Benjamin Cremer’s recent post ( https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1B77KJyWcQ/)  is a textbook example of the very confusion infiltrating much of visible Christianity today—especially in Methodist/Wesleyan circles that have long drifted from biblical fidelity into cultural accommodation.  We are commanded to test everything against Scripture (1 Thessalonians 5:21), to guard the flock against wolves (Acts 20:28-31), and to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). .

The core issue: Gospel vs. social agenda

Cremer frames his public writing as a pastoral response to “suffering” and “lived experiences,” invoking Jesus’ words about “the least of these” (Matthew 25). But he subtly shifts the church’s mission from preaching repentance and faith in Christ crucified for sinners (Luke 24:47; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4) to amplifying grievances and calling the church to “repent” of its cultural sins—particularly those associated with conservative Christianity. This is not new; it echoes the old Social Gospel of Walter Rauschenbusch, a key contributor in the “social gospel”, someone Pastor JohnMacArthur  repeatedly warned against. It prioritizes systemic narratives and “social justice” over the justice of God revealed in the gospel: that all have sinned and fall short (Romans 3:23), and salvation is by grace through faith, not works, politics, or activism.

True compassion flows from the gospel—it does not replace it. The early church cared for the poor, widows, and orphans (James 1:27; Galatians 2:10), but their priority was always the proclamation of Christ and Him crucified. When “lived experiences” of the marginalized become the lens for interpreting Scripture, rather than Scripture interpreting experience, you end up with a victim-centered anthropology instead of a sinner-centered one. People need to see themselves as rebels against a holy God who need regeneration, not primarily as victims needing societal validation.

On the hostility and “kindness” appeal

Cremer laments hostility from “ultra-conservative” Christians while claiming non-Christians have been milder. This is revealing. The apostles faced far worse from religious insiders who thought they were defending the faith (as Jesus did from the Pharisees). But the solution is not softer rhetoric or listening to external voices as the “Holy Spirit speaking.” It is fidelity to sound doctrine (Titus 2:1; 2 Timothy 4:3-4).

Scripture commands us to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), but love includes warning against error (Ezekiel 33; Galatians 1). Calling out false teaching is not “vitriolic rhetoric”—it is pastoral duty. Jesus called false teachers “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15), “whitewashed tombs,” and “brood of vipers.” Paul wished some would emasculate themselves (Galatians 5:12). The harshness Cremer decries often stems from zeal for God’s glory when the gospel is perverted.

His tradition (Methodist/Wesleyan) has historically elevated “social justice” as central—rooted more in 19th-20th century liberalism than the Reformers or the apostles. When he equates criticism of his views with rejecting “the good Christians have done,” he conflates biblical mercy with ideological activism. Opposition to things like Christian nationalism, certain political alignments, or “systems of oppression” (as he defines them) often masks support for abortion, redefining marriage, homosexuality, feminism, or other clear biblical sins under the banner of compassion.

False prophet test: Fruits and focus

I think I am right to note his political bent—complaining about Trump, conservatives, etc., while positioning himself as the compassionate alternative. Does he preach expository sermons on sin, wrath, repentance, the narrow way, and the exclusivity of Christ? Hardly!  Or does his platform thrive on cultural critique and book sales/social media? A man who “pastors” primarily online with a liberal following, even having faced credential issues in his denomination, bears censorship. Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16-20). If the fruit is division framed as defending victims, endless calls to “listen to pain,” and little emphasis on personal holiness or the offense of the cross—those are not the fruits of a faithful undershepherd.

The defensiveness he critiques is almosts always a necessary stand against cultural captivity. The church does not need to be “transformed by love” in the therapeutic sense he implies; it needs to be conformed to the image of Christ through the Word (Romans 12:1-2). Authoritarianism is a danger, but so is the authoritarianism of progressive ideology dressed in Christian language that silences dissent as “unkind.” He is quite skilled at this, and do not be deceived, he is quite calculating.

A liberal friend sent me his post  to shame me because it appeals to emotion over exegesis. But I shall stand firm. I pray for Cremer and those like him—that they would return to the Scriptures alone as sufficient (2 Timothy 3:16-17). I have le

I have leaned recently that the true church’s mission remains what it has always been: make disciples, teaching them to obey all that Christ commanded (Matthew 28:18-20), calling sinners to repentance, not polishing the world’s image of Christianity.The gospel offends (1 Corinthians 1:18-25). If Cremer’s version doesn’t, it may not be the gospel.

