Can you stomach this?

How Strong is your Salvation? Terry Dashner (www.ffcba.org) It has been said that when the Nazis came to power in Germany the church was silent because the church opposed the same groups that the Nazis opposed. The Nazis came against the communist party and the church said nothing because they hated socialism as well. Next the Nazi party came against the Jews, and still the church did little to oppose the genocide. Then the Nazis turned against the church, but it was too late for the church to do anything. This begs the question. If the church is concerned only with individual salvations and "discipling" the inner struggles of the converted individual, what happens to the rest of the world? (Is the opposing world worth my efforts to help?) Or, should I ask, is my salvation strong enough to not only change my heart but change the society in which I live also? My concern is always and at all times--do I have merely salvation with an "escapist's attitude"--to hell with the rest of the world, at least I've got my "fire insurance"--or do I have the supernatural power of God working through me to exchange lust for respect for the opposite sex, to exchange racism for the love of all men, to exchange my weak theology--get saved and just wait around for Jesus to come--for a theology that gets people saved and spiritually equipped to change the society in which they live? In other words, is the salvation I claim powerful enough to reach the disenfranchised of this world, the dispossessed, and the marginalized of society with not only a ticket to heaven but the power of God to change their world for the better? I'm not advocating a social gospel. I'm advocating the Gospel of Jesus Christ that sets a man's heart free as well as his bondage to apathy, laziness, idleness, and pride. Or, as I understand the words of Paul to the young churches in Macedonia--stop meddling in the affairs of others, and get back to work so you can support your own families. That's still a good word, but not always welcomed advice today. Nevertheless it is true. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is strong enough to save the spirit, soul, and body of man--and even beyond that. Just a few words for thought--my bottom line is this. Salvation is important not only for the future but for the present as well. Keep the faith. Stay the course. And work the fields. Jesus told us to "occupy" until He comes again. Pastor T.