“Christians are
sitting on the sidelines while the culture rots.” Baloney.
The culture is rotted, that's true. But make no mistake: studying
God's word, preaching God's word, publishing God's word as much as
possible, proclaiming God's word publicly and living it out in our
lives as we attempt to be faithful followers of Jesus... is exactly
and only what the culture needs.
In other (Biblical) words,
“Repent and believe the Gospel!”
But people think, "It isn't
having an effect, things are just getting so much worse by the
second!”
What, however, are
we to expect by way of results if we are on mission with Jesus? Adoring crowds and back-slapping congratulations? No!
There is such a thing as the “ministry of death.” Christian
ministry produces an “aroma of death” to “those who are
perishing” (2 Cor 2:14-7, see also carefully 2 Cor 3-4)!
It should be no
surprise that the culture has been rotting since the garden of Eden closed.
The world's culture doesn't want to hear God's word of grace, mercy,
and salvation. Self-serving cultural moral relativism (and its
fascist political correctness) is the quite predictable result of
scientific materialism an all its incarnations.This includes, by the way,
those “ministries” that actively campaign against traditional
Biblical Christianity in the name of “embracing” the culture
(thereby becoming part of the culture and leaving the
rule and reign of God). Christians who attempt to embrace the flatulent winds
and grasp the festering waters of our culture in the vain effort to be accepted are finding this only hardens people's hearts
against the gospel, which is (all by itself!) “the power of
God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).
The salt of the
earth is also the light of the world. People are welcome to
congratulate themselves all they want, but the salt may become
tasteless and the light may be extinguished one day when the time of
God's patience is exhausted (2 Thess 2:6-12)! Take heart, don't panic, the party
is already over. Most of what we hear about is being exaggerated by a tiny minority of Minitrue wannabes anyway.
In the meantime, the Great Commission is still as true as ever, and we are called, imperfect though we be, to proclaim the truth about the forgiveness that God offers. God is merciful, full of grace, and willing to forgive and transform whoever is willing to come to Him by faith. That is the truth.
So though the world may seem to be nuts, remember that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm" (Ephesians 6:12-13).
Christians aren't on the sidelines, the world is playing the wrong game.
For another
similar perspective that I just found after writing this:
