by Jon Zens
Everywhere you turn there is a goal, a purpose that is set before believers time after time, after time. It is stated in many ways, but it goes something like this – “The church’s duty is to transform culture” – “The church is at fault for the culture being so bad” – “The church is not impacting culture the way it should” – “The church’s voice has been marginalized in the culture” – “If what the church is doing is not changing world cultures, it is not fulfilling the Great Commission.”
There is a huge assumption lying behind such assertions that needs to be scrutinized carefully. That assumption is: the Body of Christ in this present age is responsible to transform the culture around it.
The question must be asked, however, where did Christ or the apostles ever put such a goal on the necks of believers? Where is there any New Testament revelation about such a responsibility? If it is so important, surely it would stand out clearly in the New Testament. For all the talk about “transforming culture,” the New Testament is silent about the church accomplishing such an end.
To say that “changing culture” is not a goal of the Body of Christ does not change the fact that the Bride does affect society. But such an impact will be a by-product of the life of Christ coming to expression through believers. The believer does not wake up in the morning and say, “Lord, help me to make American culture more like You today.” No, he/she would instead ask, “Jesus, live Your life through me today and bring Your aroma wherever I go!” Christ promised to “build His ekklesia” all over the earth, not to make sinful cultures better places to live.
Does this mean that we pass by and ignore human needs? Not at all. Rodney Stark gave a powerful example in his book, The Rise of Christianity. In the second century there was a devastating plague they swept through an area. Most of the relatives, doctors and nurses fled to preserve their lives. Who stayed behind as caregivers? The believers did. They stayed behind to serve the sick at the risk of their own lives. Believers should be known as generous and caring people – “do good to everyone, especially to the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10).
The Body of Christ is to continue His ministry on earth – “Who went about doing good, and healing all those oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him” (Acts 10:38).
After His resurrection, Jesus announced that He had all authority in heaven and earth. The Lord promised to be “with them” for the whole gospel age. What would be the purpose of Jesus’ authority? “Father, You have given Me authority over all flesh, in order that I may give eternal life to all the ones You have given to Me. And this is eternal life, that they might know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom You sent” (John 17:2-3). Christ rules over all nations and everything else with reference to the apple of His eye — the Body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23).
“Transforming culture” is not a proper goal for believers. The goal of all things is Jesus Christ, and one day He will hand His counter-cultural kingdom over to the Father. It is Christ’s purpose that “now through the ekklesia the multifaceted grace of God should be manifested to the powers” and a watching world (Eph. 3:10; John 13:34-35). Tom Frazier’s article in the Spring, 1995, Searching Together, helps us to focus on Christ’s agenda for His people who remain in the world. (This article was revised and updated 4/2012)