Lambs among Wolves – Christians & Culture according to Doug Wilson

How are Christians supposed to affect Culture? Are we to ‘take over’? Are we to fight for a ‘place at the table’? Doug Wilson’s explanation of Jesus’ sending out the disciples as lambs among wolves is very poignant:

. . . When Jesus commissioned His disciples, He ordained them to something that was almost the exact opposite of this. He said that He was sending His preachers out as lambs among wolves (Luke 10:3).

. . . Why would the Lord use this kind of image? What is the nature of lambs? What is the nature of wolves? One of the most obvious differences is that lambs are in no position to try to coerce anyone to do anything. Still less are they in a position to compel wolves to do anything. But wolves do not think the same way. They have no scruples about imposing their view of the world, or their view of lunch, on the lambs.

. . . The reason believing Christians love freedom the way we do is because God has promised us that “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Cor. 3:17). We are not interested in trying to force those who differ with us to do anything. They, on the other hand, are not shy at all about the free and liberal use of coercion.

. . . There are only two fundamental ways to walk in the world—the way the Lord showed us, or our own autonomous way, the way of unbelief. Genuine faith in God the Father through Jesus Christ always leads us into the law of liberty. Rejection of God’s sovereignty, and of His kindness to us through the death of Jesus Christ, leads necessarily into patterns of coercive attempts to run the lives of others.