The social gospel?

[Episkopos]

When I think of what could be termed as being a social gospel, I think of people like Gandhi, Oprah, or MLK (Martin Luther King)

Of the 3 only the latter could be termed as preaching a social gospel, as he was a minister of religion....aka a pastor.

Mlk used the life of Jesus as something to emulate in His humanity...not concerned for the more spiritual aspects....like whether Jesus was divine or not. To him, that was beside the point. Anything spiritual, to him, was to be taken as a metaphor...a philosophy meant to inspire a human activism in conformity with the message of Jesus in His humanity. Social justice, human rights,...love of one's fellow man.

Gandhi said...I love your Christ, not your Christians. Gandhi was exposed to the charlatan aspect of Christianity that did NOTHING to follow Christ but rather used Him as an idol to worship and a religious ideological claim to be "going to heaven" in an afterlife by simply "accepting" Him. Gandhi found that to be "anti-Christian". Why do we not obey the One we call Lord??

We can compare that social stance to the airy-fairy pseudo spiritual approach embraced by so many where religious beliefs trump actions...what we do with what we have been given.

What is acceptable in the decoy churches is the lip-service of Jesus being divine WITHOUT any obedience to Jesus in His humanity. So we are in a quandary...since there is NO balance in the churches of today, should we prefer one half-truth over the other?

When both these are compared...we see aspects of the truth...but no depth or balance. Basically, NOT the gospel. Neither is according to the gospel.

I preach a spiritual Christianity with the church being a spiritual fellowship of Christ followers...who hold to Jesus being BOTH human AND divine.

As such I weigh the ACTIONS of one extreme over the other. In the case of those who seek to follow Jesus' human side...we see so often self-sacrifice, love of others, and willingness to suffer. On the side of the hypocrites who name and claim the divine benefits of Jesus...we see assumptions and presumptions...naming and claiming...claiming to be saved by these...who REFUSE to emulate Jesus in His humanity, disdaining the human Christ by calling obedience to Him...a works salvation. As if all who obeyed Jesus did so for the same selfish reasons they were "accepting" Jesus' sacrifice for themselves. We judge others as WE are, so often.

So which extreme is better? I say, extreme because neither is the truth. Neither is balanced and represents the real Jesus.

Since we will be judged by our works, NOT our beliefs...I would think that DOING what Jesus would do is better than claiming Him as an idol for an afterlife salvation.

Can we condemn the one extreme without also condemning the other? Or are we also invested in naming and claiming and saying that those who follow Jesus' humanity are going to hell for it, as any carnally minded fundamentalist would...thereby justifying the importance of their own ideological opinions? Or is it...he who is not against Me is for Me?

Can we see that followers of Jesus' humanity (social gospel) are challenging us to NOT be hypocritical in our witness to the world?

 

[Behold]

I preach a spiritual Christianity

Here is what you "preach"..

Your own quote.

"The Cross of Christ........is not about Forgiveness".

And here is your testimony.

"""""Reading Acts, I asked the Lord what the Holy Spirit was..

I kept reading...for a few days...until as I was reading about the Holy Spirit, the words became enlightened...like a light was behind the words...they got bigger and bigger and came at me until they entered into me through my eyes.

I kept reading until I read in Peter where he says "having been born again" and I then realized what had happened to me."""""


So, what is missing from your Testimony?

A.) The Gospel........

2.) JESUS

3.) THE Cross

4.) Believing in Jesus, by FAITH

5.) "All who call on the name of Jesus, shall be saved"

 

[Episkopos]

Here is what you "preach"..

Your own quote.

"The Cross of Christ........is not about Forgiveness".

That's true. I preach a holy Jesus who atoned for the sins of the world...and was raised to justify all who walk in His resurrection life. The cross is about taking AWAY the sins of the world...not just covering them up or pretending that people are not carnal and sinful...even as they name and claim Jesus as their "protector" against the wrath to come.

God has ALWAYS been merciful. The cross didn't make God mean and unforgiving. Religious pretenders did that.

