Today many people say that animals are suffering and abused and are even near the point of extinction. They say that we should do something to protect them. The trouble is that humans today are treated worse than cows and horses. How can we first take care of the lower forms of creatures? In other countries there are advocates of animal rights. Romans 8 says that the whole creation groans for deliverance. We know that one day the whole creation will be freed from the bondage of corruption. Then, as foretold in the Old Testament, the world will be a place where “the wolf will dwell with the lamb; / And the leopard will lie down with the kid, / And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; / And a young boy will lead them about. / The cow and the bear will graze; / Their young will lie down together; / And the lion will eat straw like the ox” (Isa. 11:6-7). We know that one day all the creatures will be delivered. But that day is not today. Today, protecting the animals is not our work.
Every group of politicians in every nation of the world is vying for the center stage, and every nation in this world is trying to take advantage of other nations. There are strife and unrest nationally and internationally. We are not called to engage ourselves in the work of the League of Nations; our work is not to help weak and struggling countries. The angels one day will proclaim that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ (Rev. 11:15). We can answer the unbelievers even today with this word.
Christians’ personal problems are solved by Christ’s first coming. The social problems of this world will be solved at the time of Christ’s second coming. Then the world will not be like the world we have today. All of the problems listed above will disappear in the twinkling of an eye.
What then should Christians do in this world? A Christian should do his best to render help to others. For example, a doctor should do his best to help others by treating their diseases. A scientist should do his best to help others by improving nutrition and other things. But one thing should be kept in mind: We should remain pure before the Lord. We should not be contaminated by the world. Neither should we close our eyes to the affairs of this world. During His first coming, Christ labored on individuals; He did not try to do anything about the social system. In the same way, today Christians should labor on individuals; they should not try to build up any system or institution. Before our personal problems or the world’s problems were solved, we were sinners and we lived among sinners. Today we have believed in the Lord. We have become the righteous among the sinners. But there will be a day when the righteous will be among the righteous. All the problems will be solved on that day when the Lord comes back. Today we should give to others what we can afford to give. We should not engage in any form of revolution. Revolutions happen because there are bad institutions. Men start revolutions because they hate these institutions. They even sacrifice their blood for their revolutions. But we cannot sacrifice our blood for the sake of destroying any social system. When Christ comes the second time, He will change all social systems and institutions. Today, if we engage in such a work, there is a great possibility that we will be disapproved. It is foolish for us to sacrifice ourselves today. The world has become what it is today because too many innocent people have sacrificed themselves. Christians should not aspire to change any institution of this world.
The Bible shows us a heavenly calling. Our calling is not on earth. This world is not our concern. We live day by day in this world. But nothing with us is permanent; nothing is indispensable for us, and nothing is compulsory. There is nothing in this world that we cannot live without, and there is nothing that we must have. We take what the Lord gives to us in this world. It is all right for us to have more and it is all right for us to have less. If the Lord arranges for us to have a smooth pathway, we can take it. If the Lord arranges for us to have a rugged pathway, we can take it as well. We are here to wait for the Lord’s coming; we are not here to seek after worldly blessing. When Christ comes again, every earthly thing will be finished. While we live on earth, we do not live for ourselves, for our families, or for society; we live for the Lord. When the Lord comes again, that will be the happiest day of all days. Everything in this world is changing; only things pertaining to righteousness abide forever. If we do not belong to this world and do not settle down in this world, that day will be of unspeakable glory to us. On that day, the glory of the Lord will fill the church. His kingdom will come on earth, and the whole universe will be subject to Christ. This is why the church does not have any lingering love for the works of this earth.