We have focused quite a bit recently on the subject of a philosophy of missions, and we said that the goal of missions is to glorify God by making disciples of all the nations. While this ought to bring clarity to our church missions program, we need to recognize that this is also a purpose statement for ourselves as a local church. In fact, we really ought to consider our church in part as a mission outpost somewhere in the “uttermost parts of the earth,” as we continue the mission that began with the disciples in Jerusalem almost 2,000 years ago. And so we preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to lost souls in the hope that God in his mercy will save some, just as he has so graciously saved us. But still there are those who wonder whether we, as a church, ought to be more actively engaged in making our community a better place, serving the needs of society, and lessening the ills that we see all around. After all, is preaching the gospel enough if we do not also feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, and clothe the naked?
Certainly there are many today who will point to Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 as an indicator of the practical mission of the church: “Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? Or when did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’” What part do these works of mercy have in the mission of the church? Many believers today would suggest that these are essential works that ought to at least share the stage with the preaching of the gospel as a key part of our mission to the world, and while this has a certain emotional appeal, it does a disservice to the text of Scripture and runs a grave risk of actually subverting the gospel.
Let me explain.
In the description of the judgment in Matthew 25, we must take careful note of the identity of those to whom the Lord is speaking. According to v.32, all nations will be gathered before the Lord Jesus when he sits on his throne of judgment, and he will separate the individual people into two categories: the sheep and the goats. These two groups are separated by the fact that one group will inherit the kingdom of God and the other will be cast into hell. In other words, the sheep are those who are believers and have been born again by God’s grace, and the goats are those who have rejected Christ and are rightly condemned. It is in this context, then, that the judgment proceeds and the works of the individuals who make up these two categories are described. There is no indication whatsoever in Matthew 25 that Jesus is speaking directly to or about the church. The works of mercy that are commended among the sheep were done by those sheep as individuals, and the absence of good works among the goats represent the failure of individuals to love God and obey his commands. If we are trying to find a mission statement for the church in Matthew 25, we are looking in the wrong place and will undoubtedly twist the meaning of this passage.
On the other hand, when we attempt to prioritize social action alongside the gospel, we endanger the gospel. How so? Well, let me ask: Where do those ills of society come from? Do they not come from the presence and activity of sin? Of course they do. And if sin is the root from which all injustice and need arise, it will not do to cut it off at the level of the ground; we must uproot the whole weed. This is how weeds are killed in the garden, and it is also the solution to the injustices and ills of society at large. This is why we must preach the gospel first, last, and throughout. This is why our mission must be to make disciples, because there is simply no other means of destroying the effects of sin than of destroying sin itself, and sin cannot be destroyed by anything other than the gospel of Jesus Christ. To focus on the social needs of man, even alongside the gospel, is to risk making God an idol to whom we turn to serve us rather than the One whose glory is our primary purpose in life.
J. Gresham Machen, a defender of the faith from a previous generation, warned that this is indeed had happened in the first half of the 20th century. He said, “Turning from the living and true God, like Israel of old, we have preferred a god who will be content to serve our ends.” But the end of this search for peace is fruitless, as Machen concludes: “The world is restless today. There are many voices but there is no peace. Men are feverishly saying to a god manufactured to meet the social needs of man: ‘Deliver me, for thou art my god.’ They are trying to produce decency without principle; they are trying to keep back the raging sea of passion with the flimsy mud embankements of self-interest; they are trying to do without the stern, solid masonry of the will of God. When will the vain effort cease? Shall we continue our wanderings? Shall we continue to stagger like drunken men? Shall we still fashion a divinity that shall serve our utilitarian ends? Shall we amuse ourselves with idols? Or shall we return unto God?” We dare not turn aside from the clear statement of mission we have received from Christ: to make disciples of all the nations by means of preaching the gospel and teaching the whole truth of God.