So if you deny that God changes people s behavior by the gospel, you must presume that humans must change it by guns, prisons, torture, and electric chairs. This is the methodology of secular Marxists and secular Democrats and Republicans. Many politically active Christians over the last couple of decades have fallen into this trap at least in thinking that politics is central. This is delusional and the limited but real Christian political successes of the last two decades, which by no means advanced the kingdom of God, obviously refute that notion. Preaching and Social Change Legitimate social change is always the effect of legitimate religious change.
Society is a religious fact.
Relevant Christians produce a Christian society. In other words, when people get saved and are properly taught, they start gradually changing their lives and spheres of influence and, as a result, they start to change a society of which they are part. But the greatest instrument instructing them how to do that is the pulpit preaching. The problem today is that most of today s preaching liberal or conservative is effete and ineffectual. Read, to take but two examples, Peter s sermon in Acts 2 and Stephen s in Acts 7.