Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Jeremiah 29-Salt and Light

Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.

How should we live as Christians in a world that is far from virtuous?  This is one of the questions the Church has been struggling to answer for centuries.  As far back as the first disciples and their followers, pastors and theologians have tried to answer this question for every generation since Christ.  If you think we have it hard in our culture, imagine the ancient Roman society with access to our technology and media.

Each generation has to answer that question for themselves, but the basic guideline has always been the same-live in this world as if you belong to the next.  Jeremiah gives exactly this advice to exiles in Babylon in chapter 29 when he tells them to build houses, plant gardens and give their children in marriage.  The last thing God wants, even in a culture as pagan as Babylon or ours, is a ghetto of Christians who circle the wagons and refuse to be salt and light.

This has been Every Thought Captive.  I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies.  For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.

No comments: