In Holy Subversion, Trevin Wax explains that we have an enemy who seeks to hold us in his clutches by perverting God’s gifts (sex, money, leisure, success, power) and propping them up until they take over our sin-infested hearts and occupy the throne that should belong to Jesus. Wax calls the church to crush these contemporary idols by living out the gospel in a community that zealously undermines all that competes for our allegiance.
Wax explains:
True conversion manifests itself in our pledging allegiance to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, hence Paul’s early formulation of the Christian creed: “Jesus is Lord and God raised him from the dead.” Christianity hinges upon Jesus and what has happened to him in history. When we confess with our mouths that he is Lord, and believe in our hearts in his resurrection, we are saved.
Acts 17 records the results of this outward transformation:
They dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” (Acts 17:6–7)
What if we heard these words again from those in our own generation? These Christians are turning the world upside down! They are acting against the Caesars of our day.
They are disobeying the Caesar of Success by praying for their competitors, making career choices that put family over finances, and seeking to be above reproach in their business practices.
They are dethroning the Caesar of Money by giving away their possessions and downsizing.
They are acting against the Caesar of Leisure and entertainment by sacrificing vacation time to go to foreign countries to help others who will never be able to return the favor.
They refuse to worship the Caesar of Sex and instead commit themselves to chastity, purity, and faithfulness in marriage for life.
They are acting against the Caesar of Power by modeling the self-giving love of their King.
And most of all, these Christians are saying there is another King—Jesus.
As Christians, we pledge allegiance to Jesus as King. We believe that Jesus, the Messiah of Israel who was crucified for our sins, has been raised from the dead and is now Lord of the universe. This means that we are to put our trust in his sacrifice and live submissively under his lordship.
It is not enough to think that salvation is a mere acceptance of a ticket to heaven that leaves the rest of our life intact. Salvation in Jesus Christ transforms lives. Life transformation leads to involvement in the church. When the community of those who have given allegiance to Jesus Christ lives in such a way as to quietly subvert the Caesars of the day, world transformation follows.
This is what it means to be a Christian.
(Excerpt from Holy Subversion pp 32-33.)
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