Why didn’t Jesus and the apostles call for the immediate abolition of slavery? Why didn’t they organize protests, lead political campaigns, or attack the unjust system directly?
Here’s the revolutionary answer: because Christ’s approach was to reach the person, not attack the system. He understood that when hearts change, systems eventually change. When individuals are transformed by the gospel, they bring transformation to their families, their workplaces, their communities, and eventually their entire society.
This doesn’t mean Christians should be passive about injustice. It means our primary method is gospel proclamation and personal transformation, not political coercion or social activism. We don’t rally the 99 to fight for the 1; we leave the 99 to save the 1.
History proves this approach works. The Christian influence on individual hearts eventually led to the abolition of slavery in the Western world. Gospel-transformed people couldn’t maintain an unjust system once they understood the worth and dignity of every person made in God’s image.
This principle applies today. We live in a culture with many injustices and broken systems. The temptation is to organize, protest, legislate, and attack. But Jesus calls us to a different approach: love the person in front of you. Share the gospel with the individual God brings across your path. Live out the transformed life that adorns the gospel. Trust God to use changed people to change systems over time.