankruptcy.  Sometimes all it takes to begin the cycle of poverty is an unexpected car repair, an extended sickness, drug abuse (illicit or prescription), alcoholism, mental illness (treated or not), hospitalization, divorce (one's fault or not) or long periods of unemployment (voluntary or not).

 Many people in our country live paycheck to paycheck believe it or not.   Loss of a vehicle can limit one's opportunities, but Christians don't believe in equal outcome, redistribution of wealth, or complete equity of income, but in fairness which demands equal opportunity and social justice for the all under the law.  God hates the exploitation of workers (cf. Mal. 3:5) and of the rich taking advantage of the poor in their vulnerabilities.

Social nets and programs don't always fill in the gap or meet all the needs--there are manifold ways and reasons for poverty.  Many people rely on family, but what if you've had to burn bridges?  Certain personal problems such as depression and PTSD are becoming more prevalent and these people are becoming stigmatized, which is detrimental and counterproductive to the society's "general welfare."  Depression itself is a highly debilitating illness and many don't understand what it can do to a person and these people often commit suicide before getting help and don't know how to seek help or send out warning signs and their cry for help is ignored or unnoticed.

People can be victims of circumstance like a flood, tornado, fire, etc., and have no control over them--this can happen to anyone and they will find their need for the Red Cross or Salvation Army.  People may ask, "Where's God?"  But the real question should be, "Where's the church?"  It has been said that many philanthropists do the work of God because they don't feel God is doing it--touche!

People need to believe they have hope and can overcome their situation (when a man has nothing to lose he is capable of nearly anything) and find their way out of the cycle of poverty (the Bible doesn't teach that poverty is necessarily due to laziness or is one's' own fault); often success stories and motivation speakers can inspire and give hope, but the gospel is the good news they need to hear and take to the bank. One can never understand the value of an education for getting ahead in our technical age and some have been left behind and are still living in the last century!

People can get victory over their problems with Christ as their champion, hero, Lord and Savior, but they must want to be healed and helped, putting God first in their lives at the helm ("Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you" --Matt. 6:33). Christians must remember the words of Mother Teresa, canonized by Rome and 1979 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, saying:  Christ has no feet to go for Him but ours; no hands to lend a helping hand but ours; no eyes to see problems but ours; no ears to listen to others but ours; no voice to speak for Him but ours; no mind to solve the problems with but ours!  We have an eternal debt to provide for the needy and to work for the betterment of society (cf. Jer. 29:7)

They must never give up because there's always hope and no one is beyond the grace of God.  I am a great believer that government is neither the source nor the solution of all our problems and don't believe we need a government program for everything--government is not the means of salvation nor of achieving utopia.  We are not here to usher in the kingdom of God nor advance His kingdom by our efforts--it's not of this world!  They say an Englishman is a self-made man who worships his creator!   I do not believe in self-help (we all owe a debt to our community) or in becoming a self-made man (there is none!), but in learning to walk by faith and to give God the glory following His will--that's why we're here (cf. Isa. 43:7).  The worldly-savvy will tell you that "God helps those who help themselves"; however, God "gives more grace" to the humble (cf. James 4:6).

Most people just need a second chance and are willing to go the extra mile if required--they aren't afraid of work, they just haven't found something they're suited for or what they can enjoy or is gainful employment--everyone has a gift and we shouldn't sell anyone short and just think they are fit only for being slaves or common laborers like Aristotle thought of the mass of men--it's a sin to underestimate or shame men and refuse to give them their warranted dignity and self-worth, just as much to honor a fool or promote a scoundrel.

Christians don't believe in castes, karma, classes, discrimination, or prejudice of any kind (cf. Gal. 3:28), but that every believer is a child of God and capable of doing God's will to glorify Him.  We believe in the dignity of man and sanctity of life and that man is in God's image, not an animal to be treated without rights conferred by God.   Christians don't believe in rugged individualism nor in communism but in being a member of a family, a community, and a body of Christ.  Each of these three institutions ordained by God (family, government, church) have their own sphere of sovereignty and responsibility over us.

