Global Fountains

Mission should always prioritize the proclamation of the gospel for the saving of lost souls. Some missionaries currently tend to focus on social services and do not proclaim the gospel as they seem to misunderstand God’s primary mission. Some of Christians believe that Jesus’ resurrection is primarily about life in this world, not in heaven. This liberation theology shies away from balancing the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.

David Hesselgrave outlines three positions of theology regarding the poor: 1) radical liberationalism, 2) holism (revisionist or restrained), and 3) prioritism. [1]  Prosperity gospel preachers and liberal Christians advocate the first category as they solely emphasize social transformation to establish shalom on earth. I advocate the third category; priority should be given to spiritual transformation over social needs. Hesselgrave claims: 

After all, people of good will of all religions and no religion can and do address the human need for food, clothing, shelter, health, education, justice and so on. But Christians—and Christians only—can be expected to preach the gospel, win men and women of all nations to Jesus Christ, and establish churches that will worship and witness until Christ returns. [2]

The Apostle Paul reminds us that “the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now” (Rom 8:22). We live in a broken world, a world broken because of sin. Thus, suffering and pain are inseparable aspects of human existence. As long as we are on this side of the Jordan though, we cannot escape from suffering. Consequently, we need to prioritize the most important aspect of mission. The mission of God through the cross of Christ was to give His life as a ransom for many (Matt 20:28). Christ Jesus said that “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). God gave the only begotten Son, so those who believe in Him could have eternal life (John 3:16), not merely the transformation of life on earth.

While Christians should do their best in caring for the earthly needs of individuals, at the same time, they should not forget prioritizing people’s eternal salvation as they proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ time on earth, most Jews were waiting for the Messiah who could save them from economic, social, and political bondage in this world. However, the Savior came to the earth to give them spiritual freedom from sin (Rom 6:15-23), law (Rom 7:6-7; 8:1-4), and death (Rom 6:22-23), which was achieved through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Gal 5:1). The apostle Paul was concerned about the eternal destiny of his own people (the Jews): “I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh” (Rom 9:1-3). His anguish resulted not from the social or political situation of his people under Roman rule; rather, Paul desired for them to be saved spiritually (Rom 10:1-4).

Note: This article originally appeared in the book, People Disrupted: Doing Mission Responsibly among Refugees and Migrants (Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library Publishers, 2018). This is slightly edited portion of my little chapter for a blog post.

[1] David J. Hesselgrave, Paradigms in Conflict: 10 Key Questions in Christian Missions Today (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2005), 118-25.

[2] David J. Hesselgrave, “Will We Correct the Edinburgh Error? Future Mission in Historical Perspective,” Southwestern Journal of Theology 49, no. 2 (Spring 2007), 144.

---

D. David Lee is the founding president of Global Ministries Inc. and currently serving in Madagascar with his faimly. A graduate from Southwestern Seminary, he served at the World Missions Center from 2008 to 2017. He is husband to Jee Su, and father to Shion, Siyoung, & Siyul.