It's "for God so LOVED the world"...and not..as fundamentalists believe.."For God so hated the world".

 

[Behold]

That's true. I preach a holy Jesus who atoned for the sins of the world..

Your past atonement message said that "Jesus is your whipping boy"., as you defined God's Salvation.

Your most revised atonement message, said that "The Cross is NOT about Forgiveness".

.and was raised to justify all who walk in His resurrection life.

You stated....."all who walk in His Resurrection"..

Well, without being born again.., there is none of that so, you left that out......again.

So, you are talking about "walking in the resurrection" yet you have noone BORN AGAIN to get there, in your Theology.. .as usual.

You stated previously.... that BELIEVING is not a part of it.
Want me to post your Quote again?

The cross is about taking AWAY the sins of the world...

The Cross is Where God provided Himself a Virgin Born body to sacrifice FOR the Sin of the World.

The Cross is where Jesus became sin for us, so that by this one time Eternal Sacrifice for Sin, we are FORGIVEN our Sin.

Salvation is The Holy Act of God's Mercy redeeming a Believer from their sin, = by forgiving all their tresspasses against God, Because Jesus on the Cross, has paid for them all., with His Blood and Death, ... which is why Jesus said from THE CROSS.. "IT" is FINISHED">.
And He proved this to be true by being resurrected from the Dead.

Thousands of people will go to hell today, with their sin on them, not forgiven., or as Jesus said.. "if you dont believe that im the Messiah, the Savior, then you will die IN your sin".. = unforgiven sin.

 

[amadeus]

When I think of what could be termed as being a social gospel, I think of people like Gandhi, Oprah, or MLK (Martin Luther King)

Of the 3 only the latter could be termed as preaching a social gospel, as he was a minister of religion....aka a pastor.

Mlk used the life of Jesus as something to emulate in His humanity...not concerned for the more spiritual aspects....like whether Jesus was divine or not. To him, that was beside the point. Anything spiritual, to him, was to be taken as a metaphor...a philosophy meant to inspire a human activism in conformity with the message of Jesus in His humanity. Social justice, human rights,...love of one's fellow man.

Gandhi said...I love your Christ, not your Christians. Gandhi was exposed to the charlatan aspect of Christianity that did NOTHING to follow Christ but rather used Him as an idol to worship and a religious ideological claim to be "going to heaven" in an afterlife by simply "accepting" Him. Gandhi found that to be "anti-Christian". Why do we not obey the One we call Lord??

We can compare that social stance to the airy-fairy pseudo spiritual approach embraced by so many where religious beliefs trump actions...what we do with what we have been given.

What is acceptable in the decoy churches is the lip-service of Jesus being divine WITHOUT any obedience to Jesus in His humanity. So we are in a quandary...since there is NO balance in the churches of today, should we prefer one half-truth over the other?

When both these are compared...we see aspects of the truth...but no depth or balance. Basically, NOT the gospel. Neither is according to the gospel.

I preach a spiritual Christianity with the church being a spiritual fellowship of Christ followers...who hold to Jesus being BOTH human AND divine.

As such I weigh the ACTIONS of one extreme over the other. In the case of those who seek to follow Jesus' human side...we see so often self-sacrifice, love of others, and willingness to suffer. On the side of the hypocrites who name and claim the divine benefits of Jesus...we see assumptions and presumptions...naming and claiming...claiming to be saved by these...who REFUSE to emulate Jesus in His humanity, disdaining the human Christ by calling obedience to Him...a works salvation. As if all who obeyed Jesus did so for the same selfish reasons they were "accepting" Jesus' sacrifice for themselves. We judge others as WE are, so often.

So which extreme is better? I say, extreme because neither is the truth. Neither is balanced and represents the real Jesus.

Since we will be judged by our works, NOT our beliefs...I would think that DOING what Jesus would do is better than claiming Him as an idol for an afterlife salvation.

Can we condemn the one extreme without also condemning the other? Or are we also invested in naming and claiming and saying that those who follow Jesus' humanity are going to hell for it, as any carnally minded fundamentalist would...thereby justifying the importance of their own ideological opinions? Or is it...he who is not against Me is for Me?

