The last two weeks we have been studying what the New Testament teaches us about the Biblical meaning of the Gospel. The first week we studied that for some Christians there are things like, The Gospel Bracelet and The Four Spiritual Laws that represents the Biblical Gospel because both these witnessing tools are Biblically based.
Last week we saw that the gospel that Jesus preached in Luke 4:16-21, and gospel
that the apostles preached before His death and resurrection Luke 9:1-6, most likely had a different context than what the apostle Paul defines as the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8.
Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Luke 9:1-2,6, 1 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power
and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out
to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 6 So they set out and went from
village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.
1 Corinthians 15:1-8, 1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I
preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2
By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of
first importance: A) Jesus’ death, that Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, B) Jesus’ Resurrection, that he was raised on the
third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to
the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at
the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7
Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared
to me also, as to one abnormally born.
Understanding these and other points of the previous weeks should give us a clear
Biblical understanding of what the gospel of Jesus Christ is.
Today, more than ever, we have become more aware of the many different needs
of people near us and in every corner of our world. Poverty, famine, natural disasters,
political turmoil and wars that cause the displacement of thousands. The list can go on
and on.
As believes in Christ we need to ask ourselves the important following question.
What does the Bible teach us about how a believer in Christ should respond to all of this?
How does all these issues relate to the Gospel of Jesus Christ? According to James
4:17, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”
are we sinning if we do nothing to help the needy?
First of all, we need to be aware of various Christian social ministries and programs
that are legitimately helping many needy people here where we live and around the
world, some of which consider themselves preaching/doing the Gospel of Jesus.
More frequently from many different sources we will hear the term the Gospel of
Jesus used and very loosely applied to whatever good work someone does for another
who is in need. In other words, we need to be aware of the wide-ranging use and or application of the term Gospel of Jesus. This improper and sometimes unbiblical use of the
term gospel has also been popularly called a “Social Gospel”.
The following are some historical facts about the term “Social Gospel” from “Got
Questions.org. “The term social gospel is usually used to refer to a Protestant Christian
intellectual movement that came to prominence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Promoters of the social gospel sought to apply Christian principles to social problems,
with a focus on labor reform. Other issues, such as poverty, nutrition and health, education, alcoholism, crime, and warfare, were also addressed as part of the social gospel.”
Got Questions also gives three points explaining what the social gospel is.
1) “According to the social gospel, the betterment of society equals salvation.” 2)
They say – “If we feed enough people, educate enough children, dig enough wells, and
redistribute enough wealth, then we will see God’s kingdom manifest.” 3) “If we preach
enough love, justice, brotherhood, and goodwill toward men, then the remnants of greed
and selfishness in mankind will be overwhelmed and give way to goodness.”
Comparing what those of the Social Gospel believe with what we studied these last
two weeks about what the Bible teaches us about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we now
can easier understand what Paul meant when he told the churches in the Roman province of Galatia the following. “6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the
one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7
which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel
from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let
him be eternally condemned!” Galatians 1:6-12.
Preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ is distinctly different than doing what Jesus
said which is recognized and rewarded by Him when we reach out to others who are in
need. This is clearly seen in Matthew 25:31-40. 31 “When the Son of Man comes in
his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32
All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one
from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the
sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on
his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the
kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and
you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I
was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I
was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed
you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a
stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see
you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the
truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for
me.’
When reading this portion of scripture, we need to be careful not to misinterpret or
suggest a particular point. “We must not force (interpret) this passage to teach salvation
by good works.” – Wiersbe “The good works mentioned in the parable are not
the cause of salvation (or gives us salvation) but (it is) the effect of salvation.” – Got Questions
Another important point not to overlook when studying the topic, is what the Gospel
of Jesus Christ is and is not, we need to take into consideration all the good works that
Jesus did and what He taught, but also just as important is what Jesus did not do or say.
“Jesus never issued a call for political change, even though many of His followers
yearned for political action.”
John 6:14-15, 14 After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they
began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus,
knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to
a mountain by himself.
Acts 1:6, So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this
time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
John 18:36, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from
another place.”
“Jesus did not work for social change; His mission was spiritual.”
John 4:34, Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me
and to accomplish His work.
