Bill had always hated racial prejudice. As a Christian he
sought to love people regardless of the color of their skin. He was thankful
for the progress made for people of color in the United States and certainly
did not believe he personally had contributed to racial prejudice or tension.
Truth be told, at times he wearied of many who talked about the need for social
justice and stemming the tide of systemic racism. “Can’t we all just go forward
from here, regardless of the color of our skin, and treat each other with
respect and love? Why do so many advocates of social justice, especially in
regard to race, have such a chip on their shoulder? It’s not right!” Bill was
frustrated and angry because during dinner the conversation had turned to
racism and social justice and it was him against his daughter and her new
friend.
Though he knew somehow that the chip on the shoulder of
Martinia (a chip that had also infected Lauren) was not right, it was not what
Christ wanted for his followers, yet, he also knew his anger and frustration
were not right. “Why can’t these girls see that how they are approaching this
is not right?” he asked his wife. “Why can’t they appreciate the progress that
has been made and see that we need to talk more about personal responsibility
in our country, rather than systemic injustice?” Bill ended his conversation
with his wife by asking, “How can the two sides of this debate ever come
together in the Church, not much less in society at-large?”
At the same time Bill was venting, so too were the two
college freshmen in Lauren’s room. “Why can’t my dad see that it is not just
about personal responsibility, but also see that the whole system is broken?”
Lauren fumed. “Yeah,” Martinia added, “Why can’t people like him not see that
there is so much more progress that needs to be made, that our country is
broken!” The young lady who had been named for the civil rights leader and her
parent’s hero, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., then queried, “How can the two
sides of this debate ever come together in the Church, not much less in society
at-large?”
This fictitious interaction between a middle-aged father and
his daughter and her friend displays a reality that is very real: There is not
only significant tension in our country currently over issues of race and
justice, there is also a divide in the Church over these same issues. On the
one hand are those who speak of the progress made, the need for responsibility,
who are thankful for the country in which we live, and who grow frustrated over
those who appear to be angry, unthankful for the country, who constantly speak
of the need for justice as if the progress will never be good enough, and who,
in their mission, appear to be unloving, especially toward those in authority and
in the racial majority.
On the other hand are those who see the progress that still
needs to be made, who have felt the sting of prejudice in their own experience or
in their friends, who have been taught the importance of the pursuit of justice
for Christians, and who feel that many Christians—especially those of lighter
skin and who are older are simply blind to reality, as well as unwilling to be
obedient to God in bringing about a better world for those different than
themselves. They simply are unloving toward those of color!
At times it can feel like achieving unity even in the Church
on issues related to justice is impossible. Yet, what Christians must realize
is that we have the very weapon, the only weapon, that can win this battle: The gospel of Jesus Christ!
When I say that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only
weapon that can win this battle, I am not only speaking of the gospel as a
message, but also the effects of the gospel that make possible the way forward in
all growth and strength.
Paul defines the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 as the
death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ:
Now
I would remind you, brothers of the gospel I preached to you, which you
received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold
fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered
to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our
sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised
on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures….
Paul focuses here upon these three aspects of the gospel
since they prepare for the following discussion on the importance and reality
of the resurrection. Yet, one more element, the perfectly righteous life of
Jesus Christ, is included elsewhere (2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 7:26-28; 1 Pt.
3:18) to emphasize not only that he is a perfect and complete sacrifice for the
sins of sinners, but also to display that his perfect righteousness is imputed
to the repentant, believing sinner (Rom. 3:26; Phil. 3:9) so they can be
justified in regard to all sins that could never be fully forgiven under the
Law (Acts 13:38-39). So, we can say the gospel is this, that Jesus Christ lived,
died, was buried, and was resurrected in the place of sinners that they could
be righteous, forgiven of sin, and have eternal life (John 3:16, 36; 2 Cor.
5:21).
If we are to grasp the significance of the gospel for the
living out of righteousness and justice, we must also see that this good news
is not only a message to show the unsaved how to be saved, it is also a message
to remind the Christian how he can obey and serve God as a new person and why
he knows he is still forgiven when he fails in this. Nowhere is this stated
with more clarity than in Romans 1:15, where Paul writes the following to the
church in Rome, most of whom he believes to be followers of Jesus Christ
already (see Rom. 1:6-7): “So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who
are in Rome.” In fact, most of what Paul does in this epistle is to explain the
gospel in detail, how people respond to it, how the effects of the gospel include
new life, and why Christians know they can believe what God promises in the
gospel (Rom. 1:18-11:36), all so he can call the church in Rome (and later
readers) to a new life that includes their working through their divisions and
reconciling with one another—resulting in their being able to live on mission
to God’s glory together (Rom. 12:1-15:33).
