The Christian and the Social Order - Matthew 5:13–16 - Sermons from the Baptist Faith and Message
Sermon #17 of 19 Sermons on The Baptist Faith and Message
The Baptist Faith and Message sets forth "certain definite doctrines that Baptists believe, cherish, and with which they have been and are now closely identified." You may read The Baptist Faith and Message on SBC.net. This sermon series by Lucien Coleman originally appeared in Proclaim! magazine.
Introduction: A young preacher, whose enthusiasm exceeded his knowledge, declared his unswerving loyalty to Christ, saying, “I don’t care about the world’s opinion of me.” New Testament writers, on the other hand, made it clear that Christians ought to be concerned about their reputations in human society.
Paul urged the Christians at Philippi to live “without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15). Peter urged fellow Christians to live in such a way that the Gentiles would behold their good works and glorify God (1 Pet. 2:12). Though Christians are destined to walk the golden streets of heaven, they also must walk the asphalt and concrete streets of this world.
Dual Citizenship
In some corners of the Christian community today, there is a school of thought that regards the world as completely alien and beyond redemption. This attitude toward today’s society is much like that of Jonah toward Nineveh. It looks forward to the ultimate destruction of the earthly social order. But in Romans 13:1–3, Paul said that human government has been instituted by God to restrain sin and promote justice in the social order. Peter said that governments were established by God to “punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good” (1 Pet. 2:14).
The clear implication is that the people of God should not hold themselves aloof from the social structures in which they live but should do everything possible to improve them. This world is the laboratory in which we should start practicing our heavenly citizenship.
Salt of the Earth
Jesus said to His disciples, “You are the salt of the earth” (Matt. 5:13 ). Although we think of salt as a seasoning agent, its function as a preservative was far more important in Jesus’ day. In the absence of refrigeration, only salt could be depended on to halt the decay of meat. History is replete with evidence of the preservative power of Christianity in human societies.
In our own country, Christian contributions to the betterment of society are well-documented. Christian people were founding hospitals, establishing colleges and public schools, feeding the hungry, caring for orphans, and opposing the evils of slavery and dueling even when these were not popular causes. The modern missionary movement not only brought the light of the gospel to dark corners of the world but has had an appreciable impact on the quality of life in countless places.
Conclusion: Sometimes we’re overwhelmed by the forces in our world that seem to be aligned against decency, goodness, and love. We feel that we can make so little difference. But we can, in the words of a little pledge many of us learned in childhood, “do the best I can, where I am, with what I have, for Jesus’ sake today.”
Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible ®, Copyright ©1999,2000,2002,2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
About Professor Coleman
Professor Lucien Coleman retired in 1993 after twenty-seven years of teaching Religious Eductation at Southern Seminary and Adult Education at Southwestern Seminary. Before teaching served as a pastor in Kentucky. He holds degrees from Southern Seminary and the University of Kentucky. He and his wife, Bobbie, live in Parker County, Texas. They have three children, fifteen grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
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