Gospel Prism

1. I think faith in the true Gospel should lead to a concern for the poor and the lost, both here in the US but also around the world. There is so much of Scripture that points to this reality and I still think that more could be done. I also think a Gospel-centric worshiping Body is a deeply compassionate Body because God is a compassionate God and is so merciful.

2. With that said, I think Sojourners and Jim Wallis, while has done some really great things from a humanitarian perspective. I also want to say that I am not sure where he stands fully theologically. But I will say this about the whole idea about “social justice.” Usually this phrase represents a worldview where the financially better-off have taken advantage of the have-nots. Social justice is about trying to equalize economic and social patterns in the world.

As I said earlier, I really do believe that God is certainly concerned about these matters. But He is concerned in light of who He is and in light of what He has done through His Son. Sadly, I think social justice often is about us and not enough about the justice God has met at the cross regarding sin. What fundamentalists and conservatives (politically speaking, and sometimes theologically as well) do is they neglect to see that a true worship in light of the Gospel of Christ forces the hand of the believer to care for the poor. It’s a natural outflow of such faith in a gracious God.
Liberals, however, focus so much on economic and social inequities, that they are more fixated on feeding the body that will die after a few years or decades, but will care nothing for the soul that will be bound to an eternity of eternal punishment. The Gospel is nothing more than an inspirational story to motivate or guilt people into service. Guilt is a very powerful, inspirational tool and it can really get people to act.

Christians have always been at the forefront in caring for the poor. Peter and John healed the beggar at the gate Beautiful. Paul was concerned for the poor in his letters, and so too James (James 2). But they never let that concern be their primary impetus in their life of faith.