Jesus set an example of sacrificial service for the benefit of othersand commanded his disciples to take up their cross and follow him: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24 NIV). Jesus addressed specific issues related to institutions of society, such as family and government (Matthew 19:3-12; 22:15-22). He called on persons to live according to God’s standards. The Bible sets forth God’s standards for all aspects of human life—for individuals, families, churches, economies, and governments—and calls for people to strive to meet those standards. The Old Testamentrecords God’s will for the institutions of society. The prophets condemned greed and injustice because they violated God’s will. The prophets revealed God’s great displeasure with those who corrupted society, oppressed the poor, waged unjust war, and ignored the plight of the powerless. They called for efforts to root out wrong and establish right (Jeremiah 5:25-29; Hosea 6:6; Amos 5:21-24; Micah 6:6-8). They set a model for the “prophethood of the believer” that parallels the New Testament emphasis on the “priesthood of all believers.” The New Testamentrecords that the Christians in the earliest churches stressed God’s will for a just, humane, and moral social order. In a world where government officials often were corrupt, church leaders set forth God’s standard for officials to function for the good of citizens (Romans 13:1-7). At a time when many people, such as women and slaves, were treated as inferior, Christian leaders declared the equality of everyone in Christ (Galatians 3:28). The usual pattern of society to cater to the wealthy and ignore the poor was condemned by church leaders (James 2:1-9). Methods of Applying the Gospel Baptists have used a number of methods in applying the gospel to all of life. Some of these are designed to strengthen the basic institutions of the social order, such as family life, business, and government. Others address wrongs in society, such as injustice, corruption, and immorality. Baptist individualsstrengthen the social order by living in accord with the teachings of the Bible in daily life—in family, work, politics, church, and recreation—and by engaging in efforts to correct harmful conditions in these areas. Baptist churches, associations of churches, networks, and conventionsthrough various organized efforts strive to develop a more just and humane social order. Baptists believe that authentic evangelism coupled with discipleshipwill bring about positive social change. Social action in itself is not evangelism, and evangelism on its own is not social action. However, evangelism that results “...Andw the Lord r you? To a and to lov and towal with you Micah 6:
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