Why I Preach the Evangel and Not the Social Gospel

Paul preached the Gospel of God (Rom 1:1). The Gospel of God is the Good News about the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. The great apostle wrote: “We proclaim Him (Col 1:28);” “He saved us (Tit 3:5);” We preach Christ crucified (1 Cor 1:23);” “Preach the Word (2 Tim 4:2);” “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor 2:2);” “and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith is also vain (1 Cor 15:17);” “I am appointed for the defense of the Gospel (Phil 1:16);” “If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth (Col 3:1–2).”

Sin is man’s root problem (Rom 3:23; 5:12). Man’s nature is sin nature (Eph 2:3). Sinning is man’s natural activity. Sin is lawlessness (1 Jn 3:4). It manifests in innumerable ways. Man suffers under sin’s reign, and sin’s dominion is so powerful, man is identified as a “slave to sin (Jn 8:34; Rom 6:6).”

Sin is the reason man dies in his flesh (Rom 6:23), and without justification before his divine Judge, man is subject to the second death in eternal fire (Rev 2:11; Mt 25:41; Jude 7). The fact that sin has made a mess of the world is acknowledged, but is the objective of Christianity to fix the sin-broken world?

The social gospel, in contrast with the evangel, has its end goal objective as social justice. Liberals, who have preached the social gospel for a few centuries, have contributed much good to the disposition of humanity. Social welfare has benefited from the voice of Christian preachers.

Social gospel, welfare, justice preachers, who labor to fix the ravages of sin in the world, have competition. Secular socialists control the realm of liberal social education, which actively suppresses the truth of God (Rom 1:18). They also control the government agencies that have the money and authority to manage social programs. Christians are relegated to silent participation in the secular system, or they produce their good, albeit smaller works, to assist the widow and the orphan, and the poor with private funding (Dt 10:18; Jas 1:27).

The world is under the condemnation of God (Jn 3:18), and yet, there is a redeemed people (Is 62:12), who are no longer under condemnation from God (Rom 8:1). The former slaves to sin have been called by God and have been brought by the Father to the Son (Jn 6:37, 44), through the regenerating work of the Spirit (1 Pet 1:3). Given the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16), these slaves of Christ serve in the design of God, under His reign of grace (Rom 5:17, 21). They are lights in the darkness (Eph 5:8; 1 Thess 5:5).

There has long been tension between those who recognize the futility of this world and those who work to make the world a better place. When I read my Bible I see the reconnaissance mission of the Spirit-filled Christian preacher, to gather in the elect of God to the church. Another Christian preacher sees the need to deal with the abuses of men against one another in society. Both of these endeavors fall under the Christian objective that we should love God and love our neighbor (Lk 10:27). The restrainer of evil, the Holy Spirit, is very much at work in liberal Christians. At the same time, the preaching of the Word of reconciliation to God is a product of the Spirit, through the preacher of the evangel.

This division, caused by varied interpretations of the Scripture, has a dual benefit. Therefore, it behooves the church of God, the church of Christ in the world to embrace this dualism, even when one can see one interpretation or the other with greater clarity.

I am a preacher of the evangel because that is what the Spirit has allowed me to see. I want to see men reconciled to God (Rom 5:10; 2 Cor 5:20). What I must not do is become a social gospel preacher, for I would be disingenuous, although I must support the reconciliation of men to one another, under the Lordship of Christ. Nor should I attempt to hinder the social gospel preacher in an attempt to convert him to my Gospel view. He has work to do, and by faith, I am trusting that his penchant to make the world a better place is from God. In this regard, I have no desire to tear down the work of God in and through others, who have their assignments. At the same time, I would expect the same from social gospel preachers.

The Gospel is not divided. We must love God, and we must love our neighbor. These are intimately related. As a coin has two sides, but remains one coin, the evangel and the social Gospel are conjoined. Both should be viewed as one Gospel, each with its own danger. Easy-believism and free will decisionalism are no help to evangelicalism; and social transformation, without conversion, must be recognized as mere secular socialism with a Jesus’ label (see Christian Aid in the United Kingdom).

The world will never change (Eccl 1:9), and its doom is sure (2 Pet 3:10–12), but the heart may be converted (Ezek 36:26), if the Lord wills for one to receive that transplant (Jn 1:12–13). Christ Jesus, our Lord must be preached in both cases, in order to secure the recognition He deserves for being “the Savior of the world” …however that is interpreted.

David Norczyk

Spokane Valley, Washington

November 27, 2021