When a person gets saved and finds the Lord their whole life can be turned around and he can start over with the God of a second chance and fulfill God's best for his life.  It's never too late to get on board with God and to be commissioned by Him in His work and will.  No one is beyond hope in God's eyes!  There's a reason why the Beatitude pronounces blessings on the poor in spirit.  They have the right mindset!  Getting saved implies more than pie in the sky and spiritual hope, but also the redemption of one's life for God's will!  It's never too late to get with the program and look redeemed as a witness to the world and contribute something to it!

CAVEAT:  We must be careful not to endorse "prosperity theology" or that God promises financial gain for our spirituality, supposing godliness is a means to financial gain (cf. 1 Tim. 6:6).  God does promise to reward us by making us prosperous in doing His will (cf. Heb. 13:21) and this is different to different people (cf. Josh. 1:8; Psalm 1:2; Jer. 17: 8).  We have no guarantee of achieving the so-called American Dream, for example, but we will be blessed in doing God's will and He will supply all we need to do it out of His provision (cf. Phil. 4:19).   It is God who gives us the power to get rich, but the evil can also prosper--it's no sign of God's blessing or countenance of our lives.  He teaches us the way we should go!  (cf. Deut. 8:17-18; Isa. 48:17).

Soli Deo Gloria!

Social Justice In Action

Amos is known as the farmer prophet that never even went to prophet school and God called him to prophesy. He was the hero of the downtrodden and underprivileged--the down and out in their luck and/or opportunities, Social justice is a biblical concept. The righteous care about it, but Proverbs 29:7 says, "The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.""... because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for pair of sandals" (Amos 2:6b, ESV). Demonstrating righteousness concerns the plight of the poor (Jer. 22:16, ESV says, "He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this to know me? declares the LORD."). At the judgment, Christ will not be interested in our piety or religiosity, as much as whether we fed the poor, clothed the naked, visited the shut-ins, and met the needy of the less fortunate--God only blesses us to be a blessing to others as His conduit. We are the only hands He has and the only feet He can use to reach them!


God cares about provision for the poor and Israel had mandatory welfare to make sure they could glean the farmer's fields. Charity was mandated in Deut. 15:4. Psalm 82:3 (ESV) says, "Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute." Those who "oppress the poor and crush the needy" are judged by God in Amos 4:1 (ESV). "I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted and execute justice for the needy." It is noteworthy that God said that "there should be no poor in Israel." Soli Deo Gloria!

Is The Social Gospel A Misnomer?

NB: The Bible addresses this issue directly in Amos, who decries the lack of social justice (5:24).

"Where there is no vision the people perish..." (Prov. 29:18 KJV).
NB: A church has a mission to the unchurched and a ministry to its congregation. We are all ministers and should all be on a mission. Many believers confuse works and faith not realizing that works are not a replacement of faith, but the fruit of it. Faith without works is dead according to James 2:17 and dead faith saves no one. We need people of social concern, but this is not the primary function of the church--discipleship is.

However, the faith you have is the faith you show, they say. We are not saved by works and we are not saved without works either. We are not saved by service but unto service. If we have no good works, our faith is suspect or spurious. Eph. 2:10 asserts that "we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." We don't want to be like the Cretans: "They profess to know God, but by their works they deny Him." True faith yields fruit: no fruit, no faith. John 15:16 says, "But I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide...." Again: "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works" (Heb. 10:24). The danger is that there will be some who are converted to the program but not to Christ. To sum it up, the Reformation formula was that we are "saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone."

I do not believe He is even going to ask us if we are Arminian or Reformed in our interpretation of Scripture. However, He is going to say," I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was naked and you clothed me, and I was in prison and you visited me." Christianity is not a philosophy, but a relationship with a living Lord (and this has become a cliché) but, nevertheless, it is vital that our faith doesn't vanish into a religion of dos and don'ts, or a duty done out of obligation, rather than love as a high calling and not as duty (God sees our motives).

In Mal. 3:5 God is "against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages" and who "thrust aside the sojourner". God is indeed concerned about social issues (there are many social injustices that one could get concerned about privately) and it may be the calling of individual Christians to go on a crusade (e.g., against child labor or slavery), but this is not the calling of the church at large. Great Christians like William Wilberforce have influenced the end of slavery as we know it in the free world. The job of the church is to make disciples of all nations and teach them to observe all that Christ commanded (cf. Matt. 28:19-20). Soli Deo Gloria!

