Justice And Economics, Part 1

When I was growing up and a young adult it was very rare to hear someone say they preferred socialism or communism to capitalism.[1] Certainly there were arguments in favor of the slightly less extreme socialism in universities,[2] but the images from countries such as the USSR, China, and Cuba, for example, were simply too negative for the theories to go main stream. Recently this has changed drastically, especially among younger adults, as evidenced by the following:

·         The rise and popularity of socialist Bernie Sanders during the 2016 presidential primary.

·         The victory of Democrat Socialist Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez of New York to the U.S. House Of Representatives.

·         In Omaha the upset of Brad Ashford in the 2018 Democrat primary by Sanders backer and socialist, Karen Eastman.[3]

·         “Millennials (sometimes defined as those born between 1977 and 1996) are going politically left rather than right by an almost 4-1 margin.”[4]

·         “One poll showed half of American millennials saying they prefer socialism to capitalism.”

·         “Membership in the imaginatively named Democratic Socialists of America has grown sevenfold since the 2016 election. The number of chapters has almost quintupled.”

We can most likely pinpoint several factors for this shift. On the one hand, the world has become a much smaller place because of technology in general and social media in particular. This has removed some of the “alien” feel associated with centralized forms of government. Additionally, many younger adults have rubbed shoulders with far more people from socialist or communist countries as more and more international students have come to the United States. And, of course, the former USSR and Soviet block no longer exist, China has been significantly impacted by western and capitalistic influence (even though it remains officially communist), and most U.S. media outlets have become less and less suspicious of centralized governments and economic systems.

At the same time that all this has been happening, the United States, through the influence of government leaders, has creeped little by little toward a more centralized or socialist structure. For younger adults, especially, all they have known is the presence of a growing number of government programs and apologists for such programs as being compassionate in their help of the poor.

What this changing environment has made possible is for millennials and even younger adults to advocate for socialist principles, even if some may not apply the label. Of course, as the label “socialism” is used more and more positively greater numbers are willing to wear the label.

One of the effects this shift in thinking has had is to lead many young Christian adults who are advocates of social justice to prefer socialism, to be favorable toward it, or at least not to oppose it. At the very least, so the thinking goes, if gospel work and making disciples is our main work and we are not to be held hostage by partisan political theories, and if the Bible really doesn’t have that much to say about how we should approach government and what our view of economics should be, then really it doesn’t matter what your position is on this entire subject.[5] In fact, some might argue, “Isn’t socialism more compassionate than capitalism anyway, and so it ought to be preferred by Christians? After all, at least with socialism you can be seen as compassionate and not a stingy capitalist.”[6]

It is this very thinking that I want to push back on in this post. I am not doing this because I think partisan political posturing is more important than God’s Word. Nor am I doing it since I am “in the back pocket of a political party” or because I merely want to keep the things “the way they have always been.” What I want us to discover is that though a person can hold to socialist view of economics and government and still be a Christian, that person cannot hold to a socialist view and, at the same time, have a view of economics and government that is consistent with the Bible!

That statement may seem to be extreme in the eyes of many Christians in our current culture, but I hope to demonstrate it is true in this and my next two posts.

Before getting into the particulars, I want to remind us why this subject has arisen. We are in the midst of a series of sermons and blog posts looking at how to pursue biblical justice and to do so as truly compassionate Christians, seeking the well-being of others in regard to a number of hot and debated topics in our society. Economics is one of those. To put this another way, if we do not look at this subject in light of biblical wisdom, the very wisdom of the God who created this world and us to function as he did and knows how we best function, we will likely contribute to the hurt and pain that bad economic and government approaches bring upon fellow citizens. This would be the opposite of love and justice.

So, to show that the Christian who loves his neighbor in the biblical sense ought to advocate a biblical view of government and economics and what that view is, we will set forth the following seven truths from the Bible.

1. God Created Humans With Four Key Relationships That Must Be Kept In Mind As We Shape Our Governmental and Economic Approach. 

