American society and culture is changing so much and so rapidly that it is creating a weird kind of cultural vertigo.  Things that were heretofore unimaginable are now championed openly and the cultural assumptions of the past can no longer be taken for granted.  This can create a real sense of alarm and confusion among Christians, sometimes prompting us to unwise or injurious extremes.  For instance, some Christians see their primary calling as being culture warriors.  Their lives are marked by a perpetual wringing of the hands and a kind of feverish attempt to right the ship by sheer force of will.  Other Christians retreat to the other extreme, burying their heads in the sand, refusing to see the serious problem of a culture that is adrift in a sea of hyper-permissiveness and modernity.  These Christians either refuse to face the truth, or, worse yet, in an effort not to have to speak with a prophetic voice, adapt their own convictions to fit those of the culture.  This too is shortsighted.

In this newsletter article, I simply wanted to propose an alternative.  I want to propose that the proper course for the modern Christian is to live within the tension created when the Kingdom of God clashes with the kingdom of the world, and to do so with a reckless abandon for the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I would like to encourage you to allow your permanent citizenship in the Kingdom of God to keep you from outright despair, or from panicked rashness, or from a lack of peace and joy.  There is much to weep over in this world, that is true, but let me remind you that through the blood of Jesus Christ your citizenship has been transferred from the realm of darkness to the realm of eternal light, from the realm of Satan to the realm of the risen Christ who reigns forever.  Let us keep our eyes on our King.  Let us not forget that there is more at work than what the naked eye can see through this veil of tears.

On the other hand, let me remind us that our citizenship in the Kingdom of God was not intended to remove us from the kingdom of the world, or to lead us to disinterest or a lack of concern over the world, but rather to empower us to be salt and light in the midst of the world.  This means that we must care about the world.  We must weep over the world.  We must practice involved, engaged, responsible citizenship within the world.  We must, as we are able, by God’s grace, lighten the corner where we are, speaking the truth in love, being bold in our witness and loving to all.  We must not change the clear convictions of Scripture to adapt to a culture that does not know up from down, but we must voice these convictions in the love of Jesus Christ, calling all to come unto Him.

Take heart.  Be encouraged.

Perhaps it is for just such a time as this that the Lord God has Central Baptist Church right where He has us and right when He has us.

Who knows?  When the contrast between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world becomes crystal clear (and becomes greater than probably any of us have ever seen it in our lives) those outside of Christ will see the gospel for the radical alternative that it truly is.  I suppose this could be a season for great despair…or it could just be an opportunity for the people of God to move into the greatest season of revival, vitality, effectiveness, and mission that we have ever known!

I suspect the latter to be the case.