You could certainly make a case that there has never been a Christian society (even though many have claimed to be) and there never will be. And yet, Christians cannot simply rest satisfied with individual conversions or separated enclaves when they discern the central plot-line of the Bible: A) God created a world of peace and life; B) the world has fallen into a state of injustice and brokenness; C) God has determined to redeem this world through the work of his Son and the creation of a new humanity; until D) eventually the world is renewed and restored to being the world that he made and that we all want. In short, the purpose of redemption is not to help individuals escape the world. It is about the coming of God’s kingdom to renew it. God’s purpose is not only saved individuals, but also a new world based on justice, peace, and love, not power, strife, and selfishness. If God is so committed to this that he suffered and died, surely Christians should also seek a society based on God’s peace and love.
-Tim Keller
This quote comes from a fantastic essay called Being the Church in Our Culture by Tim Keller and is one of the best definitions of the WHOLE gospel that I have come across. If you would like to read the essay yourself you can find it here: http://www.journeyon.net/media/being-the-church-in-our-culture.pdf and if not I will be adding some additional quotes the rest of the week. If you don't care for either....well, it's game week. GO DAWGS!!!!!!
2 comments:
Harkening back to my Davidson days, Richard Niebuhr wrote a book on Christ and Culture. I seem to remember he gave 4 possible interactions between the Church and its world. Rather than rehash what I honestly don't recall, I believe he was speaking to this point.
We have Christians who retreat from the world (monastaries, homeschooling) and sometimes for good reason.
We also have Christians who wage war against the world. It's us verses them, and in the end we win.
Perhaps the majority of Christians find themselves consumed by the culture which the Bible refers to as carnal Christians.
And finally, we have those who seek to transform and redeem the culture/world around them. This involves getting relational with the lost and bringing hope to where they are. One of my favorite church mission statements is, "A people made different, making a difference." In other words, the goal of the Church is not to just to gather and enjoy God's goodness, but to go and share His goodness with others.
Abraham was blessed to be a blessing to all nations, and all that Christ has done in us, He desires to do in others.
This is kind of the big issue to me...the Us vs. Them.....too many Christians want to insulate themselves from the world and in turn do more damage than good as if standing inside the church and throwing grenades at the outside world is what God commands of us. On the other end of that spectrum is the "relevant" crowd....if we had been doing the things should have been doing or been the examples we've always been called to be there would be no reason to be "relevant" because we would never have become irrelevant.....I will admit that when that term first started being thrown around it seemed harmless to me.....now I see it as a group of church kids who were never really that cool and now that they are in their mid 20's to mid 30's think if they dress and act just like the secular "in" crowd but call themselves Christians they somehow become "relevant"...."Hey I dress just as cool as you do but I'm a Christian....so that should validate Christ....now say the sinners prayer with me..."
There is a "Christian Neighborhood" up near where I lived in Canton......built by Christians for Christians......at the time I thought it might have been the dumbest thing I'd ever heard of...and now I know it is.....I hear things like that and realize that "Christians" like that are the biggest problem we face.
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