Page 32 - Christ and Culture Textbook

response sees culture as an enemy to be defeated instead of people to be saved. Our desire mustn’t be
to prove ourselves right or to force our way on the world around us. Instead, our goal is to show Christ
to be true and worthy. Just as wrong as running away from our culture is driving people away from the
church. Countering culture doesn’t mean attacking it.

4. We Counter. Countering culture means engaging culture with conviction and compassion.
We stand firmly on the truth of God, empowered by the Spirit, to extend the love of Christ to a lost and
dying world. Our desire isn’t to conquer but to redeem. It matters what we do, how we do it, and why
we do it.

A wrong response to culture is more than unhealthy or unhelpful. It’s potentially damning.
Engaging our culture is literally a matter of life or death—eternal life or
death.

Scriptural basis about the Gospel.
Mark 1:1–4 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER
AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY; THE VOICE OF ONE
CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD,
MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT. John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of
repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Rom .1:1–6 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was
born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by
the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom
we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among call the Gentiles for
His name’s sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ.

Gal. 1:6–9 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for
a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to
distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel
contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again
now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

Isa .52:7 How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace
And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Matt. 4:23 Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the
gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.

Matt. 9:35 Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and
proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

Matt. 24:14 This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the
nations, and then the end will come.

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