Does our society and culture flow downstream of our belief systems or do our belief systems change due to our culture?  I believe that the situation we find ourselves in currently is because there was a magnetic north-pole like shift in core orientation that began soon after the reformation and has continued through to today.  This shift was so fundamental as to very clearly change what people’s experience, expectations and history are.  The power of the Reformation was in pressing the Scriptures back into foundational authority, returning the place of Grace and Faith to Salvation, undoing some of the man-created processes that had taken center-stage in the church by the 1500’s, and at least initially, leveling the hierarchies that grew into place that was interested in maintaining the status quo.

But – with all the hope and seismic shifts that came from the Reformation, soon after, the foundations of how we got here today were being laid. Namely, with a healthy dose of calling individuals to experience grace through repentance and faith, entire societies in Europe and eventually in North America were on their way to becoming influenced heavily by a Christian Worldview.  However, as this seeming success took root, it laid the foundation for those to think that propagation of the Christian Worldview was largely through education, behavioral disciplines, knowledge, and the power of the will.  Mainly Christian communities functioned as social influence spheres to have people adopt a Christian Worldview.  There was an emphasis on standards of behavior, thought and morals that worked their way into common laws governing all of society. 

Realistically, this had happened before.  The rapid growth of the witness of Christians in the first 250-300 years following the launching of the Church at Pentecost had powerfully influenced societies, albeit in an “illegal” and persecuted status.  Christians had given their lives willingly for the Gospel.  They had been the only ones who had stayed behind during three major plagues to care for the sick and dying.  Christians were different.  Not motivated by power, money, influence, or selfish gain, Christians demonstrated a truly other-worldliness that people knew was connected to SOME sort of power beyond themselves.  The dependence on the Holy Spirit and His empowerment to face death, give all away, lose position, and still follow produced a power for living that was unusual, attractive and evangelical.  It truly was GOOD NEWS that God, in His mercy, sent the Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place and then send the Spirit to bring new life.  We still see this kind of activity anywhere in the World when persecution happens.  True, transformed followers of Christ display New Testament power, love, sacrifice, and trust in extraordinary ways daily.