After reading this I'm wondering if our call as Christians is to make society change or not. We can go into all the world and make disciples, teaching those disciples to obey Christ, but do we have a call to enforce that obedience? Certainly not on those who are not disciples. Maybe kicking out of the community is the only punishment I can remember from NT.
If we believe God is not mocked-whatever a person sows that is what will be reaped- then we must be peacemakers even if we "lose".
I haven't thought it all out. This is just what comes to mind after an initial reading.
Thanks for reading and for your thoughts. I agree with what you are getting at, we can’t force anyone to do what Jesus said to do if they don’t want to follow Jesus. I think there are a few issues at play here:
1) Christianity in America is too wrapped up in America and we need to disentangle the two so we can concentrate on being obedient to Jesus no matter what happens to America. “Even if we ‘lose’” as you put it. (That was well said.)
2) I don’t think our call to evangelism is a call to make people think like us. It looks more like being a communal witness to the old world that a new world has and is breaking in through Jesus and we invite others into that. That means we ride the waves of favor and persecution from society without ever trying to take control of the society beyond the church. Easier said than done for sure, but to start we have to get away from theological visions that teach us “influence” society. Let the old world fade away and let the new world come.
After reading this I'm wondering if our call as Christians is to make society change or not. We can go into all the world and make disciples, teaching those disciples to obey Christ, but do we have a call to enforce that obedience? Certainly not on those who are not disciples. Maybe kicking out of the community is the only punishment I can remember from NT.
If we believe God is not mocked-whatever a person sows that is what will be reaped- then we must be peacemakers even if we "lose".
I haven't thought it all out. This is just what comes to mind after an initial reading.
Thanks for reading and for your thoughts. I agree with what you are getting at, we can’t force anyone to do what Jesus said to do if they don’t want to follow Jesus. I think there are a few issues at play here:
1) Christianity in America is too wrapped up in America and we need to disentangle the two so we can concentrate on being obedient to Jesus no matter what happens to America. “Even if we ‘lose’” as you put it. (That was well said.)
2) I don’t think our call to evangelism is a call to make people think like us. It looks more like being a communal witness to the old world that a new world has and is breaking in through Jesus and we invite others into that. That means we ride the waves of favor and persecution from society without ever trying to take control of the society beyond the church. Easier said than done for sure, but to start we have to get away from theological visions that teach us “influence” society. Let the old world fade away and let the new world come.
Yes, I completely agree.