Heresy: Social Justice, Social Gospel
In recent years, there has been a rise in what is often referred to as progressive “Christianity," which tends to prioritize social justice issues and has become known colloquially as the "woke" movement. Essentially, this “woke church” movement guilts people into taking up leftist political and social causes by equating these works with the gospel.
Despite what our favorite leftist Evangelical leaders—Russell Moore, Tim Keller, David Platt, etc.—have been pounding into our heads for years, you should understand that elevating such social activism as evidence of one’s salvation is a false gospel that should be outright rejected.
How do you know you’re really saved by faith? You care about the poor. When you see people without resources, your heart goes out to them. If it doesn’t, maybe you’re saved, but you’re lacking the evidence of salvation. —Tim Keller
One of the key figures behind the social gospel movement is Walter Rauschenbusch, an American Baptist pastor and theologian who lived during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Rauschenbusch, who wrote A Theology for the Social Gospel, taught that the gospel's primary consequence on Earth is not the forgiveness of sins, but the solution to social and economic inequality, racism, poverty, crime, environmental problems, and other social ills. This is known as Rauschenbuschism, and it is a pure adulteration of what the gospel truly is.
While historically liberal and progressive denominations such as the United Methodist Church (UMC) and the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) have held these views since their inception, it's alarming to see that more traditionally conservative denominations are also being influenced by this movement. Some outlets that are promoting these views include Tim Keller's The Gospel Coalition and the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.