The Christian and the Social Order

Baptist Faith and Message 2000

All Christians are under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in our own lives and in human society. Means and methods used for the improvement of society and the establishment of righteousness among men can be truly and permanently helpful only when they are rooted in the regeneration of the individual by the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ. In the spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, and vice, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography. We should work to provide for the orphaned, the needy, the abused, the aged, the helpless, and the sick. We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death. Every Christian should seek to bring industry, government, and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love. In order to promote these ends Christians should be ready to work with all men of good will in any good cause, always being careful to act in the spirit of love without compromising their loyalty to Christ and His truth.

Memory Verse

Matthew 5:14–16 CSB

“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

We live in a world that wants Christians to stay silent on every topic that matters. There is even County Song that says: we don’t talk about politics, religion, and her. Interesting.

This has even led to the topic of the Separation of Church and State, and what that means. Does it mean that Religion has no place inside the government, then laterally to politics?

Or does it mean something different altogether?

Well to answer this, all we have to do is look at what it is we know the Bible says regarding how Christians are to live their lives.

We know that Jesus says a few things regarding how we are to live our lives relative to the world in which we currently reside.

We are the “light of the world. . . let your light shine before others, so they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

We are to “love our neighbor”.

The reality is that Christianity authentically relates to the world of society and culture, because Christianity addresses truth to the real world and makes a real difference.

As Christians, we “are under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in our own lives and in human society”.

This means we have a responsibility to our community, our neighbors, our state, and our nation; and praise God, we live in a nation where we have the Constitution which protects our right to proclaim the Gospel.

We Christians must have the right mentality in how we accomplish change in the world around us. Rules, programs, social policy and cultural improvement projects cannot transform people. Only the Grace of Jesus can change a human being and bring about new birth.

So, as the BF&M says:

Means and methods used for the improvement of society and the establishment of righteousness among men can be truly and permanently helpful only when they are rooted in the regeneration of the individual by the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ.

So we understand that our nation needs Jesus, we are to love our neighbor, that the world will know that we belong to Jesus by our love for one another; which means that we are to care about the shape of our society - including its laws, customs and moral textures.

In this,

We stand for Righteousness

The government has important responsibilities. We do not deny this. Baptists, by and large, have a history of supporting the government’s proper responsibilities, because we believe in the good of the common wealth.

SO, we are to be involved, not absent.

When Christians oppose sin, both individually and in cultural terms, we are motivated by Christian love and concern for our neighbors. We must remember that we are saved by grace through faith, and thus when we work and speak to those in the community at large we must do so from a mindset of sinners who have been redeemed and reborn by the power of Christ.

We bear responsibility to engage in the political and cultural order and to do so in a manner that remains true to our faith in Jesus. Listen, the church is the external people of God, and is the only institution that will exist on earth in the age to come. So we must remain true to the faith, over political preference. Governments and social orders will pass away, just like they have all through time; but the church, the people of God, will remain. Maintain focus on the Savior and His teachings. Remain true to this.

Remember:

Matthew 5:13 CSB

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

Matthew 5:14–16 CSB

“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

We are the preserver, the purifying influence in the world, influencing society; not the other way around. Christians social responsibility has tremendous power to influence everything: individuals, families, and society.

We can improve society!

In the spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, and vice, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography.

It is interesting that in our time we have social justice warriors out there, promoting all kinds of different things, working to fix “their one area of affluence”.

Christians who cling to the Word of God are doing all the things the SJW do, and so much more. Not guided by emotions or money, or a desire to right wrongs; but by the desire to please our Father and reflect Christ on earth.

We oppose racism, greed, selfishness, vice, sexual immoralities of all kinds, to improve society and as a witness to the grace shown to us by God.

We should work to provide for the orphaned, the needy, the abused, the aged, the helpless, and the sick.

Luke 4:18–19 CSB

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

Matthew 25:31–46 CSB

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. “ ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or without clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit you?’ “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “Then he will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink; I was a stranger and you didn’t take me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe me, sick and in prison and you didn’t take care of me.’ “Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help you?’ “Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

We can learn a few things from this Scripture:

Jesus is concerned about the down trodden, the poor and the sick.

Jesus expects His people to help people in need.

Helping someone in need is like helping Jesus.

We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death.

James 1:27 CSB

Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Psalm 139:13–16 CSB

For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.

Proverbs 31:8 CSB

Speak up for those who have no voice, for the justice of all who are dispossessed.

I can Go on:

Gen 1:27, we are made in God’s image

Ex 20:13, we are not to murder, kill, shed innocent blood

is 44:2, 24, not only did God make us, but he will also help us

Jer 1:5 - God chose His prophet before he was formed in the womb

eph 2:10 - God created us for good works He planned long ago

We stand for life! ALL LIFE. And we oppose anything that minimizes or marginalizes the image of God.

including Racism.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a universal remedy from a universal God for the universal need of humanity. The God whom Jesus Christ revealed to the world is not a tribal, notional, or racial God. He for all men of all races, classes, and colors in all nations and throughout all ages. The Gospel is so elemental and fundamental in its application to humanity that is meets the needs of all kinds of persons in all kinds places at all times.

M. E. Dodd - Pastor, FBC Shreveport (1878-1952)

John 3:16 - God loves the entire world

Acts 17:26 - We all have a common ancestry

Romans 10:12 - No matter what our background, God is generous to everyone who calls on Him

Rev 5:9-10 - People from every tribe, tongue, and nation will populate heaven

Rev 14:6-7 - The good news is preached everywhere!

Sexual Immorality

Sexual immorality is a widespread problem, not just in America, but worldwide. It has become institutionalized and is perpetuated though social habits, laws, and customs that go directly against the Word of God.

It stands against the primacy of marriage and the model of sexual purity that is revealed in the Bible.

The Bible teaches us that GOD made man in His image, male and female, and originated the institution of marriage so that He could display His glory in the unique covenant of marriage.

Sexual immorality robs God of this glory!

The Bible explicits prohibits any sexual activity outside of marriage.

Exodus 20:14 CSB

Do not commit adultery.

Hebrews 13:4 CSB

Marriage is to be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, because God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

The misuse, abuse, and corruption of sexuality are tragic hallmarks of our time. Adultery, homosexuality, cohabitation, the list goes on.

COhabitation - wanting the benefits of marriage without the requirements of marriage.

PORN:

Pornea - translated many different ways:

fornication

immorality

unfaithfulness

The oldest known definition of the word: “to prostitute” or “to sell”!

What can we learn?

Every sexual sin is repugnant to God. The Greek word porneia is a sin that includes a wide range of illicit sexual intercourse or sexual activity. The word can refer to prostitution, sexual intercourse outside of marriage, pedophilia, promiscuity, homosexuality, lesbianism, incest, premarital sex and bestiality.

Some people today say that the Bible never calls Homosexuality a sin, and that they were born the way that they are.

Romans 1:26–27 CSB

For this reason God delivered them over to disgraceful passions. Their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. The men in the same way also left natural relations with women and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the appropriate penalty of their error.

Man, that sure sounds like God saying that it is unnatural and against the design that God made: SIN!

We stand for Christ and His rule in our life extends through all areas of our life. So:

Every Christian should seek to bring industry, government, and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love.

In order to promote these ends Christians should be ready to work with all men of good will in any good cause, always being careful to act in the spirit of love without compromising their loyalty to Christ and His truth.