Aug 1999
Jesse Jackson's Works Salvation
JESSE JACKSON’S WORKS SALVATION
Political activist Jesse Jackson, speaking at Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, told the 1,100 people in attendance that social, political and economic compassion and action must become a reality in their lives in order to get to heaven. An April 20, 1999, United Methodist News Service release stated, “Jackson told the crowd the church must lead the way in aiding the least among society. Only then, he said, will Christians meet the criteria Christ established to gain eternal life in heaven.” Jackson received a standing ovation at the church, his second stop in his series of meetings throughout the South urging ‘hope, healing and racial harmony.” Galloway’s senior pastor, Sam Morris, said, “It was a great celebration of worship. Anyone in the sanctuary felt the presence of God bringing us together.”
Two problems immediately emerge from Jackson’s statements: First, he presents a false gospel to the audience, and second, he completely misunderstands the role of the church in this present age. Jackson twists Scripture in an attempt to justify his social gospel, citing Luke 15:1-7 as society’s mandate to “feed the hungry” and aid the poor through welfare programs such as social security and government health care. However, the Word of God says the church is to proclaim the Gospel to all men and to contend for the faith. The mission of the church is to preach and defend God’s Word, not to reform society nor to provide for the material needs of the unsaved. While all believers should possess an attitude of compassion and live peaceably with all men, the focus and mission of the church must remain clear. To distort the mission of the church, and to pervert the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is to propagate “damnable heresy” (2 Pet. 2:1). This is a grave error that only leads the unsaved to an eternity apart from Christ. (Foundation, May-June 1999).Continue reading this article……
Political activist Jesse Jackson, speaking at Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, told the 1,100 people in attendance that social, political and economic compassion and action must become a reality in their lives in order to get to heaven. An April 20, 1999, United Methodist News Service release stated, “Jackson told the crowd the church must lead the way in aiding the least among society. Only then, he said, will Christians meet the criteria Christ established to gain eternal life in heaven.” Jackson received a standing ovation at the church, his second stop in his series of meetings throughout the South urging ‘hope, healing and racial harmony.” Galloway’s senior pastor, Sam Morris, said, “It was a great celebration of worship. Anyone in the sanctuary felt the presence of God bringing us together.”
Two problems immediately emerge from Jackson’s statements: First, he presents a false gospel to the audience, and second, he completely misunderstands the role of the church in this present age. Jackson twists Scripture in an attempt to justify his social gospel, citing Luke 15:1-7 as society’s mandate to “feed the hungry” and aid the poor through welfare programs such as social security and government health care. However, the Word of God says the church is to proclaim the Gospel to all men and to contend for the faith. The mission of the church is to preach and defend God’s Word, not to reform society nor to provide for the material needs of the unsaved. While all believers should possess an attitude of compassion and live peaceably with all men, the focus and mission of the church must remain clear. To distort the mission of the church, and to pervert the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is to propagate “damnable heresy” (2 Pet. 2:1). This is a grave error that only leads the unsaved to an eternity apart from Christ. (Foundation, May-June 1999).Continue reading this article……
