Believers should seek the welfare of the surrounding culture:
All believers should know about the great commandment (loving God with all our being) and the second (loving your neighbour as yourself). Being commandments, we have no choice but to obey. So too with the call of Jesus that we should be salt and light. This also is not some optional extra, but something we are ordered to do.
But there is far too much confused thinking about this by believers. They have largely bought the lies of the surrounding secular culture that to try to be a force for good in the world, and by seeking for righteousness in our nation, we are ramming our morality down the throats of others.
Everyone however in one way or another is seeking to have their morality become the law of the land, or at least the norm that all must adhere to. The question is, whose morality will prevail? Are all moral codes and values equal, or are some visions of the common good better than others?
The Christian must believe that the ethical code laid out in Scripture most certainly is the best, and it is for the good of all of us. Commandments against murder, theft and lying, for example, are clearly in the best interests of every person. And applying those in terms of modern debates is fully warranted.
Thus not killing unborn babies is a clear extrapolation of the Sixth Commandment. And for Christians seeking to have such things dealt with in terms of public policy and legislation is not amiss. Preserving the sanctity of life is good for those immediately affected, but it is good for society as a whole.
Two brand new books which discuss such issues are worth quoting from here. I hope to do more articles about both books, including doing proper book reviews, in the days ahead. But for now some representative quotes from each one will give you an insight into what they are about, and will help make the point I have argued above.
When Culture Hates You: Persevering for the Common Good as Christians in a Hostile Public Squareby Crain, Natasha (Author), Turek, Dr. Frank (Foreword)
The first volume is When Culture Hates You by Natasha Crain (Harvest House, 2025). The subtitle informs us of her intent in penning the book: “Persevering for the Common Good as Christians in a Hostile Public Square.” She spends a good amount of time seeking to make clear just what is – and what is not – the common good, and why believers should unashamedly work for it in the broader culture.
Early on she speaks about the need for believers to move beyond a merely privatised faith. She tells us that Christians should be advocating for righteousness in the public square. And she offers these four provisos:
First, acknowledging the need to advocate for righteousness in how society functions doesn’t imply there isn’t also a need for Christians to share the gospel and do good works in their private lives. We can share the gospel, do good works in our private lives, and advocate for righteousness in how society functions. This should be a rather obvious point…
Second, the gospel itself implies the need to care about how society functions and act accordingly. When Christians say we should “just” preach the gospel, it’s worth asking what they believe the gospel is. The gospel is the good news that God loved the world so much, He gave His only Son to die as payment for our sins so we could be reconciled to Him and have everlasting life. When we respond to this gracious offer of salvation, we submit to Jesus as Lord and follow His commands out of our love for Him. Caring about the way in which society functions is just one part of following Jesus’s second greatest commandment, to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:36-40). Part of loving your neighbor is caring about the quality of their lives in the context of the society in which they live. Put simply, we should want God’s best for them.
Third, when we care about the quality of people’s lives in the context of the society in which they live, we should want God’s best for them regardless of how many people are responsive to the gospel message at any given time. Christians sometimes believe that the extent of societal transformation for which we’re responsible is preaching the gospel so that individual consciences will be transformed and more individuals will then make righteous choices. But when you apply that logic to specific cases in history, few people would maintain the same position consistently….
Finally, God’s concern for how society functions runs through-out the Bible. It’s clear that God cares both about individual relationships with Him and the moral health of the societies in which individuals live. The following are just a few notable examples where biblical people were exhorted to proactively shape societies that function in a righteous way… (pp. 27-29)
In Chapter 3, “When the Common Good is Political” she looks in detail at the matters I have been discussing. She writes:
Oftentimes people today lament the political polarization we see as if it’s just a function of no one wanting to get along. But our present-day polarization isn’t a reflection of gratuitous disagreement over trivial matters. It’s a reflection of the seismic split that has happened in people’s underlying views on the nature of reality.
Lest anyone underestimate the implications, let’s be clear: Non-Christian views of reality are not only wrong but are often destructive when taken to their natural conclusion in the political domain. Those who believe preborn babies are merely clumps of cells will want to enshrine a right to destroy those “cells” at will in law. Those who believe that the nuclear family is a socially constructed “obstacle to human freedom” will advocate for laws that weaken the institution of marriage and parental rights. Those who believe that children are fundamentally sexual creatures will seek legal avenues for introducing sexually explicit content to public school kids at younger and younger ages. Those who believe that moral disagreement is hate will advocate for greater limits on freedom of speech and restrictions on religious liberty.
What an enormous and urgent opportunity we have to be light in this darkening culture. To be sure, the light we need to shine today often has nothing to do with politics. In fact, in part 2, we’ll see plenty of ideas for how to advocate for the common good in the nonpolitical realm; this isn’t a book that’s limited to questions of political engagement. But when the common good is of a political nature, as it often is, we must take seriously the opportunity we have to influence government in a godly way. Not because we want to “war” with culture, but because we love God and because we love people. (pp. 67-68)
Against the Waves: Christian Order in a Liberal Ageby Harris, Jon (Author)
In his Introduction to his new book he describes where he is heading with his discussion:
The compromises of 2020 regarding totalitarian control and DEI ideology served as a wake-up call for many. Some have struggled to make sense of the brave new world they find themselves in, searching for where society went astray in the hope of rediscovering the path to truth. I believe the way back can always be found because God is present. His general purposes are evident in the world He created. Though sinful people may suppress the truth about God, His witness remains ever present in both creation and His Word.
