If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

In this essay I will do three things. First, I will describe the enemy that Christians battle in the culture war, together with the territory this enemy has conquered. Second, I will describe aspects of who Christians are in Christ Jesus and the territory he has conquered. Finally, I will give some concrete ideas on how to better fight the culture war.

First, who is the enemy and what territory has the enemy conquered? The enemy that Christians battle is two-fold -- our tendency to sin and Satan. Scripture, from beginning to end, brings these two factors together. It was sin and the serpent (Genesis 3) that introduced death into the world, and from the time of Adam onward, sin, Satan, and death have ruled the world. In terms of spiritual powers, Satan is the ruler of this world (John 12:31, 14:30, and 16:11), and in order to save us from sin and death, Christ began his ministry by defeating the devil who offered him the kingdoms of this world. When Christ died on the cross, it was to atone for sin, to conquer death, and to defeat Satan (John 12:31). Apart from Christ, everyone is in bondage to sin and enslaved by the evil one (Ephesians 2:2, Colossians 1:13, 2 Timothy 2:26). The whole world lies in the power of the evil one (I John 5:19). And finally, the eschatological age will only dawn when the devil is thrown into the lake of fire and sin is completely abolished. Sin and Satan are the enemy, for as Paul says, "We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).

Since this world belongs to Satan, we can expect the powers of this world to only superficially conform to the kingdom of God. The phrase "powers of this world" refers to governments, economic systems, social groupings, ideologies, the world's hopes and dreams, in short, the whole fabric of life as known in this world. The fact that the New Testament proclaims that Jesus was crucified by the state and the people of God working together, shows the power of sin and death to infect every aspect of existence, including those who ostensibly worship the one, true God.

Given that sin and Satan rule the world, in what areas of life is his rule made evident in America? This is an important question because we often do not realize the depth of America's bondage to Satan, and therefore, how very, very difficult it is to fight the culture war. We can see this by observing a bit of history.

In the Middle Ages the Christian faith appeared to dominate every aspect of existence in Europe. The spires of its churches rose above its villages, life was ordered by its festivals and times of worship, all branches of knowledge were coordinated to its truth, and the laws of church and state were heavily influenced by generations of Christian teaching. Beginning with the Renaissance and accelerated by the breakup of Christendom followed by the wars of religion, the discoveries, the rise of science, and the Enlightenment, the original order steadily imploded as one aspect of life after another was surrendered to alien powers, leading at last to the present order. Given this erosion of Christian influence in social, economic, and political life, there has been a rearguard action by many Christians to maintain a modicum of Christian presence in the public square, and that effort has been called "the culture war." Several comments are in order.

First, a reading of history would show that, although the West was ostensibly Christian, all aspects of its existence were continually ravaged by sin and Satan. Christian groups fought among themselves, invaded foreign countries, and economically exploited one another. The church was continuously riddled with moral and doctrinal corruption, while the moral life of the people rose and fell generation by generation as the inevitable forces of sin and Satan were countered by efforts at reform. In that sense, there may well never have been a "golden age of the church" where salvation reigned. Rather, at all times, the hold of the faith upon both individuals and society was tenuous at best. As Jesus said, "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few (Matthew 7:13-14).

Further, even though the West ordered its life according to Christian truth, that ordering made concessions to human sin. For example, although Jesus exemplified a commitment to chastity, poverty, and radical obedience even unto death, the church expected that only a few of her followers would make this radical commitment. Those who did formed the monastic orders which were crucial for the revitalization of church and society. Even these were subject to corruption and constantly in need of reform. Or, the church recognized the doctrine of the two swords, that the church and state, or kings and popes, had different aims so that kings were not expected to govern their affairs according to the radical doctrines of Christ. Kings did not, for example, turn the other cheek when it came to putting down rebellions, enforcing the laws, or defending the realm.

In recent times, however, there has been a profound erosion of our Christian heritage. This erosion is so pervasive that certain traces of our former Christian life are virtually gone. As a result, Christians tend not to notice that major sectors of our common life are scarcely Christian at all. Perhaps, in the Middle Ages, Christian truth was sufficiently public that many could distinguish between Christian and non-Christian ways of life. Not any more. Aspects of our non-Christian world are tacitly accepted, invisible as the air we breathe. This leads us to underestimate the territory that has been conquered by sin and Satan. To gain some sense of that territory, I will list aspects of the Christian faith that scarcely hold sway in our common life. First, however, let us begin with certain features that seem to show that America is in fact a Christian country.

In 2012, approximately 73% of Americans identified themselves as Christian, and about 40% of the population claimed to attend church on a regular basis. This is an astonishing statistic, easily leading one to believe that America is a Christian nation. On the other hand, we might ask what makes a person a Christian. Does going to church on a regular basis make one a Christian? Jesus addressed that question when he said, "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me ..." (Matthew 15:8). Or, is a profession of faith, as many seem to believe, sufficient to make one a Christian and an heir of salvation? Yet Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). Or, perhaps, tithing defines a Christian, but Christ did say, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23). However we understand the matter, it does seem clear that Jesus taught a tree is known by its fruit (Matthew 7:15-20), and in the case of Christians, we will be known by the degree to which we exhibit mercy, justice, and faithfulness. But what are mercy, justice, and faithfulness?

Jesus himself, his words and deeds, are the revelation of mercy, justice, and faithfulness. What then did he do? Are his followers in the States, some 73% of the population, following in his footsteps? Further, do other nations whose citizens are not Christian exercise mercy and justice? To get some sense of this I will do three things. First, I will list the essence of Jesus' words and deeds as these reveal God's justice and mercy. Second, in that light, I will consider to what extent Christians in America have put Christ's mercy and justice into practice. Then, I will consider another country, notorious for its lack of faith, namely Sweden, to see how non-believers in that county have exercised justice and mercy. I also investigated several other Northern European countries known for their lack of faith, but the results were so similar to that of Sweden that one such country will provide the contrast we need. Sweden, similar to the United States, has benefitted from centuries of Christian tradition. In this way, we see how the American church, as compared to non-believers, is establishing a Christian culture whose roots go back to a similar Christian heritage. Here are some of the essential aspects of the work of Christ.

