Thus far in this series of articles we have noted how we as Christians have to care about others. And how much we care will determine how we will act toward them. If we care about God we will strive to please Him in all that we do. When we care about our brethren, we will consider our impact upon them in all that we do. When we care about our neighbors, both friend and foe, we will look for opportunities to teach them and do good for them. In this article we will consider how we ought to care about society.

It is certainly true that society as a whole is determined to ignore God. As time progresses, we are drawing further away from Him. We see this in the laws that are being passed and in the fruit of laws from times past (i.e., where Roe-V-Wade has taken us; Where removing the 10 commandments from schools and courthouses has led us, etc.). But as frustrated as we might get, we cannot totally isolate ourselves from society. Jesus prayed to His Father for His disciples saying, "Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world…I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." (John 17:11, 15-16). We can see in this context that we have to live in this world and deal with those of the world. BUT we do not have to follow down its ungodly path. To isolate ourselves from it is to judge all in it as hopelessly lost and the gospel of Christ as powerless to change anyone.

Paul reminded the brethren of Philippi that they should, "become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." (Philippians 2:15). We must realize that we cannot shine the light of the gospel to a world of darkness if we hide it under a basket (Matthew 5:15). If we care about the society that we live in we are going to do all that we can to let God’s light shine and make it a better place. And the only way to do that is by being a good Christian. So let’s notice some ways that we show that we care about society.

First, we show that we care about society by being good citizens. To understand what it means to be a good citizen, consider what the Bible says about our spiritual citizenship. The fact that Christians are citizens of the kingdom of heaven is seen in Philippians 3:20 & Ephesians 2:19-20. As citizens of this kingdom we are expected to let our conduct be worthy of the gospel (Philippians 1:27). The word conduct in this text is a form of the Greek word for citizen (politeuoo). Also, in Acts 23:1, as Paul stood before the council in Jerusalem, he said, "I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." The word lived is also a derivative of the Greek word we are speaking of. We can see in these verses that being a good citizen in God’s kingdom means living honorably. In all that we do, we strive to portray God’s kingdom in a good light. Does He expect any less of us in dealing with men as citizens? I think not! As we deal with others, our conduct is to be honorable (1 Peter 2:11-12; 2 Corinthians 8:21). We are to walk properly toward all men (1 Thessalonians 4:12). Paul told the Romans, "Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." (Rom. 12:17-18). Good citizens are an asset to their community instead of a hindrance. In this world, Christianity has enough obstacles without "Christians" doing things that bring shame to their community.

WE show that we care about society by voting. We are indeed privileged to live in a society where we can have a say in who leads us and what laws we will enact. In an indirect way, we even have a say in the direction of our judicial system. But too many just don’t care and leave the choices up to everyone else. And you can see where that is leading us. As Christians we can make an impact upon society if we will stand up TOGETHER and make choices based upon God’s word rather than our pocket books. (NOTE: This is one area where I believe we need to take into account, "the lesser of two evils". As we strive to determine what is best in a given circumstance, sometimes we have to settle for less than the ideal. This is especially true in a society that has separated church and state. We need to realize that most of our leaders are not Christians. BUT, in most campaigns there is someone who is closer to God’s ideal than the rest. And we should support that person. Some Christians will not vote because they say there is no one who is righteous. While that may be true, we need to understand that to NOT vote [unless both candidates are equally immoral] at all is to allow that which is WORST to prevail. And I do not believe that this is God’s intent for any society. You can see it in the warnings to nations from the prophets of old. Let us not forget that our country did not leave God overnight, and it will not return to Him that quickly either! If we want to turn this country back in the right direction, it will take baby steps. And by the way, what right do we have to complain about the system if we refuse to do what we are able to do? Think about this the next time you have the opportunity to vote!)

If possible, go a step further and run for office. How much better could we make society (in God’s eyes) if more righteous souls would run for office? AND, another freedom we have is that we can speak up and speak out both to your friends (where the most good might be done) and publicly against sinful conduct.

