Citizens & Exiles: Christian Faithfulness in God’s Two Kingdoms

Citizens & Exiles: Christian Faithfulness in God’s Two Kingdoms PDF Author: Scott Aniol
Publisher: G3 Press
ISBN: 1959908138
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 154

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Book Description
Christians have always wrestled with how they should respond to the cultures around them. On the one hand, we recognize the goodness of God’s creation and his common grace upon all people. On the other hand, we recognize that people are sinful and that the world is hostile to God and to Christians. So what are we to do? As tensions rise between church and state, some of the loudest voices articulating answers to the question do not match what Scripture commands for the church today. Some answers threatens to undermine the pilgrim character of New Testament Christianity and the spiritual mission given to the church of making disciples. Others advocate for a more privatized faith in conflict with the more holistic emphasis of Scripture. In this easy-to-read book, Scott Aniol demonstrates that Scripture teaches contrary to both of these postures. Aniol shows that the New Testament portrays Christians as citizens of the common kingdoms of this earth, but they are ultimately exiles since they are more profoundly citizens of Christ’s redemptive kingdom. Understanding the biblical relationship between these two provides a very clear framework for preventing churches from losing their biblical mission while at the same time discipling Christians to actively engage in society around them. What the Bible prescribes for Christians in this present age is Christian faithfulness in both realms of God’s sovereign rule. Scott Aniol, PhD, is Executive Vice President and Editor-in-chief of G3 Ministries and Professor of Pastoral Theology at Grace Bible Theological Seminary.

Citizens & Exiles: Christian Faithfulness in God’s Two Kingdoms

Citizens & Exiles: Christian Faithfulness in God’s Two Kingdoms PDF Author: Scott Aniol
Publisher: G3 Press
ISBN: 1959908138
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 154

Get Book Here

Book Description
Christians have always wrestled with how they should respond to the cultures around them. On the one hand, we recognize the goodness of God’s creation and his common grace upon all people. On the other hand, we recognize that people are sinful and that the world is hostile to God and to Christians. So what are we to do? As tensions rise between church and state, some of the loudest voices articulating answers to the question do not match what Scripture commands for the church today. Some answers threatens to undermine the pilgrim character of New Testament Christianity and the spiritual mission given to the church of making disciples. Others advocate for a more privatized faith in conflict with the more holistic emphasis of Scripture. In this easy-to-read book, Scott Aniol demonstrates that Scripture teaches contrary to both of these postures. Aniol shows that the New Testament portrays Christians as citizens of the common kingdoms of this earth, but they are ultimately exiles since they are more profoundly citizens of Christ’s redemptive kingdom. Understanding the biblical relationship between these two provides a very clear framework for preventing churches from losing their biblical mission while at the same time discipling Christians to actively engage in society around them. What the Bible prescribes for Christians in this present age is Christian faithfulness in both realms of God’s sovereign rule. Scott Aniol, PhD, is Executive Vice President and Editor-in-chief of G3 Ministries and Professor of Pastoral Theology at Grace Bible Theological Seminary.

Living in God's Two Kingdoms

Living in God's Two Kingdoms PDF Author: David VanDrunen
Publisher: Crossway
ISBN: 143352452X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 210

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Book Description
Modern movements such as neo-Calvinism, the New Perspective on Paul, and the emerging church have popularized a view of Christianity and culture that calls for the redemption of earthly society and institutions. Many Christians have reflexively embraced this view, enticed by the socially active and engaged faith it produces. Living in God's Two Kingdoms illustrates how a two-kingdoms model of Christianity and culture affirms much of what is compelling in these transformationist movements while remaining faithful to the whole counsel of Scripture. By focusing on God's response to each kingdom—his preservation of the civil society and his redemption of the spiritual kingdom—VanDrunen teaches readers how to live faithfully in each sphere. Highlighting vital biblical distinctions between honorable and holy tasks, VanDrunen's analysis will challenge Christians to be actively and critically engaged in the culture around them while retaining their identities as sojourners and exiles in this world.

Wholly Citizens

Wholly Citizens PDF Author: Joel Biermann
Publisher: Fortress Press
ISBN: 150642225X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Book Description
Wholly Citizens addresses the relation between the church and the world in light of the Reformation teaching of the two realms—especially as presented by Luther. Rather than exploring again the usual texts of Luther from the 1520’s, this book begins with a careful reading of Luther’s Commentary on Psalm 81 (1531), and then considers subsequent interpreters of Luther, both faithful and otherwise, and the dubious legacy they have left the church. The book argues that both the corporate church as well as individual believers are responsible for the world, and that each must speak directly about and to the world in meaningful ways. The final section of the book addresses the concrete situation facing believers in the early 21st century in light of faithful Reformation teaching about the two realms. Following this path leads to conclusions not entirely expected, including the forthright rejection of “a wall of separation” between church and state, and also a rebuke of the familiar clamor for the preservation of the rights of Christians and the church. Heedless of the status quo, Wholly Citizens offers an engaging and bracing picture of Christian life in today’s world—a picture framed in theological truth.

