Charles Colson
“The Lord’s cultural commission is, I believe, inseparable from the Great Commission. Every part of creation came from God’s hand, every part was drawn into the mutiny of humanity against God, and every part will someday be redeemed. This means caring about all of life-redeeming people and redeeming culture. We are instructed, after all, to think biblically, taking “captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).
If we’re tempted to ignore the great moral issues of our day, or dismiss them as “just politics,” we are betraying our biblical mandate and our own heritage. Nothing could be deadlier for the church, nor for the culture, since real Christianity invariably provides a healthy influence on society.
Evangelicals must never be content with a tepid Christianity that embraces only evangelization and the “feel good” church while alien philosophies hostile to the created order hijack our culture. Look at the issues before us: gay “marriage”-an oxymoron that will undermine the foundational institutions of society; the creation of life in man’s image (cloning); abortion; terrorism driven by religious extremists; and defining just war in the age of terror, to name a few. Christians must boldly and confidently recommit to engaging contemporary culture with a fresh vision of hope.
Don’t tell me you don’t want to get your hands dirty in the grimy world of politics and cultural debate. If Christians do not seize this moment and act on the cultural commission, there soon will be no culture left to save. But when we do our duty, we can change the world. Look at Christians like William Wilberforce, who spent most of his life fighting-and winning-the war against British slavery. Christians at their post, doing their duty, have brought about the greatest social reforms of modern times.
“What reforms will you and I be remembered for?”
Discussion
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