Posted on 08/22/2006 7:14:04 AM PDT by topcat54
Is it possible to change a society? Has there ever been a time in history when progress could be measured against the spiritual and cultural decay of a previous era? When the church suffers a setback after a period of progress, is this a sign of the end, or does the possibility exist that God will graciously redeem and restore His people? What has the church’s position been toward social reform? Has social reform hindered the work of the gospel or has the lack of evangelical social reform been an obstacle to gospel proclamation?
The church has always struggled to find answers to these questions. Unfortunately, the church has often been out of balance: Either putting all of its efforts into social reform while neglecting personal reform through gospel proclamation (the social gospel movement) or retreating into an unscriptural pietism where personal salvation is seen as the evangelical’s only duty to the neglect of the world (pietism). Is this the reason why “American Protestant orthodoxy has produced no unified social ethics or program of evangelical social action”?1
In addition, there has been an unhealthy preoccupation with the timing of Jesus’ Second Coming. Because it is always “imminent,” and since reform efforts take time, there is no motivation to reform society. The question always is: Do we have time? But every generation has asked this question. And for two thousand years the answer has been yes. There is time because we are not privy to God’s timetable. The church has a history of predicting the end, telling Christians that there is no time left on God’s prophetic clock. Today is no different. With such a shortened view of the future, reform efforts are, at best, secondary concerns. Charles Hodge wrote the following in 1873, demonstrating that little has changed in more than 125 years of prophetic speculation:
It can hardly be questioned that a portion of our brethren, both in this country and in Great Britain, pay undo attention to the prophetic parts of Scripture. On this account they have been designated the “Prophetical School.” While there are many exceptions, it is yet a characteristic of this class of writers, that they seem more concerned in future hopes than in present duty. They have no faith in the conversion of the world under the present “dispensation of the Spirit.” They often speak in disparaging terms of the work of the Spirit, saying that the gospel has never converted a single town or village, and that it is therefore vain to expect that it will convert the world. The world according to their theory, is to be converted through the terrors and judgments attending the second advent of Christ: not otherwise, and not before.2
Reform efforts are never easy. They depend on much prayer, gospel proclamation, and ministry. The results are often very discouraging. One way out of the duty of reform is to deny its validity and project a state of future earthly blessing that’s just around the corner.
The Bible strikes a balance between personal salvation and outward reforms. This was certainly true in the Old Testament. The New Testament’s emphasis is no different. Of course, the context of the New Testament is somewhat different from the Old. Under the Roman occupation there was little opportunity for a broad application of reform. Certainly within the church community reform efforts were operating. But it didn’t take long for the church to extend its witness “even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
As we study Church history, we recognize that there was a balanced relationship between regeneration and reformation. With the collapse of the Roman Empire, the gospel of the kingdom began to reform the world. While there was speculation regarding Jesus’ imminent return among the early church fathers, this emphasis changed as Rome’s place in world history began to decline.
1. Carl F. H. Henry, A Plea for Evangelical Demonstration (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1971), 23.
2. Charles Hodge, “Introduction,” in James B. Ramsey, Revelation: An Exposition of the First Eleven Chapters, originally published under the title The Spiritual Kingdom (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, [1873] 1977), i.
Gary DeMar is president of American Vision and the author of more than 20 books. His latest is Myths, Lies, and Half Truths.
Permission to reprint granted by American Vision P.O. Box 220, Powder Springs, GA 30127, 800-628-9460.
This is the one of the biggest problems with Christians today. To all Christians: the Jews did not listen to their profits wakeup.
Excellent article, topcat54 - thanks for the ping!
We need to recognize this movement for what it is -- a political agenda on the part of those who do not want a Christian world and who seek to neuter the Great Commission.
"Is this the reason why “American Protestant orthodoxy has produced no unified social ethics or program of evangelical social action”?"
It is a question that haunts me every day in my practice. One problem is the "Jim Wallis" factor. He has made "tolerance" synonymous with Christian social action so there is no discriminating of sin.
As an aside, a while back I went to our super sized Christian Book and Novelty store to get a book by Carl Henry and the cute sales clerk asked "who is he?" Fortunately I had my wife with me who was able to help me shuffle out of the store.
And who would you say that the "Those who" are? I kind of know, but since you said it I think it would be idea for you to clarify on it.
Could be worse, she might have said, "Is he that guy who wrote that cute story about two fellas and a little boy who they kidnapped for the ransom?"
Which supports my contention that modern, futurist dispensationalism is a uniquely American phenomenon.
Christians in most of the world are not running around with their eyes on Israel to see what's going to happen next.