1. As a true Israelite, the Lord Jesus worshipped God by attending a synagogue each Sabbath and by keeping the great festivals such as the Passover. As previously mentioned, some 40% of Americans attend church regularly. By contrast, about 5% of the Swedish population attends church on a regular basis. In this regard, Americans are much more faithful than Swedes in keeping the commandment to worship God. As can readily be seen, if Christians are to be the leaven of goodness in the loaf, America will clearly benefit from a Christian presence.

Further, worshipping God means God is first, and Christians are called to love the Lord with all our hearts, all our minds, all our souls, and secondly, to love our neighbors as ourselves. As the Lord, God has no equals. He does not share his throne with anyone. There is not, in other words, such a thing as "love of God and country." God and country do not belong in the same phrase with love. In America, love of country and love of God are often taken together, as if both are equally important. As I have discussed elsewhere, this leads to a profound idolatry, an idolatry which blinds Americans to our country's evils and undermines our corporate life. I shall return to this.

Directly related to Christ's understanding of God the Lord is a biblical concept of a person. First and foremost, we only become fully human in relation to God and his people as both are known in Christ Jesus. Within the West, a concept of the self has emerged in which a human being is understood as a natural organism with needs, desires, and capacities, and that the good life consists in meeting those needs and giving full reign to those capacities. And what is true of the individual, is true of economic and political affairs. The economic system is built upon the belief that human beings are first and foremost consumers, and the political order requires a similar belief, that securing "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" is the goal both of the state and the individual. By and large the churches give way to this heretical and unbiblical understanding of the self, preaching a therapeutic gospel with little call to suffering and self-denial.

There is, of course, a degree of national idolatry in Sweden, and certainly the Swedish people do not define themselves as persons in relation to God. This, however, is only to be expected. Lacking a commitment to a transcendent God as revealed in Christ, its inhabitants will define themselves in relation to aspects of this world, whether by their national identity, or as consumers, or whatever choices they may make. As non-believers, they can do this without hypocrisy. But this is not the case in the United States where 73% of the population identify themselves as Christian. As will be seen, however, the inhabitants of Sweden more strongly identify themselves in relationship to each other than is the case in the States, an identification that echoes the gospel's social conception of the self.

2. Jesus went from town to town teaching and proclaiming the kingdom of God. This kingdom was a social concept, intimately connected with love of neighbor and deeds of mercy and justice. In contrast to Sweden, Christians in America do a great deal of preaching and teaching. It is, of course, possible to teach and preach a gospel that has little to do with the kingdom of God. This occurs when the Christian message is converted into an individualistic gospel to the neglect of the social aspects of the kingdom. This is often the case in America. By contrast, Sweden, since so few of its citizens really believe in God, does little preaching and teaching. As we shall see, however, they do in many significant ways attend more fully to the social aspects of the gospel.

3. Jesus was the fulfillment of the law and the prophets, and the Christians who follow him are empowered to keep the law, such as the Ten Commandments and the laws of their respective countries. One index of whether citizens abide by the laws is the incarceration rate. For every 100,000 citizens, the United States has 743 in prison while Sweden has 71. In fact, the United States has the second highest incarceration rate in the world, right behind the Seychelles. One reason for this, in my view, is racism and the injustice that this entails. The murder rate per 100,000 inhabitants per year in America is 4.7, while Sweden has a rate of 0.7, about one-seventh of the US rate. Property crime rates are closer together, Sweden having a property crime rate of 8.4% while the rate in the States is 10%. In terms of obeying the law, Sweden is significantly more law-abiding.

Another statistic measuring faithfulness to a moral law would be the divorce rate. In Sweden, the divorce to marriage ratio is 47%, while it is 53% in the United States. There is, however, an area in which the United States is ahead of Sweden in terms of keeping the moral law. In Sweden, 55% of children are born to unmarried women, while in the States it is only 40%. This, to my mind, represents a stronger Christian influence in the States than in Sweden. At the same time, however, the percentage of children living in single-parent homes in the States is 27%, while 18% of Sweden's children live in single-parent homes. In other words, although Sweden's parents are less willing to be married, they are more willing for both parents to take care of their children.

Two other statistics are worthy of mention. In terms of government corruption, Sweden possesses the third least corrupt government in the world, while America is 15th. This has a direct bearing on the degree of justice in both countries. Or, in terms of the strength of its democracy, Sweden ranks first in the world while America is 13th.

Overall, Sweden is significantly more law-abiding than is the United States. Here is an observation from an American who has lived in the Scandinavian countries and studied how life there differs from life in the United States, "Denmark and Sweden are remarkably strong, safe, healthy, moral, and prosperous societies. In fact, a good case could be made that they are among the 'best' countries in the world, at least according to standard sociological measures." More evidence for this will be given as this essay unfolds.

4. Jesus fed the hungry and by his actions fulfilled the Old Testament revelation which apportioned land (and thereby work) to the landless and maintained land in the family by legislation. There were also laws to protect the poor, widows, orphans, and aliens. In regard to his teaching and practice, Jesus lived simply, did not accumulate wealth, and insisted that his followers radically share their wealth, if not to give it all away and follow him. In his words, you cannot serve God and Mammon (Luke 16:13). It is both a truth of Scripture and observation that the rich, by and large, are not religious, but even so, the large Christian population of America doubtless has enormous resources which could be dedicated to alleviating poverty and working to ensure that all persons have access to work with a living wage. Given these enormous resources, one might expect poverty in the United States to be minimal, while that of Sweden would be much higher. The exact opposite is the case. The poverty rate in the States is 17.3% while Sweden is 8.4%. The poverty rate among children is 23.1% in the States while it is 7.3% in Sweden. Among other reasons, Sweden has a much lower poverty rate because, similar to other Northern European countries, she has a strong safety net -- job training and effective unemployment benefits, strong support for free education beyond the secondary level, and both paternity and maternity leave, all of which enable families to keep good jobs and thrive. According to OEDC statistics, Sweden commits 28.4% of its GDP to social expenditures, compared to 16.1% for the States. In Sweden, taxes and other transfers of wealth reduce the poverty rate by 18.1%, while in the States the poverty rate is reduced by 9.7%. In this respect, Sweden is more Christian.

