When Culture Hates You: Persevering for the Common Good as Christians in a Hostile Public Square by Natasha Crain Chapter 3

 Chapter 3: When the Common Good is Political 

Our calling will inevitably overlap with the political process in some way

-Christians are called to advocate for righteousness on behalf of the common good 

-Christians need a healthy view of what it can and should mean to be political

Clearing the Baggage:

-What do the words politics and politically really mean?

-What preconceived notions come to mind when politics and faith intersect?

-Does the Bible teach it is love of country or love of God?

-Will it be too painful to have controversial topics?

-Do we have to choose between discipleship or political activism?

-Is there a difference between voting when an election arises to a Christian being political?

Politics: is defined “the way that people living in groups make decisions.”

-politics is the way people decide on the parameters of how they are going to live together

-if we are going live together in communities then we have to agree on the  parameters of how we are going to live together

-we have to define what life in common will look like

-this does include what we call formally the government

-we invest in the authority to make and enforce laws for a defined community 

“Christians who live in countries with the opportunity to influence the governing structure toward making and enforcing laws that promote the common good should embrace that opportunity out of a love for others.”

Applying faith in politics:

-Christians fear finding common ground on politics because they only view the negatives of it causes separation

-Christians should embrace positive engagement when applying faith to politics

Ex. you wouldn't avoid teaching a child how to ride a bike because cars may not see them on the road. You teach the child how to ride the bike strategically in traffic. You stay engaged with the child and how they navigate the road when riding that bike

What Christians shouldn’t do:

-put love of country above the love for God 

-nothing should be placed over truth (political or otherwise)

-never look to politics as your savior

-never engage in political discussions in uncharitable, ungracious ways

-do not disengage and treat all political positions as only state issues separated from the church

-do not be intellectually or spiritually lazy

What Christians should do:

-view all politics through the lens of Christ

-Christians should engage politically

-Christians use good conscience to bring their faith into the public square of the political realm

God’s purpose for government:

-the Bible gives very little specifics to how Christians should relate to and engage in influencing the governing structure under which we live

-this has led people to conclude that it’s forbidden, undesirable, or unimportant for Christians to be involved in the political sphere

***the Bible does teach about government or from an understanding of Jesus’s historical-political context

Where in the Bible:

Old Testament:

Genesis 9: 5-6 is considered civil government

-Noah and his family exit the ark 

“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood shed, for God made man in his own image.”

-mankind is responsible for executing punishment for certain actions 

-God calls out nations for not practicing righteousness and justice

-there is an expectation that civil leaders are responsible for promoting what is good and restraining what is evil

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31: 8-9).

Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue” (Daniel 4: 27).

New Testament:

Roman 13: 1-7 point to 3 pivotal Biblical teachings on government that should shape our views today

1st: civil rulers receive their authority from God Himself, and as such His servants (vs. 1-4)

-this means that the institution of civil government is a good thing

-this doesn’t mean that everything government does is good

-this doesn’t mean Christians should be in limitless obedience to the government

-the Bible has many rulers doing evil in spite of their God-given role

-the role is good, but the execution of the role by sinful humans won’t always be

-the reality is we live in a fallen world

-there are examples in history where civil disobedience has been appropriate

***Especially when there’s a conflict between obedience to God and obedience to government

Scripture provides precedents:

-the apostles were commanded to stop preaching the gospel (Acts 4:18)

-there response: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

-the disciples knew their highest authority is God who called them to preach the gospel (Matthew 28: 16-20)

-when lower authorities contradicted that command, their allegiance was God first

-ex. the Hebrew midwives in Exodus 1 

-ex. Rahab in Joshua 2

-ex. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3

-ex. Daniel in Daniel 6

-ex. The wise men in Matthew 2

-civil rulers should be God’s servants for promoting good (Romans 13: 4)

-the term good is up for debate

ex. Should the government provide good healthcare for all? Or a good public education?

