Beware The Very Good Gospel: How Everything Wrong Can be Made right, a book by Lisa Sharon Harper. The book is endorsed by the likes of Jen Hatmaker, Jim Wallis, Shane Claiborne and Walter Brueggemann. All these names are associated with Social Justice Activism and Progressive Christianity.
There’s nothing wrong with Christians working to help make things right. However, what is “right” must be gauged by the standard of God’s Word. For example, what does Scripture say regarding the so-called right of women to choose to kill their unborn children? What does the Bible have to say about the rights of homosexuals, the environment etc?
But how do these concerns relate to the gospel?
What is the Gospel?
Before continuing, it pays to refresh our memories about what the gospel is. I’ve found Got Questions to be helpful in articulating its simplicity,
The word gospel literally means “good news” and occurs 93 times in the Bible, exclusively in the New Testament. In Greek, it is the word euaggelion, from which we get our English words evangelist, evangel, and evangelical. The gospel is, broadly speaking, the whole of Scripture; more narrowly, the gospel is the good news concerning Christ and the way of salvation…continue reading
What are the essentials of the gospel message? According to Got Questions,
The word gospel means “good news,” which is the message of forgiveness for sin through the atoning work of Jesus Christ. It is essentially God’s rescue plan of redemption for those who will trust in His divine Son in order to be reconciled to a just and holy God. The essential content of this saving message is clearly laid out for us in the Bible…continue reading
The problem arises when someone adds some type of personal works to the gospel of salvation. Paul addressed this issue in Galatians when opposing the enforcement of circumcision.
Sharon Harper is adding Social Justice works to the gospel. As Jon Harris point, the irony is that she doesn’t actually believe in a face-value account of Scripture. She imposes her cultural ethics and elements of Liberation Theology when selectively interpreting passages of the Bible. Lisa Sharon Harper’s “very good gospel” is a very false one.
Dangers to the Church
In The Inerrant Word, John MacArthur pointed out that throughout history,
…the most pernicious and spiritually devastating assaults on the church have always come from within – via subtle efforts to undermine the authority of Scripture. Artful deceit is more dangerous and more destructive than open rebellion
False teachers robe themselves in pretended piety and decorate their walls with scholarly credentials from prestigious universities…
They are glib and likable trendsetters. They don’t look anything like ravening wolves. And once they have gained entry and influence among the people of God, they can (and do) push whatever antibiblical agenda they please.
Jon Harris’ three-part review of The Very Good Gospel
Harris notes that: Lisa Sharon Harper is a popular speaker who takes social justice thinking to its logical conclusions in syncretizing it with Christianity. Part One is featured below. See also (Part Two) and (Part Three).
Maranatha!
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