JUSTICE, FAITH, AND HUMILITY (6 OF 12)
Justice, Faith, and Humility (6 of 12)
Series: Return and Seek: The Minor Prophets
Patrick Edwards
Micah
Introduction
Here, my dear Marcellinus, is the fulfillment of my promise, a book in which I have taken upon myself the task of defending the glorious City of God against those who prefer their own gods to the Founder of that City. I treat of it both as it exists in this world of time, a stranger among the ungodly, living by faith, and as it stands in the security of its everlasting seat. This security it now awaits in steadfast patience, until 'justice returns to judgment'; but it is to attain it hereafter in virtue of its ascendancy over its enemies, when the final victory is won and peace established. The task is long and arduous; but God is our helper, (Augustine).
These words preface Augustine seminal work, City of God, in which over the course of 1100 pages he defends the Christian faith against various attacks within the collapsing Roman Empire. Augustine employs the paradigm of two cities, the City of Man and the City of God, pointing forward to a citizenship that transcends worldly politics and will last for eternity. Of course, Augustine didn't invent this concept, but rather it's one we see running implicitly throughout Scripture, of God building His City in the Garden of Eden, humanity rebelling and seeking to establish their own city, with Christ the inauguration of the City of God, and now Christians living as citizens of that City while still dwelling in the city of man, anxiously awaiting the return of the King and the consummation of His kingdom.
In other words, though God alone is the one to establish His City and bring it to completion at some point in the future, as the people of God we are called to represent that City in the here and now, offering a picture to a lost and dying world of what the Kingdom of God looks like and inviting all around us to become citizens with us through faith in the Lord. And this isn't a callin ...
Series: Return and Seek: The Minor Prophets
Patrick Edwards
Micah
Introduction
Here, my dear Marcellinus, is the fulfillment of my promise, a book in which I have taken upon myself the task of defending the glorious City of God against those who prefer their own gods to the Founder of that City. I treat of it both as it exists in this world of time, a stranger among the ungodly, living by faith, and as it stands in the security of its everlasting seat. This security it now awaits in steadfast patience, until 'justice returns to judgment'; but it is to attain it hereafter in virtue of its ascendancy over its enemies, when the final victory is won and peace established. The task is long and arduous; but God is our helper, (Augustine).
These words preface Augustine seminal work, City of God, in which over the course of 1100 pages he defends the Christian faith against various attacks within the collapsing Roman Empire. Augustine employs the paradigm of two cities, the City of Man and the City of God, pointing forward to a citizenship that transcends worldly politics and will last for eternity. Of course, Augustine didn't invent this concept, but rather it's one we see running implicitly throughout Scripture, of God building His City in the Garden of Eden, humanity rebelling and seeking to establish their own city, with Christ the inauguration of the City of God, and now Christians living as citizens of that City while still dwelling in the city of man, anxiously awaiting the return of the King and the consummation of His kingdom.
In other words, though God alone is the one to establish His City and bring it to completion at some point in the future, as the people of God we are called to represent that City in the here and now, offering a picture to a lost and dying world of what the Kingdom of God looks like and inviting all around us to become citizens with us through faith in the Lord. And this isn't a callin ...
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