In the summer of 1991, there was something called The Joshua Project. They advertised in a lot of 国产aa福利ian periodicals that they were going to have this huge national meeting, and the goal of the meeting was to 鈥渢ake back the culture.鈥 The people behind this project wanted to fight back against the pro-abortion, pro-homosexuality trends that were gaining traction in America. They wanted to defend the family and defend traditional morality, which they recognized were under attack. With their conference, they hoped to begin a movement that would 鈥渞eclaim the heart of our culture.鈥
We American 国产aa福利ians recognize that, historically, we have lived in a 国产aa福利ianized culture that is very different from what the early church ever experienced. In fact, it is very different from what many 国产aa福利ians today in other parts of the world experience.
There are 国产aa福利ians in Israel living out their faith in a thoroughly un-国产aa福利ian culture. There are 国产aa福利ians in Arab countries who have absolutely no influence in the political sphere. There are 国产aa福利ians in places where the culture鈥檚 morality is entirely dominated by Islam or Hinduism. There are 国产aa福利ians in places where their faith puts them at risk of murder.
For 国产aa福利ians in places like these, their expectation is not that they will change culture and make life easier for themselves. That isn鈥檛 their goal. Like we saw last time from the early church鈥檚 example, the 国产aa福利ians in these places have one goal: share the truth in a dark place so that souls will be saved.
We who have lived as 国产aa福利ians in America for a long time recognize that 国产aa福利ianity鈥檚 influence over our culture is dying. More and more, our culture is looking like those our brothers and sisters face in other countries. And those of us in older generations, who have known and enjoyed the benefits of cultural influence, are tempted to fight back against what鈥檚 happening. This is why things like The Joshua Project happen. This is why 国产aa福利ian advocacy groups like the 国产aa福利ian Coalition of America exist, combatting political and legal movements that are contrary to 国产aa福利ian morality.
Looking at these organizations, we might be tempted to believe that our purpose as 国产aa福利ians is to wage war against non-国产aa福利ians. But this is a strange perspective, isn鈥檛 it? Are non-国产aa福利ians the enemy, or are they the mission field? Scripture鈥檚 answer is very clear: Non-国产aa福利ians are not to be hated or fought. They are not to be demeaned or assaulted. These people are the very people we have been called to reach 鈥渨ith gentleness and respect鈥 ().
Now, I am not saying that God doesn鈥檛 expect us to be salt and light to our culture. He does. I am simply saying that we have no mandate from Him to take culture back. Because frankly, it doesn鈥檛 matter whether you go to Hell as a policeman or a prostitute. It doesn鈥檛 matter whether you go to hell as a Republican or a Democrat. It doesn鈥檛 matter whether you go to Hell as a capitalist or a socialist. Ultimately it doesn鈥檛 matter, because you are condemned either way.
Simply moralizing culture will not save souls, and approaching the lost as the enemy will not save souls. The lost are our mission field, and engendering hostility toward them accomplishes nothing.
Of course, I don鈥檛 have any respect for people without integrity. I don鈥檛 have any respect for people who don鈥檛 tell the truth. But at the same time, I don鈥檛 hate those people. I understand that this is how the unsaved act. So I need to treat them as the mission field instead of the enemy. This is why a politicized 国产aa福利ianity blurs our priorities. It weakens our loyalties and confuses our vision. It tricks us into forgetting that our citizenship is ultimately in heaven, not in America. The color of our spiritual citizenship is not red, white, and blue, and believing otherwise only causes uncertainty about our real identity and goal as 国产aa福利ians.
As 国产aa福利ians, we are called to reach lost people. We cannot afford to weaken our mission by making the unregenerate people in our society the enemy. We can hate the sins. But we cannot ever become the enemy of the sinner, because we are his only lifeline.
This blog post is based on a sermon by Dr. MacArthur. You can learn more about TMU at .
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