***there is a limit to what government can provide because financial resources are finite

-it’s a Biblical principle that civil governments should indeed promote the good

-Christians will disagree on how to prioritize individual goods their government should pursue

Civil rulers have the authority to bear the sword as avengers on God’s behalf (Romans 13: 4)

-God has given humans -through government-the authority to punish evil

-civil government has the role of restraining evil now until God’s return

-Christians sometimes point to Jesus when he stated to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39)

-Jesus was talking about personal conduct not the role of government institutions

***when justice is necessary, civil rulers are God’s agents for carrying it out

Romans 13 provides a foundational framework:

-Christians are to advocate for government to function as God intended to promote good and restrain evil

“Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good” (1 Peter 2: 13-14).

-the Bible is clear that civil government plays a vital and God-given role in our earthly communities

-civil leaders are to be in service to God

-the good they promote and the evil they restrain should be aligned with godly definitions of those terms

-we need to live in the historical-political context of the Bible

-we must use every opportunity to influence our government to promote good and restrain evil

-we should be advocating for government to function as God intended

Christians should not be involved in political influence is wrong:

-do not ignore Jesus’s historical-political context

-the day Jesus was born-the Roman Empire had ruled for 60 years

-the Jews desired political independence

***Look at the history-Jesus had reasons he didn’t specifically talk about the need for His disciples to influence government

-they had little opportunity to do so at the time

-Jesus was first the long awaited Messiah who would give his life as a ransom for all mankind (Mark 10:45)

-Jesus came for a purpose and his eyes stayed on his mission to die, rise from the dead, to give hope of eternal life to those who place their trust in Him for forgiveness of sins

-He had 3 short years for his public ministry (Luke 10:9)

-Jesus didn’t directly address subjects like racism, domestic violence, child abuse

***Don’t let his silence on a specific subject imply the subject is not forbidden, undesirable, or unimportant for Christians to care about and address today

-we have to consider the entirety of Scripture because all Scripture “is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching” (2 Timothy 3:16).

-the Bible, in its entirety, provides many relevant principles that indicate the vital role Christians should play in advocating for righteousness in the public square

***Both Old testament and New testament Biblical figures engaged with civil authorities and the broader implications of Jesus’s exhortation to be salt and light 

Politics in Light of Church History:

-1st 3 centuries after Jesus lived on Earth, both Jews and Christians were oppressed by the Roman Empire for refusing to acknowledge the divinity of the emperor

-Christianity was illegal, and Christians had to practice their faith in secret

-political theology of how best to influence government for the common good or for the restraint of evil wasn’t a priority

-people were subject to Roman rule: obeying the law, paying taxes, and fulfilling the basic duties of being a good Roman subject

-Christianity was not only legalized in AD 313, but was also made the official religion of the Roman Empire in AD 380

-the church had the power to have almost unlimited influence in governing a wide swath of society

-Christian theologians like Augustin to prominent medieval thinkers like Thomas Aquino, and William of Ockham  wrote expositions on natural law

-the next radical shift started when Martin Luther challenged the practices and teachings of the Catholic Church in 1517

-the time came to be known as the Protestant Reformation

-civil and religious (Catholic) authority had been intertwined and functioned closely together until the emergence of Protestantism

-the hierarchy of authority between church and state stated being questioned

-there was a split between the relationship between individual Christians and the state

***post-Reformation world was the degree to which Christians should expect to influence their societies now that the church and state were no longer interconnected in the same way

-Augustine and other post-Reformation thinkers were far more optimistic about the possibilities of Christian influence 

-Christians can change society

-Christian theological traditions has recognized that God established civil government for the purpose of promoting good and restraining evil

-Christians have a role in advocating for righteousness in society accordingly

-societal changes took place in Europe after the Reformation

-a new set of political questions arose as Protestants and Catholics had to learn to live side by side 

**now add atheists, agnostics, Muslims, Mormons, Buddhists, etc…

-worldview is at odds with now with the true Biblical worldview

America:

-we can’t say with any historical accuracy that we were always bound together by a steadfast commitment to the core doctrines of Christianity

-But, we can certainly say that for most of the history we were bound together by values rooted in the Christian worldview

***Americans are declining in beliefs consistent with the core truths of what the Bible teachers

-worldviews at fundamental odds with Christianity

-Christians sometimes consider politics to be an unnecessary distraction to the church, history  begs to differ

When the Common Good is Political:

-people today lament the political polarization we see as if it’s just a function of no one wanting to get along

