Summary: How Redemption Guides the Christian Posture
One of the risks that the Brazilian Church has assumed in recent years with the discovery of culture is not knowing how to balance the realities of Creation and Redemption on the one hand and the Fall on the other. There is a lot of talk about dialogue with culture. However, the dialogue between the Church and the world does not seek to produce synthesis, but rather to highlight the fundamental antithesis that exists between the people of God and those who have not been born again. The Brazilian Church in its discovery of cultural commitment will not be able to relate in a healthy way with culture if it does not consider the reality of the antithesis with the same reality that considers dialogue.
In Daniel 3, we see God’s people living in the context of a pagan culture and facing each other.
The chapter 2 statue showed wealth (gold, etc. ) and weakness (clay, etc. ) However, the chapter 3 statue is gold only. Nebuchadnezzar wants to proclaim the perpetuity of his dominion. Until now, there seemed to be harmony between the demands of the kingdom of God and the interests of pagan culture. Daniel’s friends were well received at the University of Babylon and in the eminent However, now, with the order to bake, the one who did not bend showed reality. Circumstances may suggest that there is a harmony between the interests of pagan culture and the demands of the kingdom of God, but the truth is that even if the weapons are holstered, we are in conflict.
There is a war for the worship of peoples. Contrary to what many people often think, the true spiritual battle is not a violent conflict between angels and demons, which takes place in a sphere barely perceptible of this dark world; but an opposition between two spiritual principles [the love of God or idols], which occurs in the hearts of each of us, who have already been made children of God. What is at stake in this battle is: who are we going to listen to?Who are we going to do, who are we going to obey?
Daniel’s friends were subjected to liturgical, aesthetic, popular and coercive pressures; these are the strategies Babylon uses to lead us to disobey the Lord.
What does God expect of us in the midst of this conflict?
Is the first attitude God expects of believers living in Babylon a collaboration?Seek peace in the city? Instead of reacting aggressively or belligerently.
When we face suffering in our cultural commitment, we say that we suffer because of our relationship with God. Sometimes it’s true, but it’s not always true. Often, the cause of our suffering is our own lack of wisdom and prudence.
The second attitude God expects is to discern and discern to recognize the limits of this position, we must distinguish when we should work together and when we should act reactively and when that happens, we must be faithful and courageous.
Living in a pagan culture, this is what God expects of us: that we adopt, at first, a collaborative posture; that we are insightful and wise in recognizing the limits of this posture; and we’re ready to show our loyalty reactively.
Just as Nebuchadnezzar was with Daniel’s friends (v. 13-15), the world will insist on bringing us into disobedience to God.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego faithfully responded to the king: Nebuchadnezzar, we need not answer you; if our God, whom we serve, wants to deliver us, he will deliver us from the burning furnace and your hands. , O king. If not, O king, do you know that we will not serve your gods, nor will we worship the golden image that you have raised. ?(Dan. 3: 16-18).
Our discourse of cultural commitment often includes aspects of pragmatism: thanks to our commitment, culture will reap the benefits. When we do this, we become easy for the pagan culture that aims to weaken the central elements of our faith to increase its influence.
The transformation of the world is desirable, but it is not our ultimate goal, but our fidelity to the Lord, even though we must live counterculturally.
The result of his faithfulness was put in the oven. The path of fidelity to God does not always lead to a more peaceful life. There is no guarantee that our responsible cultural commitment will bring the result we expect. We should not be surprised if the oven is hotter than usual.
The text also illustrates to us, in the miracle of the furnace, the principle that Jesus Christ said: “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses it will save him. “The Son of God was with them, fulfilling the promise of Isaiah 42:2-3, when you cross the fire, you will not burn.
Because of the faithfulness of these men, this whole scenario that was created for the glory of Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar ends for the glory of the Most High God (v. 28-30).
Although the path of fidelity to God is not the most comfortable way, it is always the best, it was his effective way of testifying.
With the idea of dialogue with culture, it is often assumed that the impact of the church is to resemble the world, however, as this text shows us, the Church does not affect the world by likeness, but by difference.
“When nonbelievers suggest sin and those who worship God agree to do so, they become like everyone else. So, do you lose all your power to do good or preserve the truth. ?OLYOTT, Stuart. Osez be firm. Sao José dos Campos, SP: Editor Fiel, 2011, p. 57.