New Creation – Part Two
What Can We Do Now? –
We find ourselves in a complicated time. The kingdom of God is somewhat present on earth, but it won’t be fully present until Christ returns. Our students will step into the world with an eschatological hope, but what should that hope motivate them to do?
Christians are called to live in a broken world, carrying out the ministry of reconciliation that Christ began and will ultimately complete. The universal church is a force for healing and holiness throughout the world. And believers—as they are sanctified by the work of the Holy Spirit—take part in redeeming the world around them.
We are called to make a difference in a broken world partaking in Christ’s redemption of the cosmos.
Basing our teaching on the narrative of Scripture makes it necessary that we take this task of redemption seriously. And since the vast majority of our students have a passion to change the world, the task is less about motivation and more about equipping and directing.
You Are Investing in the Kingdom
Dr. Steve Lowe –Chair, School of Divinity
As educators, how can we prepare our students to engage in this cosmic vision of redemption where Scripture places us?
We Can Teach Them to Love the Church
The New Testament describes the church as the body of Christ. It also explains that being engaged in the work and life of the body produces love and holiness in each individual believer. This love and holiness then gets carried by these believers into the world—notably through evangelism, service, and giving.
Our students need to be equipped with a deep love and commitment to the church and its work.
We Can Encourage Them to Produce True, Good, and Beautiful Things That Reflect the World to Come
As our students move into their professions, we can encourage them to act in ways that promote justice and growth. In many ways, this encouragement follows the traditional lines of promoting personal morality.
However, there is additional motivation.
We can demonstrate to our students that their work matters—that they can make significant and lasting impacts on this world because of the work of Christ. Here is where we offer them the resources to create a deep, hopeful motivation to actually make the world a better place.
We Can Teach Our Students to Redeem and Restore Those Things in the World That Have Lost Their Truth, Beauty, or Goodness
Finally, in addition to building systems, products, and services that reflect the coming kingdom, we should encourage our students to redeem those systems in the world that are unjust and corrupt.
Because of the promise of a final restored creation, our students do not need to feel like they are simply putting band-aids on a mortally wounded world. Redemptive works in the here and now are true foretastes of the cosmic redemption that Christ is ultimately bringing to the world.
And carrying out this redemptive work now is the mission of Champions for Christ.
Professor and Student: A Journey of Discovery, Growth, and Impact
Dr. Shelah Simpson – Associate Professor of English &
Online Writing Center Director
Teaching students to think critically so that they can learn about and engage the culture.
Logan – B.S. in Journalism & B.A. in Theology & Apologetics
“I realize that my classes will help me to prepare for the future. But what I’ve learned should be implemented now.”
For Further Research:
- Article
- How to Engage Culture and Swim Against it –John Piper
- Books
- Center Church –Tim Keller
- Luther on Vocation – Gustaf Wingren
- Our Secular Age – Collin Hansen
- Videos
- Identity, Business, and the Christian Gospel – Tim Keller
- How Wrongly Engaging the Culture Adjusts the Gospel – Thabiti Anyabwile
Other Posts in This Series
Conclusion
On Training Champions – As a professor at Liberty University, you have the incredible opportunity to weave biblical truth into the core of everything you teach. We hope that this series has helped you reflect on how the Grand Narrative of Scripture (Creation, Fall, Redemption, and New Creation) can impact and shape the way you teach...
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