May not be the gospel?

Yes. If Benjamin Cremer’s version of “Christianity” does not center on the biblical gospel, then it is not the gospel at all. It is another gospel—one that Paul warned brings a curse (Galatians 1:6-9). The true gospel is not a message of therapeutic empathy, societal reform, or listening to “lived experiences” as the voice of the Spirit. It is the announcement of what God has done in Christ to save sinners from His holy wrath.

What the gospel actually is!

The gospel is defined by the apostles with crystal clarity:

▪︎ God is holy and just. He created us for His glory, but we have all rebelled. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Sin is not primarily systemic oppression or political misalignment—it is personal treason against a holy Creator, deserving eternal judgment (Romans 6:23; Matthew 25:46).
▪︎ Christ is the substitute. The eternal Son became man, lived a sinless life, and bore God’s wrath on the cross as a penal substitute (Isaiah 53; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:24-26). This is not merely “restorative” or exemplary love—it is propitiation, satisfying divine justice.
▪︎ Repentance and faith. Sinners must turn from sin and trust Christ alone for salvation. “Repent and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Justification is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 4-5). No works, no social activism, no “deconstructing” evangelicalism adds to it.
▪︎ Transformation follows. True faith produces holiness, love for the church, care for the needy (James 1:27; Ephesians 2:10), and proclamation of this same gospel—not endless calls to “acknowledge the pain” of outsiders while downplaying the offense of the cross.

This is the faith “once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Anything else is counterfeit.

Cremer’s version falls short
From his writings and public platform, Cremer’s emphasis is on:

– Social justice as “central” to Methodist faith (rooted in 20th-century liberalism, not apostolic doctrine).
– Critiquing “ultra-conservative” Christianity, Trump-era politics, and “idolatry” of power while rarely (if ever) calling sinners to repentance from sexual immorality, abortion support, or false doctrine.
– Elevating “lived experiences” of the marginalized and “the least of these” as interpretive authority, often framing conservative Christians as the primary problem.
– Questioning eternal conscious torment in hell and leaning toward restorative views of atonement that soften God’s wrath.

These are not minor disagreements. When “the gospel” becomes primarily about empathy for victims, holding empires accountable, dismantling patriarchy, affirming LGBTQ+ identities, or government prioritizing the poor—”the cross is emptied of its power” (1 Corinthians 1:17). It becomes moralism dressed in Christian language: “Be nicer, listen more, vote better, care for the vulnerable like Jesus.” But without the blood-bought forgiveness of personal guilt before God, there is no good news. People remain dead in trespasses (Ephesians 2:1).

Jesus did feed the hungry and heal the sick—but He preached the kingdom, called for repentance, and said, “Unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). The apostles never made social equity the core message. Paul went to the Areopagus and proclaimed the resurrected Christ and coming judgment, not Roman systemic reform (Acts 17). I too saw this first hand while visiting a certain carribean island. “Social equity” does not change hearts. Preaching the gospel is our call.

Cremer’s post appeals to emotion and victimhood: “Listen to the pain… be kind… the Holy Spirit speaks through them.” This inverts Scripture. The Holy Spirit speaks through the Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17; John 16:13), which exposes sin and exalts Christ—not external voices redefining Christianity to fit cultural compassion narratives (Cremer just might need a carribean vacation).The world hated Christ first (John 15:18-19); expecting kinder treatment from outsiders while facing pushback from those guarding doctrine is naive and unbiblical.

The danger of this “other gospel”

This approach produces false converts who think feeling compassion or opposing “right-wing” excesses makes them right with God. It actually weakens the church’s witness, confuses the lost, and aligns with the broader deconstruction movement that has gutted mainline denominations. Wesley himself would likely grieve what much of Methodism has become—prioritizing social causes over scriptural holiness and justification by faith.

True love warns. I urge Cremer and those following him: Return to the Scriptures, attend a biblical church. Preach Christ and Him crucified. Don’t  just send the  opinions of agitators to friends you dissagree  with. Call people to repentance from sin, not just from “conservatism.” The gospel offends the natural man because it demands we own our guilt before a sovereign God. Any version that removes that offense “may not be the gospel”—it is a different one, and it cannot save.

Stand firm on the true gospel, friend. It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). Everything else is sand.