Is There A Social Gospel?

"When Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature, do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law" (cf. Rom. 2:15, ESV).

We have been given the Great Commission and the Great Commandment, but is there a Great Cultural Mandate? Some refer to a social gospel, but this is a misnomer. Our ultimate allegiance is to Jesus, naturally, not to the government, and Jesus did say that His kingdom is not of this world--that He was no threat to Caesar.  His kingdom is not of this world!   What kind of social calling do we conclude from Scripture? Some Christians believe this society isn't worth saving, some believe politics can't change the human condition, some believe the Bible is not relevant to civil government, and some do believe we should secure and take back society for Christ or reclaim America for Christ! Is it our calling to save America?

You can get too involved in the politics of this world that you are getting nowhere spiritually and getting your eyes off Jesus, but there are evils in society that must be rooted out and the government is instituted to overcome evil, restrain it, and contain it. Look at some of the greatest social movements in history, such as ending the gladiator fights, ending slavery, ending child labor, and giving women their rights, are the result of Christian influence--so there is a place for Christians to get involved with a divine calling.

We also need Christian influence in the government, i.e., as elected officials and public servants influencing for the good as salt and light. Christ's kingdom is one of the hearts of men and is not visible, it will be set up visibly at His second advent and we will rule with Him in glory. But some Christians believe we should try to take over and impose our way of life on the infidel: making him behave or live in a Christian manner and standard. Christian law has been tried and failed several times in history: Calvin's Geneva; Bradford's Plymouth; Winthrop's Massachusetts' Bay Colony; Cromwell's England, among others. We frown upon Muslims saying that tomorrow belongs to Islam and when they set up Shariah law, they aren't recognizing the rights of minorities, i.e., Christians. How can we expect non-Christians to live like Christians? This is really Christian Shariah law (like blue laws, gambling restrictions, and prohibition).

The purpose of government is not to outlaw sin but basically to protect freedoms, protect property, punish crime, securing justice. We are to "render to Caesar that which is Caesar's" (cf. Matt. 22:21) for sure, and we are never told to eschew society, start a revolution, or join hands with the powers that be as partners in crime either. We don't have carte blanche to wreak havoc on the social order. If we lived in a communist nation, we are not to become involved in a subversive underground of resistance but be model citizens and fulfill our mission of being salt and light.

However, there does come a time when the government tells us to do something immoral or forbids the free exercise of our faith, then it's imperative to disobey in an act of defiance and civil disobedience. Here's the rub: "We must obey God rather than men" (cf. Acts 5:29; 4:19). This is amply demonstrated by Daniel refusing to pray to the statue and being thrown into the lion's den; he neither flaunted nor privatized his faith as a prime minister who was salt and light.

The Bible makes it clear that our primary mission is to change hearts through the gospel message, and hopefully, society will be revolutionized as a direct result. Paul didn't make it his mission to overthrow slavery, but with the spread of Christianity, its demise was certain as believers rejected it and had more influence--not forced change. We are not called to set up a theocratic government or experiment with a nation ruled by religious leaders. It was Christian influence that said we have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness--rights are conferred from God and recognized by the state.

However, the conclusion of the matter is that we represent Christ to the world as His hands, feet, heart, and voice and we have the power to make a difference by being that salt and light, which preserves and shows the way in the darkness. The church shouldn't get overly obsessed with turning stones into bread or mission work unless the gospel is propagated with it, we are not to become mere do-gooders and must remember and not lose focus of the fact that we are "aliens and foreigners" and our real "citizenship is in heaven" (cf. Phil. 3:20). Christians do have a duty and responsibility to the state, though, as Edmund Burke phrased it: "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
Soli Deo Gloria! 

Is There A Second Great Commission?

Gov. William Bradford came to the New World to "advance the kingdom of Christ," while many pilgrims sought religious freedom and the Puritans organized to purify the church.  America was the first "safe haven" and refuge for the religiously persecuted ever founded, and the State of Maryland was the first colony in America to grant Catholics freedom of worship and sanction when they were persecuted.  We are to be good citizens promoting the general welfare and be a blessing (cf. Jer. 29:7; Prov. 11:11). 

"If we are not governed by God, we will be ruled by tyrants." (William Penn). 

