In His Name Devotionals
A POST-CHRISTIAN SOCIETY
In His Name Devotionals
A POST-CHRISTIAN SOCIETY
One doesn’t have to look very hard to find evidence that we live in a post-Christian society. Divorce, abortion, materialism, sexual promiscuity, drugs, and crime have become commonplace.
And it isn’t happening by accident. Almost daily there are new laws or court rulings threatening to sweep away Christian values for the sake of “equal rights,” “tolerance,” and “moral freedom.”
It’s difficult for Christians not to resent that so many of our courts, politicians, and school boards promote an anti- Christian agenda, rejecting and publicly reviling God’s law. We’re concerned about what the future holds for ourselves, church, and certainly our children and grandchildren.
At first glance, our response to the moral debauchery plaguing the nation seems clear enough. We ought to confront it, challenge it, and do what we can to prevent it. After all, what Christian doesn’t despise abortion? What Christian doesn’t oppose pornography, drug abuse, and the promotion of a homosexual agenda?
As imitators of Christ, we are compelled to confront sin, expose injustice, holding forth God’s righteous standard. To ignore the opportunities we have to participate in the political process would be wrong, demonstrating a lack of appreciation for the many appropriate legal remedies our democracy provides for maintaining and improving civil order. Certainly, social responsibility is something we should promote.
But where—if anywhere—should Christians draw the line when it comes to combating the immorality surrounding us? Tempting though it may be to do so, we cannot let fear of the future and righteous indignation hijack our God- ordained mission and ministry on earth. As with all things, we must measure our feelings and our response against the truth of God’s Word. We must look closely at what the Bible says about our role in an immoral society.
In some cases, Scripture advocates a measure of social involvement for the greater good. Paul exhorts believers to “do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10). In the Hebrew Bible, we have the examples of Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon, two godly men who used their governmental positions to further God’s kingdom. And Jesus Himself challenged believers to be salt and light.
But does that mean our priority as a follower of Christ is to throw the full weight of our time, energy, and resources behind efforts to engage the culture, turning it toward a more Biblical morality? Is our mission, above all else, to create a more Christian-looking, or at least a more Christian-friendly culture? While it’s natural for believers to be concerned with the direction of society, we must never confuse social reform with spiritual regeneration.
As Christians, our mission is not to affect the culture by political means. It’s not to shape the culture by leading a return to “traditional values” through legislation, judicial process, or any other means. Our mission isn’t to force our country to adopt a national policy of generic morality.
Our mission—the mission of the church—is to bring people to God. It’s to proclaim the Gospel. That’s our commission from Christ regardless of how moral—or immoral—the culture around us becomes. When it comes to producing genuine, lasting transformation within society, changing laws isn’t the solution. Changing hearts is!
As representatives of Christ, the way we respond to the world defines the church. It speaks volumes about how we perceive the sovereignty of our Lord to save, keep, and protect.
It reveals how deeply we understand the nature of our citizenship in heaven. It demonstrates how closely we identify with the suffering of our Savior—what we perceive and pursue as our mission before the Lord sets the course for how we serve Him and how we represent Him to the lost.
And when well-intentioned elders, preachers, and other church leaders become confused about their mission—when they make moralizing society their top priority—they abandon the very element that makes the church a powerful agent of change within society. When the church elevates the pursuit of cultural morality above its biblical mandate to proclaim the Gospel, it essentially forfeits its distinctive voice, taking its place among a myriad of lobby groups and political parties peddling temporal agendas.
This brand of politicized Christianity is not only dangerously misguided, but it’s growing. For that reason, www.StudyJesus.com was founded, focusing on Jesus Christ, the Good News—the Gospel. And its message is one every believer will appreciate. The truths at stake are important! Reaching men and women with life-transforming truth from God’s Word should be the mission of every Christian. The Bible-teaching resources we make available may tackle subjects ranging from child rearing to spiritual warfare, from creation to the second coming, and from financial stewardship to forgiveness, but still the motive behind each section of material on the website has the same purpose and goal: to help each of us become more like Christ by better understanding and applying biblical truth to our lives.
