Dear Pastor,
“How does one make the claim exegetically that the atonement (penal substitution) also includes “redeeming culture” as it were?”
Thanks,
Matthew S.
Dear Matthew,
Thanks for a insightful question. I would offer as a thumbnail sketch below,
1.) The world was held in bondage under sin. (Romans 5:12f)
2.) When Christ arrives he announces the coming of the Kingdom (Mark 1:15)
3.) The coming of the Kingdom requires the Atonement in order for Christ’s triumph over sin and all opposition to be complete.
We get this exegetically as we combine the reality of Mark 1:15 with the charge that Jesus gives His disciples after the resurrection. Jesus teaches that the disciples are to baptize the nations teaching them to observe all things wherein Christ commanded. From this we conclude that Christ’s intent was for all the Nations to be won before His return and that winning of the nations is connected to His atoning work. In other words, if Christ had not made atonement there could have been no winning of the Nations before Christ’s return.
4.) There is also the connection between the cultural mandate in Scripture, which is the divine injunction found in Genesis 1:28, in which God, after having created the world and all in it, ascribes to humankind the tasks of filling, subduing, and ruling over the earth. We would contend that the Atonement sets God’s people free to fulfill this cultural mandate.
5.) Christ is redeeming all things- the environment, disease, culture, politics, business, civil government, economics, media—the “seven mountains charismatics” are right on this issue because they agree with the Puritans and the scriptures here:
“and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Col 1:20
“that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Cor 5:19
Now, granted the Seven Mountains Charismatics are not right on much else but on this point they are like the old blind sow who can find an acorn once in a while.