I didn't know that the government was ever meant to be the methodology of hastening the Lord's Day or ushering in the kingdom of God, and many preachers have stressed the notion that the Bible is not meant to reform society but to save souls.  It's true that Common Law has found origins in Scripture, and our national heritage is dominated by Christian worldview.  

It is individual believers who act as salt and light to preserve society from evil, but the church's job description is to reform souls, not society!  The church ought to be in the business of showing the way and saving those who've lost the way.  What do you think early believers were known as?  They were followers of the Way!  The way that churches have organized as if our faith depended upon it seems, like overturning Roe v Wade, et al, and other social reforms, such as the Second Great Commission--redeeming and reclaiming our nation for Christ!

The church at large is being deceived and Satan loves it when they get their eyes off the Great Commission (our marching orders) and get a bad rap as the unbelievers see them as nothing but hypocrites.  We must focus on preaching the gospel as keeping the main thing the main thing not getting sidetracked, and not establishing a sort of Christian Sharia law, in that they are forcing the infidel or pagan to live like a Christian, even observing the Law of Moses.  Attempts at this type of sincere Christian venture have repeatedly failed throughout history.  The government is not a necessary evil, but necessary because of evil according to Augustine, and would probably not be necessary if we were all Christians.  Believers are to work in the system, like running for office, but especially in prayer and intercession for our leaders and all in authority.

Christians do Christ no favor by giving the impression they are all zealous (bigots) enforcing the law their way and alienating those who are near the kingdom of God but become prejudiced by their experience with the religious right.  Not all sincere and mature believers are on the so-called right and Christ would never associate with any party or let Himself be labeled or categorized as such.  It is worse than sectarian spirit (party spirit destroys a church from within), which Paul criticized. 

If it is wrong for Muslim states to enforce their faith on Christians and forbid them from even wearing crosses on their lapels or holding public Bible studies, as is the case in Saudi Arabia, then how can Christians mimic this type of enforcement of their views and interpretation of unbelievers?  Nearly every great social reform and cause in history have been the result of Christian influence, from the abolition of slavery to women's rights, to equal justice under the law, to the abolition of child labor, and whatnot, but the church didn't organize en masse to force change, individuals settled the matter, those who made a difference with their witness and testimony, and especially tenacity and stick-to-itiveness like the long-suffering efforts of  William Wilberforce in eliminating slavery in Great Britain.

What we don't want is for unbelievers to stereotype Christians as being against this and that, instead of being for this and that--we prove the love of Christ by our love and tolerance, not pressure techniques and scare tactics like voter intimidation which is common in the South.  They actually are convinced that hounding the gays out of the military will bring God's endorsement to our nation and restore traditional Christian values and consequent blessing to our nation.  Since when does Christ order us to organize politically or to use government itself as the means of advancing God's kingdom, which is not of this world according to Jesus?

Leave ushering in the kingdom of God to Jesus and let us be here to prepare hearts for the onslaught of secular worldviews out there in academia, government, entertainment, and media so that our youth are not corrupted by false ideology and don't learn to see things from a divine perspective.  It is very tempting to use the leverage of political power to create a sort of utopia for believers, but this is not what we are here for.   Isn't the real Christian agenda the upholding of the rule of law and the principle that no one is above the law (justice in action)? 

After all, when the foundations are destroyed the righteous may not be able to find the solution (cf. Psalm 11:3):  Government is not the problem nor the solution!   The government is founded to keep evil at bay and to establish law and order in society--ensuring justice and securing our rights.  What about fighting the abuse of power and the spirit of authoritarianism?  The Christian agenda cannot be defined by one law, no more than you can put God in a box.  It seems to the unbeliever that there are just certain sins that offend Christians more than others when they have sins themselves.  The problem is man's depravity and the solution is the gospel through the grace and mercy of God.  In our nation, there is violence everywhere, due mainly to the accessibility of weapons of mass destruction, and Christians may have to decide whether they put their trust in God or the sanctity of the Second Amendment, knowing that no right is absolute, not even free speech, freedom of religion, nor the right to bear arms.

