Introduction
Human history is not merely a record of political, ethnic, or social struggles; it is fundamentally the unfolding drama of two rival cultures: the Kingdom of God and the culture of the world. This conflict is not superficial but ontological, epistemological, and moral—shaping human identity, values, and destiny. Jesus Himself delineated this antithesis when He declared, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). His words highlight that humanity is situated within two competing cultural matrices: one rooted in divine truth, the other animated by deception.
As Augustine classically observed in The City of God, history is ultimately the contest of two loves: “two cities have been formed by two loves: the earthly by the love of self, even to the contempt of God; the heavenly by the love of God, even to the contempt of self.”¹ These two loves produce two antithetical cultures that will continue to clash until the consummation of Christ’s Kingdom.
1. Foundations of the Two Cultures
The Kingdom of God: Rooted in Truth
The Kingdom of God is not merely a sociological construct or a religious ideal but is grounded in the ontological reality of divine revelation. Scripture presents the Kingdom as the manifestation of God’s reign in truth, justice, and peace. Jesus’ declaration, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), underscores that truth is not reducible to abstraction or subjective perception but is embodied in the incarnate Logos, the Word made flesh (John 1:14). In Christian theology, truth is ultimately personal, for it is inseparable from the person and work of Christ.
This conception of truth contrasts sharply with modern epistemologies that treat truth as either subjective experience (existentialism, postmodernism) or mere correspondence to empirical data (positivism). Christianity asserts a higher and more comprehensive vision: truth is objective, eternal, and rooted in God’s character (cf. Num. 23:19; Titus 1:2). The Hebrew term ’emet conveys the idea of firmness, reliability, and faithfulness, pointing to God as the One whose word and covenant are unshakable (Ps. 119:160). Similarly, the Greek term alētheia not only denotes factual correctness but also reality unveiled, that which is truly real in contrast to illusion (John 8:32).
The ethos of the Kingdom is thus defined by righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17). These are not sentimental ideals but the lived realities of a life aligned with God’s truth. Righteousness (dikaiosynē) refers to conformity to God’s standards, peace (eirēnē) signifies holistic well-being and reconciliation, and joy (chara) flows from the Spirit’s indwelling presence. Together they describe a community shaped not by cultural fashions but by eternal truth.
C. S. Lewis aptly recognized the radical implications of this claim when he wrote: “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, is of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important.”¹ For Lewis, the Kingdom is not one cultural option among many but the decisive reality by which all human cultures are judged. Its truth is not negotiable, for it flows from the Creator and Redeemer of the world.
Philosophically, this provides a coherent foundation for epistemology and ethics. Without an absolute reference point, human knowledge collapses into relativism, and morality degenerates into subjectivism. But in the Kingdom of God, truth is anchored in God’s unchanging nature, providing stability for both thought and life. As Alvin Plantinga has argued, belief in God provides the necessary epistemic conditions for rational thought itself, since it grounds both the reliability of our cognitive faculties and the correspondence of truth to reality.² Thus, the Kingdom offers not only spiritual renewal but also intellectual coherence and existential security.
The Culture of the World: Based on Lies and Imitation
In stark contrast, the culture of the world is constructed upon distortion and imitation. Jesus identifies Satan as “the father of lies” (John 8:44), pointing to the spiritual origin of deception that has marked humanity since Eden. In the garden, the serpent did not create new possibilities; he distorted God’s word, offering autonomy from divine authority and the illusion of wisdom apart from God (Gen. 3:1–5). This foundational deception has perpetuated itself throughout history, shaping cultures built on pride, rebellion, and counterfeit promises.
Unlike the Kingdom, which is creative and life-giving, the world’s culture is parasitic. It does not generate genuine life but imitates and distorts what God has made good. As Paul describes in Romans 1:25, humanity has “exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.” This exchange leads to cultures built upon falsehood—seeking glory, identity, and meaning apart from their divine source.
