Persuasion 203 | Just preach the gospel

Rsocial reckoning, a threatening pandemic, devastating fires… our country is practically tearing itself apart. In the midst of it all, we are faced with the usual fervor associated with a presidential election. Except this isn’t like other presidential elections, because the heightened turmoil of our times makes the discord all the more apparent. Emotions are running high. Everyone is looking for a reason to take offense and no one has to search very long or far to find it. The climate seems oppressive and hopeless. So for those who find hope in their Christian faith, it seems the best answer to all of this is simply to preach the gospel. Certainly if we focus our energies just on getting more people saved, that will solve everything. Surely Jesus can fix this mess…right?

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson continue with the For God and country series. Each episode will address one aspect of how faith and politics collide. In this conversation, Erin and Hannah discuss the desire to step back from our current political fray by focusing on sharing the Good News of Jesus. After all, this is the goodness the world needs! If we simply preach the gospel, hearts will be changed and this will have a natural impact on our society, with little need to address specific inequities and injustices. The idea is that the gospel is the main thing and that society’s ills are simply a product of the unredeemed human heart. But this approach assumes that Christians have a corner of goodness, that they never contribute to or benefit from society’s ills. So just preaching the Gospel assumes that we are actually preaching the Gospel, the same Good News that promises justice to the poor, the captive, the blind and the downtrodden. It seems that Jesus intends to turn the world upside down as proof that the gospel has come. Also, Hannah talks with Sam Haist about his approach to preparing his congregation at Redeemer Indianapolis to be committed to the greater good. So can we “just preach the Gospel” and still hope for political change in society? How does the gospel change our perspective so that we are free to do hard and painful work for the common good? What does the gospel call us to do as we wait for the world to renew itself? Hear dialogue on issues like these as we learn to think more clearly about the intersection of faith and politics. Then keep the conversation going on Twitter @PersuasionCAPC or in the CAPC members-only community on Facebook.

This episode of Persuasion is sponsored in part by LifeWay’s Christian Standard Bible, a translation that presents the truth of God’s Word with accuracy and clarity. The CSB equips today’s readers for lifelong discipleship with hundreds of designs to choose from CSBible.com.

GUESTS

Erin Strazza: spiderweb / Chirping
Hanna Anderson: spiderweb / Chirping

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Chirping: @PersuasionCAPC
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PERSUASION 203 RESOURCES & LINKS

Find Sam Haist, training pastor at Redeemer Indianapolis, on Twitter: @samhaist

Why are our Christian Sunday school disciples in politics by Sam Haist Christianity Today

Did you like this episode of Persuasion? Listen to the entire series:

Persuasion 200 | For God and Country? with Kaitlyn Schiess

Persuasion 201 | Taking back America for God

Persuasion 202 | Toeing the Party Line

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