"We must obey God rather than men" (cf. Acts 5:29) and there comes a time when civil disobedience is not only a right but a duty and opportunity to stand for Christ in the public arena.  Individual believers like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. have sought civil rights through nonviolence and suffered the consequence--he got himself killed just like Mahatma Gandhi, the founder of nonviolent protest.  But where there's a clear-cut command in Scripture we must fly our Christian colors and take our stand--only the coward stands aside according to James Russell Lowell. 

We cannot sit on the fence and claim neutrality on vital Christian issues.  The best work is done by individual believers called by God to accomplish His will, not the church at large.  William Wilberforce never organized the Church of England and Martin Luther King, Jr. never called for the church to aid his agenda as role models.

There's a Second Great Commission in a sense, but not a social gospel to preach though, and we must focus on what we are here for--spreading the gospel and being examples that they may see we are Christians by our love, not our political views, and the church ought to be careful not to organize as being officially for any party or political cause so as to be identified and labeled with anything but as being followers of Christ, not a political leader.   Whatever we do as a body of Christ ought to be done in the name of Christ and not to promote any party, or even party spirit, within or without the church.  

One great evil misconstruing this movement has precipitated and facilitated is the Postmodern worldview of truth and the creation of an alternative universe (of "facts"), not seen since the days of Joseph Goebbels, the notorious Nazi propaganda chief.  We have a right to our own opinions but not to cherry-pick our own facts, though everyone tends to just believe the facts that suit their own worldview. 

Many Americans in this generation now are convinced that character counts for nothing and leaders are no longer our role models--all that matters is AGENDA AND PLATFORM and it doesn't matter how it's achieved either; i.e., the ends justify the means.  

IN SUM, THERE'S NO LEGITIMATE SOCIAL GOSPEL PER SE OR ANY SOCIAL COMMISSION, BUT THERE IS SOCIAL STEWARDSHIP AND ACCOUNTABILITY.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Are You In A Movement?

Let me make this clear to start:  I am against movements.  Many have come and gone in the church and some more influential and misleading than others:  Some even rather harmless, but all wrong and not of God, regardless.  There are many so-called movements prevalent today or remnants of old ones remaining:  Keswick Movement, Perfectionist Movement, Neo-Pentecostal Movement, the charismatic movement, conservative-right political movement, WWJD, (or even WWJT) known as the "what would Jesus do?" movement [I am not against the imitation of Christ as Thomas a Kempis wrote his famous, widely read book, My Imitation of Christ--this is another ballgame], the "Church of What's Happening Now" movement, the one that isn't defined or named is when believers think God wants them to hang around sinners, like the Pharisees accused Jesus of doing.

Scripture says to choose your friends carefully in Proverbs 12:26 and Paul say that bad company corrupts good morals in 1 Cor. 15:33.  The thing you have to look at is who was calling them sinners (the evil Pharisees who were blind) and we are all sinners and if Jesus wasn't our friend where would we be now?   But hanging around them is different and Jesus is our friend when we were his enemies, right?  We are not Jesus and need to be careful with whom we spend our time; however, this does not mean that we need to fear man ("The fear of man proves to be a snare," says Prov. 29:25).

As an illustration, when you get saved it means you should witness to your circle of friends, not go to the local tavern and hang around expecting God to open the door for you--they will influence you more than you influence them and the devil has you right where he wants you.  If you must go there go with a fellow believer for support; Jesus sent them out in groups of two.  You are not some one's friend if you don't witness to them and they will accuse you and blame you for all eternity if you don't at least try!  Jesus didn't condone sinners in their sin, nor did He get tainted, because He couldn't; you can be!

We worship Jesus because of what He could do as the God-man.  Evil company should make us feel uncomfortable and uneasy like it did Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah--don't get callous and insensitive!  "Come out from among them and be ye separate, and I will accept you," says the Lord. (I blogged about this Sept. 7, 2014).  This was meant to be derogatory but remember:  Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.  He told the woman who sinned:  "Go and sin no more."  He didn't condone nor participate in sin--he didn't party like one of the guys!