Francis Schaeffer observed that the West, in abandoning the concept of absolute truth rooted in God, has “cut itself off from the God who is there.”³ The consequence is cultural fragmentation, where art, philosophy, and ethics become divorced from transcendent meaning. This cultural trajectory is evident in postmodern relativism, where truth is reduced to narrative, and in consumerist societies, where value is measured by image and appearance rather than intrinsic worth.
Apologetically, the Christian diagnosis of worldly culture is both intellectually and existentially compelling. While secular philosophies promise liberation through autonomy, they often collapse into nihilism or despair. Nietzsche foresaw this when he proclaimed the “death of God,” warning that the loss of transcendent truth would dissolve meaning, morality, and coherence.⁴ The Christian worldview not only anticipates this collapse but offers the remedy: truth that is objective, personal, and life-giving in Christ.
Worldly culture thus reveals its derivative nature: it cannot create, only mimic. It offers counterfeits of freedom that lead to bondage, counterfeits of knowledge that end in confusion, and counterfeits of glory that dissolve into emptiness. As Augustine noted, the earthly city is “dominated by a lust for domination,”⁵ but the heavenly city is defined by love of God and neighbor. The apologetic challenge for Christians is to expose the futility of the counterfeit while bearing witness to the reality of the true.
¹ C. S. Lewis, God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970), 101.
² Alvin Plantinga, Warranted Christian Belief (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), 244–245.
³ Francis A. Schaeffer, The God Who Is There (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1968), 9.
⁴ Friedrich Nietzsche, The Gay Science, trans. Walter Kaufmann (New York: Vintage, 1974), §125.
⁵ Augustine, The City of God, trans. Henry Bettenson (London: Penguin, 2003), 593 (Book XIV, Ch. 28).
2. The Clash in Values
The clash between the Kingdom of God and the culture of the world is not only theoretical but practical, expressed in competing value systems. The New Testament consistently portrays believers as those who live by a radically different set of values from those that dominate the surrounding world (Rom. 12:2; 1 John 2:15–17). Three key contrasts illustrate this conflict: truth versus relativism, authenticity versus appearance, and servanthood versus self-exaltation.
Truth vs. Relativism
At the heart of Kingdom culture lies the conviction that truth is absolute, objective, and revealed in God’s Word. Jesus’ high priestly prayer underscores this when He declares, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). The Greek term alētheia refers not only to factual accuracy but to unveiled reality—that which corresponds to God’s ultimate perspective.¹ In contrast, the culture of the world often embraces relativism, where truth is reduced to personal perspective—“your truth” and “my truth.”
From an apologetic standpoint, relativism collapses under its own weight. The claim “all truth is relative” is itself an absolute statement, thereby contradicting its premise. Alvin Plantinga has shown that Christian belief in objective revelation is epistemically warranted, since it rests on the reliability of cognitive faculties given by God.² By contrast, relativism leaves humanity with no foundation for knowledge or morality, leading to intellectual incoherence and moral chaos.
Philosophically, this tension reflects broader cultural shifts. Postmodernism, as articulated by thinkers like Lyotard, defines itself as “incredulity toward metanarratives,”³ rejecting any overarching truth claim. Yet the biblical worldview insists upon a metanarrative grounded in God’s redemptive plan for creation. Thus, Christianity offers a coherent alternative: a truth that is both revealed and personal, authoritative yet life-giving.
Authenticity vs. Appearance
Kingdom culture values authenticity, understood as congruence between inward reality and outward expression. David’s prayer in Psalm 51:6 captures this ethic: “Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.” The Hebrew term ’emet (truth) here conveys integrity, reliability, and wholeness. Similarly, Paul urges believers not to conform outwardly to the world’s patterns but to be transformed inwardly by the renewing of the mind (Rom. 12:2).
Worldly culture, however, often prioritizes appearance over substance. In consumerist societies, identity is frequently constructed through image, performance, and public recognition. Charles Taylor describes this as the condition of the “buffered self,” a modern identity marked by detachment and self-construction that conceals existential fragility.⁴ Jean Baudrillard goes further, arguing that modern culture no longer even imitates reality but creates “simulacra”—signs and images that mask the absence of reality itself.⁵
The apologetic weakness of such a culture is its inability to sustain meaning. A life oriented around performance and appearance inevitably produces anxiety, disillusionment, and fragmentation. Christianity offers an alternative rooted in reconciliation to God, which provides an identity not constructed but received. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer observed, “Our identity is not in what we do or what we achieve, but in what God has done in Christ.”⁶ In the Kingdom, authenticity flows not from self-invention but from transformation by grace.
