APPLIED CHRISTIANITY IS THE BIBLE’S ANSWER TO SAVING THE WORLD FROM SELF-DESTRUCTION

Toronto, Canada      Jeffrey S. Ram, Editor    July 10, 2025

Amidst the challenges of war, climate crises, greed, injustice, and social fragmentation, the world is at risk of self-destruction. In this context, the practical application of Christianity — the lived-out expression of the teachings of Jesus Christ — is not just a spiritual ideal, but a moral and practical necessity. The Bible's revelation of applied Christianity demonstrates how living out Christian values can transform individuals, reform societies and potentially rescue the world from the brink of self-destruction.

🕊️WHAT IS APPLIED CHRISTIANITY?

Applied Christianity is the practice of Jesus' teachings in personal life, community engagement, and societal transformation. It's about doing the Word, not just hearing it:

"Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." — James 1:22

In other words, Applied Christianity is faith in action, not confined to Sunday services but visible in daily choices, relationships, ethics, and advocacy for the oppressed. Jesus describes this in His Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31–46), where eternal reward depends on practical compassion: feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers, and caring for the sick.

❤️THE FOUR PILLARS OF APPLIED CHRISTIANITY’S CORE VALUES

What does it look like to live out the gospel? The Bible highlights several core values:

1. Love Above All

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your mind…Love your neighbour as yourself.”  — Matthew 22:37-40

Love is the foundation. True Christian love is not just an emotion — it’s a transformative action: feeding, healing, listening, forgiving, and defending the weak.

2. Justice and Mercy

“What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” — Micah 6:8

According to the gospel of Matthew, Jesus quoted this verse from Hosea 6:6. Jesus' command to the Pharisees was, “Go and learn what this means,” and then he quoted Hosea 6:6a, “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13 and 12:7).Applied Christianity champions the cause of the poor, the abused, and the marginalized. Jesus didn’t avoid broken people — He actively prioritized them, and we are called to do the same.

3. Humility and Servanthood

“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave.” — Matthew 20:26-27

Unlike worldly power that dominates, Jesus taught greatness through selfless humility and service, a lesson we should all strive to embody.

4. Reconciliation and Forgiveness

“God… has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” — 2 Corinthians 5:18

From broken families to fractured societies, Christians are called to heal divisions, not deepen them.

🔥WHY THE WORLD IS IN CRISIS

The crises we face today — ecological, political, social, and moral — stem from deep spiritual problems. Let’s name a few:

✖️ Selfishness and Greed

“The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” — 1 Timothy 6:10

The global economy rewards exploitation. A few grow wealthy while billions suffer. Greed poisons both hearts and the planet.

✖️ Division and Hatred

“If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out, or you will be destroyed by each other.” — Galatians 5:15

Racism, nationalism, and polarization tear nations apart. For example, racism leads to discrimination and inequality, nationalism can breed xenophobia and isolationism, and polarization can create deep political and social divides. We’ve become tribes instead of neighbours.

✖️ Moral Decay

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”

— Proverbs 14:34

Injustice, corruption, and apathy grow when truth and virtue are abandoned. This abandonment of truth and virtue, or what we can call 'moral decay', leads to a society where people are more likely to act in their own self-interest, even if it means harming others or the environment.

🌍 HOW APPLIED CHRISTIANITY CAN SAVE THE WORLD

The biblical model for social healing isn't abstract. When Christians live like Christ, change happens — personally, locally, and globally.

1. It Transforms Individuals

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" — 2 Corinthians 5:17

Lives touched by Jesus are radically changed — from selfish to generous, angry to gentle, proud to humble. The early Church grew not because of power but because of changed people living differently.

2. It Changes Communities

Acts 4:32–35 describes how the early Christians shared their possessions, ensuring that no one was in need. Today, Christian groups run hospitals, schools, shelters, and food banks, filling gaps governments can't or won't.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." — James 1:27

3. It Reforms Nations

History shows the power of Applied Christianity:

• William Wilberforce, driven by Christian conviction, led the abolition of the slave trade.

• Martin Luther King Jr., inspired by Jesus' call to love one's enemies, championed civil rights through nonviolent means.

• Bishop Desmond Tutu, motivated by the need for racial justice and equality, mobilized the world's public opinion against apartheid in South Africa.

• Countless Christian reformers have fought poverty, child labour, and injustice, not to earn heaven but to bring heaven's values to earth. Their legacy is a testament to the power of applied Christianity.

✨ THE WORLD JESUS ENVISIONED

Jesus taught us to pray:

"Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

— Matthew 6:10

Imagine a world where we lived that out:

Imagine a world where:

• Enemies forgive instead of retaliating.

• Resources are shared, not hoarded.

• The planet is stewarded, not stripped.

• Governments serve, not exploit.

• Children are cherished, not trafficked.

• Racism dies, and peace is born.

Applied Christianity isn't pie-in-the-sky idealism. It's real change through genuine love, and each one of us is capable of making this change

⚠️ WHAT IS HOLDING US BACK?

Despite its power, Applied Christianity is often blocked by:

• Hypocrisy — Professing Christ but living contrary to His character.

• Institutionalism — The Church as a ritual instead of a mission.

• Fear of involvement — Staying silent in the face of injustice.

• Compromise with greed and power — Prioritizing profit and political influence over gospel integrity.

To impact the world, Christians must live boldly, humbly, and sacrificially, just as Jesus did. This is not a call for the faint of heart, but for those who are ready to take up the challenge and make a difference.

🧭 CONCLUSION: THE WAY FORWARD

The essence of Applied Christianity is clear:

Love in action. Justice in motion. Truth lived out.

In a broken and burning world, living the gospel — embodied in the teachings and values of Jesus — means embracing these principles in our daily lives.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

— Romans 12:21

Christians are called not to escape the world, but to engage with and transform it. The world doesn’t need more religion — it requires authentic Christianity, applied daily. Applied Christianity is not an option —It’s essential. it is the only way forward.

If we take Jesus seriously, the world might have a future.