Still Using "Sugar" Substitues?

I have been concerned that the church here in the US and even most of the western world has constantly substituted something else for the gospel. I understand that Biblically this is nothing new (Gal. 1:6). We have seen the sugar coated methods of modern preaching that has minimized sin. We have seen the “benefits based” presentation of the gospel that mostly outlines what you can get from God instead of dealing with the central issue of how we have offended Him and need HIS blood provided on our behalf as our only escape. Yet, another very popular substitute is the belittling of the gospel to merely a “prayer you pray”. All of these “methods” are substitutes for the actual gospel. These supposed “gospel” presentations are the sugar coated versions of western individualistic influence. They are not what Scripture says what the gospel is about (1 Cor. 15:1-5).
Our newest version is the social justice surge you see in the church today. Don’t get me wrong, I pastor a “missional church” who has as one of it’s core foundations that the church should express compassion to the oppressed, marginalized, and poor of the world! I’m on board. We are doing it. We are serving like crazy. Jesus is our model of compassion to the poor and oppressed. We are going to continue to care for orphans and give like crazy to help those in need!
My struggle is not doing all of that. We should, and I love it. No, it’s that I sense the church is replacing the gospel with serving and helping people. I’m hearing from pastors and their people that helping the poor is the gospel. I believe it’s another substitution and this one is very dangerous because what we are doing is so “good”. It’s so right. It’s just not the gospel. It’s what one does as a fruit of being transformed by the gospel. You may think this is splitting hairs but the problem is while we are helping the poor, marginalized, and oppressed we assume we are transforming the world. We are, in a humanitarian way, which is good, but the gospel is the ultimate good. It transform what the central focal issue of what has oppressed, impoverished, and oppressed all of humanity: SIN. If you feed someone and don’t connect the act to the gospel, you have merely done that which has left out the ultimate reality and that which is the greater need in their lives. You can’t transform a culture without the gospel. You may go into a village littered with starving people and use feeding everyone as way to show love so they will hear the gospel. And by all means I shout, “yes” to that. Just be sure the focus, the greatest purpose, the main thing to be done is the sharing of the gospel of Jesus! I end this article with the following quote from one of my favorite theology professors Dr. D. A. Carson. Read this and be inspired to help the poor but make the gospel the central issue at hand in all you do. Read this quote below and ask yourself, “ARE WE STILL USING SUGAR SUBSTITUTES?

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One Response to “Still Using "Sugar" Substitues?”

1. Bennett Murff says:

   April 26, 2009 at 12:05 pm

   Thomas, you have hit on what I feel is often times the biggest ploy the enemy uses. As you said just this morning, too often Christians are too focused on being busy and are subsequently ineffective in allowing God to use them to grow His kingdom. Is not sharing the gospel the very definition of loving another? And we can all read in I Corinthians 13 of what we really are without love; clanging cymbals, nothing, even worthless (profiting nothing).I ask you to pray for me this week as I am…that my passion would TRULY be the very passion of God, and that our ministry here at the apartments would be much more than a period of busyness. Grace and peace brother, Bennett.