What is the goal of the gospel?

I have read several articles lately about the “relevance of the Church and the Christian faith to the culture.” The position that most of these folks have taken is, Christianity is no longer relevant to the culture and must change in order to remain or regain relevance. And the proposed change is a fundamental one: change what we believe and practice so that we are more in line with the latest scientific creeds and cultural mores, and more acceptable to the current generation. Otherwise, this generation will leave the Church and abandon the Faith.

After reading the articles and taking part in a few discussions, I asked myself, “What is the goal of the Gospel?” I came up with three possibilities:

- take over the state

- “Christianize” the culture

- call out a people to be a community within the community

Are we CALLED to take over the state? If so, are there any instructions on how to do this: how to rule? how to run a campaign or otherwise assume control? or what laws to establish and how to enforce them? Is there a “Christian” form of government? Which is biblical, a monarchy or a democracy? (Actually, a monarchy was the Old Testament norm, but what Christians promote this?) Well, we search the New Testament in vain for any instructions. This is clearly not our CALL. This does not mean we can’t be involved in politics, you know: vote, run for office, support a candidate or cause etc. But there is no Christian party or form of government that requires our loyalty or support. Sadly, history reveals that when the Church gets involved in politics it just creates a mess. Besides, our politics is the kingdom of God, and the kingdom already has a King!

Are we COMMISSIONED to christianize the culture? If so, are there any guidelines for this? As in, what art is acceptable? what form of education is to be pursued? How is it to be funded? And concerning finances, what about the stock market, savings, taxes? What percent of our taxes should be spent on the military, on education, on roads? How should the poor be taken care of? What about music? What about fashion? So many cultural questions! We would need a much bigger Bible! Obviously, we have not been commissioned to impact the culture. Again, this doesn’t mean we cannot and will not have an impact. There may be Christians who will take the kingdom into the music and art worlds, who will open a business and attempt to operate it by biblical values and priorities. And the values and principles of the Gospel will affect how we dress, what we listen to, what we watch, etc. There may be Christians who will operate an orphanage (George Mueller), rescue girls from slavery and prostitution (Amy Carmichael), help the cast-offs (Father Damien) etc. and do so using kingdom values and principles and have an impact on the culture. But this can be done in ANY culture. This would be the fruit of seeking the kingdom of God.

Or is the goal of the Gospel to call out a people for his name? Are we COMMANDED to preach to and invite people to come to Christ? Do we find instructions on who to preach to? Do we find guidelines for the community of believers created by this preaching? Are there any examples of reaching individuals and forming these communities? Yes. THIS is the goal of the gospel – calling people to believe in Jesus and then forming a community within the larger community. That is the church. We get into trouble when we cross the line and attempt something not commanded by God. Consider, if the goal of the gospel is the state or the culture we have the equivalent of an un-funded mandate!

What about Adam and Eve, did not God tell them to have dominion over the earth? Here is the actual command, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. ” Yes, He did. But this is not a government mandate, a mandate to establish a government and rule over other people – there were no other people at the time! This speaks to mankind’s responsibility toward creation and our relation to it. A little later on, after the flood, God did institute government, but nowhere in the Bible is there a required form of government.

What about the kingdom of God in Israel? You will search in vain for a single time God reproved the nations for failure to submit to the house of David. He allowed them to have a human king, as a sort of concession, and then established the house of David and promised that the Messiah would come from the house of David. And God did rebuke and chastise Israel (the 10 tribes) for their failure to submit to the house of David, but never the nations. Of course, Messiah will come and set up this kingdom on the earth and will require submission to the government of God. But that is His job, not ours.

The plan of God for the church is to call out a people for His name and form them into a community, separate from the world. A community waiting for the return of Christ. Therefore, we do not have to worry about being culturally relevant. I mean, we don’t have to change the Gospel, or alter the Faith, or edit the Bible to be culturally acceptable. We have never been acceptable. In fact, Jesus told us to expect the world to hate us and persecute us. We don’t have to be obnoxious for this to happen, just be faithful to the Gospel and the kingdom and we will experience it. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

For a much better explanation of this, go here It is all pretty good, but especially section v and on.

The question now is, What do we do when the whole community turns to Christ? Or if a large majority of the community is Christian? Nothing. Obviously, there will be an influence, an impact. A Christian going into business or politics or music will himself live by the gospel and if there are enough involved in the thing there will be influence and impact. But this does not change the goal of the gospel – make disciples.

The world is a sinking ship. We are charged with warning people and telling them of the way of rescue. Those who grab hold of the Life Preserver we form into a community, the church, and together we walk in the Spirit and wait for Christ. Maranatha! Does this mean we just sit back and wait? No, we seek first the kingdom, live the kingdom, do the works of the kingdom. But our hope is always this, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Yes, come, Lord Jesus. 

Maranatha, Maranatha, the Master's comin' home,

We must prepare our hearts so we can meet Him

Maranatha, Maranatha, the Lord is comin' back

We must be filled with love to truly greet Him

                                                              (Maranatha by Chuck Girard)