We believe an orthodox Christian approach is best suited to address, not just the macro issues, e.g., the economy, healthcare, politics, but the micro issues as well, e.g., where we work, where we live, what we teach our children.  We believe this because if what the Bible says about Creation is true (which it is), then God has absolute authority over everything that exists. As created beings there is not one area of life that we can claim to be under our domain because the Lordship of Christ extends to our every word, thought, and deed.

We were created; we are not autonomous. Yet, we have wide latitude in terms of how we live and interact in this world. In fact, from the beginning we were created to work and subdue and have dominion over the rest of Creation. Our faith was never intended to be limited to temple worship, but to be shared with our neighbors and to find expression in the various institutions and norms that directly and indirectly influence the laws and character of our culture.  Since culture is at its root the expression of a society’s fundamental allegiances and presuppositions (i.e. culture reflects religion), it falls comfortably within the domain of Christian reflection and criticism.  A distinctly Christian approach to civil matters asserts the authority of Scripture over all areas of life, which means that while it recognizes and wholeheartedly utilizes secular and contributions to the common good, it will do so only after evaluating and judging them according to the standards of historic Christian doctrine.

“I WILL PUT ENMITY BETWEEN YOU AND THE WOMAN, AND BETWEEN YOUR OFFSPRING AND HER OFFSPRING; HE SHALL BRUISE YOUR HEAD, AND YOU SHALL BRUISE HIS HEEL.”

As we set out on this mission to cultivate the world, we do so fully aware that the task before us is predisposed to hardship and hostility. When the Evil one provoked Man into rebelling against its Creator it set off a perennial conflict of light vs darkness. God’s response to this act of cosmic treason was to divide and conquer. Genesis 3:15 teaches us that God intended to turn the hearts of our first parents against the Serpent, and decreed that from that point forward there would exist a separation – an antithesis – between the seed of man and the seed of the Serpent. The separation was to be unambiguous, one that would bring clarity in the midst of what was to become an epic war. Thereafter, the Serpent and his crafty, deceptive operations would be easily exposed because God’s people were to be distinct and militantly opposed to any forces intent on obfuscating God’s clear commands.

Yet, the Antithesis was not only a warning, it was also a promise. The decisive battle in the God-ordained hostility between light and darkness would be fought and won, not by natural man, but by the God-Man, Christ, the Son of Man, who would take death upon Himself in an act of supreme love to sacrifice Himself for His people. At the Cross of Calvary, Christ’s body was crushed, but on the third day He rose again and crushed death itself.

Therefore, we take courage in the fact that while opposition will come our way, God has already secured our victory. God’s preservation of His people for His purposes will bring about the flourishing of our culture, because abiding by the boundaries set by God for our good is the only way we will begin to see life and renewal. Like a tree that has been pruned and hedged from the weeds and brambles, allowing it to sprout and bear healthy fruit, so will a people separated for God’s service yield rich cultural fruit in due season.

Our role as Christ-followers is to take up our calling as co-laborers with Him in the work of sharing the Good News of salvation and the restoration of His kingdom.  It is our generation’s task to be trailblazers in developing appropriate responses to the challenges confronting us. We seek to feed the hungry, to provide shelter to the homeless, to provide security to the widow and the orphan, not only because we desire to joyfully obey the commandments of Holy Scripture, but because we desire to express our belief that all our actions in this world have a real and lasting impact, and if those actions result in suffering, then we can rest on the truth that if we place our faith in Christ our sufferings in this world ultimately vanish in light of eternity. Therefore, we do not shirk from our call to prayerfully, lovingly, and intelligently confront the obstacles before us. Rather, we summon all our spiritual, physical, financial, political and intellectual abilities to extend God’s Kingdom despite the cost