I believe we are living in a unique window of opportunity. People who recognize that they had been lied to – on everything from history to nutrition – are more open to Christianity than they have been in decades. It was Christianity that made the West truly great by affirming human worth, inspiring virtue, and channeling passion into selfless service to God and others. This vision was upheld by institutions that were accountable to God, fostering leaders who recognized their obligations to those under their authority, thus minimizing corruption and promoting justice.
It is my prayer this book inspires these conditions once again for a new era, in our homes, churches, and society. May we rediscover the timeless traditions, heroes, and wisdom of the past, passing them down to our children…. (ix-x)
And in Chapter 11 where he discusses identity politics he writes:
Those who think that Christians forsake their sojourner identity when they invest in political affairs as believers see a conflict where none should exist. Christians can still believe heaven is their final destination when involving themselves in the temporal world. If they can invest in making their families, churches, and businesses more Christian, there is no reason to believe they cannot do the same with their government.
American Christians and political conservatives should unashamedly use political power to advocate for identities that are part of God’s good order and discourage identities that are not. In the United States, it is still taboo for pedophiles, gangsters, and human traffickers to seek political representation even though they are at a social disadvantage. Many of the Left’s innovative grievance groups should be viewed this way. They are simply organizations of people who share a common enthusiasm for perversion.
Instead, people should think of themselves in terms of who God made them, where He placed them, and what social groups they belong to with legitimate political interests. In Scripture we find positive examples of people advocating politically for themselves, their region, their religion, their family, and their nation. Protecting justice, upholding righteousness, and securing peace for one’s own is part of loving neighbor… (p. 145)
The simple truth is this: all sorts of folks from a range of worldviews and ideologies are working overtime to see THEIR values and beliefs become dominant in our society. Christians should not be ashamed of sharing their concerns and hopes for a good society, one based on the goodness and wisdom of God.
That does NOT mean we coerce people to think and act as we do, but we CAN make use of the political process just like everyone else to influence legislation and policies. If we try to sit this out, the other side will NOT. They will be just as active as ever in seeking to subvert the state for their own ends, including their anti-Christian ends. We should be just as concerned to see society become more of a place for good.
That in good measure is what being salt and light is all about.
3 Replies to “Christians, Politics and the Common Good”
R. J. Rushdoony:
To love our neighbor means to keep the second table of the Ten Commandments in relationship to him. This means “thou shalt not kill,” or take law into your own hands, but you must respect your neighbor’s God-given right to life. “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” means we must respect the sanctity of our neighbor’s home and family. “Thou shalt not steal” means we must respect our neighbor’s God-given right to property. “Thou shalt not bear false witness” means we must respect his reputation. And “Thou shalt not covet” requires an obedience to these laws in thought as well as in word and deed. To “love thy neighbor as thyself ” is thus the basis of true civil liberty in the Western world. It requires us to respect in all men and in ourselves the rights of life, home, property, and reputation, in word, thought, and deed. The Biblical word love has nothing to do with erotic love, which is anti-law. Biblical love “is the fulfilling of the law” in relationship to all men. It does not ask us to like all men, or to take them into our families or circles, or to share our wealth with them.
Perhaps the most frustrating thing of all is those who assert their Christian status, reference Christ’s Golden Rule, and then argue a standard of affirming whatever others desire whilst ignoring His reference to the Laws and the Prophets and decrying ‘Evangelical interpretation’ of Biblical passages as anathema.
Such folk always seem to argue that true Christianity is rooted in Woke values – supporting homosexuals, defending the rights of ‘transgender children’, protecting women’s bodily autonomy (right to kill their kids) etc, and have zero tolerance for a non-Woke Jesus.
With ‘the church’ so divided, is it any wonder that the unchurched have little trust or interest in what ‘Christianity’ has to offer them?
R. J. Rushdoony:
To love our neighbor means to keep the second table of the Ten Commandments in relationship to him. This means “thou shalt not kill,” or take law into your own hands, but you must respect your neighbor’s God-given right to life. “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” means we must respect the sanctity of our neighbor’s home and family. “Thou shalt not steal” means we must respect our neighbor’s God-given right to property. “Thou shalt not bear false witness” means we must respect his reputation. And “Thou shalt not covet” requires an obedience to these laws in thought as well as in word and deed. To “love thy neighbor as thyself ” is thus the basis of true civil liberty in the Western world. It requires us to respect in all men and in ourselves the rights of life, home, property, and reputation, in word, thought, and deed. The Biblical word love has nothing to do with erotic love, which is anti-law. Biblical love “is the fulfilling of the law” in relationship to all men. It does not ask us to like all men, or to take them into our families or circles, or to share our wealth with them.
Perhaps the most frustrating thing of all is those who assert their Christian status, reference Christ’s Golden Rule, and then argue a standard of affirming whatever others desire whilst ignoring His reference to the Laws and the Prophets and decrying ‘Evangelical interpretation’ of Biblical passages as anathema.
Such folk always seem to argue that true Christianity is rooted in Woke values – supporting homosexuals, defending the rights of ‘transgender children’, protecting women’s bodily autonomy (right to kill their kids) etc, and have zero tolerance for a non-Woke Jesus.
With ‘the church’ so divided, is it any wonder that the unchurched have little trust or interest in what ‘Christianity’ has to offer them?
Quite so Andrew.