Is the Gospel Message "Change the World?"

Has it really come to this point? One of two things have happened. Either the church and it's teachers have so let down their guard of the gospel message that Christians are no longer hearing the true gospel message, or the Chrisitans from these churches are either too blind or faithless to realize the lone thing that the gospel message tells Christians to do. Are we so vain that we think that our great God would leave "world-changing" up to mere humans? Here's a thought, let's leave the "world-changing" up to God Almighty. I am pretty sure He is more than capable.

I write this having encountered a Christian movement over the weekend whose justification for their actions is that they believe that through their actions they are going to "change the world." While that is a noble cause that deserves to be commended, what I found in some of these individuals is a level of judgment and dispicable behavior toward those who don't buy into their idea that their actions are going to change the world. When I pointed out that their backing for their relativly new belief system is not in line with scripture and dwells primarily in Old Covenant teaching, their arguments quicky dwindled and mixed into their diminishing pride I was confronted with a level of arrogance that was both new and odd to me.

So, over the weekend I have silently thought and dwelled in Scripture to find if Christ's gospel message, that which He gave His very Life for, was to "go change the world." I of course know the Great Commission (Matthew 28;18-20) but there is a school of Preterist thought out there who believes that the Great Commission was already fulfilled by those apostles to whom Christ was directly addressing. All that being said though, many who would hold that this passage is meant for those of us today can't get past the verb "GO" issued by Jesus Christ and instead change it to "STAY RIGHT HERE," or, in the worse case scenario, make sure you equip someone else to do it later. Not very world changing.

I could write for days on this topic but will stop here. We as Christians are not instructed to "go change the world," and if taken to the root, that is not the mission of many who claim that as their goal. Driven by either socio-political fears, socio-economic worries, or in the worse case scenario, out right fear, people manipulate the gospel to fit whatever cause it is their current non-gospel matching beliefs need. Sadly, when pressed, these indivduals rely solely on law to back their positions and the gospel and faith in a graceful and crucified Savior is diminished to a sidenote. We are instructed over and over by Christ and in the epistles to do one thing in order to please God - teach the gospel. How did the message change from teach repentance and forgivness of sins to "we gotta change the world?" I have my assumptions but will sit on those for this time. There is nothing Christian about changing the world. Can Christians change the world? Yes, if we get our fears, motives, and dogmas out of the way and allow Christ's gospel message to flow from us. The two greatest commandments as pointed out by Christ are love God, love neighbor. How do you intend to "change the world," when you have yet to even knock on your neighbors door to ask if they know the gospel? Let's leave the world changing up to God. Perhaps we will see more of it if we trust in what the gospel can do and stop trying to force God's hand by our own works.