What's wrong with WWJD? Most Christians know their Savior in a very shallow manner--they know the Scriptures a bit, but knowing Christ comes with maturity and the searching for Him is the main business of the Christian life and begins at salvation, not ends (it's better to concentrate on obeying Him than trying to be Him).   Firstly, they don't really know what Jesus would do, they just imagine it.  They might know what their mother would do if she is a Christian, that is, but they can only guess what Jesus would do.  Would he be a teetotaler?  Would he ever speed?  There are difficult questions and God gives us the liberty to have our own conscience and like it says in 1 Cor. 6:12:  "All things are permissible, but I will not be mastered by anything."  "Mama told me not to come" is a popular rock lyric. Another:  "Mama said, 'You better shop around.'"   I've heard it said, that you should always question authority, but never mother!

What's on earth is so bad about the Neo-Pentecostal movement?  They teach unsound doctrine for number one, though I admit most of them have their heart in the right place and that is important, but false teachers like to be mostly right and add a little error to deceive and the element of truth makes it palatable.  We are commanded to teach a sound doctrine as teachers (Tit. 2:1).  This movement is in competition with and even infiltrates other churches and steals sheep or proselytize by impressing them that there is "something more or missing in their experience" just like Paul was admonishing the Colossians to be aware of (mysticism, asceticism, and legalism).

The Perfectionists started with John Wesley who thought you could reach a stage of willful or unintentional sin as a mature believer or that you "have arrived."  Even Paul didn't claim such:  "I do not claim to have laid hold of it yet..." (Phil. 3:12).  The psalmist says he has seen the limit of all perfection in Psalm 119:96.  Proverbs 20:9 says:  "Who can say, 'I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin'?"

The Keswick movement is still alive via Andrew Murray's writings and devotional classic by Oswald Chambers My Utmost For His Highest."  Reading that book, I came across many doctrinal errors and whether you believe this or not, he believed in a second blessing and this is very controversial and not traditional (I blogged about this in "Where is Oswald Chambers Coming From?").  Chambers believes in perfectionism and what's called the "entire sanctification"  He believes that tongues are the initial "initial evidence validation" of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  The point is that most people are ignorant of his erroneous teaching and fall for his balderdash and pious talk.  He makes a dangerous dichotomy between discipleship and salvation and doesn't seem to understand just how to become a Christian in the first place!   (I blogged on this March 3, 2014).

What's wrong with the "church of what's happening now?"  They have been led astray by Satan's masquerading as an angel of light like the rest and are on side issues away from the Bible.  They may be into the latest prophecy rage on the Internet or something else like blood moons that tickles their fancy. J. Vernon McGee was orthodox in that he entitled his study: "Back to the Bible."  The devil wants the church to get away from the Bible and doesn't deny that it's important, just not paramount!

It is better to be a "cloistered" church that sticks to the Bible (after all the Bible is all we need for spiritual growth and is not only necessary but sufficient).  They may have coffee shops in their church and a bookstore and many extra-biblical activities that get away from the Bible, like overeaters anonymous and whatnot.  So what is the latest fad, they wonder.

What's wrong with the Evangelical right?  The Pope tries to dictate politics and make members vote according to his understanding!  Most black churches are in the so-called Christian left!  First of all, not all sincere and knowledgeable believers are in agreement politically:  This does a grave disservice to Christ by labeling him politically, when He is beyond description and defies analysis.  People are going to judge Christianity by a party and Jesus is not a member of any party!  You cannot put God in a box, nor limit God!

The charismatic movement is more subtle in that it infiltrates even the Roman Catholic Church and many denominations while not having one of its own.  Basically, if you believe that the gift of tongues is a bona fide gift, you are charismatic!  Most churches today are either considered mainline denomination (which is in the state of near heresy and apostasy, losing members rapidly), the evangelical wing (like most Baptists or those who are actively "saving" people and spreading the gospel and not the so-called social gospel (which is a misnomer).  The charismatic tend to make a dichotomy among believers and make them think they are missing out; this makes them have spiritual wanderlust and they eventually leave their home church and become spiritually vulnerable.

A true church will get you into the Word and make it paramount; teaching sound doctrine devotedly.
The church is the body of Christ, not the parachurch or the electronic church.  Watching TV is no substitute for one-on-one, accountability, and fellowship.  I'm not suggesting that we don't need these organizations, because they do serve a purpose; Chuck Swindoll says that if you drink of only one fountain, you lose your perspective: however, there is some pastor out there that is just right for you right where you are spiritual. We need to stay connected and in touch spiritually and not become lone ranger type believers who are doing their own thing.

