2nd Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
This passage of scripture cautions us to be wary of another Jesus and another gospel which has already come upon the face of he earth, and the reason for Paul's concern is that it sounds so good and seems so true, that even sincere believers are in danger of being taken in the snare. This "Other gospel" seeks to incorporate the social issues of the day, such as poverty, the stewardship of the planet, and global warming, just to name a few, and even though these issues are actually spinoffs of the true gospel, yet God has authorized no one to highlight them, whilst the weightier matters of the law such as surrender to the Lord Jesus and the keeping of all God's commandments remain untouched.
Whilst Christ was here on earth He gave us lessons in stewardship of the earth, but these issues were never made the focal point of His teaching. On one occasion after feeding the multitudes, He commanded His disciples to gather up the fragments so that nothing be lost, thus teaching us that garbage should not be left to litter and pollute the earth, but should rather be disposed of in an appropriate manner. Let's read:
John 6:11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. 12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. 13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
On another occasion He gave us lessons on the treatment and care for the poor, but again, in this instance He did not allow His teaching on this point to outweigh in importance, the more weighty issues such as the sacrifice to be made on Calvary, and the salvation of the souls of men. While it is important for Christians to care for the poor and to seek social justice, yet we are never to fall for the snare of making these issues front and center of the gospel, as so many protestant churches of the land now currently do. As it pertains to the poor and less fortunate, the teaching of the Bible is clear, for although the most earnest efforts to eradicate poverty are made, yet the word of God states that the poor we will have with us always. Let's read:
Matthew 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Deuteronomy 15:7 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: 8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. 10 "Because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. 11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land".....
In our day there is another gospel that has surfaced, in which the major issues such as the atonement, the judgment, and the commandments of God, have been pushed aside, and in their place, global warming and social injustice has now become a priority. The Lord Jesus warned us several times in His word that there will arise false Christs and false prophets, who will try to deceive even the very elect. Thus it behooves every sincere believer to be wary of the current popular gospels, which tend to focus on wealth, climate change, and income inequality, whilst sins such as same sex marriage, pornography, and the trampling of the fourth commandment hardly ever cause us to bat an eye.
Let us therefore be sober and vigilant, keeping our gaze in the heavens, where our Great High Priest is wrapping up the final leg of His work as our Mediator, for when He pronounces the words "It is done", the probationary period of rich and poor alike will be forever closed, hence the reason why it is of grave importance that we present the true gospel in its purest form, so that whosoever will may find pardon and peace in Christ whilst time still lingers. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which teaches us of one of the main focal points of the true gospel in our day, and may we ever be found faithful to the call of truth and duty. Let's read:
Revelation 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!