Servanthood vs. Self-Exaltation
Perhaps the most radical clash of values lies in the Kingdom’s exaltation of servanthood. Jesus inverted worldly conceptions of greatness when He declared, “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Matt. 20:26). This ethic is further exemplified in the Christ hymn of Philippians 2:5–11, where the eternal Son “emptied himself” (ekenōsen) and took the form of a servant, humbling Himself to the point of death.
Worldly culture, by contrast, exalts self-promotion, dominance, and personal glory. Ancient Rome celebrated gloria as the highest virtue, and modern societies echo this through celebrity culture, political power, and corporate ambition. Augustine identified this as the essence of the earthly city: “dominated by a lust for domination.”⁷
Apologetically, the Christian ethic of servanthood is both counterintuitive and compelling. While pride and self-exaltation breed division and oppression, humility and service foster community and flourishing. Timothy Keller highlights that the gospel creates “a radically new kind of servant community, in which the humble are in and the proud are out.”⁸ This inversion reveals the Kingdom’s coherence: it aligns with the Creator’s design for human relationships and provides a sustainable basis for justice and love.
In sum, the clash in values demonstrates the irreconcilable difference between the Kingdom and the world. Where the Kingdom affirms absolute truth, the world embraces relativism. Where the Kingdom prizes authenticity, the world prizes appearance. Where the Kingdom elevates servanthood, the world elevates self-exaltation. Each contrast reveals not only a difference of preference but a fundamental divergence of worldview. Christianity, therefore, offers not only a critique of worldly values but also an apologetic alternative that is intellectually coherent, morally compelling, and existentially fulfilling.
¹ BDAG, s.v. “ἀλήθεια.”
² Alvin Plantinga, Warranted Christian Belief (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), 244–45.
³ Jean-François Lyotard, The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge, trans. Geoff Bennington and Brian Massumi (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1984), xxiv.
⁴ Charles Taylor, A Secular Age (Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press, 2007), 539.
⁵ Jean Baudrillard, Simulacra and Simulation, trans. Sheila Faria Glaser (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1994), 6.
⁶ Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1954), 58.
⁷ Augustine, The City of God, trans. Henry Bettenson (London: Penguin, 2003), 593 (Book XIV, Ch. 28).
⁸ Timothy Keller, Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012), 319.
3. The Clash in Purpose
At the most fundamental level, the Kingdom of God and the culture of the world diverge in their telos—their ultimate purpose or end. Human beings do not live value-neutral lives; every culture is animated by a vision of the “good life” that determines its direction.¹ The Bible insists that the purpose of human life and society is to glorify God: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). By contrast, worldly culture directs life toward the glorification of man, pursuing wealth, power, and pleasure as ends in themselves (1 John 2:15–17). The clash in purpose is therefore not secondary but ultimate, revealing diametrically opposed orientations of existence.
The Telos of the Kingdom of God: The Glory of God
The Kingdom of God orients all of life toward the glory of God. Biblically, glory (kabod in Hebrew, doxa in Greek) denotes both the intrinsic worth of God and its radiant manifestation in creation.² God’s glory is not simply one value among many but the summation of His attributes—His holiness, power, and love revealed in history. The Westminster Shorter Catechism captures this biblical vision succinctly: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.”³
Theologically, the glory of God provides both meaning and coherence for human existence. Because humanity is created in the imago Dei (Gen. 1:27), its highest purpose is to reflect the Creator. When Paul instructs believers to “do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31), he emphasizes that no aspect of life is excluded from divine purpose. This is echoed in Abraham Kuyper’s famous declaration: “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’”⁴ The Kingdom’s telos is comprehensive—politics, business, education, and art are not autonomous spheres but arenas where God’s glory is to be displayed.
