Some Christians believe that we should not attempt to "Christianize" society but should only concentrate on personal evangelism. Others say that God is establishing His Kingdom on earth through the church and that we should work to place Christians in the places of social influence (government, business, media, etc.) so that Christian standards and laws will become widespread throughout society.
The first approach has the positive aspect of stressing personal conversion, but tends towards a "holy huddle" mentality. The second can tend to play down personal relationship with Christ and tends to reflect an OT attitude toward the Law i.e. it tends to see the Law or "Christian morality" as being something to be imposed upon society, in contrast to the NT approach where the Law is written on the hearts of those who have accepted Christ and are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. When we open to the Christ who knocks at the door of our inner lives, the Holy Spirit enters into our spiritual being and we begin to die to our fallen nature and rise to a new nature made in the image of Christ.
Christ has come amongst and within us to teach and to lead us and to transform us into His image; the image in which God created us before the Fall. I believe that God will bring about His Kingdom on earth through Christ working through those Christians who yield continually to His inner presence and who constantly seek (not just individually, but especially in groups) His will. Finding His will through groups meeting for that specific purpose is important, because the individual can be mislead as to guidance, but if everyone within such a group comes to agree - to reach consensus - there is little room for error because each member of the group is being led by the same Spirit if they are truly yielded to Christ and open to His leading. This approach stresses both personal yielding to Christ and seeking how Christians are to be involved in action within the influential institutions of society.
Please read and commit to serious prayer the article at;
oikoumene.org/resources/documents/eden-grace-on-quaker-business-practice
and the small free ebook at;
christiantyoasis.com/PurityPublications/5145/HolySpiritGuidedConsensus.htm
The first approach has the positive aspect of stressing personal conversion, but tends towards a "holy huddle" mentality. The second can tend to play down personal relationship with Christ and tends to reflect an OT attitude toward the Law i.e. it tends to see the Law or "Christian morality" as being something to be imposed upon society, in contrast to the NT approach where the Law is written on the hearts of those who have accepted Christ and are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. When we open to the Christ who knocks at the door of our inner lives, the Holy Spirit enters into our spiritual being and we begin to die to our fallen nature and rise to a new nature made in the image of Christ.
Christ has come amongst and within us to teach and to lead us and to transform us into His image; the image in which God created us before the Fall. I believe that God will bring about His Kingdom on earth through Christ working through those Christians who yield continually to His inner presence and who constantly seek (not just individually, but especially in groups) His will. Finding His will through groups meeting for that specific purpose is important, because the individual can be mislead as to guidance, but if everyone within such a group comes to agree - to reach consensus - there is little room for error because each member of the group is being led by the same Spirit if they are truly yielded to Christ and open to His leading. This approach stresses both personal yielding to Christ and seeking how Christians are to be involved in action within the influential institutions of society.
Please read and commit to serious prayer the article at;
oikoumene.org/resources/documents/eden-grace-on-quaker-business-practice
and the small free ebook at;
christiantyoasis.com/PurityPublications/5145/HolySpiritGuidedConsensus.htm