FROM THE SERVANT GENERAL
OUR THEME FOR 2020
(Part 67)
THE MODERNIST GOSPEL – 2
August 31, 2020
Today’s readings:
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Psalm 119:97-102
Luke 4:16-30
To be founded on the Rock that is Christ, we must listen to and act on his words. We must therefore immerse ourselves in the word of God, which is the Bible. “How I love your law, Lord! I study it all day long.” (Ps 119:97). What does this do for us? The word of God guides us and makes us know good and evil, so that we avoid the latter. “I keep my steps from every evil path, that I may observe your word.” (Ps 119:101).
The word of God is also our protection from the Modernist gospel, especially if it is proclaimed by authorities in our Church. We know that there are false teachers and false prophets. So we need to discern what is taught us by our leaders and what is proclaimed by the world. The way to be able to do this is to know God’s laws ourselves.
* As we study and meditate on the word of God, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can discern whether what we are being taught is right or not. “I have more insight than all my teachers, because I ponder your testimonies.” (Ps 119:99).
* As we act on God’s words, we can discern what is truly good and true and just. “I have more understanding than my elders, because I keep your precepts.” (Ps 119:100).
* As we obey God’s commands, we can see the errors in the modernist gospel of today, which is opposed to orthodoxy of faith. “Your commandment makes me wiser than my foes, as it is forever with me.” (Ps 119:98).* As we listen to and act on God’s words, we will remain on the right path in our walk of faith. “From your judgments I do not turn, for you have instructed me.” (Ps 119:102).
All the above become even more critical today as we are faced with the Modernist gospel, proclaimed by some clerics, including prelates. As the modernist gospel is basically a focus on man rather than God, there is an emphasis today on issues of social justice, or reaching out to the poor and marginalized, which are all good, but often fails in upholding the righteousness of God. For example, Church liberals accept and embrace those in homosexual unions but do not call out their sin.
Now of course social justice is very important. In fact, Jesus proclaimed his mission by reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah, where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.” (Lk 4:18a). In fact, Jesus said that whatever we did or did not do to the least of our brethren, we did or did not do to him, and this situation is what will determine whether we go to eternal life or eternal punishment.1 Further, in our Church and in MFC, we do have a preferential option for the poor.2
But work with the poor does not stand on its own. In fact, it is founded on love for God. We love our neighbor because we love God first. Thus, to serve the poor or the marginalized while not acting on God’s laws, especially with regard to righteousness, is seriously deficient. It ultimately leads to not serving the poor according to God’s intent. The sinner who is dealt with political correctness is dealt false mercy, which does not lead the sinner to repent and be restored to God. The poor in Africa or elsewhere who are beneficiaries of UN social programs, when coupled with contraceptives, abortion and forced acceptance of LGBT, are violated and become victims of cultural imperialism.
Social justice tickles the ears, while speaking prophetically invites challenges and even disdain. This is what Jesus experienced. When Jesus spoke of Isaiah’s words as being fulfilled in himself, “all spoke highly of him” (Lk 4:22a). But when Jesus spoke of the prophets Elijah and Elisha, who worked signs and wonders not among the Israelites but among the Gentiles, “they were all filled with fury” (Lk 4:28) and even tried to kill him.3
So we should beware of the Modernist gospel. It must be such that our “faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.” (1 Cor 2:5). We must look not to the secular but to the sacred. We must not indulge in the mundane but on the divine. We must not rely on secular humanist wisdom but on the mysterious wisdom of God. We are to be like Paul. “When I came to you, brothers, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” (1 Cor 2:1-2).
The world and the Modernist gospel disdain suffering and pain, and thus seek to alleviate these, hoping to achieve unity and peace, with people just being nice to each other. All these fail, as they are sought apart from the power of God and the authentic gospel. The world ridicules Christ and his cross, missing the reality that this cross is the very instrument of salvation.
And so for our Church to be built on the Rock that is Christ, she must resist and reject the Modernist gospel, which is a false gospel. It is filled with human wisdom, but is very contrary to the wisdom of God. Again we look to Paul, as he says, “my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power.” (1 Cor 2:4).
1 See Matthew 25:31-46.
2 This is one of our seven Core Values in MFC.
3 In today’s culture, those who speak against sin and evil are labeled as bigots, haters, racist, homophobes, misogynists, etc.
4 That is, the wisdom of the world.