N. T. Wright expands this vision eschatologically, arguing that the Kingdom involves the inauguration of God’s new creation in the present, culminating in its fulfillment at Christ’s return.⁵ The purpose of the Kingdom is therefore not escape from the world but its renewal, aligning creation with God’s glory.
The Telos of the World: The Glory of Man
In sharp contrast, the world directs all things toward the glory of man. This is evident in the primal sin of Babel, where humanity declared, “Let us make a name for ourselves” (Gen. 11:4). The world’s culture consistently exalts autonomy, self-expression, and self-glorification. John warns: “Do not love the world or the things in the world… For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world” (1 John 2:15–16).
Philosophically, this telos finds expression in secular humanism, which elevates man as the measure of all things. Enlightenment thinkers such as Immanuel Kant reoriented moral philosophy around human autonomy—summarized in the dictum: “Sapere aude! Have courage to use your own reason!”⁶ While this emphasis on autonomy advanced individual rights, it also displaced God as the ultimate reference point of truth and morality. The result is a cultural narrative that celebrates human progress while denying transcendent accountability.
Modern manifestations of this worldly telos include consumerism (where purpose is defined by material acquisition), nationalism (where glory is sought in collective human power), and technocracy (where salvation is pursued through innovation). Jean-François Lyotard noted that modernity is sustained by “grand narratives” of progress and emancipation,⁷ yet without God these narratives collapse into fragmentation and nihilism. The culture of the world offers purpose, but it is always immanent, fragile, and self-referential.
Cultural Clash: Competing Missions
The divergent purposes of the Kingdom and the world manifest in competing cultural missions.
- Kingdom Mission: advancing God’s redemptive plan by discipling nations (Matt. 28:19–20), proclaiming the lordship of Christ, and embodying righteousness and justice in every sphere of life. This mission is holistic, embracing both evangelism and cultural engagement, with the goal of aligning all creation with God’s glory (Rom. 8:21).
- Worldly Mission: advancing human autonomy, wealth, power, and pleasure. Its cultural institutions—politics, media, education, and business—are often harnessed to reinforce human self-sufficiency and to suppress transcendence. As Augustine observed, the earthly city is animated by the love of self “to the contempt of God.”⁸
This clash is visible across every sector of life. In politics, the Kingdom calls leaders to serve as stewards of justice under God’s authority (Prov. 29:4), while the world often reduces politics to power struggles. In economics, the Kingdom affirms stewardship and generosity (Deut. 8:18; Acts 20:35), while the world fosters greed and exploitation. In education, the Kingdom values wisdom rooted in the fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:7), while the world elevates knowledge divorced from God, leading to arrogance or despair. In media and the arts, the Kingdom calls for truth and beauty that reflect the Creator (Phil. 4:8), while the world often magnifies spectacle, distortion, and nihilism.
Apologetic Implications
The clash in purpose highlights a crucial apologetic point: every culture operates with an ultimate end. Secular narratives claim neutrality, but they inevitably exalt man as the center. The Christian claim is that only God’s glory provides a coherent and sustainable telos for human life. Without this transcendent reference point, human purposes collapse into futility. As Blaise Pascal observed, “Without God, man is only misery.”⁹
Christianity not only critiques the world’s false telos but also offers existential fulfillment. Whereas the world promises significance through achievement, wealth, or recognition—only to leave people empty—the Kingdom provides purpose that is eternal, unshakable, and life-giving. The apologetic force of the Kingdom is that it explains why human beings long for glory: they were created to reflect God’s.
The clash in purpose is the deepest cultural conflict: the Kingdom directs all to the glory of God, while the world directs all to the glory of man. One is eternal, the other fleeting. One produces renewal, the other decay. One aligns with the Creator’s design, the other distorts it. The Christian task is to discern these competing missions and to live as citizens of the Kingdom whose ultimate purpose is to glorify and enjoy God forever.
¹ James K. A. Smith, Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009), 53.
² BDAG, s.v. “δόξα.”
³ Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q.1.