We show that we care by praying for our leaders. 1Timothy 2:1-2 tells us to pray for our leaders. The only prayers God will hear are those of His righteous children (James 5:16). How often do we pray for guidance for our leaders locally, as well as at the state and federal (and world) levels? Praying for them will keep us aware of what is going on and who knows where it will lead.

There are other ways that we show that we care about society. They include speaking up and considering the impact of what we do on society. In out next article we will discuss these in further detail.

When the Christian cares as he ought to about others, it will affect what he does in every aspect of his life. Not only will he care about those aspects that personally and directly affect him, but he will also consider the long-term results of what he does. The Christian will want what is best and will act accordingly. He will be concerned about society and will show it by being a good citizen, voting, doing good and even praying for his leaders. There are also other things he will do. In this article we will notice two more ways that one shows that he cares about society.

When one cares about the direction that society is headed he will speak up? In spite of all the flaws in our nation, there are many freedoms we enjoy that help make this one of the greatest nations upon the earth. We have the right both to worship God as we please and to speak up about anything that we do not agree with. If we care about society, we will use these freedoms to God’s glory. We will let our city council and school boards know when they make decisions that are harmful to society, morality and our right to worship God. Some are blessed with the ability to write editorials defending God and what is right. We can all refuse to listen to godless gutter language and make sure that they know we don’t approve, either in word or action (i.e. walking away). Let us understand that we are expected to stand up for what is right. We may be scoffed at, but at least they will have heard "our side". And we are not alone. Many of the Old Testament prophets spoke words unpleasant to society and were persecuted because of it. Jesus condemned the hypocritical and corrupt practices of the Jewish leaders of His day and it eventually led to His crucifixion. John the Baptist was cast into prison for telling Herod he was living in adultery. Jesus said, "Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven." (Matthew 5:11-12) When we have the opportunity to speak up for what is right and we don’t do it, is it possible that we are partakers in their sins to some small degree? Galatians 6:10 tells us to do good to all as we have opportunity. Would defending God be a good thing? Think about it! I am reminded of the warning given to Ezekiel concerning his responsibility. The Lord said, "

Finally, we show that we care about society by considering the impact of our conduct upon society as a whole. One thing we need to remember is that there are consequences in everything we do. Sometimes these consequences are not immediately realized, but they are there none the less. As a matter of fact, where society is concerned, consequences are often years or generations away. And they do not happen overnight either. But one thing that we must not forget is that WHAT SOCIETY ACCEPTS, SOCIETY BECOMES! For instance, when the 10 commandments were removed from school room walls decades ago, and prayer was forbidden, who knew that it would lead to the humanist philosophy that is so prevalent today. But it has, and the result is a society that is trying to drive God out of every facet of life, even the mention of Him. Who knew that the legalization of abortion in the early 70’s would lead to the cheapening of life and immorality we are now seeing, even among our young? But it has! I am afraid that as Christians we do not consider this enough when we decide where to go and what to do. One might say, "What I do is nobody else’s business as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone". But the fact is that the seeds of degradation and destruction are being sown by godless entertainers, leaders and judges and when we support them we are in effect saying, we don’t care what happens to society. For instance, when we go to movies with questionable content we are supporting those who peddle the trash. One might say that I cannot make a difference and by yourself that may seem like the truth, BUT what if everyone stood up? About 20 years ago, Hollywood produced a movie called, "The Last Temptation of Christ". It was nothing but pure blasphemy. The "religious" community voiced their opposition and the result was it not being shown in many communities. And while it opened to large audiences in some places (mostly because of curiosity) the popularity quickly died down. It was not that successful. We ought to consider such things in all that we do. What impact will "Christians" going to dances have upon dancing in general? When we drink socially, what are we telling the liquor industry? When we wear immodest apparel and go to places where immodesty is encouraged (i.e – the beach, water parks, etc.) are we being separate from the world? It truly is something to think about. If we care about society, we will continually think about the impact of our conduct at all times. Think about it!

As we continue this study, we will next begin to address how we ought to care about our family.