-seismic split that has happened in people’s underlying views on the nature of reality

-Christin views of reality are not only wrong but are often destructive when taken to their natural conclusion in the political domain

-ex. Those who believe that a pre-born baby is just a clump of cells will want to enshrine the right to destroy those “cells” at will in law

-ex. Marriage and parental rights is socially constructed and an obstacle to human freedom will want to tear down the nuclear family

-ex. Those who believe children are sexual creatures will seek legal ways to introduce sexually explicit content to public school kids at a younger and younger ages

-ex. Those who believe that moral disagreement is hate will advocate for greater limits on freedom of speech and restrictions on religious liberty 

***We have an enormous and urgent opportunity we have to be light in this darkening culture

-the light we need to shine today often has nothing to do with politics

-we need to advocate for the common good

-we must be politically engaged

-many times the common good falls under the category of political

-take the opportunity seriously as we have to influence government in a godly way

**** “Not because we want to war with culture, but because we love God and because we love people.”

Facebook Posted Thoughts: Thoughts on not letting your kids move on from trauma

 When is it time to stop using a tragedy, loss, hurt, anxiety, or depression as an excuse to move on with life? I am asking because it seems we have a generation of young people whose parents allow their teens or soon to be adults to sit and wallow in it. I don’t downplay pain, but if your child can never move out of it then how can he/she truly overcome the adversity or build resilience skills because no one can live in this state forever. Or if allowed to then what a miserable way to live out a life.

Here are two examples to put this in perspective:

-A senior in high school’s father passed away in her freshman year. Tragic and yes the loss does stay with you the rest of your life, but the loss has stopped this student from earning any credits to graduate from high school. Every time anyone reaches out to mom she shuts it down with her daughter losing her father is the issue of all her problems and therefore she should have no consequences. Mom is constantly asking we just pass her because her dad died. What an isolated existence for both the student and mom. Now she is not graduating from high school and will hopefully move on to adult education, but for 4 years many have tried to help them both move forward, but even today. Mom responded that she is not graduating because she can’t handle that her father died.

-A senior in high school who had dealt with anxiety and depression since middle school. She had a bad experience and has never recovered. The parents have tiptoed around this student for years. Now soon to be an adult cannot be told she is not going to graduate because of the families choices of not making her do school work to earn credits to graduate. They didn’t want her in electives that would make her feel bad. She could only work in the middle of the night so she couldn’t attend class during the day. They wanted the school to not count attendance against her. So we didn’t. She still didn’t do anything in any class for years. The student has never once been part of the conferences. I never spoke directly to the student. They basically begged to give her credits for basically hiding in her room for like 6 years as she refuses to leave it. This young adult has no coping skills and the parents just make excuses as to why she doesn’t. She can’t have any kind of disappointment that must be avoided and she must not know about it if it is bad news that affects her. Well, consequences are here as she will not be graduating and will need to move on to adult education if she ever comes out of her room and works toward earning her high school diploma.

Emotions can be loud, brash and disruptive but they are not bad. They’re actually God-given and for a purpose. Emotions alert us to what’s happening around us and how we’re relating to it. Stifling, ignoring, or stuffing away those feelings will only teach our kids that it’s bad to be connected to the people and circumstances that surround them. Instead of reinforcing this harmful way of thinking, we can teach our kids to see their emotions as a fork in the road.

My prayer is they realize that wallowing in misery is no way to be day in and day out. I guess I have to assume that these families do not have faith. They must not have a relationship with Jesus who is bigger than their painful experiences or any circumstances. Jesus: there to help heal and overcome to be able to live a fulfilling life through all the impossible, all the never will be, all the I can never measure up, and all the darkness and pity parties that can become debilitating. He has overcome so we can teach our kids that they too can overcome.

“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5: 3-5).

Teaching our kids that Jesus cares about the brokenhearted:
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalms 34: 18).
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit” (Psalms 147: 3-5).

Teaching our kids that is is okay to move on:
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” (Isaiah 43: 2).

All of Psalms 91 is a powerful chapter. All that God can do if you let Him:
“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.
Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

I hope if you are stuck that these scriptures will encourage your heart as you journey toward healing from trauma. My prayer is that young minds, hearts, and souls get washed over with recovery and restoration.

dreamsdontfade.com

The words in this song are so pleading. When He called, did you answer?