It is in light of this purpose in Romans that Paul writes
(16:25): “Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and
the preaching of Jesus Christ….” Paul is eager to preach the gospel even to
believers (1:15) because he knows that the constant reminders the gospel brings
are at least these:
·
When a person has received and rested upon Jesus
Christ alone for salvation and so has been declared righteous and forgiven by
God (Rom. 5:1-21), they are a new person who can live a new life that is
characterized by righteousness (Rom. 6:1-23, esp. v. 19). Our hope that we can live out righteousness
toward God and others (aka justice) is rooted and grounded in the reality we
are united to Jesus Christ, his life, death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:1ff.).
This should remind us, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me”
(Phil. 4:13), including live justly.
·
And yet, when we do fail, we must remember, “There
is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).
As such the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us (Rom. 8:4). We know,
then, that the substitutionary atoning death and the perfect life of Jesus
Christ continually cleanse us of our sin (1 John 1:7). We can get up, brush
ourselves off, and move forward toward the pursuit of justice again, rather
than being paralyzed by sin.
These two sides of the gospel “coin” form an all-important
foundation for not only empowering us to seek biblical justice, but also
directing us in how to go about it. This is one of the reasons Tony Evans has
written: “Without a comprehensive understanding of the gospel, we lack the
common goal necessary to bring us together to evoke real and lasting change in
our nation.”[1] We can add that it is not only the common goal,
but also the common empowerment and the common outlook we lack apart from the
gospel.
With this foundation set we now can look at a number of ways
the gospel is necessary to keep in mind if we are to practice justice.
1. The Gospel Is The
Only Way To Realize Full Justice.
In a context that speaks of God’s future salvation and a related
good news that will go out (cf. 40:9; 52:7), Isaiah 51:4 reads: “Give attention
to me, my people, and give ear to me, my nation; for a law will go out from me,
and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples.” One of the implications
seems to be that people who are created to image God as those living in
God-glorifying, loving community, should display justice, they should live like
him, when they come to know God! It should be an entailment of the gospel! It
is another way of saying that those who have been converted and transformed
will have the ability to live righteously, i.e. justly, toward one another (Mt.
5:6; Rom. 6:18-19). More explicitly John writes that those who truly know
Jesus, the righteous one (1 John 2:1), will practice righteousness as he is
righteous, they will be like him (1 John 2:6; 3:7, 10), and this also means
they will love one another (1 John 3:10). This is another way of saying they
will pursue justice (i.e. righteous love toward others).
Tony Evans has wisely written: “Our racial divide is a
disease. Over-the-counter human remedies won’t fix it; they merely mask the
symptoms for a season. What we need is a prescription from the Creator to
destroy this cancer before it destroys us.”[2] We
could substitute “injustice” for “racial divide” and it is still true. Mere
human remedies will not suffice. If we truly will treat one another justly and
pursue justice, it will take a radical change of heart so we will want to do
this and it will take an empowerment and the giving of God’s wisdom so we can
pursue justice and so we can do it as God desires.
There is one more implication we must see before leaving
this first point. The current tendency to pit the gospel against justice and
vice versa is not present in Scripture. It has been created by those who do not
understand what biblical justice is, so, on the one hand some think you can
have the gospel without justice, or on the other hand, justice without the
gospel. The Bible affirms they go together. Part of what God is doing in us
through the gospel is transforming us so we will live justly and pursue justice
for others. After all, genuinely converted followers of Jesus should love one
another (John 13:34-35); be united with one another (John 17:21-23) since we
realize God has made us into one in Christ, breaking down barriers between us
(Eph. 2:11-22); and so we should pursue such a righteously loving and unified
life together (Eph. 4:1ff.), which implies we should live justly and pursue justice.
2. The Gospel Is The
Only Way To Approach Justice In Love.
Apart from genuinely responding to the gospel for salvation
and apart from being directed by the mentality that arises from the gospel, people
will gravitate to different “camps” when it comes to justice. This is the case
due to the sin of “pride.” In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus tells a parable to explain. In
this parable is a Pharisee who trusts in himself and his own ability to be
righteous (18:9). What this means is that he does not have a sense that he
needs the grace of Jesus Christ for forgiveness, for he has too high an opinion
of his own effort and too small an assessment of his hopeless, sinful plight.
As a result, he looks at the sinful tax collector with contempt (18:9) and even
expresses his pride to God because of the things he does for God that ought to
earn God’s favor—believing he is better than the tax collector (18:11-12). This
is what happens so often in matters pertaining to justice. On one side
Christians can pride themselves that they have come to prioritize the gospel
and don’t replace it with secondary things, like those justice folks do. On the
other hand, those who value justice often look down on the gospel folks who don’t
emphasize justice: “They don’t really care about other people and their needs.”
In each case there can be the thought, “I’m certainly not like…[this other person]”
(Lk. 18:11, NLT).
Such pride can make us harsh, unloving, and it can lead to
the subliminal thought that the end justifies the means. After all, we must win
over the other camp. They either must join us or get out of the way!
