The worldy system of understanding tries to produce justice, peace, and prosperity directly in people’s lives by placing restraints upon what would harm them. But the effort, besides being ineffective, also proves impractical. The gospel of Christ, by contrast, comes to create a new person pervaded by the positive realities of faith, hope, and love—toward God primarily and therefore toward all men and women and creatures. From this positive transformation of the self, justice, peace, and prosperity can result as God’s rule is fulfilled in human life.
