Wir erleben gesellschaftliche Veränderungen – weg von christlichen Werten. Wir vertreten diese nach wie vor und werden darum zunehmend mit Widerstand konfrontiert sein. Mark Dever über die Wege eine solche Veränderung ohne Panikmache zu überstehen:
1. Remember that churches exist to work for supernatural change. The whole Christian faith is based on the idea that God takes people who are spiritually dead and gives them new life. Whenever we evangelize, we are evangelizing the cemetery.
2. Understand that persecution is normal. Persecution is what Christians face in this fallen world. It’s what Jesus promised us (e.g., John 16).
3. Eschew utopianism. Even as we work for the sake of love and justice, we must remember we’re not going to transform this world into the kingdom of our Christ.
4. Make use of our democratic stewardship. Paul tells us to submit to the state. But in our democratic context, part of submitting to the state means sharing in its authority.
5. Trust the Lord, not human circumstances.
6. Remember that everything we have is God’s grace. We need to keep that perspective so that we aren’t tempted to become too sour toward our employers, our friends, our family members, and our government when they oppose us.
7. Rest in the certainty of Christ’s victory. The gates of hell will not prevail against the church of Jesus Christ.
Mit dieser Gewissheit können wir mutig aufstehen bzw. stehen bleiben – auch wenn wir die einzigen weit und breit sind.