⁴ Abraham Kuyper, Sphere Sovereignty, in Abraham Kuyper: A Centennial Reader, ed. James D. Bratt (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998), 488.
⁵ N. T. Wright, Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church (New York: HarperOne, 2008), 202.
⁶ Immanuel Kant, “An Answer to the Question: What Is Enlightenment?” in Practical Philosophy, trans. Mary J. Gregor (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996), 17.
⁷ Jean-François Lyotard, The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge, trans. Geoff Bennington and Brian Massumi (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1984), xxiv.
⁸ Augustine, The City of God, trans. Henry Bettenson (London: Penguin, 2003), 593 (Book XIV, Ch. 28).
⁹ Blaise Pascal, Pensées, trans. Roger Ariew (Indianapolis: Hackett, 2005), §427.
4. The Call to Kingdom Citizens
The clash of cultures places believers at a critical juncture: they cannot remain neutral. Scripture consistently presents disciples of Christ as those who inhabit the world but do not belong to it (John 17:14–16). Paul captures this tension powerfully in Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (ESV).
This verse provides both the negative prohibition (nonconformity) and the positive exhortation (transformation), making it a foundational text for understanding how Kingdom citizens are to live amidst worldly culture.
Exegesis of Romans 12:2
The Greek text highlights the sharp contrast:
- Mē syschēmatizesthe tō aiōni toutō — “Do not be conformed to this age.” The verb syschēmatizesthe comes from schēma (“outward form, pattern”), implying being molded by the external fashions of the age.¹ Paul does not say the material world (kosmos) but “this age” (aiōn), emphasizing the temporal, fallen structures that characterize life apart from God.
- Alla metamorphousthe tē anakainōsei tou noos — “But be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The verb metamorphousthe (from which we derive “metamorphosis”) denotes a profound inner change, the same word used of Christ’s transfiguration (Matt. 17:2). This transformation is effected by the Spirit through renewal (anakainōsis), reshaping the nous (mind, intellect, will) to align with God’s truth.²
- Eis to dokimazein hymas ti to thelēma tou theou — “so that you may discern what is the will of God.” The verb dokimazein means to test, approve, or discern through examination. Transformation enables believers not only to know God’s will cognitively but to embrace and practice it as “good, acceptable, and perfect.”³
Thus, Paul presents a radical alternative: conformity to the world results in distortion, while transformation produces discernment and obedience. The call is total—it involves not only external behavior but the inner faculties of thought, perception, and desire.
Theological Significance
Theologically, Romans 12:2 presents the ethic of the new creation. Those justified by faith (Rom. 1–11) are now called to embody new life by resisting worldly pressures and embodying Kingdom culture. John Calvin comments: “The Apostle requires that our mind be renewed, that we may not think or judge according to the flesh, nor form our will and purposes according to the corrupt desires of the flesh, but that we may think and will according to the Spirit of God.”⁴
Karl Barth similarly stresses that the Christian is called to “a life which in form and content is different from that of the world, because it is determined by the new world of God’s Kingdom.”⁵ The renewal of the mind is therefore not mere intellectual assent but participation in the eschatological reality of the Spirit’s work.
The Apologetic Call
Romans 12:2 also carries profound apologetic implications. In a world dominated by cultural relativism, consumerism, and secularism, Paul’s call equips believers to live as countercultural witnesses. Three dimensions emerge:
- Discernment — Kingdom citizens must recognize and resist counterfeit values. John urges believers to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1). In practice, this means exposing cultural lies—such as the myth of autonomous freedom or the idolization of material success—and measuring them against the truth of Scripture. Francis Schaeffer called this the task of “taking the roof off,” revealing the internal contradictions of non-Christian worldviews.⁶
- Courage — Living out transformed values requires courage in the face of opposition. Daniel and his companions exemplified this by refusing to conform to Babylon’s cultural demands (Dan. 1; 3; 6). In the New Testament, the apostles likewise declared, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Apologetically, this demonstrates that Christianity is not merely theoretical but embodied, even at the cost of social exclusion or persecution.