The noise of life grows loud and strong
It fills the empty space
But in the silence of your heart
A voice still calls your name
Through every hour
Through every year
My voice has called your name
But you were lost within the world
And would not hear my call again
Father called but you did not answer
I knocked but you did not hear

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kV4UGiiWLQ&list=RD8kV4UGiiWLQ&start_radio=1

Facebook Posted Thoughts: Showing up Matters and being Exhausted

 I signed my last evaluation of my career today. It was a mixture of relief I am done and weird this is the last one I will ever receive. On the other side of this is the fact that getting old just sucks. I know the saying about growing old graciously but I have to admit this is not going well in my head. I am now understanding how so much screen time is giving me daily headaches. I can feel it behind both my eyes and I am squinting just because my eyes are tired. Making more wrinkles. Not laugh lines, but more like misery lines. I will not miss being required to be in front of a computer screen 5 days a week, so this part of retirement sounds amazing. I think my body knows I am close because I get up to exercise and feel good. Sit in front of the computer and I just feel weighted down. An all over droopiness. Anyone else has a body that just seems to reject going to work. I wonder if it has to do with loving what you do each day? I remember another saying “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” Just not feeling this anymore, how about you?

I found some scriptures I have read this morning about feeling exhausted with work. These offer comfort, strength, and purpose. Sometimes we just need a refresher that being human is normal. Feeling how we feel is okay. Anything we are going through can be brought to God.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28-30).
"Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you" (Psalm 55:22).
"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak" (Isaiah 40: 29-31).
"The God of Israel gives power and strength to His people"(Psalm 68: 35).
"I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint" (Jeremiah 31:25).

I go to school board meetings as they are closest to parents and students' education. I am exhausted as I read on Facebook the threads by different groups complaining, but when there is an in person meeting to give a public comment there are crickets in the room. At times I am the only speaker. Recently, I missed a night and there was no public comment. The room was empty. If all the people complaining on social media actually showed up can you imagine the change that could happen in our educational system. Maybe, just maybe, we could ensure kids can graduate being able to read, write, and utilize math skills. I just want to say can’t complain if you choose not to show up.


Couple quotes here, so if you are a parent of a student in public school do you agree or disagree as these are rampant thoughts:


“Parents do not own their children. They do not get to decide what is best for them, especially when it comes to their mental health and safety.”

“Children are not extensions of their parents. They are independent human beings with their own rights, and schools must prioritize the child's well-being over parental discomfort or ignorance.”

Pay attention to who is influencing the young minds around you, especially when these thoughts infiltrate your home by your own children.


This applies to voting as well. Your influence in the public square matters. I do strive to spread the word of the importance of showing up to vote. There are no excuses to remove yourself from being involved in the political process. Here is why. One of the most popular questions I get is this:

1.We should not be legislating morality:
Answer:
-Every single bill proposed in legislation is passed because someone thought that something was right or wrong.
-Every single bit of legislation is being shaped by someone's morality.
-It is not a question of whether we legislate morality.
-The question is whose morality are we legislating?

***Do not allow the suggestion that we can’t influence morality because we follow the greatest moral teacher there has ever been: Jesus
-If not Jesus then whose standard are we going to use?

“Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square; on top of the wall she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech” (Proverbs 1: 20-21).

Prayers and blessings to all. Prayers for healing for those I know are going through it. Blessings to those who are willing to stand up and speak truth when we are bombarded by the harshness of others.

dreamsdontfade.com

Mercy Me is one of my favorites. Such a beautiful song on how I am feeling. Those storms come but look for him in the middle to calm your spirits no matter what you are going through. Let the chorus pour over your spirit.

