5542 society, positive aspects of

The object of God’s love and the sphere of God’s blessing. God’s people should adopt a positive but critical attitude to, and involvement in society, and should seek to influence it for good, while guarding against its corrupting influence.

Society is the object of God’s redeeming love and the sphere of his blessing

The city as a positive image of society Isa 1:26-27 See also Ps 122:6-9; Isa 54:11-14; Heb 11:10,15-16; Rev 21:1-4,22-22:5

The world as the object of God’s love Jn 3:16-17 See also Jn 6:33; 2Co 5:19; 1Jn 4:14; Rev 11:15

God’s people are to be positively involved in society

They are to seek to be a positive influence Jn 17:15-18 See also Jer 29:7 God’s people, in exile in Babylon, are to seek the welfare of that society, rather than simply long to return home; Mt 5:13-16; 1Co 5:9-10

They are to avoid being corrupted by society’s worldliness Jas 1:27 See also Ro 12:2; Jas 4:4; 1Jn 2:15-17

They do not owe society their ultimate loyalty Jn 17:16 See also Jn 15:19; Heb 13:14; 1Pe 2:11

They are to adopt a positive attitude to society’s properly instituted authorities Ro 13:1-7; Tit 3:1 See also Mt 22:17-21 pp Mk 12:14-17 pp Lk 20:22-25; 1Pe 2:13-17

While being submissive, they are not to give absolute obedience to any merely human authority in society Ac 4:18-20 See also Ac 5:27-29

Examples of those positively involved in society

Da 2:48-49 See also Ge 41:41-49 Joseph; Est 10:1-3 Mordecai; Da 1:1-21 Daniel and his friends

See also