We are all entitled to opine (to have our own opinions), but not to have our own facts, and fabricate at will.  Many preachers have a personal agenda many a church has an extra-biblical program that they want to promote.   Causes are not taboo, individuals can do whatever they get called to do:  Look at William Wilberforce devoting himself to the end of slavery!   We can even have a political agenda that is self-serving, but we do not have the right to label it as "Christian."

The church needs a wake-up call:  It's okay to hand out bread, but put the gospel in its rightful place--don't get caught turning stones into the bread like Jesus was tempted to do!  "Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?" (1 Cor. 14:8).  Don't get converted to a cause or movement, but to Christ!   In conclusion, the only movement I want to be in is (Christ) the fulfilling of the Great Commission, which ought to be the main business of the church and its raison d'etre--don't forget our Marching Orders!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Our Marching Orders

"And do this, understanding the present time:  the hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed"  (Rom. 13:11).
"Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?" (1 Cor. 14:8).

KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING!  DON'T MAJOR ON THE MINORS!


The church today is sidetracked with many foci that are not commissioned by Christ--personal agendas and political causes, for instance.  The church was given the Great Commission and this should be the focal point of its ministry.  All other ministries are secondary and should be relegated to the lesser degree of importance--they are not of paramount value compared to the number one goal of achieving the calling given us to spread the gospel and make disciples of all nations.  This commission, by the way, is not any one person's burden, because no one person has all the gifts, but it is the shared burden of the church at large.  We need to do our part as an individual, as well as corporately as a church.

What we have today is the social gospel where churches are into causes so much that they are derelict of their evangelical duties (not just for evangelists--Paul exhorted preachers to do the work of an evangelist).  You might say they are turning stones into bread or of multiplying bread to feed multitudes and attracting crowds, not converts.  People are being converted to the cause, not to Christ.  Bleeding hearts are into the church and taking over because they see it as a social vehicle for change--an opportunity to spread their agenda. They have no interest in Christ Himself and no love for Him, but if He is not the center of church life they feel right at home because they have a concern for the betterment of society and to usher in their idea of peace on earth--and the church is only a vehicle for change.

The priority of the church is the Great Commission and if this loses emphasis the people never get converted to anything other than a cause. They are, in reality, converted to a program, not to Jesus Himself.   The Great Commission includes making disciples (not just converts--they must be followed up and mentored or trained in the Scriptures), and in taking part in spreading the good news first at home (teaching members how to spread the good news too is implied), then elsewhere via missionaries, etc.  There is no limit to the amount of impact one obedient church can have, and this does not depend on its size, because Christ was more interested in quality than quantity.

Today, with all the so-called mega-churches, we see attention given to size as what is impressive, and what most of them are is really crowds, not families;  a church is a local body of believers who function as a family in Christ, not strangers who just happen to worship together.  The order of growth is to believe in Christ, to belong to His body, the church, and to grow and become what He wants for you in Christ.

Until Christ comes the marching orders for the church are not to sound the alarm as doomsayers as some today are wont to do, (we are to be ready, yes, but not to predict or act as if we know some secret revelation from God Himself as a latter-day prophet would),  but to occupy the land or you might say do business as usual, in obedience; to proclaim the Lord's death till He comes; to purify ourselves in holiness and sanctification; and to watch the signs of the times (be ready saying every day, "Lord, will this be the day?"), so that we can judge for ourselves whether we feel the time is near and as we do to not forsake the assembling together of ourselves (Heb. 10:25); and most of all to worship God corporately and personally.

We are not to have an agenda of being prophecy nuts or of warning people of the coming of Christ and of coming judgment as if we are unbalanced or fanatics (what we need are more clear-thinking interpreters of the times who understand the Christian worldview, not self-appointed ministries claiming indirectly to be prophets or to be prophesying).

Many errant preachers have presumptuously predicted the coming of Christ and have been wrong (i.e., William Miller on Oct. 22, 1844, called the Great Disappointment because Christ was a no-show).  The last hour was announced by John (cf. 1 John 2:18) over 17 million hours ago and Paul rebuked believers who jumped to the conclusion that the coming was near and refused to even work.  It should be comforting and encouraging that Christians will be finally delivered ("Therefore comfort ye one another with these words").