It's gonna be, it's gonna be worth it
'Cause everything, everything's working
For your good, for your good
It's gonna be, it's gonna be worth it
'Cause everything, everything's working
For your good, for your good


Remind me that this hurricane is nothing but a breeze to You
'Cause I'm afraid that every wave's 'bout to break this boat in two
Oh, Lord, oh, how I need You
Jesus, Jesus, I need You, whoa


I may never know the answers to
How You work, yet You always do
Your heart beats for my good
So my heart beats for Your good


Even when the storm is raging through
In the middle of it all, You prove
Your heart beats for my good
So my heart beats for Your good


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GILAi5owXM&list=RD9GILAi5owXM&index=1

When Culture Hates You: Persevering for the Common Good as Christians in a Hostile Public Square by Natasha Crain Chapter 2

 Chapter 2: God Defines the Common God 

-it takes deep conviction and courage to persevere for the common good in a hostile culture

Common Good:

“The set of conditions in society, or a state of affairs in society, where all of the various constituencies and elements of society are able to thrive”

Common:

= refers to the relational  nature of society

-life we share in relationship with other people through communities of various types and sizes

-shared life humans have given community context 

Good:

= conditions and parameters that allow those in a community to thrive 

-refers to  the thriving that humans normally wish for their communities to attain

***the vast majority of culture wars today are over the common good 

-these wars aren’t happening because some people want what’s good for society and other don’t, but because people disagree on what is good for society

-just because a person thinks something is good doesn’t mean it actually is

-a person’s definition of good is ultimately rooted in something much deeper and more complex–their world view 

Why Do People Disagree on What’s Good?

-a worldview is a set of beliefs about the fundamental nature of reality

-our worldview is formed by how we answer questions such as where humans came from, who we are, why we’re here, how we should live, and what happens after we die

-our worldview is the lens through which we see everything

-“good”  is a concept that inherently connected to people’s worldview 

-many ideas of good competing in culture

Good:

1-morally right

2-beneficial to someone or something

Morally right:

-a person’s view of what, if anything, is morally right or wrong is intrinsically tied to worldview questions because the determination of those moral categories depends on what you use as your standard

Ex. learning to play a piano piece by Mozart, so the notes will be judged based on the standard of the original  piece. If you can play the original piece outside of who it was originally written then objectively those would be the wrong notes and no longer the original piece by Mozart. 

-If you play a piano piece no one has heard of then there is no standard against which to judge, so it is based on your own preferences as no external standard exists

-if there is no God there is no moral standard

-if God doesn’t exist and humans are merely the product of blind evolutionary forces over billions of years, there can be no objective moral standard against which our actions can be judged

-there would be no higher-than-human moral authority with the ability and right to impose amoral law on all people telling us what we should or shouldn’t do 

–no human would be in an authoritative position to claim that anything is right or wrong for all people; right and wrong would simply be a matter of individual preference

Worldview:

***I need to recognize that everyone’s idea of what is morally right or wrong is equally legitimate

-the best I can do is gain enough power to impose my idea of good on everyone else

-there is no objective moral good transcending people’s opinions to which I could appeal

-everyone does what is right in their own eyes

-see how a person’s definition of good would depend on the nature of that reality

Ex. one human might believe it’s morally right to marry 10 people while another believes it is morally right to marry only one 

-but neither has an objective definition of good that applies to all people because God never made His moral standards known

-if God doesn’t exist, so objective moral rights and wrongs couldn’t exist either

***Defining the common good would be anyone’s guess

Moral Standard:

-the creator, God, does exist and chose to reveal His moral will and requirements for all of humanity through Scripture

humans would have an objective basis for knowing the moral standards that exist and what they are–these moral standards that apply to everyone

-then you make choices that are morally right or wrong relative to the objective standard that exists external to our moral preferences

-God has objective standards that people who seek the common good 

-those who seek the common good that conflict with God’s standards are not actually good no matter how well-intentioned they may be 

Nature of the Universe:

-the existence and definition of moral goods inherently depend on the nature of the universe in which we live

-if people disagree about what kind of universe we live in and/or are logically inconsistent in applying their worldview to matters of morality, they’ll disagree over how to define the common (moral) good 

Good is Beneficial:

-beneficial is to produce a good outcome relative to a purpose

Ex. Should I hit this with a hammer? The response would be what are you using it for? If it is a nail then yes (beneficial = good), but if it is a human thumb then no (harmful = bad)

Purpose Good:

-hitting a nail with a hammer produces a good outcome because the purpose of a nail with a hammer produces a good outcome because the purpose of a nail is to go into a wall

-using a hammer to hit a human thumb produces a bad outcome, so hitting it would destroy its ability to fulfill a purpose

Scenario 1:

-there is no God, and people are merely the physical products of blind evolutionary chance so we are essentially accidents with no purpose

-their subjective definition of human purpose

Ex. 