One consequence of this is that inequality in Sweden is much lower than in the States. For example, according to CIA figures, the Gini index for Sweden in 2005 was 23, and for the States in 2007, it was 45. A Gini index of zero is perfect income equality, all receiving the same income, while an index of 100 means one person receives all income. The Gini index for the States is double that of Sweden, indicating a high degree of inequality as compared to Sweden. In fact, among the 34 OEDC countries, only Mexico, Turkey, and Chile, have rates of income inequality higher than the States after taxes and transfers.

Along these lines, according to statistics developed by the OEDC, measuring international aid as a percentage of national income, Sweden was highest in the world in 2011, holding that rank for five of the preceding 10 years. In 2012 Sweden was ranked second in the world, giving 0.99% of her national income to international aid. Luxembourg was first at 1.00%. In 2012, the United States gave 0.2% of her national income to international aid, "far less than most contributing countries." Other studies have reached similar conclusions.

5. Jesus healed the sick, delivered the oppressed of evil spirits, and empowered his disciples to do the same. Some believers in the States practice healing and deliverance. Many, however, do not. I will say more on healing and deliverance subsequently, but as can be seen in Christ, healing is God's intent for all humanity. The normal way God heals is through the body's natural healing processes as well as by the practice of medicine. Given the fact that Jesus healed all who came to him without regard to whether they could or could not pay for his services, without asking any of them whether they deserved or did not deserve to be healed, without worry as to whether this blessing would make them shiftless or lazy, one would think that American Christians would welcome all efforts to strengthen health care in this country. This is certainly the case in Sweden which provides universal medical care for its citizens. Such is not the case in America, however. The Republican Party, with the support of evangelical Christians, fought tooth and nail against any national health care. When they were defeated by the Democrats under President Obama, the lobbying was so intense, costing hundreds of millions of dollars, that the resulting hodgepodge still left millions without health insurance, and since the goal of the lobbying was to make money for insurance companies, pharmaceuticals, and others, health care in the States costs far, far more than virtually any country on earth with significantly poorer results. In 2011, Americans spent $8,508 per person on health care, comprising 17.7% of GDP, while the Swedish spent $3, 925 per person, comprising 9.5% of GDP. In fact, medical spending per person is at least 50% higher in America than any of the other OEDC countries. In many respects, the goal of American health care is not health care, but profits.

And what is the result? Studies vary, but America is always behind Sweden and most other developed countries in the quality of her health care. Of course, America has some of the finest health care in the world for those who can afford it. But lacking a coherent approach to health care for rich and poor alike, she lags behind many other developed nations. For example, a recent study of seven so-called advanced countries places the United States last in health care effectiveness with the Netherlands being first. A 2002 study by the World Health Organization placed the United States 38th in overall health while Sweden was 23rd. Additional studies point to similar conclusions.

Other statistics lead to similar results. In recent years, 2005-10, the infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births in Sweden was 2.56, ranking fourth in the world, while the United States ranked 34th at 5.4. Another indicative index: life expectancy in Sweden is 83 years, 9th in the world, while the States is 34th at 79.8.

According to many in the States, compassion for the poor and sick should be exercised privately, by individuals, churches, and philanthropic institutions. Whether it is best to adopt a private or a public approach to poverty and health care is not the issue being addressed in this essay. The point here is that the non-believers of Sweden are far more "Christian" in their giving, seen in their willingness to pay higher taxes for medical care and the poor, than the Christian majority in the States who help the needy by their taxes and individual giving. This is not to deny the good done by local churches with their programs to fight poverty and Christian hospitals that treat the sick (many of which have now become privatized and for-profit), but simply to point out that, in the aggregate, Christians in the States do not compare favorably with some of their secular counterparts elsewhere.

There is, however, one area where a Christian concern for life should manifest itself quite strongly. Many, many Christians in America -- Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Pentecostals -- believe that abortion is wrong. One would expect, therefore, given that Christians represent such a high percentage of the American population, that abortion rates in the United States would be quite low compared to countries such as Sweden where there is less religious objection to abortion. As of 1996, the average number of abortions for a woman in the States over her life time was 0.69, while in Sweden it was 0.56. Many factors bring a woman to have an abortion, but among those factors, at least in America, financial insecurity is by far the most common reason cited by three-fourths of all women who had abortions. Economic insecurity reflects the fact that America, compared to Sweden, lacks a strong safety net, does not have significant maternity and paternity leave, and has adopted policies that route wealth to owners rather than workers.

Why is it that Americans, including American Christians, as compared to the people of Sweden, are so unwilling to meet basic human needs? There are many reasons for this, but one powerful reason is an ideological transformation that swept the West, starting some five-hundred years ago.

About five centuries ago, capitalism began to take form in the West, profoundly changing our understanding of economic life. What had once been vices in the medieval period, such as lending money at interest, taking profits above that of a moderate wage, amassing great wealth, profiting off those made vulnerable by economic downturns, and much, much more, led to an economic order that requires continuous, ever-expanding production, ever more resources and ever cheaper labor. This led to the laying waste of the environment, endless wars to secure resources, and the exploitation of workers throughout the world. As this economic order emerged, it was argued that helping the poor only hurt them, allowing them to become lazy and shiftless, or even worse, if fed, they would multiply up to the limit of the food supply. The allure of this economic system was and is unlimited wealth, the very prize the devil offered Jesus in the third temptation (Matthew 4:8). This ideological perspective justified terrible exploitation in the early phases of capitalism, and although the abuse has been tamed somewhat by legislation, it is a continuous threat, a threat that has worsened in the States in recent decades.

After an initial resistance to the ideology and practice of capitalism, citing Scripture and over 1500 years of Christian economic teaching, the churches gave in to this godless system to such an extent that its unchristian roots are now invisible to most Christians. As a result, many American Christians, at least in comparison to the people of Sweden, support policies that make life difficult for the poor, including the working poor. It is thought that helping the poor will make them lazy and dependent, allowing them to reproduce without producing anything except themselves. There are, of course, some poor, and rich as well, who are lazy, but many more simply need good jobs and decent opportunities. The ruthless ideology of capitalism, believed by Christians and non-Christians alike, is one of the reasons poverty is so pervasive in America.

