Has Your Faith Been Detoured by an Angel of Light Part 4:  Social Gospel

By Mari

Many Christians have no idea they are being taught to focus on themselves rather than on Christ. They seem to have no understanding that their identity is IN Christ. Instead they accept the teaching to acknowledge themselves and their feelings in regards to Christ and His word, and what makes THEM singularly and distinctive, APART from Christ.

The idea of personal identity has become more important than our identity in Christ. This is completely against the word of God, to be seeking our own glory rather than understanding we are dead, and our life is now hid with Christ in God.

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Too many are not being taught we died with Christ, that we were crucified with Christ the moment we believed on Him for eternal life. That while we live, it is Christ who liveth in us, and the life which we now live in the flesh is lived by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us.

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Our lives should not be focused on ourselves and our desires for the transient things here on earth. We are no longer to use our feelings to determine our truth, but instead rely on the word of God for the truth.

We are not to line up the word of God with our feelings. We line up to the word of God and often the feelings follow. This is what you do when you believe the word of God.

Faith is to be centered in Christ not ourselves and our feelings. Feelings can and do change. The word of God remains true and will stand for ever.

Psa_18:30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

Pro_30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Isa_40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

 

The social gospel wants to change systems, ideas about the world, and ensure every man has food, but denies that man needs spiritual food to spiritually live. It is denied that real change only comes from knowing God and His salvation.

Mat_4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Rom_10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Eph_6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

The social gospel is a mixed up mess of saving the world, the planet, the poor and the needy. And once again denies the word of God and His true mission for believers in the world. They deny the power and truth of the word of God in lieu of their OWN plan to bring the kingdom in on earth, so that God will return.

It is a mixed up religious belief, mingling law and grace. Folks thinking that they are Israel and need to work themselves to bring in the kingdom of God on earth. They deny the word of God and have no idea about rightly dividing the word of truth.

Col_1:25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;

1Th_2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

Heb_4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

2Ti_2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

We are to seek the things of God, set our affection on the things of heaven and not on the earth. We know we are dead and our life is hid with Christ in God. Then when He appears, Who is our life, we shall also appear with Him in glory.

Col_3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

The social gospel is actually fairly old. It has more to do with social justice, and transforming the world to be a better place by human means, outside of Christ. It is more a regeneration of society than of giving the life-saving gospel to the lost.

It is my belief that this came about because people who mix law and grace, or believe they are a replacement for Israel, are working under an old plan that has been interrupted, rejecting the dispensation of grace we live under today. They are endeavoring to bring the kingdom on earth into reality, without Christ being the head. They are without understanding that today we (who are believers) are seated in heavenly places while Israel is still waiting for their kingdom to come to earth.

Eph_3:2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

It is more than implied in the social gospel that WE are to restore creation and God is using us to do so. And guess what….who gets the glory…if WE are restoring the creation? Man. Not God. And in truth it cannot be done by mankind. It is disobedient, unscriptural and lofty egos at work.

You can certainly learn more about the Social Gospel if you choose; when did it start and how the belief has been growing so rapidly, etc, as this is not a comprehensive study of this subject. The social gospels sounds good in some ways, (who does not want to help the poor and right the injustices of the world?) However, it is a deeper belief and goal. It is wanting to regenerate the world so that Christ will return. It is actually quite evil, rejecting that it is God who will destroy and then build the new heaven and a new earth, NOT us. And it will happen long after the Lord catches us away.

Rev_21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

Part of this movement started the WWJD…”What would Jesus do?” It came out with bracelets and was popular in the 1990s…even I had one, as I did not know rightly dividing at that time. The idea that Charles Sheldon had (the author of the 1897 novel, “In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do?”) was to be used for any occasion one had a moral decision to make. It was to put yourself in Jesus’ shoes and make the determination of what He would do, to ‘solve’ the problems in one’s life or in the world.

But how can this possibly help us today? When Jesus walked the earth He said that He was only sent unto the House of Israel Mat 15:24. He told His 12 Apostles not to go to anyone who was not of the House of Israel (Mat 10:6)…so if you follow Jesus and wonder what He would do…in reality, He would not solve problems for anyone except for the Jews! And… they had to be FULL Jews, as He also told the Apostles not to go to the Gentiles or to any city of the Samarians (because they were only part Jewish). (Mat 10:5)

Jesus was born under the law, lived the law and came to fulfil the law. Would you tell someone today to be circumcised to be acceptable to God? Or baptized for the remission of sins? Or, to take a dove to a priest to be sacrificed for healing from an illness?

What would Jesus really do today?

He would tell you to follow His revelation to the Apostle Paul, who is the Apostle with the message for us today! (Ro 11:13) To follow His plan that is called the mystery, and to give the gospel according to Paul’s gospel, the teaching of Jesus Christ and according to the revelation of the mystery. The only gospel that has the POWER to stablish one!

Rom_16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

Our mission is not to save the physical world today by social regeneration! We have been made ambassadors to share the gospel of the grace of God, that there is reconciliation with God by believing in what Jesus Christ did for us at the cross. It is SPIRITUAL life that is the goal for all who need to hear and will believe the truth!

It is not our job to right social injustice. Injustice comes from SIN. Lasting change can come only from the spirit being made alive in Christ. The only way this happens is to do the job the Lord actually gave us, which is sharing the gospel with others, through our ministry of reconciliation.

2Co_5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

2Co_5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Change comes by changing hearts and minds to the truth found in Christ alone.

There will always be the poor. There will always be injustice in this sin filled world. We cannot eradicate sin in this fallen world. We cannot stop entropy, the second law of thermodynamics. Nothing gets better, everything is dying or winding down. Everything is deteriorating, with a gradual decline into disorder. The only thing that does not fall into this category is our spirits when we believe! We are made a NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST who is eternal!

Our hope is in the Lord alone. Our mission is to change one heart and mind at a time through sharing the gospel of grace.

Do not be detoured by an angel of light or one of his deceptive ministers by these misplaced, humanistic lies.

Learn to rightly divide instead. Help the poor and needy as you can, but remember that what has been committed unto us is the word of reconciliation, the ministry of reconciliation as ambassadors of Christ! (This is the ministry of EVERY believer)

2Co_5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

2Co_5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

 

THE GOSPEL THAT SAVES
“I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved … that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

– 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (KJB)