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Colson on Cultural Commission
"It is our contention
in this book that the Lord's cultural commission is inseparable from
the Great Commission. That may be a jarring statement for many
conservative Christians, who, through much of the twentieth century
have shunned the notion of reforming culture, associating that
concept with the liberal social gospel. The only task of the church,
many fundamentalists and evangelicals have believed, is to save as
many lost souls as possible from a world literally going to hell.
But this implicit denial of a Christian worldview is unbiblical and
is the reason we have lost so much of our influence in the world.
Salvation does not consist simply of freedom from sin; salvation
also means being restored so the task we were given in the beginning
- the job of creating culture. ... 'the creation itself will be
liberated from its bondage to decay' (Rom 8:21). Redemption is not
just for individuals; it is for all God's creation. ... Colossians
1:15-20 ...1) everything was made by and for Christ ...2) everything
holds together in Christ ... 3) everything will be reconciled by
Christ ... The lesson is clear: Christians are saved not only from
something (sin) but also to something (Christ's lordship over all of
life). ...
"... in culture and society, God rules
indirectly, entrusting human beings with the task of making tools,
doing justice, producing art and music, educating children, and
building houses. ... As a result, obedience to Christ means living
in accord with that plan in all aspects of life. Family and church,
business and commerce, art and education, politics and law are
institutions grounded in God's created order; they are not arbitrary
in their configuration. ... there must be no dichotomy between the
sacred and the secular because nothing lies outside of God's
created order. Our task is to reclaim that entire created order for
his dominion.
"The world is a spiritual
battleground, with two powers contending for the same territory.
God's adversary, Satan, has invaded creation and now attempts to
hold it as occupied territory. With the death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ, God launched a counteroffensive to reclaim his
rightful domain, and we are God's soldiers in that ongoing battle.
'He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into
the kingdom of the Son he loves' (Col 1:13). ... Because, the war
has been won; the victory is assured."
from How Now Shall We Live?, Charles Colson,
Tyndale, 1999, p. 295-298
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