6. Jesus was a man of peace, proclaimed peace, and secured peace with God by his atoning death and mighty resurrection. At his birth the angels and the heavenly hosts proclaimed, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" (Luke 2:14) He taught his disciples to turn the other cheek, to go the second mile, and to pray for their enemies. When he sent his disciples out to preach, heal, and cast out demons, he commanded them, upon entering a house, to say, "Peace be to this house!" (Luke 10:5) When Peter was preaching the gospel to Cornelius and his household, he described the word that God sent to Israel as the "good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all) ..." (Acts 10:36). Paul's salutation at the beginning of his letters speaks of peace, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 1:7).

The biblical word "peace" means more than the absence of war. It means wholesome relations with God and among people. It entails the meeting of all fundamental needs, and it includes the well-being of the natural world. Of course, the peace of Christ is utterly antithetical to war. In fact, the kingdom of Christ, the one he died for, cannot be gained by war. When Jesus was brought before Pilate, he spoke these words, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world" (John 18:36). How then, do Sweden and America compare in regard to the profound biblical value of peace?

Both Sweden and the United States, like countries everywhere, took form through violent conquests. Sweden established herself as an imperial power in the 17th century by conquering neighboring countries. By the 18th century, however, she had lost most of these conquered territories. Her last invasion of another country was in 1814 in which she invaded Norway. Although, she possessed the military technology to invade, conquer, and exploit the non-European world, she did not, to any significant degree, participate in the imperial conquest of the world as did other European powers beginning in the 17th century.

By contrast, after the revolution against England, Americans began a merciless conquest of the North American continent which involved the slaughter of Indians and the confiscation of their lands, the enslavement of large numbers of Africans, the conquest and confiscation of one-half of Mexico, a bloody civil war in the States, the defeat of Spain and the occupation of some of her territories such as Puerto Rico, the suppression of a rebellion against U.S rule in the former Spanish colony of the Philippians, the penetration of sectors of the world by American capital followed by the toppling of governments inimical to U.S. business interests, the establishment of a world-wide system of military bases, a horrific war in Vietnam, and finally, as one can readily see, this violent history continues in that America is either at war, recovering from a recent war, or gearing up for the next one. In a sinful and violent world, some wars are justified such as World War II, but by and large, much of this violent history was and is motivated by the desire for land, resources, and profit (now termed "national security"), and further abetted by political rhetoric in which elections can be won by stirring up fear while sounding the drums of war. The second term of President George W. Bush is an example of this, and the warfare continues under President Obama.

As a consequence, American military spending as a percent of GDP is much higher than it is in Sweden. In 2012, America spent 4.4% of her GDP on the military as compared to Sweden's 1.2%. Actually, this figure for the States is far too low since the number used for U.S. spending in 2012 was the "defense" budget figure of 640 billion. As is the case with other yearly defense budgets, the official defense budget for 2012 did not include significant military spending for such things as veterans' affairs, interest on the military incurred debt, as well as the financing of the two recent wars which by June of 2011 had cost some 3.7 trillion dollars. When these factors are taken into consideration, the 2011 military spending was about 1.2 trillion dollars, representing an enormous loss to quality of life in America, to say nothing of the horror that war entails. I think of the words of Jesus, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21).

By virtue of the incarnation, qualities that contribute to human life, such as health care, meaningful work with a living wage, freedom from oppression and war, and mutual concern among persons, reflect Christian values, creating conditions where human life can flourish. These values can be seen in the quality of life index, an index which "links the results of subjective life-satisfaction surveys to the objective determinants of quality of life across countries along with a forward-looking element." In this regard, the United States ranks 18th in the world, while Sweden ranks 4th. It is significant that the five countries with the highest quality of life index are countries where, as compared to America, weekly church attendance is quite low. These top five countries with their statistics for attendance are: Switzerland, 16%, Australia, 16%, Norway, 5%, Sweden, 4%, and Denmark, 5%. In light of these considerations, the argument could virtually be made that quality of life correlates inversely with religious commitment.

7. Jesus knew the Scriptures. His heart was saturated with the images and words of God's revelation. He taught his disciples to turn to Scripture, to listen to his words, and to avoid all images and words that tempt the soul to sin. In regard to the words, images, narratives, and ideologies that enter the heart, feed the soul, and motivate to action, we are not surrounded, as was the case in the Medieval period, by sights and sounds that reflect the biblical revelation. No, the world in which we live is saturated with pagan images of mass advertisement and mindless entertainment that infect the heart and mind, as well as lies and half-truths continuously promoted by those seeking power and influence. And further, there was doubtless a time when parents, tribe, or village educated their children. By contrast, the public educational system, from grade school to the university, is secular, if not openly hostile to the Christian faith. At the same time, although some children learn something of God and goodness from their parents, the church, or elsewhere, this influence is often corrupted by violent and sexualized entertainment and hedonistic advertising that provide the words, images, narratives, and ideologies that the young absorb into their hearts and souls from infancy onward. Except for a very few, all children in the States drink daily from this poisoned well.

I do not know how Sweden compares in this regard. Its public space is probably not as saturated with evil words and images as is the States. My daughter has spent several years living in England, and she tells me that England is not nearly as saturated with violent words and images as is the case here. Be that as it may, at the level of public discourse, America has given herself over to Satan, his lies, his ideologies, and his insinuations. The corruption is endemic, filling the hearts and minds of millions of Americans.

8. Finally, of supreme importance, Jesus gave up his life in sacrifice to reconcile us to God and each other, to atone for sin, and to usher in the new world of the kingdom by his mighty resurrection. The correlate to this in human affairs is that ultimately nothing gets done without sacrifice. After years of experience with churches, I have come to the conclusion that most churches proclaim God's favor for those who believe, and only weakly develop programs which reflect justice and mercy. For example, there will be the yearly drive to bring canned food to give to the poor, or a call to provide bedding for families who use the church for a week as a place to sleep, or a youth trip to Mexico to build a house, or a highway cleanup once a year, or a walk to raise money for the hungry abroad. All these things have effects to the good, but much deeper sacrifices are required if we are to address the problems that confront us.