Can we see that followers of Jesus' humanity (social gospel) are challenging us to NOT be hypocritical in our witness to the world?

Are there then so few NOW striving to be like Jesus, truly?

1jo 3:2

Beloved, NOW are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Has Jesus not then already appeared to us so that we may NOW [not after while nor after physical death... but NOW], TODAY be like him?

And so then must we not NOW strive to follow his example?

Joh 9:4

I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

But then alone what are we able to do?

Joh 15:5

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Despite all of our effort, unless God takes up the slack, alone we would be unable to make it. We do need to work at it, and then if we are also leaning upon and trusting in God, will He not take up the slack so that we are able to make it?

Should we repent and then sit back on our haunches expecting God to do all that remains? Jesus is the Head of the Body, but the Head does not work alone to accomplish all of God's will. Each part of the Body in obedience to and trust in the Head must work while it is still day.

 

[Episkopos]

Are there then so few NOW striving to be like Jesus, truly?

1jo 3:2

Beloved, NOW are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Has Jesus not then already appeared to us so that we may NOW [not after while nor after physical death... but NOW], TODAY be like him?

And so then must we not NOW strive to follow his example?

Joh 9:4

I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

But then alone what are we able to do?

Joh 15:5

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Despite all of our effort, unless God takes up the slack, alone we would be unable to make it. We do need to work at it, and then if we are also leaning upon and trusting in God, will He not take up the slack so that we are able to make it?

Should we repent and then sit back on our haunches expecting God to do all that remains? Jesus is the Head of the Body, but the Head does not work alone to accomplish all of God's will. Each part of the Body in obedience to and trust in the Head must work while it is still day.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt 6:33

 

[Behold]

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt 6:33

Notice that your verse says which ""righteousness to seek".

Heretics teach that you are to try to DO That... of yourself.

But the verse says to seek "HIS" (God's) Righteousness.""

And God's Righteousness is JESUS THE LORD, and it's His "imputed righteousness" that we are to SEEK, as without HIS>. .then the only righteousness that you have is .. Self Righteousness.

So how do you get "God Righteousness".

You receive it by FAITH, and are born again.... now having received FROM GOD... "The GIFT of Righteousness'"

 

[Episkopos]

Notice that your verse says which ""righteousness to seek".

Heretics teach that you are to try to DO That... of yourself.

But the verse says to seek "HIS" (God's) Righteousness.""

And God's Righteousness is JESUS THE LORD, and it's His "imputed righteousness" that we are to SEEK, as without HIS>. .then the only righteousness that you have is .. Self Righteousness.

So how do you get "God Righteousness".

You receive it by FAITH, and are born again.... now having received FROM GOD... "The GIFT of Righteousness'"

A self-righteous person is such because he BELIEVES he is righteous (for whatever reason). Seeking until you find means an actual connection to God through visitation and empowering.

You are using double-speak to justify yourself.There is no "right faith, and wrong faith".... this proves that you are operating on the very superficial level of religious beliefs. As such you see right beliefs and wrong beliefs...which have NOTHING to do with actual faith and salvation.

 

[Behold]

A self-righteous person is such because he BELIEVES he is.

Its God who defines one as self righteous.

And the person who is, practices self righteousness as "trying to go to heaven by works" or performance.

Or, they believe that Salvation is started by Jesus and completed by them.

So, its the same SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS, that is both of those.

See, "Self Righteousness"....is trying to make SELF.. right with God, instead of BELIEVING IN Christ, so that God makes you righteous by giving you the "Gift of Righteousness". = SALVATION

Here is how a "self righteous" person or a (self saver) sounds..

An example..

"Yes i know that Jesus saved me... but....but.....but... but... now i have to do, do do, and you have to do do do to go to heaven, or to remain righteous"""

See that?

That is : SELF Righteousness, and that DENIES The Cross., and offends the Grace of God.