The biblical worldview reminds us that to see poverty as merely the lack of material resources or to see human flourishing as merely the acquisition of material resources, as most North Americans do, is short-sided. We will see this in what the Bible teaches, but it is also evidenced in how those who experience the poverty of resources speak of their situation. Though they do not discount the material lack, they also “tend to describe their condition in far more psychological and social terms…. Poor people typically talk in terms of shame, inferiority, powerlessness, humiliation, fear, hopelessness, depression, social isolation, and voicelessness.”[7]

One of the effects that seeing poverty only as lack of material resources has had is to blind us to more full-orbed approaches to problems. For over fifty years the war on poverty fought in the United States has committed over twenty trillion dollars to alleviating poverty, with minimal results other than making people slightly more comfortable in their poverty.[8] And, at the same time, we have fostered an “end-justifies-the-means” approach among some citizens who believe that they lack equality in material resources. Since what we have or do not have materially is the main or only thing, they conclude it really doesn’t matter how this is addressed, as long as we change the material state of the poor or disadvantaged.

To correct this, what we must do is to go back and gain a fuller vision of who human beings are and the four key relationships humans have. To ignore these is to possess a view of humans that is distorted and will only hurt.

“Due to the comprehensive nature of the fall, every human being is poor in the sense of not experiencing these four relationships in the way that God intended…. For some people the brokenness in these foundational relationships results in material poverty, that is, their not having sufficient money to provide for the basic physical needs of themselves and their families.”[9]

We will look more closely at each relationship.

A. Relationship With God 

The Bible makes it clear that humans were created in the image of God, to resemble him and reflect his glory as his vice-regents, bringing order throughout the world (Gen. 1:26-28; Ps. 8:5-6). Such a creation mandate could only happen in humble dependence upon God and in close fellowship with him (Gen. 2:16-17; 3:8). God is the one who must give true and full life, to animate humans to carry out the purposes for which they were created (Gen. 2:7) and the one who must direct the best way for them to live (Gen. 2:16-17). And, in fact, apart from dependence upon and listening to God we find only brokenness, pain, and suffering—as evidenced in the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, and its results (Gen. 3:1-24).

The rest of the Bible is clear that God directs mankind in how to come to know and follow him and does it both for his glory and our good. In Deuteronomy 10:12-13 we read: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?”  In John 10:10 we learn of one of the reasons Jesus Christ came into the world to accomplish salvation and reconcile man to God: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

It is also important for us to understand that seeking to figure out life apart from God does not bring good results. Proverbs 14:12 shares this wisdom: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” More specifically, Jesus affirms that apart from being united to him through faith, humans cannot carry out the purposes for which we were created, nor realize God-honoring results (John 15:5).

Because sin has entered the world through Adam (Rom. 5:12) and all are born in sin, as those who are spiritually dead and cannot function as God intended (Eph. 2:1-3), this most important of all relationships is broken. Unless this most basic kind of poverty is addressed (Jesus says in Mt. 5:3 the most fundamental realization we must come to if we are to be part of the kingdom is that we are spiritually poor), we will be assured of hurting those we are attempting to help, as well as hurting self (the helpers).

In light of this basic truth that we were made to have relationship with God and yet that relationship has been broken through sin, “until we embrace our mutual brokenness, our work with low-income people is likely to do far more harm than good.”  This is due to the reality that as sinful people, the economically rich who get involved in helping the poor often have “god-complexes,” i.e. “a subtle and unconscious sense of superiority in which they believe that they have achieved their wealth through [only] their own efforts and that they have been anointed to decide what is best for low-income people, whom they view as inferior to themselves.”^[10]  And so, “one of the biggest problems in many poverty-alleviation efforts is that their design and implementation exacerbates the poverty of being of the economically rich—their god-complexes—and the poverty of being of the economically poor—their feelings of inferiority and shame.”^[11] At the same time, if we ignore this relationships, we fail to address the most basic poverty or need a person has, that of a lack of relationship with the Creator and Redeemer.

B. Relationship With Self

We can infer from the Bible that God created humans to be content in him, as well as with the resources and circumstances he ordained for them (cf. Gen. 2:16-17). This would reflect a peace or wholeness within self that is lost due to our sin and must be restored through the work of God’s Spirit in the regenerate (Gal. 5:22; Phil. 4:11).