Even more, the individualistic gospel, the idea that having faith means God will meet our daily needs and bless us, is rampant in the churches. Yes, Jesus blesses people, but he does so through his body the church, and that entails sacrifice on the part of believers. The Chalcedonian definition of Christ as one person with two natures implies that God's grace always involves a human component. When churches leave out this corporate understanding of salvation, they subtly if not overtly, open the door to the idea that people are poor and oppressed because they do not believe and have faith.

If, however, a nation scarcely believes in God, and if as common sense will tell you, our actions do affect others, then those with a Christian heritage such as Sweden will not expect to make much headway against suffering unless people do something about it. In other words, magical ideas about God resolving problems without human involvement, the involvement of the cross, will undermine the need to be our brother's keeper.

Comparing countries by any one statistic may not always be valid since definitions of the relevant factors may vary from country to country, or the data may not always be accurate. However, general ideas can be formed by the convergence of many statistics as gathered here. In light of the foregoing it can be seen that Sweden, though ostensibly not as religious as America in terms of individuals, is significantly more Christian in many aspects of its public life.

In a real sense the law of the jungle afflicts all aspects of American life, and further, and here I speak from many years of observation, American Christians, by and large, support the gods of Mammon (riches) and Mars (war) in America. Venus (sex) and Caesar (the state) are two other gods that reign in America, so that America's true religion, the one she actually practices, is a syncretistic fusion of elements of the Christian past with a passion for wealth, war, good sex with a beautiful body, and the celebration of America's greatness. For a number of Christians, the problem in America is secularism. But that is not the real problem. That moniker hides the real problem. The real problem is paganism, infecting every aspect of corporate and individual existence, including the church.

I have lived in other countries, and compared to many other places, and to life as most people have lived it for millennia, life in the States is a blessing, but this is due in part because America's gods have, up to this point anyway, done well by America. It has, however, been assumed by many that America is blessed because she is a righteous, Christian nation. This, to my mind, has some truth in it. After having lived in Spanish-speaking countries with a Roman Catholic cultural inheritance, I am convinced that North American Protestantism has contributed to America's well-being. For example, Protestants locate ecclesial authority in the whole body of believers, while Rome emphasizes the absolute power of the pope, and this has contributed to a stronger sense of democracy and equality in Protestant countries. Or, Protestants have a stronger sense of the gospel over against the church itself, and this has contributed to preaching the gospel and the demands of a holy life, rather than preaching loyalty to the church and its dictates. These Protestants values have, in my view, contributed in part to America's well-being. At the same time, however, Americans worship other gods, and apart from repentance, their true nature will become increasingly clear as time goes forward.

Unlike America, however, Sweden has maintained her historic state church, the Lutheran Church of Sweden. Some 66% of the citizens of Sweden belong to the state church, and taxes help support the state church. Many Swedes christen their children at birth as part of their national religious inheritance. Since 1996, only the baptized belong to the church. Prior to that, if one parent was a member of the state church, the children were also members and church membership was much higher. This is a cultural "Christianity" since only 18% of Swedes believe there is a God.

The founders of America, however, did not establish a national church. When the Western church fragmented in the sixteenth century, the various religious parties attempted to use the state to impose their version of Christianity, each believing that they were the true church. The result was over a century of brutal religious wars, finally leaving the various nations to impose their respective versions of Christianity on their inhabitants. Rather than fight over which version of the Christian faith would be imposed by state force, America's founders decided not to form a state church as proclaimed by the first amendment. In fact, they could not have believed that America could politically impose a general Christianity since neither they nor their immediate forebears could agree on who among the many Christian bodies were the true Christians, nor could they agree on which version of Christianity was actually Christian. The result has been a proliferation of religious groups of all kinds in America without any unifying religious vision.

Furthermore, unlike Sweden, America became a nation of immigrants and conquered peoples, and given this great cultural, racial, and religious diversity, it has been difficult to implement her original vision of equality for all. There is, for example, reluctance on the part of many to promote policies such as universal health care, a more equitable distribution of wealth, and a more just penal system, as this would benefit those of a different race, class and religious affiliation. Sweden, however, with her more homogenous population and guided by cultural norms inherited from Christianity and implemented politically, has established justice and mercy in her national life to a greater extent than has the United States. In other words, it is possible for non-Christians to have a strong Christian culture, and for Christians to live in and promote a weaker version of a Christian culture.

To summarize the matter, as Scripture teaches, the world belongs to Satan, and this applies to all countries including the United States. Even so, not all cultures are equal, and some cultures reflect Christian values more closely than others. In comparison to Sweden, Americans honor God with their worship, teaching, and evangelism. Swedes do not ostensibly honor God with worship and evangelism to the same degree, but their culture reflects a significant degree of Christian mercy and justice as compared to America. In reference to America, the words of Jesus hold true, "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." (Mark 7:6-7).

In light of the foregoing, American Christians are losing the culture war because they, in many respects, actively support the enemy's subversion of American culture, especially in regard to Mars, Mammon, and the glorification of the nation. This is only to be expected since the world belongs to the evil one, and further, as Scripture clearly teaches, sin affects all areas of life and all people, Christians and non-Christians, and unless repentance takes place, it will continue to reign.

Having described the inroads of sin and death in our corporate life, our next step is to describe the territory conquered by Christ Jesus and to make some suggestions as to how the church can participate in this conquest and how this might affect the culture.

The Lord Jesus has reconciled us to God and each other, founded an eternal kingdom which encompasses all areas of life, and in the process, conquered the world, the flesh, and the devil. Since this kingdom embraces all of life, it has immediate relevance, not only to the church, but to culture as well. However, having said this, I would recommend that Christians, at the present moment, concentrate on building up Christ's kingdom in the church, and in that context, work toward strengthening the common life of the nation. I say this for several reasons.

First, Jesus very clearly stated, "How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye" (Luke 6:42). It is utter hypocrisy for American Christians to be so avidly involved in the culture war when our churches are in such profound disarray and Christians lead such worldly lives. Why are so many Christians, conservative and liberal, so focused on the evils or glories of American culture and so inattentive to the shame of the church? Tragically, for many Christians, the United States is their real homeland, the universal society they dearly love. But America is not our home. Our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20), and we are commanded by Christ himself to attend to the outpost of heaven on earth, that is, the church. Consider this statement, written by an evangelical Christian who studies the life of the churches in America.