In summation, the sole emphasis of the obedient and model church is the Great Commission, and any other ministries are only secondary as they only should serve to unite the body and to reach out and spread the good news as a body.  Liberal causes are rampant in the church and the church has no business getting into political causes or the so-called social gospel, which is a misnomer, and should stay focused on the gospel. The great inquiry and judgment on that day of judgment will be whether we did our part in this Commission.  Causes are not taboo, but the church's function is not that; individual believers can be involved in them, but this is their own business and calling in life as they see fit.  The church can give out bread, but only if it also gives out the gospel first. What we need is a wake-up call to the church, not an alarm to the world at large!  Soli Deo Gloria! 

Is There A Social Gospel? Or Is This A Misnomer?

N.B. the Bible addresses this issue directly in Amos, who decries the lack of social justice (5:24).

"Where there is no vision the people perish..." (Prov. 29:18 KJV).

N.B. a church has a mission to the un-churched and a ministry to its congregation. We are all ministers and should all be on a mission. Many believers confuse works and faith not realizing that works are not a replacement of faith, but the fruit of it. Faith without works is dead according to James 2:17 and dead faith saves no one. We need people of social concern, but this is not the primary function of the church--discipleship is.

However, the faith you have is the faith you show, they say. We are not saved by works and we are not saved without works either. We are not saved by service but unto service. If we have no good works, our faith is suspect or spurious. Eph. 2:10 asserts that "we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." We don't want to be like the Cretans: "They profess to know God, but by their works they deny Him." True faith yields fruit: no fruit, no faith. John 15:16 says, "But I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide...." Again: "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works" (Heb. 10:24). The danger is that there will be some who are converted to the program but not to Christ. To sum it up, the Reformation formula was that we are "saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone."

This terminology became popular in the era of social change in the 20th century from so-called fundamentalists. There really is no "social gospel," but one gospel message: the preaching of Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection on our behalf. Papists (Romanists) are very earnest and sincere in doing good deeds for the less fortunate, like opening soup kitchens, hospitals, schools, and orphanages, et al. However, they are misguided as to the plan of salvation. Evangelicals are very good at preaching the gospel, but of neglecting the application and further responsibilities of the church (like caring for the widow and orphan which are commanded).

We are all light and salt; the church is the vehicle or instrument of grace in the world. We are to keep the main thing the main thing, and not major on the minors (the Great Commission is where it's at and is to be our focus).

God isn't looking for a church of do-gooders or works-oriented believers. But we need to be people on a mission to be sure. We need not be remiss in our duty to our fellow man and offer a cup of water in the name of the Lord, as it were, with our gospel message. Taking care of the needs of the poor is an open door to preach and gives us the opportunity to spread the Word (our goal). It is not the mandate of Christ to convert us to one philosophy or political persuasion or viewpoint: God loves us despite this. Jesus is not going to inquire of our political aspirations or beliefs at the Bema ( the Judgment Seat of Christ). "He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy; Then it was well, Is not that what it means to know Me? says the LORD" (Jer. 22:16). Do we indeed know Him, whom to know is eternal life (cf. John 17:3)?

I do not believe He is even going to ask us if we are Arminian or Reformed in our interpretation of Scripture. However, He is going to say," I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was naked and you clothed me, and I was in prison and you visited me." Christianity is not a philosophy, but a relationship with a living Lord (and this has become a cliché) but, nevertheless, it is vital that our faith doesn't vanish into a religion of do's and don'ts, or a duty done out of obligation, rather than love as a high calling and not as duty (God sees our motives).

In Mal. 3:5 God is "against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages" and who "thrust aside the sojourner". God is indeed concerned about social issues (there are many social injustices that one could get concerned about privately) and it may be the calling of individual Christians to go on a crusade (e.g., against child labor or slavery), but this is not the calling of the church at large.

Great Christians like William Wilberforce have influenced the end of slavery as we know it in the free world. The job of the church is to make disciples of all nations and teach them to observe all that Christ commanded (cf. Matt. 28:19-20).  n sum, there is a social commission, not a social gospel,  that has not been rescinded but we are to keep the main thing the main thing and not get sidetracked by turning loaves into bread.  Soli Deo Gloria!