When this basic relationship is not addressed, it, along with the first broken relationship (the one with God), lays the foundation for humans not to see their need for God or even to desire to know, love, worship, and serve God (Rom. 3:10-12; 1 Cor. 2:14). It leads to a brokenness of soul and restlessness (Is. 61:1) that leads away from joy (Prov. 17:22; Gal. 5:22).

This can lead the materially wealthy to lack contentment no matter how much they have, to think they must always have more, and to become enslaved to those desires—and to think others should as well. This can distort approaches to poverty alleviation. At the same time, it leads those who have a lack of material resources to blame others and to be angry toward others for their situation, and so to approach fixing their situation in ways that are destructive.

The brokenness and sinfulness inherent in regard to these first two relationships exacerbate the remaining two.

C. Relationship With Creation 

In Genesis 1:26-28 we read not only that God made humans in his image, but also what this means for our relationship to creation: 

Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.

The verbs that describe the activity of humans (“have dominion over” “be fruitful,” “multiply,” “fill the earth,” subdue it”) not only show the mission for which God created us—a mission in which we resemble and reflect him to his glory (Ps. 8:5-6), but they also convey the activity of vice regents. Like the one in whose image humans are created, we are to work, create, and bring order to the world. Genesis 2:15 (“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”) highlights further that mankind was created to be workers. When we put this together with Psalm 8:5-6, we understand that work is part of the way people glorify God and it is part of the dignity of humans.

It is in light of this foundational teaching we come to see in the Bible that: 

·         It is God’s moral will for humans to work (Exodus 20:9: “Six days you shall labor and do your work.”) and typically he provides for the needs of humans through work (Prov. 10:4-6; 13:4).

·         God has created the world and humans in such a way that they function best when they are motivated by their needs and those of family to work and to produce (Prov. 6:6-11; 16:26; 21:25; 31:15-18).

·         The work of humans is good because of the way it honors God (Ps. 8:5-6), serves others (Prov. 31:15-24), and brings order to the world (Gen. 1:26-28). This is why we can say that, “A primary work of the church is the church at work.”[12]

·         Working to provide for one’s own needs and also that of their family is characteristic of what one does who believes in and follows God (Eph. 4:28; 1 Tim. 5:8) and so if a person is able to work and unwilling, others are not to give him provision and thus encourage him not to work (2 Thes. 3:10).

·         When people face poverty of resources and/or opportunity, part of preserving their dignity, honoring God and the way he has created us, and also in light of how they will best flourish, it is to be realized they must be part of figuring out the solution (Gen. 1:26-28). This will not only help them flourish, but this earned success also will give them far more satisfaction (Prov. 12:11, 24; 14:23; 22:29; 31:18). What is more, if it is appropriate and genuinely helpful to provide resources to others in a time of need (a safety net), it is best if those receiving the resources work to receive them (Lev. 19:9-10).

·         It is God’s moral will for humans to be generous and to help those who experience a poverty of resources, and not to be greedy (Prov. 14:21, 31; 19:17; 22:29; 31:20). Though this is true, this does not negate the truth that work, business, profit, and the creation of wealth are all good things (Prov. 21:5; 31:18; Eph. 4:28). They are part of the best and most ultimate solutions for material poverty.

What we discover, then, is that for Christians who are genuinely pursuing righteousness and justice, this must include encouraging responsibility, hard work, problem-solving, and the reality that work, productivity, business formation, and wealth creation are all very good things that glorify God and benefit people. To advocate for approaches to poverty alleviation that do not keep these things in mind, but instead by-pass work and demonize business are unjust, unbiblical approaches.

To take this a step further, to advocate for these principles in our approach to economics in general and to the alleviation of poverty in particular is not a matter of being left, right, Democrat, or Republican. This is not about “being in the pocket” of one side or the other. It is instead about pursuing true justice and also holding to approaches and solutions that work and benefit others.

