The gospel of Christ is good news. The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, saying, “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you -- unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: 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 Cor. 15:1-4, NKJV). The good news is that sinners can be saved because Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and was resurrected from the dead.

However, the same apostle warned the churches of Galatia that there are those who preach a “different gospel,” who “want to pervert the gospel of Christ” (Gal. 1:6, 7). Among the many perversions of the gospel is the approach known as the “Social Gospel.” The “Social Gospel” traces its roots to a religious movement that was devised as a result of modernism’s erosion of faith. As religious people and religious groups moved away from believing what the Bible teaches concerning the supernatural, heaven and hell, and the prospect of eternal life for the faithful, they began to shift their focus to curing man’s social ills. As belief in an improved condition in the hereafter faded, the emphasis was increasingly placed on improving man’s condition in the here and now.

Gradually, this shift in emphasis was adopted even by those who continued to profess belief in the supernatural, in heaven and hell, and in the prospect of eternal life. As is so often the case, cultural and religious trends influence those who are not careful to adhere to “the pattern of sound words” (2 Tim. 1:13). Accordingly, many churches have made it their aim to feed and clothe the world, to build hospitals for the sick, to operate schools for the uneducated, to influence public policy, and to provide opportunities for recreational and social activities, both for their own members and for the community.

What is wrong with this “Social Gospel” approach?

1. It has the wrong focus. The gospel of Christ is focused on the spiritual salvation of souls. In recognition of this fact, Paul wrote to Timothy, saying, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1 Tim. 1:15). Rather than expecting the gospel to remove all physical, material, or social ills from the world, Jesus emphasized the need for His followers to look beyond this present world for relief. On the night of His betrayal He encouraged His apostles, saying, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33). To shift the focus of the gospel toward removing the troubles of this world is to change it entirely. According to the New Testament, the work of the local church is to spread the message of salvation (1 Thess. 1:8), to spiritually build up its members in the faith (Eph. 4:11-16), and to relieve needy saints (Rom. 15:25-26). While individual Christians have responsibilities when it comes to using their own resources to help with the physical and material needs of their neighbors, God’s word does not authorize the church to use its collective funds and resources to tend to these needs, nor does it authorize the church engage in funding secular education, recreational activities, or social functions. In emphasizing a mission that is physical, material, and social, the “Social Gospel” approach adopts a focus that is different from the gospel of Christ.

2. It uses the wrong drawing power. Many have attempted to justify “Social Gospel” practices, claiming that by having the church operate soup kitchens, provide medical assistance, fund secular education, host social meals, or offer entertainment and recreation, people will become interested in coming to church and will eventually learn about Jesus. But did Jesus say these are the things that are to be used to draw people to Him? The truth is that the Lord said, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (Jn. 12:32). According to the Son of God, it is His sacrificial death that is designed to draw people to Him. The cross of Christ, rather than curing social ills or meeting social needs, is the drawing power that brings sinners to salvation. Paul writes, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). The power God uses to draw and save sinners is the message of salvation in Christ. In attempting to use physical, material, and social means as the drawing power to lead people to the Lord, the “Social Gospel” approach employs drawing tactics that are very different from the gospel of Christ.

3. It produces the wrong results. Whatever enticement is used to draw people will also be needed in order to keep them. When people are drawn in by entertainment, sports leagues, free food, or other handouts, those same things will need to be made available indefinitely in order to avoid losing their interest. But, according to the New Testament, those who come to Christ are called to Him, not by catering to their social needs, but by the gospel of Christ (cf. 1 Thess. 2:13-14). The apostle Peter writes, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pet. 1:3-5). God’s people are “kept by the power of God through faith,” rather than by a constant stream of church-hosted recreation, entertainment, social meals, or social programs. In attempting to use physical, material, and social means to produce followers of Christ, the “Social Gospel” approach produces results that are contrary to the gospel of Christ.

Conclusion: Let us never confuse the “Social Gospel” approach with the approach that was authorized, approved, and advanced by the Lord and His apostles. The more man’s confidence in the cross of Christ crumbles, the more religious groups will seek to place their confidence in social programs and recreational activities to draw people. However, Paul writes, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18). May we never lose confidence in the cross of Christ to draw sinners to salvation.