I don't think we will see much reformation in our country as long as the Cultural Christians see the state as some part of the Devils scheme of things. This is very evident in most end times theology. I know we should never look for the state to be our saviour as far as eternal spirtual matters are concerned, (special grace). But for us to enjoy some sort of common good or common grace/reformation in morals etc we will have to look to the State to be involved in that. The Puritans saw the need to have a strong State, an equally strong Church or Churches, and an egually strong families. Each sphere was to overlap the other ones, Kind of like the way we protray the trinity sometimes, three circles overlapping each other. Today there is a lot of emphasis on strong Christian families, a little less in emphasis on strong Christian Churches, and hardly any emphasis on the State. Whether one sees the Christian families or the Christian Churches as being stronger then the other is pretty mute since they are neck and neck in relation to the State which is on the other side of the track. Cultural Christian get what they pay for, oh I mean pay attention to. They get a State that gets in the way of their family and Churches.
Yeah but they also don't have those so called Christian bookstores in their country to promote the futuristic dispensationalism theology.
I was reading an article the other day that stated the problem with Christians today is they don't read and understand theology. He discussed the problems with Christian book stores that have changed their name simply because they no longer sell just books. In fact you can hardly find any deep theological material on the shelves. Instead you find T-shirts, pamphlets and bumper stickers. When Christianity is reduced to bumper stickers and slogans it has lost its meaning.
I must confess that for the first thirty years I hardly picked up a book. Now I can't find enough time to read everything that I have.
In God's providence I got hooked up early in my Christian walk with folks who appreciated the importance of good books. I must admit I was infected with "rapture fever" for a period of time, since this happened back in the heyday of Hal Lindsey and the Late Great Planet Earth. But that venture into eschtological darkness lasted only a brief time, and soon I found myself immersed in good Reformed books that helped to guide me in interpreting the Bible for myself, not telling me what I ought to think the Bible is teaching.
My first exposure to a Christian bookstore was back in the mid-70s at a place called Puritan-Reformed Books in northern Delaware. They later changed names to Great Christian Books and moved to Maryland. I worked for the company for a time, until they went out of business. They carried some of the best Christian books on the planet. My personal library is full of books from GCB.
My experience has been that what ministers who are sloppy with the Scriptures fear most is people who are well-read and think for themselves. That's why these guys like books such as the Left Behind series and pop theology books that do well on Amazon.com and at the local Christian "bookstore". It's all theological pap that makes their scam seem plausible to Joe Average in the pew.
Fortunately this is something I learned a very long time ago. As much as possible I try to read the source from where information is coming from and not from someone who says someone said something. In many cases, especially with historical information, this is often tainted.
I've purchased two commentary sets and have my eyes on a third. My wife will probably throw me out of the house. :O)
I don't believe the problem rests in eschatology.
I think the problem lies in enjoying the benefits of power. Conservative Christians were the driving force in bringing the GOP a majority, but we hesitate to hold them accountable now that they are in a majority.
I'm not sure, but in Utah aren't most of their elected representatives Mormon? At least at the state level aren't most of their laws in keeping with Mormon doctrine?
That's because "conservative Christians" can't agree on an agenda for real political change. Conservative Christians are all over the map on a number of issues, e.g., the war in the middle east (a foundational issue for the present GOP regime). Many Christians believe that the move to overthrow Saddam was an unjustified intrusion into a geopolitical situation where we had no business being. We started off going after the perpetrators of 9/11, Osama and Co, and end up finishing off what George the First started back in the early 1990s. Seen any weapons of mass destruction lately?
The war in Iraq was more about George the Second saving face for George the First than it was about core conservative Christian values.
Another example is support for mainland (communist) China. There were conservative Christians on both sides of the "most favored nation" status for the communists several years ago. That's because there's big bucks to be made by conservative Christian businessmen who would just love to invest in China. Forget about civil (biblical) rights.
Then there is the matter of support for Israel. The idea that Israel holds the moral high ground in the middle east is ludicrous. Israel is a secular political state doing things for purely pragmatic reasons. Some conservative Christians are all gah gah over Israel because the name of the country happens to coincide with the name of a country in the Bible, and they happen to share roughly the same land area. That's about the extent of any similarity
Money is the driver behind much of the debate. And the GOP knows how to play conservative Christians for the suckers they sometimes are. They are treated the same way as the Dems treat black voters. They look at each other and say, "Where are they going to go?"
Speaking of which, has anyone noticed that Greg Laurie has jumped all over the bandwagon of "the end is near."
post tenebras lux,
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