Are We Out To Change The World?

Answer: No*. Typically, this accusation is a knee-jerk reaction by believers who are fatalistic in their view of temporal matters. No matter what the circumstance, they see events solely through the lens of the providential decrees of God. While they may seek to nobly uphold God’s sovereignty, they leave little-to-no room for human volition and thus their view is similar to that of the primitive or medieval mind. Rather than being active participants in the drama of redemption (biblical position), they envision themselves as ‘balloons floating in the wind’ of history. Most often these individuals use Romans 13:1-7 as a ‘proof-text’ to support their passive attitude toward civic involvement and government. Due to a superficial reading of the NT and lack of knowledge, they fail to appreciate both the historical context of Paul’s statement (living under Roman imperial rule) as well as the course of religious and political history since the 1^st century. Both the Reformation and the Founding of America demonstrate that religious and political tyranny need not be the status quo. A careful reading of the NT will show that the Apostle Paul did not accept the status quo in a number of spheres, yet was reasonable in his level of expectation. As you study the life of the Apostle, ask yourself, “What is his expectation for this individual, this or that group?” Let me suggest the following:

The born-again believer (Change - imperative)

The local church (Change – high expectation)

Those who have “tasted” what is good—Heb.6:4 (Change – "confident" expectation)

Culture (Change – moderate expectation)

Government (Change - modest expectation)

Some students of prophecy interpret the period leading up to the Tribulation as having to be a bone-crushing, blood-stained period of brutal dictatorship and tyranny. They almost long to see evil-at-its-worse prevail, somehow believing that this condition might hasten the Return of Christ. This is mere speculation at best.

* Certainly there exist those who view Christendom as ushering in the Kingdom of God prior to the Return of Jesus Christ. But their eschatology is amillennial or postmillennial, not premillennial.

Are We Out To Change The World?

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