- Faithfulness — Transformation must manifest in daily obedience, serving as salt and light in the world (Matt. 5:13–16). This faithfulness provides a living apologetic: Tertullian famously noted that pagans were struck by the Christians’ love, saying, “See how they love one another!”⁷ In a fragmented and self-seeking culture, such witness validates the truth of the gospel.
Apologetic Contrast with the World
Whereas the world urges conformity to transient fashions, the Kingdom offers transformation into eternal reality. Secular culture promises freedom through autonomy, but autonomy without God devolves into enslavement to sin and cultural pressures (John 8:34). By contrast, the renewal of the mind in Christ produces genuine liberty, aligning human thought and desire with divine truth (John 8:32).
Charles Colson once observed: “The church’s singular failure in recent decades has been the failure to see Christianity as a life system, or worldview, that governs every area of existence.”⁸ Romans 12:2 directly addresses this failure, calling Christians to embrace a holistic transformation that resists compartmentalization.
Romans 12:2 presents the Christian’s calling as radical nonconformity to the world and profound transformation by the Spirit. This call requires discernment to recognize cultural lies, courage to stand against them, and faithfulness to embody Kingdom values. Apologetically, it demonstrates that Christianity is not merely a set of doctrines but a comprehensive way of life that resists the destructive patterns of the age and manifests the renewing power of God. In this way, Kingdom citizens not only survive within the clash of cultures but actively bear witness to the victory of Christ’s truth.
¹ BDAG, s.v. “συσχηματίζω.”
² BDAG, s.v. “μεταμορφόω.”
³ BDAG, s.v. “δοκιμάζω.”
⁴ John Calvin, Commentary on Romans, trans. John Owen (Grand Rapids: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 1947), 437.
⁵ Karl Barth, The Epistle to the Romans, trans. Edwyn C. Hoskyns (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1968), 439.
⁶ Francis A. Schaeffer, The God Who Is There (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1968), 140–42.
⁷ Tertullian, Apology, 39.
⁸ Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcey, How Now Shall We Live? (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1999), 14.
5. The Victory of the Kingdom
Though the clash between the Kingdom of God and the culture of the world is fierce, Scripture assures us that its outcome is certain. The conflict is not an eternal dualism between equal forces but a temporary confrontation that culminates in the triumph of Christ. Revelation 11:15 announces the eschatological resolution: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever” (ESV).
This verse encapsulates the central Christian hope: the final and irreversible transfer of all authority, power, and glory to the reign of Christ. The victory of the Kingdom is therefore both a present reality (inaugurated in Christ’s death and resurrection) and a future certainty (consummated at His return).
The prophetic vision of the Kingdom’s triumph is woven throughout Scripture. Daniel foresaw a stone “cut out by no human hand” that shatters earthly kingdoms and grows into a mountain filling the whole earth (Dan. 2:34–35, 44). Jesus proclaimed that in His ministry “the kingdom of God has come near” (Mark 1:15), inaugurating its presence through His life, death, and resurrection. Yet He also pointed to its future consummation, teaching His disciples to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).
Paul declares that Christ, risen from the dead, now reigns until He has put all enemies under His feet, the last enemy being death itself (1 Cor. 15:25–26). John’s Revelation portrays the final consummation when every rival power is subdued and “the glory and honor of the nations” are brought into the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:24–26). The biblical testimony is unified: the Kingdom will prevail, and the world’s rebellion will be exposed and undone.
Theologically, the victory of the Kingdom rests on the sovereignty of God. Augustine emphasized that history is not random but ordered by divine providence toward the triumph of the City of God:
“Two cities have been formed by two loves… The one glories in itself, the other in the Lord. The one seeks glory from men, the other finds its highest glory in God, the witness of its conscience.”¹
The victory of the heavenly city is guaranteed, not by human progress or effort, but by God’s unshakable purpose in Christ.
Karl Barth underscores that Christ’s resurrection is the decisive victory over the powers of sin and death: “In the resurrection, Jesus is manifest as the Victor. The kingdom of the world is conquered; the kingdom of God is at hand.”² This eschatological victory reorients history and culture, showing that all human pretensions of autonomy will ultimately collapse before Christ’s lordship.