-a person could claim that killing their depressed neighbor was beneficial for that neighbor because it eliminated his suffering

-the depressed neighbor didn’t exist for any objective purpose, who would have the authority to say otherwise

-if his self-defined purpose was to live with minimal suffering, ending his life would be beneficial relative to that purpose 

Scenario 2:

-there is a God who created people with a specific purpose

Ex. 

-you know your neighbor is depressed

-there is an authority that has revealed that all people have a purpose

-there is an authority that says taking the life of the depressed neighbor would not benefit him

-killing your depressed neighbor is objectively wrong  because his life has a God-given purpose

***an action is beneficial or harmful depending on the nature of the universe in which we live

-if people disagree about what kind of universe we live in and/or are logically inconsistent in applying their worldview to these questions

-they will disagree over what is beneficial or harmful for people when advocating for the common good

-people may have all kinds of views about reality, leading to cultural wars over what’s good for society

Only one actual reality:

-Christians who believe the Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God

-our answers to worldview questions must come from Scripture 

-Christian worldview = based on what the Bible teaches as the Biblical Worldview

-Christians advocate for the common good

-the Bible teaches about the true nature of reality 

How Biblical Theology Informs the Good:

-key Biblical theological points that have bearing on the subject of the common good 

Who is God?

-today people have many unbiblical conceptions about God

-those conceptions are often at the source of cultural debates over the common good

-in these cultural dialogues, Christians are often getting confused in their own understanding of who God is 

Back to the basics:

***Scripture is not Subjective 

1-God has revealed Himself through Scripture

-this is one of the most fundamental truths of Christianity

-our God is not a deistic God who created the world and walked away, leaving us to blindly guess who He is, who we are, why we are here

-God has revealed these things and much more in the Bible

-He doesn’t reveal everything or even everything we’d like to know

-we have a responsibility of knowing what He’s told us and accepting those things as the truth about reality 

-objective truths pertaining to issues of cultural relevance exist

-what those truths are

-people in our culture may hold different worldviews, but that doesn’t change what kind of universe we actually live in

-there is one reality in which is the common good

***what is morally right for and beneficial to communities of humans–is defined by and revealed by God

-people may advocate for the common good according to their own definitions

-Christians should recognize when those definitions don’t line up with what God has revealed

-when we recognize their ideas are objectively wrong our response should be unashamedly advocating for the common good according to what is true 

***there are people who identify as Christians and yet don’t believe the Bible is God’s Word

-progressive Christians are those who typically view the Bible as man’s evolving (and often errant) ideas about God rather than God’s eternal truths revealed to man 

-progressive Christians don’t recognize Scripture as authoritative revelation about reality, they’ll naturally define the common good on their own subjective terms

-progressive Christians often condemn the Bible-believing counterparts for their views on social issues 

-progressive Christians are usually not the object of cultural hate

***when your authority for reality is yourself rather than the Bible, culture will warmly embrace you as one of its own–even if you technically call yourself a Christian

2-God has revealed Himself through the natural world

-the Bible teaches that even if you never lay your hands on Scripture, there are certain things all people can and do know about God from the natural world

Romans 1: 18-20

***theologians call natural world as the general revelation

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Romans 1: 18-20).

***Paul is saying that everyone clearly knows there’s a divine and eternal Creator of the world just from observing creation

***if you deny that, you’re suppressing the truth in unrighteousness; it’s a moral problem

“ (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares” (Romans 2: 14-16).

***Paul says that God gives humans innate knowledge of right and wrong (refers to a moral conscience)

Moral Conscience:

-the Bible tells us all people have knowledge of a divine, eternal Creator

-we all have a basic knowledge of right and wrong according to God’s standards

-God’s standards has far reaching implications for how we advocate for righteousness in the public square

-we should learn how to engage graciously with and ask probing questions of culture on all subjects 

***we should be working to draw out what the Bible says they already know about the basic nature of reality 

3-God is love and defines love

-culture largely assumes that both the importance and definition of love are self-evident 

-it is loving to save a drawing child or rescuing a kitten out of a tree

But What about these questions:

-Is it loving to take your children to a pride parade in order to teach them about “diversity”?

