Young Calvinist

Continuing from yesterday’s quote from Tim Chester and Steve Timmis’ Total Church,

We want to make three assertions about the relationship between evangelism and social action:

1. Evangelism and scoial action are distinct activities.

Good social action is about harnessing the insights and resources of the poor, but the gospel is a message from the outside that is addressed to us in our spiritual helplessness and powerlessness.

2. Proclamation is central

Social action without proclamation is like a signpost pointing nowhere. Worse still, it is likely to imply either that salvation is synonymous with socioeconimic betterment or that salvation is through good works like those I am doing.

3. Evangelism and social action are inseparable

People often talk about evangelism being the priority, but this suggests a list of actions that you work through from the top down; if you do not have time for the bottom items (like social involvement), then this does not really matter. But evangelism cannot be separated from social action because mission takes place through relationships, and relationships are multi-faceted. As Paul says of his relationship with the Thessalonians, “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us” (1 Thess. 2:8)

There has been a recent movement toward social action in local churches and thus I think it is appropriate to discern its proper role in the church inlight of Scripture. For a great and detailed study into this topic read Mark Dever’s church’s paper,  What Does Scripture Say About the Poor?

The local church has a responsibility for what is taught and that it is taught. Therefore, it is harmful if the mission of the local church becomes diluted with other things that distract her from her primary purpose. Yet while the primary purpose of the church is the preaching of the gospel, she may pursue that in ways which include caring for the physical needs of non-Christians. Such mercy ministries to those outside of the church are not biblically required to be ministries of any congregation. But they may be employed to the end (whether directly or indirectly) of promoting the gospel in the community.

That quote cannot do justice to the depth and care that went into the research and writing of the paper as the authors unpack the role of the local church and the individual Christian in the lives of the poor.