I am not sure when it happened. I trust it was long before any of us were ever born. I am sure this trend was popular many years ago in a variety of circles and came and went much like I anticipate it will with current trends too. I am speaking of this social gospel that uses words like, "needs, love, acceptance," among so many others but has not the slightest clue as to what they are even saying.
I found myself in dialogue with a number recently who I would say have done a fantastic job of reaching out and meeting some needs in their community by feeding and clothing those in need. This is great. The church (at large) has done a rather lousy job of thinking outside its walls, its functions, its preoccupation with growing (whatever that means), and caring nothing for those right next door.
The reality is, the extreme measure that so many advocate to "preach the gospel and if necessary use words" is a reaction not to the commands in scripture, rather a reaction against the church culture they previously knew. And so we have found people saying, "We want to be a more accepting body," and "we choose not to use words like sin, hell, repentance, or even Jesus because that isn't our job. Our job is to love," they say.
Since when did truth and love oppose one another? I yelled with urgency at my son who was approaching the open oven the other day with his hands out. There was nothing offensive about what I did. It was every bit truthful that he needed to back away from the open door and the intense heat that would have caused major trauma to his hands. I did it out of love. And even though he walked away from me scared, of me, I did what was best for him.
Since when did our love not compel us to do something infinitely more important than give a shirt or a meal to a person in need? Since when did this life, this SHORT LIFE, become longer than ETERNITY? So excuse me just a bit if I get concerned when people say, "We are preaching the gospel...with our actions." Oh really???!!!!! When did anyone ever get saved without hearing the Word? Paul had quite a bit to say about the need to proclaim this message (Romans 1:14-16; 10:5-17). And none of these advocates of this social gospel were ever saved apart from hearing it, if indeed they are saved.
Yes, the church has failed at regularly and consistently expressing the type of sacrificial love to the world around us in activities as mentioned previously (and beyond that). And yes, the world will perk up and listen when we are engaged as such. However, people do not understand they are sinners by us picking up a shovel and digging a garden. People do not understand their need for repentance because we pull a turkey out of the oven. People do not understand the need for faith by just seeing us smile and giving them a hug. People do not see the eternal realm as a result of us taking a shirt off our back to give to them. And so I argue as Paul so perfectly did, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word." I care infinitely more about people having a soul feast on JESUS, the Bread of Life, who will forever satisfy the innermost desire, longing, hunger we have. All our efforts to feed people food are but a reflection of this greater, spiritual, eternal reality. So keep feeding, or start feeding people a physical meal, but bring and speak boldly the greatest food, the GOSPEL OF JESUS, that they all, we all need, by which we have been saved.
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