The world in which the first Christians lived was brutal, totally pagan, and openly anit-Christian. There was no affirmation of morality or any sort of cultural Christianity. Early believers were aliens to everything in the culture.
I think we are closer than ever to living in conditions like the people did in the book of Acts. With the facade of cultural Christianity crumbling, true Christianity is starting to stand out in a way it hasn't in our lifetime. Scripture teaches and church history confirms that the Body of Christ is most potent and more effective when it simply speaks and lives the gospel without equivocation or apology. With the mask of superficial Christianity gone, I believe the best days for the spread of the true gospel are ahead of us.
The gospel advances by personal testimony to Christ, one soul at a time. When the church acts like the church, when the shepherds preach Scripture and confront error with clarity and boldness; when believers are sanctified, built up, and equipped in truth, people are saved. And that's when the culture changes-nothing transforms the culture like genuine conversion.
-John MacArthur (excerpts from GTY newsletter)
I enjoyed reading what you had to say. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you were blessed by it! God bless
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