Metaphors matter. Are you committed to a culture war or to the conversion of the lost? Is our battle against the people who disagree with us or against the spiritual powers that work to enslave humanity (flesh and blood or powers and principalities)? Do we succeed through power or by God's Spirit? Are we for the world or against it? Our images of success shape the way we live our lives, and they affect our message to the next generation.
How do we deal with a world that opposes God and destroys lives? This was the question in Jesus' day. Rome had conquered God's people and were occupying Jerusalem. They represented both spiritual and moral evil. How were they to be dealt with? The Zealots chose violence. The leadership of Israel favored resistance ranging from cautious bureaucratic maneuvering to outright rebellion.
God's answer has always been different. When Babylon conquered Israel and took them into exile, the Israelites acknowledged God's judgment but decided they were going to make life difficult for the Babylonians. They would separate themselves, do as little as possible, and become an irritation the Babylonians would long to be free of. But God had different plans. He commanded the Israelites to move into the city, mingle with the people, and serve them so that Babylon would prosper and miss them when they were gone. (Jeremiah 29)
God not only loved Israel, He loved Babylon as well. He had always intended Israel to be a light to all people. Israel needed discipline for its own good. He hoped Babylon would benefit as well. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) Is God for or against the world? Are we to be for or against the world? We do not agree with the world's philosophies, systems, or behavior that separates people from God and destroys lives, but we are for the people who live in the world. Do we want to see our enemies redeemed or disgraced? The answer to that question determines whether we are with Jesus or not.
We are told that Jesus did not come into the world to condemn it, but to save it. The world was already condemned for its rebellion. If God wanted us destroyed, then he didn't have to do anything. Instead, he intervened in love. He won life, freedom, and dignity for us. He was, and still is, for us.
We need to take our cues from God and not the headlines. This is the age of grace. The weeds and the wheat will not be separated until Jesus returns. Paul's words might startle us today: "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside." (1 Cor 5:12,13) Jesus pushes us to extremes: "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6:27-28) Do we bless those who curse us, or do we curse them right back? And do we make heroes of the spiritually obnoxious? Have we become the new Pharisees? If so, what does that say of our allegiance to Christ?
Is our view of reform based on Scripture or a social gospel? The question is important. A social gospel is shaped by a human perception of current events. It is often a reaction based on cultural hopes and beliefs, like the liberal social gospel, or based on our fears and self-protection like the new conservative social gospel. Both had a little truth, but relied on culture more than Christ for their guidance.
Why is this important? Because social gospels are poison for our youth. We need to stop blaming the world for our failures. The world will always work against us. It always has. The reason we are losing our youth is not because the world has changed. It's because we have changed. I don't choose to be liberal or conservative. I choose to be a disciple of Jesus. If we want to save our youth, if we want to save the world, we need to follow Jesus and repent from our social gospels.
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