John 5:30, “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My
judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent
Me.
John 6:38, For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the
will of him who sent me.
“Jesus came not to wipe out poverty but to wipe out sin and to save the lost.”
John 1:29, The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look,
the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Luke 19:10, For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
“His cause was not to ensure that all laborers are treated justly but to justify people
before God.”
Romans 5:1-2, 1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have
gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.
“Jesus said that poverty would be a continual problem in this world.”
Mark 14:7, The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them
any time you want. But you will not always have me.
“Jesus also said money is not the most important thing, God is.”
Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and
love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot
serve both God and Money.
Now that we see the distinct difference between what the Bible teaches us
about what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is, a point that should be practiced by all believers
in Christ is not to use the term “Social Gospel” when referring to any kind of good works
done for the needy. A more fitting term is “Christian Social Action” or “Christian Ministry”. Next week we will be looking at what the Bible teaches us about the difference between the Gospel of Christ Jesus and Christian Social Action.
Pastor John
term gospel has also been popularly called a “Social Gospel”.
The following are some historical facts about the term “Social Gospel” from “Got
Questions.org. “The term social gospel is usually used to refer to a Protestant Christian
intellectual movement that came to prominence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Promoters of the social gospel sought to apply Christian principles to social problems, with
a focus on labor reform. Other issues, such as poverty, nutrition and health, education,
alcoholism, crime, and warfare, were also addressed as part of the social gospel.”
Got Questions also gives three points explaining what the social gospel is.
1) “According to the social gospel, the betterment of society equals salvation.” 2)
They say – “If we feed enough people, educate enough children, dig enough wells, and
redistribute enough wealth, then we will see God’s kingdom manifest.” 3) “If we preach
enough love, justice, brotherhood, and goodwill toward men, then the remnants of greed
and selfishness in mankind will be overwhelmed and give way to goodness.”
Comparing what those of the Social Gospel believe with what we studied these last
two weeks about what the Bible teaches us about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we now can
easier understand what Paul meant when he told the churches in the Roman province of
Galatia the following. “6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one
who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7
which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from
heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be
eternally condemned!” Galatians 1:6-12.
Preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ is distinctly different than doing what Jesus
said which is recognized and rewarded by Him when we reach out to others who are in
need. This is clearly seen in Matthew 25:31-40. 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his
glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All
the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from
another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep
on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his
right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom
prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave
me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a
stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick
and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the
righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or
thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and
invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in
prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever
you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
When reading this portion of scripture, we need to be careful not to misinterpret or
suggest a particular point. “We must not force (interpret) this passage to teach salvation
by good works.” – Wiersbe “The good works mentioned in the parable are not the cause of
salvation (or gives us salvation) but (it is) the effect of salvation.” – Got Questions
Another important point not to overlook when studying the topic, is what the Gospel
of Jesus Christ is and is not, we need to take into consideration all the good works that
Jesus did and what He taught, but also just as important is what Jesus did not do or say.
“Jesus never issued a call for political change, even though many of His followers yearned for political action.”
John 6:14-15, 14 After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus,
knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to
a mountain by himself.
Acts 1:6, So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time
going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
John 18:36, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants
would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another
place.”
“Jesus did not work for social change; His mission was spiritual.”
John 4:34, Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to
accomplish His work.
John 5:30, “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
John 6:38, For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of
him who sent me.
“Jesus came not to wipe out poverty but to wipe out sin and to save the lost.”
John 1:29, The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Luke 19:10, For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
“His cause was not to ensure that all laborers are treated justly but to justify people before
God.”
Romans 5:1-2, 1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained
access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.
“Jesus said that poverty would be a continual problem in this world.”
Mark 14:7, The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time
you want. But you will not always have me.
“Jesus also said money is not the most important thing, God is.”
Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love
the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve
both God and Money.
Now that we see the distinct difference between what the Bible teaches us about
what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is, a point that should be practiced by all believers in
Christ is not to use the term “Social Gospel” when referring to any kind of good works
done for the needy. A more fitting term is “Christian Social Action” or “Christian Ministry”. Next week we will be looking at what the Bible teaches us about the difference between the Gospel of Christ Jesus and Christian Social Action.
Pastor John
