DON’T CHANGE THE WORLD!

I keep hearing Christians say, “Let’s change the world…” or “Let’s make the world a better place…” I think that initiative is actually counter to the gospel’s objective. Let me explain…

I’ve been checking in and watching the news all week. Tonight I heard students grieving over how this horrible and terrifying incident in Virginia has so disrupted their peace of mind. For those in their graduating year, this grim ordeal will be the final reminder of their University life.

I tried to envision what it was probably like before this all happened and how students would have preferred to end the year… some enjoying life as they pursued their dreams, some no doubt into partying and living life to the full. I imagine many students returned from a spring break filled with drunken revelry and immoral behavior prior to this incident… and I’m sure they were looking forward to more of it. But this terrible occasion as brought all that to an end for now, replaced by a season of grief and turmoil.

Just when things were going so well, this event has brought us back to reality. The reality that we live in a fallen, evil, and depraved world that is bound by the law of sin and death. There is no escaping it outside of Christ. For those of us who are in Christ, this should not come as a surprise. The world is still under the curse of death and disease due to the fallen nature of man. And it will remain that way until Christ returns!! Remeber Christian, “This is not our home! We are just visiting…” And this horrible tragedy has blown the theology of Dominionists out of the water. The world will not get better! It will progressively become worse until Christ returns! That has already been established through biblical prophecy…

2 Tim 3: 1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…

Doesn’t sound too nice does it.. it gets worse…

MATT 24:6b Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. 9″Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold…

Tragedy is a reminder of the fact that we must not put our faith in the kingdoms of this world. This world and all that is in the world is temporal, it will all pass away! For the unsaved, this is another opportunity to realize that something is terribly wrong with this world and with human nature. Death is a constant reminder that calls people to examine themselves and ask questions about what happens after all of this! Death is also a constant reminder that life in this world is temporary. As long as sinners are enjoying life, they will never stop to realize they are heading for eternal disaster.

Never has there been a time when people are pushing so hard for peace, but there is no peace. Chaos and destruction is unrelenting in a fallen world where the prince of darkness rules the air. Only in Christ can we escape it, but as long as we are in a physical body, we are still subject to the physical consequences set in motion by the fall of man. We have a hope that lies within us, and that is the hope that must be passed on to others. We must cease our attempts to change this world, and start rescuing lost souls out of it and into God’s world!

Jesus didn’t come to change this world… He came to do that which would enable us to be rescued out of this world.

For this world in its present form is passing away. 1 Corinthians 7:31b

As Christians, it is our duty to shine as the advocates of righteousness in a fallen world. But it’s not our calling to make this world righteous… and it's not our objective to make the world “a better place to live in.”

2 Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

It wasn’t God’s intention to make this present world righteous, but to one day destroy it and make a new world. It was never Christ’s goal to Christianize society and impose christian legislation on sinners in the hope they would behave right. He wants to change hearts, not our living conditions! Although I believe we must uphold justice and righteousness, we cannot enforce that and expect everything to just change. The New Testament pattern is clear…

Romans 1:16 …the gospel… is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes

The Great Commission is not this: “Go and change the world”
Nor is it this: “Make the world a better place”

The great commission is this: “Go and Preach the gospel…!”

Therefore, we must focus on changing hearts by saving souls. Changing the world is not our objectives to fulfill, nor was it in Jesus interest. When He came to the earth He was rejected by the Jews because they were expecting a Messiah that would save them from the Roman occupation and their earthly turmoil. But you won’t find any record of Jesus trying to change the social or political conditions in the Roman Empire. Jesus came to deliver us from a much greater dilema… the wages of sin. His is a spiritual Kingdom, He has no interest in the kingdoms of this world. And nor should we be surprised at the present darkness and evil that has befallen these kingdoms today. It is not our duty to Christianize or righteousize the world. Our instructions are to preach the gospel.

1 John 2:16 For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

If you want to see a change in society… win people to Christ. Lets entrust the fate of this present world to God and get back to the task of soul-winning!

Don’t change the world…

PREACH THE GOSPEL!

Rev Chris Curry
www.LivingWatersCanada.com