Dear BPCWA worshipper, In last week’s pastoral, I covered the first 2 sessions of this year’s Church Study Series. It is important that I recap the study in our pastorals because a lot of information was covered. This was already increased from the original schedule of 2 to 3 weeks, but could not be increased further due to fellowship schedule limitations. I would however encourage all worshippers who would like to learn for the first time or refresh their learning on this topic to watch the presentations which are on our YouTube channel at bpcwa.org.au/YouTube.

The errors of the Social Gospel. The Social Gospel is social activism. It is another gospel and another Jesus. How is that so? It applies Christ’s teachings to saving society, economic life, social institutions, and individuals. It “preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached” and “another gospel, which ye have not accepted” (2Co 11:4). For starters, we must have a clear understanding of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ who offers salvation in Himself, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Ro 6:23). After salvation, “being made free from sin” is not to improve society, but to “become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life” (Ro 6:22). The Social Gospel contradicts God’s spiritual intentions. Instead, it connects social ideals with the kingdom of God by addressing corporate sin and social salvation. Walter Rauschenbusch, a theologian who is a major proponent of the Social Gospel movement, taught that religion’s chief purpose was to create the highest quality of life for everyone. This is done by regenerating human relations in society by Christ’s principles. When this is done, the kingdom of God is established on earth which, according to Rauschenbusch’s theology, the salvation of society from social ills was Christ’s purpose. With this faulty premise, propounders of the Social Gospel believe that Christians and churches must be involved in Christian action to ensure social justice and transform society to achieve social redemption in this world for Christ.

The perversion of the true Gospel. God’s Word speaks against any perversion of the true gospel, “which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ” (Ga 1:7). The Bible also warns Christians to utterly reject them with a double-fold curse, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Ga 1:8-9). God curses such a “gospel” and so must we. Christ’s gospel preaches a spiritual kingdom (Mr 1:14) which one enters through personal repentance and faith in the gospel (Mr 1:15). Christ’s Gospel is contrary to the Social Gospel’s teaching of God’s universal Fatherhood and the brotherhood of all humanity. God makes it clear that not everyone is part of God’s kingdom and God’s child, for He says to some, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. . .” (John 8:44). God further declares that He has a “peculiar people” who are “the people of God” chosen to “shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1Pe 2:9-10).

The perniciousness of the Social Gospel. The Social Gospel’s kingdom of God and universal brotherhood of man is an easy vehicle for ecumenism. It is no wonder that the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches, together with many major denominational churches and “Christian” organisations, are on the same bandwagon of social programs. The Roman Catholic’s Social Teachings programs are based on social doctrines similar to those of the Social Gospel movement. Calling for solidarity with the one human family, the Vatican teaches Roman Catholics to seek the “Common Good” of the community with preferential options for the poor and vulnerable. With this subtilty, Satan seeks to deceive Christians into supporting the “Common Good” because “Common Good” sounds like God’s “Common Grace”. We must not confuse the two. If providing social help is common grace, then Christ would have sinned in avoiding the crowd who loved what He did in feeding them (John 6:15,22). And Christ would have also sinned when He not only refused to continue to feed them, but also rebuked them for seeking Him for social benefits (John 6:24-26). Claiming that social work is necessary because the Christian must do works of common grace is both self-deception and misleading to others.

The great glue for one world religion. How can the one-world religion of Revelation 18 be possible if there is no strong commonality in the first place? With the common themes of Personalism, human dignity, and Common Good (or the Christians mislabelling it as “Common Grace”), it is no surprise then that ecumenism is deviously promoted under the umbrella of social salvation for society’s good. This extends not just to Protestantism and Roman Catholicism, but to other religions as well. We find the Vatican even inviting the WCC to work together on social changes.  Many religions promote such social welfare actions too, because false religions are works-based. The Social Gospel is the strongest and perfect reason to bind with other religions to work together! Even in Australia, we see many Christian organisations promoting the Social Gospel, such as the Salvation Army, though not stating it as such. Ecumenism comes about naturally in these groups because they work toward the same outcomes and the same goals. Furthermore, it sounds so virtuous in the eyes of the world. Next week, I will close off with a discussion of the dangers of this movement to Bible-Presbyterians. But let us remember God’s warning,

Re 18:4   And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Yours in our Lord’s service,
Pastor