Why should Christians bother improving the world?

One of the exciting aspects of exploring this question is that it stems from a growing awareness that the Bible isn’t primarily about how we leave this earth to go to heaven, but rather how God will renew both the heavens and the earth. 

This leads to another deeply biblical question: “How long until we see these promised new heavens and new earth?” This question has echoed through the ages. We find it in the Psalms, the prophets and even in the book of Revelation. The perceived delay in God’s intervention has always been a source of reflection and longing. 

I often tell students they’ll receive guidance when they need it, not necessarily when they want it. The delay might be more about our perception than anything else. 

The underlying answer to why we should engage in improving the world now is similar to questions about prayer. God has created us to be responsible agents in his world, not passive participants in a divine drama; paradoxically independent yet obedient – a theme central to the Christian understanding of Christ’s work. Why didn’t Jesus eliminate opposition and bring about the new creation immediately? The answer lies in God’s patience, a theme recognised by many Jewish and Christian thinkers. If God were to renew everything immediately, many resistant or rebellious people would be excluded. Our God desires to bring more people into his great finale, allowing more souls to share in the new creation.

In 1 Corinthians 15:58, Paul urges believers to continue their work because: “in the Lord [it] is not in vain”. What we do now will somehow be part of God’s new world. Jesus says that even the smallest acts, like giving “a cup of water” to someone in his name (Mark 9:41), will be remembered and woven into God’s grand tapestry. We may not fully understand how, but we trust in faith. 

Consider the stonemason carving a piece for a cathedral. He might not see where it fits into the overall structure, but he works faithfully, knowing it will contribute to the cathedral’s beauty. In the same way, we are not building God’s kingdom directly; we are building for the kingdom. The improvements we make now are part of the larger picture.

God promised that he will put the whole world right. God justifies human beings, putting them right, so that they can, in turn, participate in his project of putting the world right. The power of the resurrection and the presence of the Spirit enable us to pursue justice and righteousness in the present. If we don’t care about justice now, why should anyone believe our message about a God who is making all things right and just in the end? 

The gospel is fundamentally about God rescuing the world from death, corruption, decay and, above all, sin. We are called to live this out through the Spirit today, even as we await the ultimate restoration to come.

Hear more from Tom Wright on the ‘Ask NT Wright Anything’ podcast premier.plus