-Is it loving to make sure a pregnant teenager can get an abortion?

-Is it loving to encourage a five-year old boy struggling with gender dysphoria to start living as a girl?

-the definition of good depends on the nature of the universe in which we live, so does the definition of love 

-there will be actions we feel are loving that are actually worthy of condemnation and actions we feel are unloving that are actually worthy of praise 

 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22: 36-39).

-note the hierarchy: Jesus says one commandment is the greatest, that implies any other commandments should be obeyed within that context

-it tells us that what it means to love others depends on what it means to first love God 

-we need to advocate for the common good out of our love for others

-our advocacy must first be rooted in our love for and obedience to God 

***love others depends on what it means to 1st love God

4-God is just and defines Justice

***making right that which is wrong 

-our culture loves love, our culture loves justice as long as it is for social justice

-as Christians, we have established definitions of justice according to the Bible 

Judge = God’s standard

God = Objective

Men = Subjective

-right and wrong are moral categories that require a standard, and it God’s character that provides that standard 

“He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4).

“The Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness” (Psalm 9: 7-8).

***God’s people are also to judge, and we are to do so according to the standards He’s revealed

-if we instead use our own standards to define right and wrong, we’ll incorrectly identify what wrongs need to be made right

-that means people can genuinely believe they’re working for justice while perpetuating great injustices

Ex. Reproductive justice which is a euphemism for the so-called right to abortion

***Our culture may love justice, but its concept of justice often has a problematic relationship with the reality of God’s objective standards 

Who is Man?

-divergent views on who or  what a human being is are actually at the root of nearly every cultural debate today

-culture may be confused about the nature of mankind, but Christians shouldn’t be

-our Creator told us all we need to know about who we are

3 Biblical teachings regarding our identity that are foundational for thinking rightly about the common good:

1-Every human is made in the image of God

-we are not accidental by-products of blind evolutionary processes

-mankind was created by God in His own image

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1: 27).

-we are set apart from animals

-we are moral creatures who are able to reflect, reason, and make the choices necessary to execute the dominion God gave us over the earth

“ God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 1: 28).

-every human is created by and made in the image of God

***Every human is inherently and equally valuable 

***it is this inherent value what makes murder (the unjustified taking of innocent life) such an affront to God 

2-Every human has an objective purpose

-humans have inherent and equal value because our Creator gave us that value

-He created us for something

-He gave us a purpose 

-we exist to know God, love God, and make Him known to others

-human purpose is not subjective 

-we need to know the purpose of something to determine whether in action will be beneficial or harmful to it

-knowing what humans are ‘for” must inform the Christian understanding of how to advocate for the good of individuals and society

“For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6).

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

“He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Like 10:27).

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3).

“who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).

3-Every human has a sin nature

-the American Worldview Inventory survey: 69% of Americans believe people are “basically good”

-half Christians classify themselves as having a biblical worldview who agree that people are “basically good”

-This is unbiblical, because it is clear from the start to finish that humans have a sin nature

-we are not basically “good”; we just think we are

-God created humans with the ability to choose between right and wrong, and when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin entered the world 

-the consequence of sind is death

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

“Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

***Scripture leaves no doubt about this universal reach of our sin nature

“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way;

and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

“Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20).

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

-as a culture, we’ve collectively deceived ourselves into thinking we’re basically good, but the Bible tells a very different story

***Only truly good as defined by God

***Know God’s truth or compromise truth under cultural hate

What’s Truly Good is often Hated

-the deceptive ease with which culture throws them around that often leads to the confusion we see today, both in and out of the church

-we must take the time to understand what’s truly good as defined by God

-what’s truly good is often hated by culture

-It is essential that Christians have clarity

-without clarity, we’re prone to compromise truth under cultural accusations of hate

-Christians must advocate for the common good when it comes to the most controversial subjects today

***we need clarity on the intersection of faith and politics…because advocating for the common good is political