Contending for the Faith in the Public Arena
Jubilee Centre October 12th, 2009
The main reason people in the USA greatly value freedom is because freedom is often accompanied by innovation, hardwork, and willingness to stand for what is right. However, when freedom is taken to the extreme the downside is a manifestation of selfishness and greediness which ultimately harm and hinder others.
In a way one wonders whether the church in Zambia is pandering so much to the value of freedom that the church has become more like the USA culture instead of what it is called to be. Indeed Zambians need to be taught the importance of valuing freedom that in turn creates innovation and hard work. However, when the church’s teaching focus is on the value of freedom without a call on Christians to a biblical worldview, then the church is asserting that Christians are called only to a personal faith.
True Christian freedom calls us to live for others and not only for ourselves. A church that calls people only to personal faith is in turn calling Christians to selfishness and greediness. The Bible calls people to a personal faith and to a care for others. The Christian faith has serious implications. Bible knowledge cannot be reduced to personal edification, spirituality, and private interpretation that only advances a Christian attitude of self-serving. Christians are called to defend their faith and live out its full implications in every arena-the home, workplace, classroom, courtroom, and public policy. Charles Colson in How Now Shall We Live? Emphatically makes this point.
Today, our people have lost confidence in our judiciary and in our politicians. There is tension in the air because our people think there is no hope for them to receive justice in the courtroom. How then can Christians bring faith into the courtrooms and into the political arena? First, church leaders must contend for what is true in the courtroom and in the political arena. Church leaders must set an example that as they contend for and celebrate the salvation of souls they do not close their eyes to injustices, corruption, theft, and oppression.
Second, church leaders must work hard so that they do not burden their members with their own needs. When church leaders burden members with their own needs, they are likely to not confront evil within their midst. Evil must be confronted in order to correct, purify and unify the nation. When leaders refuse to confront wrongs, an impression is created to suggest sluggishness and apathy is okay. When leaders don’t stand for anything, their people will fall for anything.
People are looking to the church to provide guidance to the current standoff between the government and the civil society organization as a result of various courtroom judgments that seem not to be fair. The church’s response will show whether its message is more focused on call to personal faith at the expense of teaching a biblical worldview.
Lawrence Temfwe
