Option 3 – The Medieval Roman era church and the Jewish Zealots worked to take over or to overthrow the worldly culture. This is also the modern efforts of Islam. This is what the church attempted starting in the 400’s and what the Roman church did. Christianity became the main factor of the culture. In time, kings and kingdoms were dependent on the approval of the Church!
In the United States and the Western world, there has been a series of what are called “awakenings”. These were cultural shifts that tipped a secularizing culture back onto the track of confession, repentance, and salvation in Jesus Christ… and thus back to the Judeo-Christian worldview. The second great awakening and some of the others since had the effect of the cultural returning the Church to a position of dominance within the overall culture. The culture begins to measure itself against the ability to live as we believe the Bible teaches.
These awakenings have often been experienced as miraculous. Each time, the culture seemed beyond a return, but somehow, it happened. We are in the center of a Worldview dominance change and even possibly a Metaphysical shift.
Barring a major shift or an awakening, this option seems to be off the table this time. Outside of a miraculous imposition of God’s part, this option cannot work so long as there is an active governmental force that keeps this from happening. Of course, the faith can continue to grow, as under option 2 – as it is in modern China, but an entire cultural shift is typically shut down by the powers of the government.
This is what the US has had for many generations – and one unfortunate consequence is that cultural Christianity became a real concern. The ultimate expressions of this were seen in Rome and the main emphasis of cultural Christianity became infighting and political power struggles while the Great Commission was only being lived out in the fringes. Perhaps other religions can survive being culturally popular, but a relationship-based faith like Christianity can easily suffer.
Finally, Option 4 – During the Greek and Roman occupation of Judea, it seems that some Hebrew practitioners, The Essenes, found places to hide in the wilderness and practice their religion in their own way while totally disconnected from the rest of the culture.
In the medieval era, many monasteries and hermitages were similar. These Christians isolated themselves, cloistering themselves, books, scrolls, and seeking to protect their way of faith as well as the advances of cultures in an effort to protect them from the “dark ages” that they faced.
Or some combination of these.
I am going to call my choice “The Ambassador Model”. Obviously, I didn’t coin this term. Not to drop names, but that honor is held by the Apostle Paul in Galatians 5, though the Holy Spirit.
For now, it is my intention to live as an ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:20) for the Kingdom of God. Christians are citizens of Heaven (Phil 3:20), though I, for example, live in and love the democratic representative republic of the US, my foundational citizenship is in Heaven. I obey the laws of our land until they would require me to disobey the laws of The Kingdom (Romans 13:1-7, Acts 4)… I recognize God’s authority as above any human authority, and, as an Ambassador, I am fundamentally accountable to the economy, ethics, and instructions of my Homeland.
I am a citizen of the U.S. secondarily to my citizenship of Heaven. This does NOT represent dual loyalty; it represents a singular loyalty. I am devoted to Heaven; when The U.S. falls under the alignment (or at least not out of alignment) with Heaven, I follow… but only UNDER Heaven do I express loyalty to our nation.
I hold the viewpoint of Scripture, as a Messenger from The King and His representatives, as a higher guide than the viewpoint of my own opinions. I take my cues on how to vote when to resist, when to stand, and when to die, from this Messenger.
I embrace this duly prioritized role… I vote, protest, debate, and fight when called to by my patriotism to the US, and yet still always consider The Kingdom the higher authority.
I live within the culture; I seek to influence it; I am open and yet different… a stranger in a strange land at times. If the day comes when I must, I will be willing to live in a limited cloister – at least out of the eye of the higher authorities within the culture while still seeking to be a blessing to those in my community in the Name of Jesus Christ.
Good read as always. Thanks