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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