Zeitgeist: A spirit of our times

In philosophy there has been coined a German word "Zeitgeist": "a spirit of our times".  What that means is that everything is influenced by the culture of the age. For instance, if I had been born and reared in China, it's likely that I would be a Buddhist. If in India, a Hindu, but since I'm born in The United States, I am a Christian. However, culture changes with time!

If I had been born in 1600 Virginia (an Indian), I most likely would not have been a Christian, because except for a few interactions, indigent Americans had never heard the gospel! Some say that I'm merely a Christian because of "zeitgeist". Frankly, I can't argue with that! I am a Christian because I'm here where I am!

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV) "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

I wrote earlier that God already knows our name. Even more than that he had plans for each of us!  I am part of the plan. In his foreknowledge because God is omniscient, his purpose for me was that I was to be born in Kentucky, be raised by Christian parents and that I would become "born-again" in Clayton, Indiana when I was a teenager.  It is because of zeitgeist that I am a Christian in this age. My spirit is of my time! However, the "times" are not an outcome of culture, but culture is an outcome of God's plan! Given that, I am a Christian because of God, not because of my culture and era!  Let's take a look at when this plan was made:

 Genesis 18:18 "Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?"
Jeremiah 5:15 "Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the Lord: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say."

First off, because of God's Covenant with Abraham Europe became Christianized.  This happened because of the seed of Abraham. Jesus is his seed and all the world knows about Jesus. Most fail to worship him, but many do! It's because of the Abrahamic Covenant that I am a Christian! God's plan was that Abraham's seed (offspring) would make a mighty nation (Israel), but more so than that. The "most mighty nation" is the one to which I belong. It's "The Kingdom of God". I'm a Christian because I live in a nation that heard and followed Jesus, but that was part of God's plan!

"AND forasmuch as it shall be necessary for all such our loving Subject as shall inhabit within the said Precincts of Virginia aforesaid, to determine to live together in the Fear and true Worship of Almighty God, Christian Peace and Civil Quietness each with other, whereby every one may with more Safety, Pleasure and Profit enjoy that whereunto they shall attain with great Pain and Peril..."  (1609 Charter of Virginia, underlines mine)

Kentucky, where I was born WAS at one time Virginia. Indiana, where I was born-again at one time WAS Virginia.  America at one time WAS Virginia.  America was Christian because that's what it was founded to be. It was no accident. It was part of God's plan. As Jeremiah prophesied, I believe that the United States "is the nation from afar" and "whose language we knoweth not"! Jeremiah SAW in his visions a strange people way in the future. Perhaps he saw us!

Well, you might ask, "How did Christianity get to England. They must have been a product of their times!" The answer is simple: "Britain is Christian because apostles and their followers obeyed God!

Acts 1:8 (ESV) "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

God's Spirit lead disciples across the world. They preached first at home, then Europe and some even went to Britannia! (Thank you Lord, for that's why I'm a Christian today!).

I am a product of my times. So are you! Zeitgeist is half right. It gives credit to culture for making me, but in reality, that culture we have is all part of God's plan. It's God that gets the credit, not the random dispersion of the peoples! It wasn't chaos that made me a Christian. It was a well laid plan! To God goes the glory!