Est Reading Time: 3 mins

As Christians, we know that the Gospel is GOOD NEWS. And truly, it is, literally and metaphorically. The Greek word which we use to indicate the Gospel (euangelion) literally translates to ‘good news.’ It is the message of Jesus (1 Cor. 15). The message of a Savior who loved His people so much, He descended to become one of them. And lived with them. And died for them.

Bad News

It takes little evidence to look around and know that our world is broken (Rom. 8: 22-23). Strife and sadness permeate our existence, on personal levels and the global scale! Humanity is in a crisis situation, and no matter how hard we try, we cannot fix ourselves. Although, we’ve been attempting to for millennia.

Good News

Friends! Hope is not lost. A redeemer came. And He lives! He took the burdens of this world, the brokenness of our selves, and the weight of all our sin. Jesus bore it across His shoulders; He submitted to it on the cross (John 3:16). But that is not where the story ends. He defeated death by death. And now He lives: advocating, sanctifying, redeeming His people and His creation (Col. 1: 15-23).

Moreover, He has promised that one day the perfect will come, and it will make all things new. Our selves, our earth, our community, our culture – all made new; all perfectly restored into the reconciliation with God in which it was always meant to be (Rev. 21).

Waiting

This is good news, indeed! But where does that leaves us, His people, now? We are in what is known as the ‘now and not yet.’ Our Savior lives and has granted us a path to salvation, but we are still awaiting His return and the fulfillment of His promises.

But we must not wait in vain. Our journey through eternity does not start when we die. It began when we began, with the very first beat of our heart. And so, while we wait, we work, joyfully and expectantly (2 Cor. 5: 20-21). We commit ourselves to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Redeeming

Friends, that is where Culture Redeemed wants to meet you. We want to strive, together, to think critically, to apply Biblically, and to love unconditionally in an effort to make God’s name great and bring as many within His fold as possible. What exactly does that mean??

Think Critically

In EVERY interaction throughout our lives, we are to be comparing what we see, what we hear, and what we feel with what we know about God and His plan. We do not blindly follow or blindly reject. Rather, we test everything and hold fast to what is good (1 Thess. 5:21).

Apply Biblically

As we analyze, we are to ask what the Bible has instructed of us in each experience and each interaction (2 Tim. 3: 16-17). How should I act? How should I react? What does this tell me about God? What does this tell me about God’s creation? How can I alter my life based on it?

Love Unconditionally

It can be tempting to fall into the trap of judgment, of seclusion, as we think critically and apply Biblically. It is so tempting to be a people set apart, physically removed from all the dark, bland culture around us (rather than spiritually distinct from our surroundings). However, we are not granted this option. Jesus told us to be salt and light; to be bright beacons of redemption and hope to a world that is lost, rotting, and suffering without Him (Matt. 5: 13-16).

While we aim to be unique from those around us, not excusing or accepting sin, engaging critically and Biblically, we are to love regardless (1 Pet. 4:8). We are commanded to love ourselves (1 Cor. 6: 19-20), our brothers (John 15:12), and even our enemies (Matt. 5: 43-44). God’s great plan of redemption is a plan imbued with exceptional, unrelenting, and extravagant love!! In this way, we love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

Let’s Go!

Will you join us as we endeavor to engage with the culture around us on behalf of the Lord God, for His glory and the good of His people (Rom. 8:28)? Together, we can pursue the lost, the ‘least of these,’ the downtrodden, and the hopeless. We can meet them where they are, bearing invitations to the banquet of the King (Luke 14: 15-24).

Brothers and sisters in Christ, what a powerful force we can be to the world when we recognize the good news we hold in our hands and are willing to step boldly into the roles the Lord has ordained for us. What are we waiting for?? Let’s run the race and not grow weary (Is. 40: 31), spurring one another on in word and deed (Heb. 10:24)!