In virtually every study we conduct, representing thousands of interviews each year, born-again Christians fail to display much attitudinal or behavioral evidence of transformed lives. For instance, based on one study released in 2007, we found that most of the lifestyle activities of born-again Christians were statistically equivalent to those of non-born-agains. When asked to identify their activities over the last thirty days, born again believers were just as likely to bet or gamble, to visit a pornographic website, to take something that did not belong to them, to consult a medium or psychic, to physically fight or abuse someone, to have consumed enough alcohol to be considered legally drunk, to have used an illegal non-prescription drug, to have said something to someone that was not true, to have gotten back at someone for something that he or she did, or to have said something behind another person's back.

No difference.

"For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; ..." (I Peter 4:17).

A second reason for focusing on the church is that we are now some two centuries into a new era of the Christian faith. Starting in the fourth century with Constantine and lasting until the Reformation, Christians in the West formed a Christian culture and, among other things, imposed it by the force of law. That grand experiment is coming to an end. It began to collapse with the dissolution of the Western Church in the sixteenth century. When there was one church, when everyone was Christian by birth, one could impose Christian laws without violating the gospel. One could, as did the Puritans, impose the death penalty for such things as witchcraft, blasphemy, murder, sodomy, adultery, kidnapping, possessing an idol, and worshipping another god. They could do this because all considered themselves Christian, and passing laws to uphold that faith was seen as consonant with the gospel. The imposition of "Christian" law on America, however, will destroy the gospel because many people are not really Christians, and even among those who are, there is no unity on what laws should be applied politically. However applied, Christian moral norms will be seen by many as imposed upon them by law backed up by force. The gospel is not promoted by force, but by acts of sacrificial love in which Christians love others including non-Christians. When non-Christians see the so-called Christian agenda being imposed by the political process, they will, and some already have, lose sight of the gospel. There is, especially among the young, the perception that Christians are too political as they seek to use the state to impose their way of life on others. As one thirty-two year old expressed the matter, "Twenty years ago when I was looking at evangelical Christianity from the inside, it seemed like a movement bursting with energy to spread the good news to people. Looking at it from the outside today, this message seems to have been lost in exchange for an aggressive political strategy that demonizes segments of society."

Third, summer before last I attended a church service in early July which fused Christian worship with America's political vision of freedom as celebrated on July fourth. Such syncretism violates what I consider to be one of the great gifts of Christianity to the world, a gift that led our country's founders to make a distinction between church and state. As previously noted, when Christ was brought before Pilate, he stated that his kingdom was not of this world, and therefore, his followers would not fight. Jesus also said, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (Mark 12:17). Among all the authorities of this world, there is one that reigns supreme -- an allegiance to God the Father of Jesus Christ -- and this means a lesser allegiance to any other worldly power. This implies that there is something about us, something very precious and important, that cannot be dictated by the state. This recognition undergirds the founders' distinction between church and state, as well as the first amendment and other amendments which limit the power of the state. By contrast, when Mohammed's movement encountered opposition, he went to war, and this method of extending Islam is accepted by some Muslims even to this day. If a kingdom is of this world, and if it is to survive, there is no other choice but to fight. In this regard, America is a kingdom of this world and not the kingdom of God because she fights to preserve and extend her rule. But the Christian kingdom is not of this world, and the citizens of America, whose founders conserved this great gift by making a distinction between church and state, obscure and defile the gift by syncretistic worship and power politics in the name of Christ. As will be seen shortly, I am in favor of Christians being involved politically with certain caveats, but not with the expectation that they are going to build a divinely sanctioned political order on earth as some have recently presumed.

Fourth, many Christians define themselves, not just by faith in the Lord Jesus and his kingdom, but also by their particular "Christian" political perspective. For example, the Episcopal Church emphasizes the millennium goals and favors abortion and same-sex marriage. When they speak of evangelism, this is often what they have in mind. Others define themselves as Christians by their political opposition to abortion or gay marriage. These pastors preach this political "gospel" from the pulpit, cementing their status in their conservative community. In my view, the church, for her own internal life, is called to implement important aspects of the millennium goals, to affirm marriage between one man and one woman, and further, except in extreme circumstances, to help a woman to bring her baby to term. In defining themselves by devotion to a particular political program, however, Christians mix their allegiance to Christ with elements of this world, and further, emphasize politics to the neglect of building up the kingdom in the church.

From what I can tell, there is nothing in the New Testament calling Christians to be involved politically. We are called to honor the emperor, pray for the state, and if it becomes a demonic state by claiming our ultimate allegiance (Revelation 13), we are called to resist. Having said that, we live in a country where all are expected to vote and participate in the political process. This is one of the blessings of living in the United States, and I believe Christians need to be involved politically. Further, God calls some Christians to hold political office and the Christian faith can guide their political service. Christian political leaders, however, serve best when they serve the common good, rather than seeking to impose a particular moral norm which may do more harm than good. Of course, certain moral norms must be adopted and enforced by the state. Other moral norms, however, belong to the particular churches.

In regard to public life, it would be good if Christians would shed their ideologies, their quest for moral purity in social matters, their legal, biblical agenda, and work for justice and mercy, qualities that most people can recognize when they see them. People need jobs that pay a living wage. They do not need to be demonized as parasites. The penal system is unjust and needs reform. The economic system is terribly unjust, and the princes of the corporate state make millions while millions can scarcely find a decent job. Even worse, reckless speculation and selling of fraudulent securities have plunged our country into the worst depression since the great depression, and the perpetuators of these crimes have not gone to jail. Justice requires that something be done about this. Presumably, in a democracy, everyone has an equal share in determining the outcome of legislation. It is a gross miscarriage of justice that lobbyists, representing, not the interests of the many, but the few, have such a powerful hold on America's political life. It should be obvious that our present political process has been purchased by big money, and it is shameful that so many Christians promote Mammon rather than the common good. We are destroying the environment, and it is a severe injustice to leave future generations with the chaos that will ensue.