Why Are You Afraid?

Why Are You Afraid? PDF Author: Darrell B. Harrison
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description


Kingdom Citizen

Kingdom Citizen PDF Author: Tony Evans
Publisher: NavPress
ISBN: 1684281768
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 150

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Book Description
The news is filled with stories of violence, division, and despair. American politics have become polarized. Effective leadership is in short supply. Change may seem outside our reach. And Christians struggle to understand their role in reversing the downward spiral of our nation. Dr. Tony Evans offers a healthy dose of hope: the solution to our nation’s problems and unrest isn’t out of reach. The solution is here—and each one of us as Kingdom Citizens has a vital role to play. Be assured that our God is greater than any challenge—and He has promised to equip His people. In Kingdom Citizen, you’ll discover how to respond in faith, in spite of a country and culture in decline. Here is a powerful call to action for concerned Christians. Here is a call for unity and restoration. And here is strong assurance that each of us has the ability to walk justly, to seek truth, and to stand in the gap for our land.

Exiles on Mission

Exiles on Mission PDF Author: Paul S. Williams
Publisher: Brazos Press
ISBN: 1493422502
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
Many Christians in the West sense that traditional Christian teaching is losing traction in the public square. What does faithful Christian witness look like in a post-Christian culture? Paul Williams, the CEO of one of the world's largest and oldest Bible societies, interprets the dissonance Christians often experience while trying to live out their faith in the 21st century. He provides constructive tools to help readers understand culture in myriad contexts and offer a missional response. Williams calls for a truly missional understanding of post-Christendom Christianity whereby local churches are reimagined as embassies of the kingdom of God and Christians serve as ambassadors in all spheres of life and work. This book invites readers to embrace the language of exile and imagine a hopeful mission of the scattered and gathered church in the post-Christian West. It shows a clear pathway for fruitful missional engagement for the whole people of God, helping Christians make sense of the world in which they live, more authentically integrate faith with everyday life, and orient all of their efforts within God's missional purpose for the world.

Baxter's Explore the Book

Baxter's Explore the Book PDF Author: J. Sidlow Baxter
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310871395
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 1846

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Book Description
Explore the Book is not a commentary with verse-by-verse annotations. Neither is it just a series of analyses and outlines. Rather, it is a complete Bible survey course. No one can finish this series of studies and remain unchanged. The reader will receive lifelong benefit and be enriched by these practical and understandable studies. Exposition, commentary, and practical application of the meaning and message of the Bible will be found throughout this giant volume. Bible students without any background in Bible study will find this book of immense help as will those who have spent much time studying the Scriptures, including pastors and teachers. Explore the Book is the result and culmination of a lifetime of dedicated Bible study and exposition on the part of Dr. Baxter. It shows throughout a deep awareness and appreciation of the grand themes of the gospel, as found from the opening book of the Bible through Revelation.

Dual Citizens

Dual Citizens PDF Author: Jason J. Stellman
Publisher: Reformation Trust Publishing
ISBN: 9781567691191
Category : Reformed Church
Languages : en
Pages : 193

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Book Description
New covenant believers live between "the already" and "not yet," a point in redemptive history between the partial and complete fulfillment of God's promises. This means they are exiles and pilgrims in the divinely ordained overlap of the ages. As Rev. Jason J. Stellman argues in his book Dual Citizens: Worship and Life Between the Already and the Not Yet, this biblical motif shapes the identity of Christians at every turn and affects their every activity in both the sacred and secular realms. Stellman explores the Christian pilgrimage with deep biblical insight, humor, and relevance to our contemporary context, revealing how Christians are to think of themselves and their role this side of heaven.

Endangered Gospel

Endangered Gospel PDF Author: John C. Nugent
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1498291678
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description
For centuries, Christians sought to rescue people from this world. Today, we're trying to fix it. While this shift is helpful in some ways, in other ways it can be quite dangerous. Endangered Gospel flips the script on this conversation by stressing the core gospel truth that rather than ushering in a new world through social activism, God's people already are the new world in Christ. It's not our job to make this world a better place, but to be the better place God has already made in this world. That's good news! If we let go of this truth, we become servants of the world and not God. We also lose the great joy and abundant life that God intended us to have in community. Jesus himself said that the world will know we are Christians by our love for one another--not the fervor of our activism. Social action makes us feel relevant and alive, but it can't be the center of our new life in Christ. Endangered Gospel explores how we might enthusiastically embrace the social dimensions of the gospel without divorcing them from the church or forcing them on the world. Read this book, hear the gospel story afresh, and embrace the good news of God's kingdom!

Resident Aliens

Resident Aliens PDF Author: Stanley Hauerwas
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 0687361591
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 94

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Book Description
In this bold and visionary book, two leading Christian thinkers explore the alien status of Christians in today's world. A provocative Christian assessment of culture and ministry for people who know that something is wrong.