A City Within A City

Paul illustrates the idea of ‘a city within a city’ in Colossians (1:13-14), “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Saint Augustine, an early church fA ather, articulates it thoroughly in his work “City of God.” Augustine writes of two cities, the city of God and the city of Man. In both cities, there are the same existing institutions and practices (For instance, both cities have marriage, family, jobs, etc. Both cities practice sex, money, and power). However, Augustine argues that those things may exist in both cities, but the cities should be distinct and different in the purpose and observance of these institutions and practices. Christians are to exist within a counter-cultural community that models the alternate human society the Gospel creates, showing how through the gospel sex, money, and power are used in life-giving and non-destructive ways.

The Gospel redeems the way we view family and marriage; the way we handle sex, money, and power; the way we make decisions and set priorities; and the way we regard, death, time, culture, and government. Becoming a Christian changes the way one looks at everything—it means that EVERYTHING in our lives points to the Gospel. It means that the Gospel and truth of God will lead me to look at all my relationships, my family, my work in the world, my identity, my very existence—in a whole new Light.