Reweaving the Culture?



By Al Baker - Posted at Banner of Truth:

Have you noticed the many sermons, the many books and blogs telling the church of Jesus that our purpose is to reweave the culture? Behind these statements is the idea that our world, as we know, is permanent. While they readily admit the world’s fallen state, they still say the church’s role is to labor for the redemption of culture. That is, we are to make this world a better place. This is to come they say, by practising social justice, racial reconciliation through progressive, statist, identity politics. To be fair, some who are teaching this also speak of the importance of evangelism, but they nonetheless are urging a two-fold kingdom initiative. More specifically, they are urging us, as the church of Jesus, to seek justice, reconciliation, and reparations for victims of violence, oppression, or racism; to preserve God’s creation through Green energy initiatives; to transform social and cultural systems, and to labor for the removal of what they call systemic racism and oppression of minorities.

I have wondered for some time why the retreat from direct, intentional evangelism by so many in the western church. There is no doubt that the Scriptures speak of the necessity of justice, feeding the hungry, and caring for the widow and the orphan. We are not to retreat from the world. We are to be engaged in our community. Jesus told us that we are the salt of the earth (salt slows down putrefaction) and the light of the world (bringing the light of truth into a darkened world). The question, however, is to what degree should the church be involved in these issues? Are these the stated purpose of the church?

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