Left Turns

[Today's post comes from the pen of Jan Markell, the founder of Olive Tree Ministries. And I admit "social gospel" does set off yellow alerts in my head too. -- David]

Part of our end-time delusion is thinking that far Left politics and evangelicalism can blend. They are attempting to do so in the annual "Justice Conference" sponsored by World Relief which is a part of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE).

 

I have watched evangelicalism morph and decline for decades. I wasn't around to see the Mainline Protestants make a sharp left turn one hundred years ago. They traded salvation issues for social issues. The results have been devastating and their numbers have been plummeting.

 

As Mark Tooley of the Institute for Religion and Democracy writes, "It was a long road for the Mainline Protestants. But that road began with theological compromises early in the 20th century or before, when the Bible and Christian tradition were reinterpreted into metaphors, and the redemption story for lost souls was replaced by social reform under the banner of the social gospel." 

This coming June 3-4 young people will "let justice roll" in Chicago. The promotion material quotes Nelson Mandela, a hardened Marxist with no Christian agenda. Some of the featured speakers are light years away from anything evangelical. This year Father Pfleger makes an appearance. He was a part of Jeremiah Wright's Marxist outreach in Chicago. What does this have to do with the gospel?

 

Chelsen Vicari is an insightful Millennial who gets it. She writes, "This ostensibly evangelical conference seems to be a repackaged version of liberal Mainline Protestantism for hipsters. Over the years, organizers for the 'Justice Conference' have carefully avoided addressing relevant cultural and social issues such as the persecution of Christians abroad, religious freedom, sanctity of unborn life, sexual ethics or support of Israel. Instead, speakers cover topics including racism, gun control, neo-pacifism, Liberation Theology and denouncing American patriotism as bigoted idolatry."

 

Vicari continues, "Keep in mind, the 'Justice Conference' is not marketed towards progressive Christians. It's geared towards young evangelicals from faithful NAE member denominations with big hearts for the poor and marginalized. So it's odd that many of the conference's keynote speakers and topics don't reflect their target audience's theological backgrounds."

Vicari says, "The temptation, however, is to address social gospel injustices through a divisive secular lens rather than a gospel-centered lens. 'Justice Conference' speakers must acknowledge human depravity that is at the center of social injustice. No government regime or political utopia on earth can ever fully extinguish inequality and injustice because they cannot extinguish sin. Only the blood of Jesus can do that. The leftward drift of the 'Justice Conference' will do little to aid the marginalized if organizers prioritize politics over the gospel."

 

She concludes, "Repentance. Forgiveness. Redemption. These topics also need mention when we dialogue about social justice. If not, then we evangelicals will follow the declining trajectory of the liberal Mainlines."

 

The founders of the modern evangelical movement met in the early 1940s as WWII was raging. They were watching liberalism implode because of their unbiblical agenda and they wanted to organize an effort to keep evangelicals on track. And they did for decades. But slowly evangelical outfits including the National Association of Evangelicals began to stray.

They took up campaigns on behalf of global warming, ridding America of her nukes, and eliminating poverty. Here is the NAE statement on ridding the world of nuclear weapons. This is the same old Leftist delusion that North Korea and Russia will co-operate and lay down their nukes. And what have nukes got to do with the gospel? The NAE founders would be speechless to learn how their efforts have been twisted.

 

This same "Justice Conference" featured neo-Marxist Cornell West in 2015. He tried to shame the young evangelical crowd about their "white supremacy problem." Organizers of the conference felt West could awaken attendees to police brutality issues. 

Other speakers have suggested that the "raw power of government" be unleashed.  This is nothing but far Left politics being rammed down the throats of impressionable young people. How will this minister to their souls?

 

Evangelicalism will go down in flames in the same manner the Mainline denominations have the last one hundred years. 

If you are a part of an evangelical church, won't you speak up and defend the goal of the founders of this movement? Won't you appeal, in fact, plead, that there be a return to gospel-centered preaching with a salvation emphasis rather than social justice causes that make not a whit of difference for eternity?

The idea that Black "Liberation Theology" is overshadowing salvation issues should make every evangelical take some kind of action. The focus needs to be first on deliverance from sin rather than an emphasis on deliverance from poverty. 

Speak up now. Nobody did one hundred years ago and Mainline Protestant denominations today lie in ruins.

And think twice about letting your young people attend this event June 3-4. They may suffer a sharp and fatal left turn and become good little socialists.