Recent discussion with various church attenders indicate that some are confused about what Christians should do in the world and in current society. Should we resist current trends and try to reverse them, or should we just “hunker down” and try to ride out the storm, knowing that biblical prophecy clearly shows we’re to expect the rise of Antichrist and that the world will go from bad to worse before the end comes?
I would argue that the Bible always teaches an active rather than passive role for believers, even in spite of its predictions of judgment. God told the Israelites to choose life, even while predicting a future apostasy and judgment. (Deut. 30:19). Daniel counseled Nebuchadnezzar to turn from sin, even while interpreting a dream the king had predicting his downfall (Dan. 4). Elijah prayed for a drought judgment, in order to bring Israel to its knees in repentance, even though their “repentance” wouldn’t be thorough or last long (see 1 Kings 17-21). Jesus told His disciples to pray, even knowing the prophecy that they would all fall away that very night (Mat. 26:31-41).
This is difficult for us to sort out, I will admit. Some Christians have argued with me over the years when I’ve urged them to be involved politically, saying things like, but pastor, the Bible says the world is evil, and we know it’s going to get worse in the last days. Why get involved in a vain battle we know we’re destined to lose?
To defend my argument, I not only point to the scriptural examples above, but to the practice of the human race over our long history. Consider the following:
God cursed the earth at the fall of Adam and Eve, making work difficult and promising that, by the sweat of their brow, they would eke out a living. Yet for thousands of years, we have sought to make our work easier and more productive. Was it wrong to develop methods of irrigation, to develop and use fertilizers, or to invent farm machines like harvesters? Why not rather take a passive approach and say, well, God cursed the earth and said work would be hard. That’s the way things are supposed to be, so why fight against it?
Instead, since the times of Cyrus McCormick, we’ve invented more and better harvesting machines and tractors, as well as processing machines for crops and textiles, better ways to harvest, process, ship, refrigerate, preserve, and otherwise improve our lives and make our work easier, more efficient, and more productive. Was all that wrong?
Why do we have glasses and cataract surgeries and the like to preserve or improve eyesight? Shouldn’t we just accept that the world is fallen and millions will have poor vision? Why invent air conditioning or electric lights? Shouldn’t we just accept that God set up the world to be hot or to have extended periods of darkness? Why resist God? Or is all this really resisting God?
Why do we have doctors, medicines, surgeries, vaccines and even hospitals? Shouldn’t we just accept sickness, disease and death as God’s ordinances? Why try to overcome disease or disability? Isn’t that going against the will of God?
Why pursue knowledge? Why have schools and higher education? Didn’t God make us ignorant children? Shouldn’t we stay that way?
I doubt that any reasonable person would fail to see the logic of my argument here. Very few people would ever say it would be better to not resist the status quo. Hardly anyone would say we’d be better off to take a passive stance regarding any of these struggles we face in life. No one would want to do away with all the improvements the human race has been able to develop over the millennia of our existence.
Even though the earth is cursed, even though there is evil in the world, even though there is a devil who fights against us, surely none of us would say, well, since all this is so, we should just accept it passively and not try to make life better. All human beings have been in agreement that it’s better for us to fight against the status quo to make things better. And I would add that, over the long history of the Christian Church, it has been Christians who have outdone all others in this fight. It was, after all, Christians who developed the first hospitals, knowing that Jesus healed sick people and commanded us to do the same. It was under Christianity that public education was first promoted, knowing that the truth would set us free, so people had to learn to read and acquire knowledge. It was under Christian influence that capitalism first developed, along with banking and insurance and freer systems of government.
Christianity has, since its inception, been a revolution against the status quo of existence on this pain-wracked, disease and death-wracked planet, for Jesus, our Founder, overcame the effects of disease, disability, and demon-possession. He even demonstrated His power over death and the grave and “brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.” (2 Tim. 1:10)
Someone has said that politics is just deciding who gets to set the rules. Civil governments are set up to bring civilization to the world, to protect peoples’ rights, to maintain peace and order. This being indisputably the case, how can Christians possibly say they shouldn’t be involved in government affairs or in politics?! We are commanded to “occupy” until Jesus comes. We are commanded to disciple or educate nations, to teach them what Jesus commands. We are to be the salt and light of this world, salt being what preserves and gives flavor and light being that which shows the way, provides guidance, and enables us to avoid dangers and things that could cause us to stumble.
Christians cannot afford to be passive. We are called to be activists, actively involved in the affairs of our communities, actively involved in the affairs of life. We’re commanded to pray for our governments, to pray as Elijah did, to effect change. We’re to proclaim the truth of God as it applies to all areas of life, including government, law, education, health care, sexuality, and economics. As we do that, we will influence the world for good and for God. We will exercise our office as priests and kings. We will be salt and light. If we don’t do our duty in these areas, if we take a passive approach, we’re actually ceding the field to the enemy of God, whose desire is to keep us in bondage, to hold back progress and freedom and prosperity.
No, Christians are not to be fatalistic or passive. We’re not to take biblical prophecy about the end times as a directive to just “hunker down” and let the devil and the Antichrist come and do what they will. That’s what he would want us to do. It’s not what God has commanded! As Christians, we’re to be activists for the right cause, the Cause of Christ. That Cause has always brought life and blessing to the world, and we must continue in that vein, in line with that legacy.