1/7. The mission of the church is to preach the gospel & make disciples. Full stop. But one of the implications of being a disciple is being a good citizen. If the ch. becomes a lg. enough % of the pop. in a given place, Xians will begin to shape public life. This is inevitable.
2/7. It is also a good thing. We are called to be the salt of the earth. As individuals, Xians make alliances with "noble pagans" who recognize the moral law of nature to restrain the worst of evil & promote the good. This has been going on all throughout church history.
3/7. This should not be despised as "works righteousness" or "the social gospel." It is just moral people working together to create the best living conditions possible in a fallen world & common grace is something to be grateful for.
4/7. But it requires that metaphysical realism be accepted by the society as a whole, taught in the schools & required of all public servants. In our day, the govt. is foolishly allowing metaphysical realism & the natural law to be attacked from within public institutions.
5/7. If this tendency is taken to its logical concl. the endgame is totalitarianism. Only an auth. govt. can maintain social order if civic society is hollowed out & incapable of producing virtue. For Neo-Marxists that is their fondest hope b/c they imagine themselves in charge!
6/7. It is an old story; either we govern ourselves or someone else will do it for us. The basic requirement for freedom & justice is a recognition of truth. Mod. Western society is rejecting truth & the result will be to sink back into the tyranny out of which the West emerged.
7/7. Ironically, the only hope of social disintegration is the preaching of the gospel, the planting of new churches & the revival of Xianity in the West. So, if you really want to reform society don't try to reform society. Preach the gospel & make disciples.
Ironically, the only hope of AVOIDING social disintegration . . .
