As the Lord God Almighty does his work in building his church, the church is a blessing to the world in which she lives. As the glory of God so outshines the sun and the moon that their light will not be needed anymore for daily living, so God’s light lightens his city, the church, so brightly that it affects the nations of the world in positive fashion. Slavery in the Western world came to its end because of the impact of the gospel (for example, William Wilberforce). Similarly, hospices and hospitals became standard in the Western world because of the impact of the gospel (for example, Florence Nightingale). It was the gospel that provided the foundational thinking that permitted the scientific research which has so enriched our civilization. The shape of freedom taken for granted in Western countries has its roots in biblical thinking.
Conversely, so many discoveries financed by the kings of the earth—though perhaps hostile to the King—have been a blessing to the church. The discovery of the printing press had a profound effect on the development the Great Reformation in the sixteenth century (think printing of Bibles, pamphlets, and books). Similarly, the internet and social media (initially discovered by kings
in their zeal to explore the moon) have served wonderfully in spreading the gospel to areas missionaries could not go and reaching a far greater audience too.
24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it,