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Christ and Culture: Part 6, Christ the Transformer of Culture

 - Description: This group can be described as ‘conversionists’ who have a more “hopeful view toward culture” (191). There theological conviction comes from seeing God as creator, knowing that man’s fall was from something good, and the view that we see God’s dramatic interaction with men in historical human events (194). Thus about human culture they believe it can be “a transformed human life in and to the glory of God” through the grace of God (196).
In practice, this view means that we work in culture for its betterment, because God ultimately had some hand in human creativity, and it was good (and can be good). We also work for its transformation because while there is sin in culture, it is not all lost, there is hope through Christ, for redemption of cultures. Furthermore, we would defeat sin not by escaping it or fighting it directly (like focussing on the devil), but rather with our eyes on Jesus, our desire to be positive and God-oriented, will help to defeat sin (like focussing on Christ, thinking whatever is excellent).

Christ and Culture: Part 3, The Christ of Culture

 - Description: In this view, men/women ‘hail Jesus as the Messiah of their society, the fulfiller of its hopes and aspirations, the perfecter of its true faith, the source of its holiest spirit” (83). These people seek to maintain fellowship not only with believers with also with unbelievers. “They feel no great tension between church and world, the social laws and the Gospel,… the ethics of salvation and the ethics of social conservation or progress. On the one hand they interpret culture through Christ, where those aspects that are most like Jesus are given most honor. On the other hand, they interpret Christ through culture, selecting from his teaching that which best harmonizes with the best in civilization (83).
- Some positives: People tend to feel that only those who refuse to adapt to culture can make an impact on culture (blood of martyrs). However, history testifies that people were attracted to Christ also because of the “harmony of the Christian message with the moral and religious philosophy of their best teachers” (103) Also this group of people tend to attach themselves to many positions in society where they have the potential to make a deep impact in the lives of people.
- Some negatives: Niebuhr’s biggest problem with this view lies in distortion of Christ when seen with the intention to make Jesus conform to the best of society. We are left with a non-authentic view of Jesus.

God's Presence

The central promise in the Bible is not "I will forgive you," although of course that promise is there. It is not the promise of life after death, although we are offered that as well. The most frequent promise in the Bible is "I will be with you."

Before Adam and Eve ever sinned or needed forgiveness, they were promised God's presence. He would walk with them in the cool of the day.

The promise came to Enoch, who "walked with God." It was made to Noah, to Abraham and Sarah, to Jacob and Joseph and Moses and David and Amos and Mary and Paul and too many others to list. It is the reason for courage: "Do not be terrified;... for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." It kept them going in darkness: "Yea, though I walk through the val�ley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me."

God gave Israel the taber�nacle and the ark of the covenant and manna and the temple and a pillar of cloud and another one of fire, like so many Post-It notes saying, "Don't forget. I am with you."

When God came to earth, his redemptive name was Immanuel-God with us. When Jesus left, his promise was to send the Spirit so that "I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

At the end of time, when sin is a distant and defeated mem�ory and forgiveness is as obsolete as rotary phones, it will be sung, "God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God."

The unity of the Bible is discovered in the development of life with-God as a reality on earth, centered in the person of Jesus. God is deter�mined that you should be in every respect his friend, his com�panion, his dwelling place.