Positive aspects of society
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· 12 viewsThe object of God’s love and the sphere of God’s blessing. God’s people should adopt a positive but critical attitude to, and involvement in society, and should seek to influence it for good, while guarding against its corrupting influence.
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Society is the object of God’s redeeming love and the sphere of his blessing
Society is the object of God’s redeeming love and the sphere of his blessing
The city as a positive image of society
The city as a positive image of society
And I will restore thy judges as at the first,
And thy counsellers as at the beginning:
Afterward thou shalt be called,
The city of righteousness, the faithful city.
Zion shall be redeemed with judgment,
And her converts with righteousness.
See also Ps 122:6–9; Is 54:11–14; Heb 11:10; Heb 11:15–16; Re 21:1–4; Re 21:22–22:5
The world as the object of God’s love
The world as the object of God’s love
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
See also Jn 6:33; 2 Co 5:19; 1 Jn 4:14; Re 11:15
God’s people are to be positively involved in society
God’s people are to be positively involved in society
They are to seek to be a positive influence
They are to seek to be a positive influence
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
See also Je 29:7 God’s people, in exile in Babylon, are to seek the welfare of that society, rather than simply long to return home; Mt 5:13–16; 1 Co 5:9–10
They are to avoid being corrupted by society’s worldliness
They are to avoid being corrupted by society’s worldliness
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
See also Ro 12:2; Jas 4:4; 1 Jn 2:15–17
They do not owe society their ultimate loyalty
They do not owe society their ultimate loyalty
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
See also Jn 15:19; Heb 13:14; 1 Pe 2:11
They are to adopt a positive attitude to society’s properly instituted authorities
They are to adopt a positive attitude to society’s properly instituted authorities
Ro 13:1–7; Tt 3:1
See also Mt 22:17–21; 1 Pe 2:13–17
While being submissive, they are not to give absolute obedience to any merely human authority in society
While being submissive, they are not to give absolute obedience to any merely human authority in society
And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
See also Ac 5:27–29
Examples of those positively involved in society
Examples of those positively involved in society
Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.
See also Ge 41:41–49 Joseph; Es 10:1–3 Mordecai; Da 1:1–21 Daniel and his friends