I personally believe that it is God's perfect will that there be no war and that babies be carried to term, but in a sinful and imperfect world, these ideals can never be fully implemented. Almost no one thinks war should be illegal for Americans. Given that, and given that war is not God's perfect will, why not make the effort to discern between necessary and unnecessary wars, between wars that defend our country and wars that exhaust our resources and rot us from within, rather than accepting war as the first response to danger? Why do so many in this country follow political leaders who exaggerate external and internal threats in order to get elected? Or, abortion, like war, may not be God's perfect will, but does that imply that making it illegal should be the first and only response? Why not show mercy by working to ensure adequate salaries for families, decent prenatal care at little or no cost, sex education and free contraceptives, and maternity leave? I am convinced this would lower the abortion rate. Many would reject this approach, fearing that free contraception and sex education encourage promiscuity. The state, however, has to attend to all its citizens, moral and immoral alike, and its methods, birth control and sex education, are not the methods of the church. The church can teach birth control if she wishes, but she also conveys the grace of God and the spiritual power to lead a holy life. That is not the state's job.

Expecting the state to uphold certain Christian ideals is simply unrealistic. In fact, as history shows us, imposing certain Christian norms (prohibition, for example) on an unconverted populace can sometimes do more harm than good. No one, for example, seriously advocates making fornication illegal, although, biblically speaking, it is a sin, and if criminalized, might lower the abortion rate. Scripture clearly teaches we must worship God, but no one expects the government to pass an Act of Uniformity (1559) as did Queen Elizabeth, commanding her subjects to worship in the state church. Drunkenness is a sin, but we don't arrest people for getting drunk in bars, although we do arrest them for driving while drunk.

Furthermore, the state lacks the resources to make people truly moral. Those resources are found in the church, not the state. Consider these differences: The American state was founded by bloodshed and rebellion, the church by the lamb of God who died that others may live; the national anthem celebrates bombs bursting in air, the hymns of the church celebrate a baby in a manger; the country celebrates Independence Day and the goal of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; the church celebrates the cross and resurrection which proclaim to the whole world that only by denying one's life can one truly live. And if the church, with all her spiritual resources, and in stark contrast to the state, is unable to implement the laws of God, how can we expect the state to do what the church has hardly ever done?

WINNING THE CULTURE WARS

Now, having said the foregoing, what steps do we need to take to build up and strengthen our churches? To address this question, we must return to the person of Christ.

When we consider the work of Christ, it can be seen to fall into three categories -- his preaching and teaching, revelatory acts such as his baptism, his cleansing the temple, the Lord's Supper (reflecting his crucifixion and resurrection), and finally, his ministry, seen in such things as his associating with sinners, his feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and casting out evil spirits. All three aspects of the work of Christ are equally important, and the church carries out Christ's ministry through preaching and teaching, the sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion, and through ministry. When the three aspects of the work of Christ are carried out by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus reconciles believers to God and one another and creates reflections of his kingdom on earth. Most churches only emphasize one or at most two of Jesus' redemptive works, and this seriously weakens the effectiveness of the church. In light of this three-fold revelation, I will emphasize certain aspects of Christ's work, aspects that are lacking and badly needed, always remembering that all aspects need to be implemented together.

We need to strengthen Christian unity. This can be seen from some of the historical developments mentioned in the earlier parts of this essay. Our witness, our works, our ability to strengthen mercy and justice in the wider culture is profoundly weakened by our lack of unity. Ecumenical efforts have been underway for years and this is to the good. At the same time, however, at the local level, we need to take advantage of the great blessings found in the churches around us. As Christendom fell apart, each departing group, even if they left for good reasons, left something of value behind. I would recommend that Christian leaders spend time learning from other Christian bodies. Let those who have a weak appreciation of the sacraments and liturgy immerse themselves for a time in the beauty of liturgical worship. Let those who know little of healing and deliverance, find some healthy, sensible persons who practice these ministries and receive healing and deliverance. Let those who find themselves stifled by religious legalism, find some evangelicals and listen to their sermons on freedom in Christ, the great freedom proclaimed in the glorious doctrine of justification by faith. Once the leaders have done this, we can begin to build local churches which, given the freedom of religion we have in the states, will more fully encompass the breadth of the biblical revelation. I recommend that learning from other denominations become an important part of the ordination process and that it continue with clergy development. This will greatly strengthen our churches and our appreciation of the greater church.

A human being becomes fully human by virtue of a relationship to God the Father through the mediation of the Lord Jesus made real by the Spirit. That is what makes us human, and becoming human is a process. This process requires that all three aspects of Christ's redemptive work be made available by the local church. This entails not only the sacramental and evangelical aspects, but personal ministry, and in this connection, the catechumenate is absolutely vital. One of the greatest weaknesses of the church today is that the churches do not really practice the catechumenate in its fullness. As a result, and this is a terrible tragedy, so many Christians are essentially defenseless against the world, the flesh, and the devil.

The ancient catechumenate was composed of three aspects -- the teaching, the scrutines (self-examination), and the exorcisms. As is well known, it took place over a period of months prior to baptism. This process is best done with the aid of others, those trained in deliverance, counsel, and spiritual growth. At its best, the process entails the following interactive aspects which incorporate self-examination and deliverance: 1. Active listening 2. Forgiveness of others 3. Confession of sins, forgiveness, repentance and restitution 4. Placing wounds upon Christ (Isaiah 53) 5. Deliverance from evil spirits 6. Praying for the strengthening of the Holy Spirit and the calling forth of a person's gifts for ministry. The process of forgiveness, healing, and deliverance usually takes months in its initial stages, and once begun, is a life-long process with varying intensity. Furthermore, it needs to take place in the wider context of Christian growth in Christ -- worship, sacraments, teaching and preaching, fellowship, and a commitment to ministry.

The Roman Church has developed the full three-part catechumenate. The Anglican Church in America has recently published a new catechism which promotes the teaching aspect of the catechumenate, but as far as I know, has not given sustained attention to the scrutinies and deliverance from evil spirits. Other churches are obsessed by deliverance but lack the stability given by orthodox teaching and sacraments. The churches of the Reformation, emphasize Word and Sacraments, but not the exorcisms and healings found in the ministry of Jesus. Apart from the scrutinies and exorcisms, Word and Sacrament are often significantly weakened. To quote Jesus, "The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved" (Luke 8:12). All aspects of the ministry of Jesus are needed for the life of the church.