To grasp, advocate for, and to practice these principles is also important because sin leads to great brokenness in this area. Greed, deceit, and injustice on the part of employers (James 5:1-6), deceit, injustice, and laziness on the part of employees (Prov. 10:26; Eph. 6:5-8), hopelessness and shame for those in poverty, arrogance on the part of those with material resources who may help in ways that hurt, and the overall tendency in our society to think business and wealth are innately evil all are results of sin and ultimately hurt those who experience resource poverty. As we have already discovered, “One of the biggest problems in many poverty-alleviation efforts is that their design and implementation exacerbate the poverty of being of the economically rich—their god-complexes—and the poverty of being of the economically poor—their feelings of inferiority and shame.”[13]

D. Relationship With Others

When God created man he said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” (Gen. 2:18). As a result, God created woman and they were in perfect unity and lacked shame in their relationship prior to sin (Gen. 2:21-25). They also were intended to work together to bring order into the world (Gen. 1:26-28). Once sin entered the world humans were full of shame (Gen. 3:7), fear (Gen. 3:8-10), blaming each other (3:12), as well as hatred and jealousy (Gen. 3:16; 4:1-8).

Jesus affirmed that the relationship with God was ultimately foundational, but that how we relate to others flows out of our relationship with God and itself is foundational (Mt. 22:37-40).

We should not be surprised, then, that a very destructive poverty that is growing and wreaking great havoc in people is the poverty of relationship with others. Arthur Brooks explains:

Today, the poorest 20 percent of American adults are only a fifth as likely to be married as the richest 20 percent. They are about 30 percent more likely to say they never attend religious services and over 60 percent more likely to say they never spend time with neighbors. They also work, on average about 20 percent fewer hours per week. These patterns are decidedly not concentrated in any racial or ethnic group…they afflict all sorts of economically vulnerable Americans.[14]

If we look closely at what Brooks is saying we discover that at least three of the four relationships that are foundational to humans (God, creation, and other people) are broken and/or non-existent in the lives of many who are struggling and not flourishing.

Wendy Wang and and W. Bradford Wilcox of the Institute for Family Studies confirmed these conclusions when they recently reported their findings of a lengthy study that was co-sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute. 

[The study] examines a group of Millennials whom the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth has been following since 1997, and who were last interviewed in 2013 and 2014, when they were 28 to 34 years old. The report finds that the link between marriage and economic success among Millennials is “robust after controlling for a range of background factors.” Compared with the path of having a baby first, marrying before children more than doubles young adults’ odds of being in the middle or top income tier….[15]

Additionally, Wang and Wilcox report that “the economic welfare of millenials (i.e., more likely to reach the middle class and to avoid poverty) is significantly affected by their following a set of norms that have been called the ‘success sequence’:”

1. Graduate from high school;

2. Maintain a full-time job or have a partner who does; and

3. Have children while married, should they choose to become parents.[16]

Wang and Wilcox confirm the findings of other studies through the last three decades that speak of the importance of not having children until a person is married, the benefit of getting married and staying married, the benefit of having employment and staying employed, and the benefit of faith for people to flourish and to avoid the poverty of resources.

One factor that is often added in other studies is staying out of legal trouble. Yet, the evidence for many years is that contrary to what many argue, crime is not first and foremost a result of environmental factors. It is most often due to the lack of moral training in the formative years. Two decades ago Chuck Colson penned words that are still just as true today: 

In 1977, psychologist Stanton Samenow and psychiatrist Samuel Yochelson published a landmark seventeen-year study, The Criminal Personality. They found that crime cannot be traced primarily to environmental factors. The only adequate explanation, they concluded, is the moral choices of individuals. The solution to crime, they said (revealing their Jewish roots), is “the conversion of the wrongdoer to a more responsible lifestyle.”