 

[Eternally Grateful]

That's true. I preach a holy Jesus who atoned for the sins of the world...and was raised to justify all who walk in His resurrection life. The cross is about taking AWAY the sins of the world...not just covering them up or pretending that people are not carnal and sinful...even as they name and claim Jesus as their "protector" against the wrath to come.

God has ALWAYS been merciful. The cross didn't make God mean and unforgiving. Religious pretenders did that.

It's "for God so LOVED the world"...and not..as fundamentalists believe.."For God so hated the world".

lol.

Christ went to the cross to atone for sin. that that we may be made alive.

You have a social gospel yourself. its all about you you you

 

[Eternally Grateful]

A self-righteous person is such because he BELIEVES he is righteous (for whatever reason). Seeking until you find means an actual connection to God through visitation and empowering.

Like you?

You are using double-speak to justify yourself.There is no "right faith, and wrong faith".... this proves that you are operating on the very superficial level of religious beliefs. As such you see right beliefs and wrong beliefs...which have NOTHING to do with actual faith and salvation.

You keep saying this to everyone.

We do not try to justify ourselves. we know we are not righteous.

Your the one who keeps promoting yourself and trying to justify yourself.

 

[Behold]

There is no "right faith, and wrong faith"....

Sure there is.. @Episkopos

1.) Notice "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death."""

Also notice.. another wrong FAITH.., and when i read your posts, Threads, ... i hear you as this next verse.. as your Theology is ignorant regarding God's righteousness, according to your posts, Videos, and Threads.

2. ) Romans 10:3​

Paul teaches......

= 3: " For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."​

 

[MatthewG]

Hello Epi,

All I know is, that while human beings can do great and wonderful and good things, as well as tragic, terrible, and murderous things. While that being said, a social gospel? All of the gospel that is known to me is the death, burial, and resurrection. Which was the Lord Yeshua, life lived, for all people and his Father. Tempted by and through the flesh and battling in the spirit with the Devil in the wilderness. The support and encouragement a person needs is to be encouraged to read the word of God and to also understand that by and through the resurrection, and his given life, there is newness of life that also follows that individuals life which pertains to now being made alive towards more heavenly originated things like relationship with the Father through prayer, and asking him to help us by this spirit and asking faithfully in Jesus name. Primary concern for an individual is to really go and ask God and ask him about whatever it is you desire to know or have need of by the spirit. Spend time with him, and seek him, and newness of life comes. And everyone should be able to judge their own selves whether or not they are in Christ, in spite of even what other brothers or sisters in Christ may say, continuing to love and place Yahavah/ or Yahweh first and not idols or things of the world. May all be encouraged! Thank you for reading.

 

[Episkopos]

As people become smug is their assurance of salvation....many will forsake any notion of keeping God's laws...becoming slack and even despising the commandments of God.

Jesus said that the whole Old Testament is based on 2 laws

Love God
Love your neighbour

In a bid to prop up a religious ideology that supposedly backs up God, rather than actually misrepresenting Him, some will see being socially merciful as a compromise...as if God was NOT merciful by nature. So then these have forsaken the law of God in an effort to be justified by their "love" for God and certain verses that they think justifies them. How can they love God whom they don't see when they have no love for any but themselves?

By misrepresenting God in this way, they also fail to advance into holiness...in the end being neither righteous nor holy.

The end of these is to be cast out into outer darkness. But who takes the words of God seriously? Who is wise and fears the Lord?

 

[Behold]

As people become smug is their assurance of salvation..

Jesus is Salvation.

The Cross of Christ is where God meets our Faith, and in that we find our Salvation.

Real Believers Rejoice in this Truth..

Real Believers Thank GOD for His Amazing Grace that is the Cross of Christ ... that is "The Gift of Salvation", that is the "Blood Atonement" that is the "NEW Covenant".


"""This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord,

17 And their sins and iniquities will i REMEMBER NO MORE...

18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the BLOOD OF JESUS,"""""""

 

[Episkopos]

Jesus is Salvation.

The Cross of Christ is where God meets our Faith, and in that we find our Salvation.

Real Believers Rejoice in this Truth..