Further, the process of the catechumenate destroys false securities, and two of the most prevalent false securities in America are the all-powerful, military state and the security of one's class or race. The glorification of the state or anything else is a sin. All glory belongs to God, and because he is just, he will bring to judgment those nations that think too highly of themselves. Racial and class prejudices are a sin, and can be confessed and forgiven, and the hate, envy, and contempt that gives them life can be cast out in the name of Jesus. The process of confession, forgiveness, and cleansing enables the rich and the high born to experience their utter poverty and low estate before God, and that same process convinces the poor and despised that they are rich in the glory of God and heirs of their Father's kingdom. These realities will make reconciliation across political, class, and racial lines possible. Then the words of Jesus will come true, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). More could be said on this vital topic, but since I have described the biblical, theological, and pastoral aspects of the catechumenate elsewhere, I will end this section with only one comment.

All Christians need to enter into the catechumenate -- not a halfway process, not just a few retreats, not simply discussions of Christian truths on a weekly basis, not just an altar call and a verbal commitment, but the full catechumenate comprising all its elements. Receiving counsel, ministry, forgiveness and deliverance are not just the province of those who are broken and needy. The catechumenate is not a form of therapy so one can be well-adjusted and get one's needs met. Its life-long goal is a holy life, and when it comes to holiness, we are all miserable sinners and badly in need of a real reform. The reason born-again Christians are so worldly is that they have not received adequate spiritual formation. As a first step, I would recommend that all Christian leaders enter fully into the catechumenate, and that the laity be called into the process as well. It needs to belong to the culture of every local church. The fact that it is not, to my mind, is perhaps the greatest weakness in the churches today.

As persons enter into Christ, as they learn to receive love from God and each other, they will be empowered to love others, and this means meeting basic human needs. One such need is the need for a decent job. Our economy is not providing enough jobs so that all men and women can raise and adequately care for their children. Christian entrepreneurs are called to set up businesses and other enterprises that provide a living wage and where workers have a part in how profits are apportioned. Paul said, "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. (2 Thessalonians 3:10), but I have known a goodly number of poor people who would love to work at a decent paying, stable job. It is wrong for Christians to live with so little economic security, and not just Christians, everyone can benefit from enterprises that give workers a just share of the profits. The writer of James has this to say, "Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts" (James 5:4). Local churches can address this vital issue locally, especially if the church crosses class lines. It can be done and it has been done.

In light of the foregoing, we need gospel teaching and preaching that calls us to the cross. Simply put, the therapeutic gospel and the prosperity gospel are heresy. We do not need this in our churches. God does heal, bless, and save, and he does so because he is merciful. But that is not our primary goal. Our goal is discipleship, obedience, walking in the footsteps of the crucified. That requires a form of healing and blessing, but not prosperity as the world understands it. It doesn't mean our needs will be met, or that things will go well, or that we won't have to suffer. We need gospel preaching directed straight at us, and not at others, calling for repentance and the formation of a body of believers willing to suffer for mercy and justice. When Jesus began his ministry he proclaimed, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). We need to repent, and the sins that afflict us are manifold -- not putting the Lord Jesus above all other loyalties, being unwilling to make sacrifices for the sake of our families, church, and community, ignoring aspects of the biblical revelation that don't conform to our way of being a Christian, failing to receive healing and deliverance in order to follow Christ more faithfully, lacking openness to the power of the Holy Spirit, seeking excessive wealth and power, judging ourselves and others harshly, to say nothing of the "normal" human sins such as the ones described above by the evangelical Christian who studies the life of the churches in America. Only when sin is exposed, is it possible to receive the gospel -- the glory of the cross, the wonder of the resurrection, and the beauty of a transformed life in service to others. "Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance" (Luke 15:7).

Many other things could be said at this point, but readers doubtless have other good ideas on how to strengthen the church, and there are many effective churches that can help show us the way. My goal in this final section has been only to address the areas where the church seems to be especially weak. I will now end this essay with two examples of churches in action.

Years ago I entered a church that had an active catechumenate. They did not call it that, but their rector had discovered the power of Christ to heal, and he raised up a body of lay people who could minister the essential elements of a vital catechumenate. It was wonderful to enter such a dynamic church where people learned how to confess their sins to one another, receive prayer ministry from one another, and grow in grace with one another. In this church, there was also strong preaching and a beautiful liturgy, making it a wonderful place to give and receive the love of God. There was, however, a certain weakness -- a lack of concern for some of the social problems in the surrounding community.

While in seminary I worshiped and worked at the Church of the Savior in downtown Washington, D.C. This church had a profound effect on the culture of its neighborhood. The pastor challenged the church's members to listen for the call of God. If a person received a call to minister in a certain area of life, the validity of the call was discerned, and that person then issued the call to the rest of the congregation at a point in public worship. Those who wished to join that ministry did so, and together they formed a mission group which met weekly to pray together, study scripture, help each other follow Christ, and work together in their area of ministry. One such mission group pooled their resources, bought a slum apartment building, fixed it up, and rented it to low-income people at a fair price. They then started a worship service in the basement. Another such group worked with abandoned children in the D.C. area, enabling the District of Columbia to significantly improve their welfare system. Another group established a school, another a retreat center for spiritual growth, and others reached out into the neighborhood with ministries that shared the love of God. As far as the culture war was concerned, they were winning.

The first church I mentioned was weak in their social ministry, but the second church was not. The second church had a strong social ministry, yet I think their life would have been strengthened if they had had a mission group dedicated to healing and deliverance. We need ministries of all kinds, all of them reflecting the life of Christ, and if we win the war for the life of Christ in the church, we will, surely, inevitably, neighborhood by neighborhood, become the leaven in the loaf and the light upon the hill.

"No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62).

The Rev. Robert J. Sanders, Ph.D. is an Anglican theologian living in Jacksonville, Fl. He can be reached at rsanders.org@gmail.com