Social Gospel
The “social gospel” redefines what it means to be an authentic Christian, to someone who follows in the footsteps of ‘Jesus’ by meeting the needs of the poor and marginalised. This is a false gospel that leads people to embrace a false ‘Jesus’. The social gospel effectively substitutes salvation by faith, to salvation by works; and a Jesus who came to save the world from sin, to a Jesus who came to save the world from poverty. It demands that doctrinal (i.e.biblical) truth be set aside for the the common good, and that by promoting social justice causes, ‘Christians’ will make ‘Christianity’ attractive.
The social gospel spurns the cross of Christ and God’s plan of redemption. It denies his perfect standard, and rejects his perfect justice. It make the essence of all people good; and denies that they are all sinners in need of a Saviour. It claims to be in the business of erecting ‘God’s kingdom’ upon the earth but this is a deadly deception. While promoting seemingly good causes it leads people away from the truth and entering the kingdom of God; to accept the lies of Satan and therefore remaining in his kingdom of darkness.
Jesus never commissioned the church to fix the problems of the world. In fact he stated “The poor you will always have with you…” (Matthew 26:11). He commissioned the church to preach the gospel: which is that all people have sinned and faith in his sacrifice upon the cross is the only way that forgiveness can be received and people reconciled to God. It is only through the new birth that a person’s heart can be changed and they can live a ‘good’ life by God’s standard: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10) We are saved for good works, not saved by good works.
The problems of the world are all symptoms. The root cause is sin. And the ruler of the world is Satan. Only born-again believers in Jesus Christ are set free from sin and the power of Satan. The world will remain under the control of Satan until Jesus returns. A social gospel is impotent to free people from sin and, despite its lofty ideals and objectives, to change the world. It completely misses the truth:
1 Timothy 1:15
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…”
Hebrews 2:14-15
“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death — that is, the devil — and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”
Acts 26:18
“to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me (Jesus).”
1 John 5:18-19
“We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”
The social gospel became popular at various times through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when certain churches embraced a “liberal theology” and rejected the Bible as the inerrant Word of God. In its present repackaged form it is popular amongst emerging churches. A leading figure in the emerging church movement, Brian McLaren reveals also the interspiritual, interfaith nature behind the social gospel (i.e. the rejection of the need to convert people from other faiths; that all faiths worship the same ‘God’): “I think our future will require us to join humbly and charitably with people of other faiths—Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, and secularists in pursuit of peace, environmental stewardship and justice for all people, things that matter greatly to the heart of God.” Rick Warren also has a popular variation called his P.E.A.C.E. plan.
True Christianity has always been associated with care for the poor and needy. In particular, the social reforms produced as a direct consequence of the great Christian revivals during the 18th and 19th centuries transformed the world (see for example Paul Backholer “How Christianity Made The Modern World – The Legacy of Christian Liberty: How the Bible Inspired Freedom, Shaped Western Civilization, Revolutionized Human Rights, Transformed Democracy and Why Free People Owe So Much to their Christian Heritage” 2017). This fact is something the promoters of a social gospel consistently fail to acknowledge. Society can never nor will never be changed until and unless the hearts of its people are transformed by the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And the Bible informs us that when a people reject the knowledge of God, their thinking becomes futile and they inevitably sink into a morass of sin and debauchery (see Romans 1).
(Some who embrace a social gospel also add the idea that God’s kingdom must be set up upon the earth before Jesus returns. Again, this is a falsehood and contrary to a plain reading of the Bible; and a denial of the true state of the world! The advent of the two World Wars last century struck down dead this variation of the social gospel. Nevertheless, it has reappeared again for example amongst those preaching the “seven mountains mandate” and dominion theology.)
See also The Emerging Church Global Peace Plan