John 18:36-37 NLT “Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”
37 Pilate said, “So you are a king?” Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”
Jesus did not come to the world to change it. Judas thought that by getting Jesus arrested, he could force Jesus to engage with the political and mainstream religious order. Many modern-day Christians believe they are doing God’s work by trying to change the world by getting involved with the business of politics and social issues of the world.
Why did Jesus come to the world? Did HE come to change the world and its political structure and religious order? When Jesus was facing Pilate, HE had an opportunity to identify himself as God, and perhaps explain and persuade the governor that HE had come to save Israel and perhaps Rome. However, Jesus did no such thing, nor did HE try to save Himself from Pilate’s hand. Moreover, Jesus would have gone to Harold to change the mind of the governor, or to the high priest to change the nation of Israel.
Why did Jesus come to this world? Why did he come to this fallen world?
John 12:46 NLT “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in ME will no longer remain in the dark.”
What is God’s plan for this world if he does not want to change it? He had come to save His people
and not to change the world. The world belongs to Satan; God has not come to change the system of the world but to save His people. Then what will God do to this world?
Acts 17:31 NLT “For HE has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man HE has appointed, and HE proved to everyone who this is by raising Him from the dead.”
The center of the gospel is Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. The center of Christianity is not to change the world and create better morality for society so you can feel safe and have good schools for your children but to have all men draw onto Him through repentance. This world is fading and will be gone. There is a day coming when a new world is created for His people!
1 John 2:17 NLT “And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”
2 Peter 3:13 NLT “But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth HE has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.”
Do not hold anything too close that belongs to this world, including its ideology and morals. You must be ready to drop everything on notice. Do not get intertwined with the customs of this world. Do not be deceived, family.
Additional Comments:
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Romans 12:2 NLT
God wants you to change and not for you to change the world.
Senior Pastor Steve Kim
As Christians, we are to preach and live Christ crucified and in Him alone. We are not to elevate and use the gospel as a supplement to correct the customs, politics, social issues, and ideology of the world.