Real Believers Thank GOD for His Amazing Grace that is the Cross of Christ ... that is "The Gift of Salvation", that is the "Blood Atonement" that is the "NEW Covenant".


"""This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord,

17 And their sins and iniquities will i REMEMBER NO MORE...

18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the BLOOD OF JESUS,"""""""

Words on a page, a million miles from where you are. Where there is freedom from sin, no more offering is necessary. The power of God unto salvation is to walk as Jesus walked in His presence and power.

 

[Behold]

The power of God unto salvation

The Power of God unto Salvation,..... is "The Preaching of the Cross".. as "The preaching of the Cross, is the Power of GOD... unto Salvation"

Those are the words of Paul.

Believe them, instead of always contradicting them. @Episkopos

See you there...

 

[Episkopos]

The Power of God unto Salvation,..... is "The Preaching of the Cross".. as "The preaching of the Cross, is the Power of GOD... unto Salvation"

Those are the words of Paul.

Believe them, instead of always contradicting them. @Episkopos

See you there...

It's not the preaching of the cross that is the power... it's the cross that has the power to save the inner man by crucifying the outer man ego.

 

[Behold]

It's not the preaching of the cross that is the power... it's the cross that has the power to save the inner man by crucifying the outer man ego.

The Cross, is literally a piece of wood, tightly roped together in the shape of a Cross. or a "T".
Its a Tree, actually, cut down by Romans, and shaped into a torture device.

So, when we think of "The preaching of the Cross, is the Power of God, unto Salvation"..........that is Paul's Gospel, we are not talking about the wood.
We are talking about the Sacrifice of Jesus for the sin of the World on the "Tree", as prophesied, in the OT.

So, the "preaching of the Cross" is the Message of the Truth, that is the Grace of God, as Christ's Sacrifice that is John 3:16

Its also,

John 14:6

2 Corinthians 5:19

Romans 4:8

John 3:17.

Notice this found in 1 Corinthians 1, @Episkopos .

Paul again... teaching..

""""it pleased God BY.. the foolishness of preaching .... = to save them that BELIEVE".

That is..

"all who call on the name of Jesus, shall be saved"

That is the "preaching of the Cross", that is the "POWER of God"... "unto Salvation".......= If you BELIEVE it..


See that?

That is the "Gospel of the Grace of God" that Paul said is "my Gospel" 3x in the NT.

 

[Episkopos]

The Cross, is literally a piece of wood, tightly roped together in the shape of a Cross. or a "T".
Its a Tree, actually, cut down by Romans, and shaped into a torture device.

You are not understanding Paul. The cross he spoke of was the power that separated him from the world. Paul said he gloried in the cross..not as you do...but as the power that crucified his outer man to liberate him into the higher walk with Christ.

You have a very superficial grasp of what Paul was speaking of. He was NOT religious, but relating things that he actually experienced. These things are NOT meant to name and claim or make a religious formula with.

So, when we think of "The preaching of the Cross, is the Power of God, unto Salvation"..........that is Paul's Gospel, we are not talking about the wood.
We are talking about the Sacrifice of Jesus for the sin of the World on the "Tree", as prophesied, in the OT.

That's not what Paul was talking about.

So, the "preaching of the Cross" is the Message of the Truth, that is the Grace of God, as Christ's Sacrifice that is John 3:16

Its also,

John 14:6

2 Corinthians 5:19

Romans 4:8

John 3:17.

Notice this found in 1 Corinthians 1, @Episkopos .

Paul again... teaching..

""""it pleased God BY.. the foolishness of preaching .... = to save them that BELIEVE".

That is..

"all who call on the name of Jesus, shall be saved"

That is the "preaching of the Cross", that is the "POWER of God"... "unto Salvation".......= If you BELIEVE it..


See that?

That is the "Gospel of the Grace of God" that Paul said is "my Gospel" 3x in the NT.

The power of God unto salvation is the experience of the carnal part of a person being crucified...put down...in order to lift up the inner man into the presence of God.

The life I now live I live through the faith OF Christ.