Apologetic Implications
Apologetically, the victory of the Kingdom provides both intellectual coherence and existential hope in contrast to secular visions of history.
Secular Progressivism. Enlightenment narratives of inevitable human progress have repeatedly collapsed under the weight of war, oppression, and ecological crisis.³ The optimism of autonomous reason and human perfectibility has proven historically fragile. In contrast, the Christian story neither denies human achievement nor romanticizes it, but acknowledges the pervasive reality of sin while affirming that history is ordered toward a redemptive telos in Christ.
Nihilism. Nietzsche foresaw that the “death of God” would plunge culture into despair, asking, “Are we not straying as through an infinite nothing?”⁴ Without a transcendent end, history risks devolving into cycles of futility or collapsing into meaninglessness. Christianity offers an alternative by grounding history in the sovereign victory of God’s Kingdom, thereby supplying coherence and ultimate purpose.
Human Longing. The universal desire for justice, restoration, and peace signals a yearning beyond temporal realities. As C. S. Lewis observed, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”⁵ Christianity interprets this longing not as illusion but as evidence of transcendence. The victory of the Kingdom promises the renewal of all things under Christ, fulfilling the deepest aspirations of humanity.
Present Participation in Future Victory
Though the final consummation awaits Christ’s return, believers are called to live in the already-not-yet tension of the Kingdom. They participate in its victory by embodying its values, proclaiming its message, and resisting the world’s distortions. As Paul reminds the Corinthians, their labor “in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58).This participation is itself apologetic: the church becomes a foretaste of the Kingdom, demonstrating in its life together the reality of Christ’s reign. Lesslie Newbigin insisted that the church is “the hermeneutic of the gospel,”⁶ embodying the truth that the Kingdom is already breaking into history.
The clash of cultures finds its resolution in the victory of the Kingdom of God. Biblical prophecy, theological reflection, and apologetic reasoning converge to affirm that Christ’s reign is decisive and final. Where worldly culture offers fragile illusions of progress or collapses into despair, Christianity proclaims a coherent and certain hope: the kingdom of the world will indeed become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. Thus, the call to Kingdom citizens is not only to resist conformity and embrace transformation (Rom. 12:2) but to live with confidence in the coming victory. The ultimate apologetic witness is hope—grounded not in human achievement but in the unshakable promise that Christ will reign forever and ever.
¹ Augustine, The City of God, trans. Henry Bettenson (London: Penguin, 2003), 593 (Book XIV, Ch. 28). ² Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics IV/3.1, trans. G. W. Bromiley (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1961), 327. ³ Alasdair MacIntyre, After Virtue (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1981), 51–61. ⁴ Friedrich Nietzsche, The Gay Science, trans. Walter Kaufmann (New York: Vintage, 1974), §125. ⁵ C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: HarperOne, 2001), 136. ⁶ Lesslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989), 227.
Conclusion
The clash of cultures is fundamentally the confrontation between truth and falsehood, authenticity and imitation, humility and pride, light and darkness. The Kingdom of God summons humanity into a culture marked by truth, servanthood, and eternal purpose. The culture of the world offers only fragile illusions and temporary satisfactions.
As Lewis memorably wrote: “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen—not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” Christianity is not one option among many but the lens through which all reality is rightly perceived.
Therefore, the call of Scripture is urgent: resist conformity, embrace transformation, and manifest the Kingdom in every sphere of life. In so doing, Christians not only oppose falsehood but also bear witness to the living Truth, Jesus Christ, the victorious King.
Bibliography
Augustine. The City of God. Translated by Henry Bettenson. London: Penguin, 2003.
Keller, Timothy. Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012.
Kuyper, Abraham. Sphere Sovereignty. In Abraham Kuyper: A Centennial Reader, edited by James D. Bratt. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998.
Lewis, C. S. God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970.
———. The Weight of Glory. New York: HarperOne, 2001.
Plantinga, Alvin. Warranted Christian Belief. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.
Schaeffer, Francis A. The God Who Is There. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1968.
Taylor, Charles. A Secular Age. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2007.
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