The remedy is God’s grace that brings humility. Consider how
Jesus pictures this in his parable (Lk. 18:13, NLT): “But the tax collector
stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed.
Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I
am a sinner.’” Jesus is clear that it is this attitude of humility that should
mark the person who is truly justified by God (Lk. 18:14, NLT): “I tell you,
this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those
who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be
exalted.”
When we keep the gospel and its entailments front and center
it reminds us we are all sinners and only saved by God’s grace. We also
understand that apart from his grace we will not grow and make progress in the
Christian life (1 Cor. 15:10; Eph. 4:7). In other words, apart from grace we
will not pursue the things dear to God to the extent he desires, in the ways he
desires, and with the attitudes he desires (1 Cor. 13:1-8).
Such a mentality reminds us that it is only by God’s grace
we grasp what biblical justice is and can pursue it in a godly manner. We also
see that if someone else does not grasp what biblical justice is or that it is
important, we pursue them in righteous love (i.e. justly), i.e. gently and not
with a chip on our shoulder or in pride so that they can change (2 Tim.
2:24-26). In humility we remember that God’s Spirit changes us and others by
working through his Word, as we pray, and usually through the agency of God’s
people who love others. As such, we speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15) and in
a way that we believe the best about the other person (and go as far with this
as we can), especially if they are a believer (1 Cor. 13:7).
3. The Gospel Is The
Only Way To Deal With The Shame Of Injustice.
Everyone will periodically experience injustice. We know
this is true, if we see the subject of justice in light of what the Bible
teaches. When we are treated by individuals, groups, or systems (such as a
government) in ways that do not measure up to the character of God (i.e. not in
righteousness) we are treated unjustly.
How does the Bible teach us to respond in such circumstances? Here are some of the things we are called to
do:
·
Love them (Lk. 6:27).
·
Do good to them and bless them (Lk. 6:27-28).
·
Pray for them (Lk. 6:28).
·
Treat them as you wish to be treated (Lk. 6:31),
which at the least implies we will listen to those different than or opposed to
us before giving quick responses or protests: “If one gives an answer before he
hears, it is his folly and shame” (Prov. 18:13).
·
Be kind to them (Eph. 4:32).
·
Don’t stay angry at them and forgive them (Eph.
4:26, 32).
·
Rejoice in our suffering because of the
situation and the benefits it can have upon us (Rom. 5:3-5; James 1:2-3),
knowing that God orchestrates all things together for the good of those who
love him and are called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28).
·
Remain steadfast in the situation and continue
to do good—even toward the person(s)—as you trust in God (James 1:12; 1 Peter 4:12-16).
·
Remember that suffering injustice is often an
opportunity to glorify God through your godly
(i.e. God-like) response (Mt. 5:10-12, 43-48; Rom. 15:7; Phil. 2:14-15; 1
Peter 2;11-12; 4:12-16).
·
Remember that suffering injustice can often give
opportunity to advance the gospel (Phil. 1:12-18).
The Bible is clear on two truths that undergird the
Christian’s ability to carry out the above attitudes and actions toward those
who treat us unjustly: (1) We must remember that God governs every aspect of
our lives with absolute sovereignty such that nothing comes our way that is not
caused or permitted by him (Eph. 1:11-12; James 4:13-17). As such, whenever we
experience injustice, we can view it as something that is wrong, that is sin, that
the person, group, or system should not have done, and yet at the same time it is
part of God’s design for our benefit and his glory (Gen. 50:20). This should
never be a justification for injustice or for ignoring unjust situations. Yet, it
should shape how we respond. (2) The person who is united to Jesus Christ and
thus is transformed should be able to love, forgive, and act graciously even
when wrongly-treated. This is part of their righteous or just response. To
respond with bitterness is not responding with the wisdom that is from God, but
rather that which is from the enemy (James 3:13-18).
When we face injustice we can, at one and the same time,
seek to rectify the unjust situation, but we can and should also ask God to
help us respond to it as he would desire. We can pray something like this (Heb.
13:20-21):
Now
may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great
shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with
everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing
in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Conclusion: Live For A
Great Cause
One of the most encouraging outcomes of the Bible’s teaching
on the gospel and justice is that it reminds us Christianity isn’t only about certain
life in the world to come, it is also about living out true life now, in this
world. Christians are called to help others find eternal life, but also to
pursue just outcomes and make things better now (cf. Gen. 1:26-28)!
We are called to live for a great cause, not just a great
comfort, as we move toward need in this world. We do this as justice pursuers
who are directed by the gospel, as gospel people who pursue the gospel’s outcome—justice!
Joyfully Pursuing Justice With You,
Tom
[1] Tony
Evans, Oneness Embraced:
Reconciliation, The Kingdom, And How We Are Stronger Together (Chicago: Moody,
2011), 269.
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