People can be confusing.

So can understanding scripture.

I recently heard someone share their understanding of a passage of scripture. This is kind of a touchy subject, and…. I don’t want to get into the part about interpreting scripture. What I would like to look at is a statement I hear made so often. It goes something like this:

“We live in treacherous times.”

Or difficult times.

Or unbelievable times.

Or we live in a degenerate society.

Or the world is in a terrible place.

You get the picture.

Then the speaker launches into their social gospel. Not a straight forward presentation of the Word. They tell us, from their perspective, how the passage of scripture they are sharing from was written just for the social gospel issues that are at hand during these horrible times in our lives – In 2018.

Don’t get me wrong. I believe that scripture is relevant right now. I believe that God’s word is alive and speaking to us individually and corporately. I trust that God is using scripture to give us direction and to draw us to Him.

What is exhausting for me, is the concept that our current generation has the market on “treacherous, difficult, unbelievable, degenerate and terrible events and people.

We all have heard the expression “there is nothing new under the sun”.

Right?

Hello!! There is also nothing new in the world of sin.

In the ways of the world and its inhabitants,  Sin is Sin.  People have always been in the midst of “treacherous times” from their perspective – back to the beginning of the tug of war between good and evil.

Perhaps the expression of the sin has changed over time, but the sin is the same. The tools we have available to practice our sin have become more sophisticated. But the sin itself?  Not new.

I think it is always interesting to hear someone speak on a passage of scripture and align their interpretation to their platform of social injustice. And imply that scripture is speaking to this social injustice in a manner that supports their interpretation.

I tend to get defensive at this point in their presentation (sermon, devotional, teaching) especially if this support does not fall in line with my interpretation.And yet I respect the speaker… what do I do with this?

I see two options: I can revisit my thought process and see if I might be incorrect and can align myself more with the speaker OR I can revisit the thought process and continue to disagree with the speaker.

Ok there this a third option – I could just be a jerk and say the speaker is wrong because I disagree with her/him. But let’s assume we are more grown up than that…

What I have found most recently is that I disagree with the speaker. Since this bothers me to some degree, I have found myself asking me why it bothers me. Do I disagree with a social gospel? Do I disagree with the speaker/writer’s interpretation? What exactly do I disagree with?

What I think I have discovered for myself, (and remember, this is my blog and I am staying in my own lane)  is I think I do agree with a social gospel, but I do not agree with a political gospel. And sadly, I feel that we often confuse these two. We have deemed that all social platforms must reside in a political setting. It feels as if political standings drive our social response.  The Bible reminds us that we live in this tension of bringing the gospel to this world not fitting the gospel into the world. This can often present us with many emotionally charged situations. 

I tire of the political gospel – the one that wants to make scripture our laws of society. My friends, this will never happen. Ultimately, Christ returns to put an end to the oppression of his creation and to right the wrongs that began with the first sin. We live in a fallen world. 

As the body of Christ we are called to act in Christ-like love toward our fellow world travelers, and this I think will take us in the direction of the social gospel. It is the responsibility of “the church” to model Christ to society. To show there is a difference between His way and the way of society. We cannot effect the change that Christ wants in His body by pushing political agendas/criticisms. We can only do this by following his greatest commandment – Love God with all your heart, soul and mind —  and love your neighbor like you love yourself.

I invite you to join me in attempting to not be divisive in the political gospel but rather attempt to express God’s plan of “love God and then love your neighbor” socially. Just love them – the rest will get figured out as you travel along with God on this journey.