In 1987 professors Richard J. Herrnstein and James Q. Wilson came to similar conclusions in Crime and Human Nature. They determined that the cause of crime is a lack of moral training in the morally formative years.[17]

A 2014 American Academy of Sciences report found not only an unprecedented growing incarceration rate over the past forty years in the United States, but also a staggering impact this has on families, especially through the absence of fathers in the home—a reality that leads to greater levels of behavior problems and delinquency among children and youth. This often leads to a cycle of crime, as well as poverty of resources.[18]

What we see over and over is that all four of the relationships we are focusing on matter when it comes to poverty and that this certainly includes relationships with others. Family matters. Dads in the home matter. Marriage matters. How we treat others matters. “Poverty is the result of relationships that do not work, that are not just, that are not for life, that are not harmonious or enjoyable. Poverty is the absence of shalom [or peace] in all its meanings.”[19]

Conclusion 

The key point for our current discussion is that if we are pursuing genuine and real justice, we must keep in mind these four relationships and the resultant broken systems that arise from them. We cannot simply address the symptom of a poverty of resources.

This first truth gives shape to the remaining six truths we will look at in our next two blog posts.

Joyfully Pursuing Justice With You,

Tom

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[1] Merriam-Webster (on-line) defines capitalism this way: “An economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market.” Merriam-Webster (on-line) defines “capital” in this manner: “relating to or being assets that add to the long-term net worth of a corporation [such as] capital improvements.” Michael Novak, in Joel Belz, “System For Sinners,” World (March 18, 2017): 4, writes: “Socialism is a system for saints. Democratic capitalism works because it’s a system for sinners.” Again: “Novak has always preferred the term ‘democratic capitalism,’ arguing repeatedly that a purely capitalistic system, with no restraints, is almost certain—because of the sinfulness of humans—to produce unacceptably ugly results.”

Merriam-Webster (on-line) defines socialism this way: “Any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods.” The same source defines communism as follows: “A system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed; a theory advocating elimination of private property.” 

[2] As early as the 1940’s F. A Hayek, in his book The Road To Serfdom, was sounding the warning that gatekeepers in the west were advocating centralized forms of government. 

[3] This and the following bullet points are taken from from Marvin Olasky, “Between Anywhere and Somewhere: An afternoon with U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse,” in World (July 21, 2018).

[4] This is not an inordinately partisan statement, as if made by one who is beholden to or “in the back pocket” of conservative and/or Republican political thought. To be left leaning includes that these younger adults also lean toward socialist economic and governmental theories—centralized government, big government, and turning to the government first and foremost for solutions, rather than the private sector. It also suggests that these younger adults lean in the direction of believing social justice involves the redistribution of wealth and the equalizing not just of opportunities, but also of outcomes. 

[5] Merriam-Webster (on-line) defines “economics” in this way: “A social science concerned chiefly with description and analysis of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. I would take this a step further: Economics deals with how we can approach the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services in a manner that is best for those in a particular society, such as the United States. To argue, as I will below, that we must have a biblical view of economics means that we must consider at least what the Bible teaches about who people are, what our relationship to work and production ought to be, how provision for human needs is best carried out, how a government ought to relate to such an economic view, and what does the Bible teach about poverty alleviation.  

[6] It is now true that growing up in the United States means you are inundated with centralized government, wealth redistribution, and equality of finish line thinking in all levels of education, through major media outlets, and in the warp and woof of the culture itself. Anything else now appears to lack compassion. 

[7] Steve Corbett, Brian Fikkert, When Helping Hurts: How To Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting The Poor…and Yourself (Chicago: Moody, 2012, repr.), 51. 

[8] Arthur C. Brooks, The Conservative Heart: How To Build A Fairer, Happier, And More Prosperous America (New York: Harper Collins, 2015),  2-3. See also Timothy S. Goeglein, “The Moynihan Report At 50,” in The City, 8, 2 (Winter 2015): 7-12. 

[9] Corbett, Fikkert, When Helping, 59-60.

[10] Corbett, Fikkert, When Helping, 61.

[11] Corbett, Fikkert, When Helping, 62.

[12] Tom Nelson, Work Matters: Connecting Sunday Worship To Monday Work, 190. 

[13] Corbett, Fikkert, When Helping, 62.

[14] Arthur C. Brooks, The Conservative Heart: How To Build A Fairer, Happier, And More Prosperous America (New York: Harper Collins, 2015), 53-54.

[15] Joe Carter, “How Millennials Can Avoid Poverty: Follow The ‘Success Sequence,’” a July 18, 2017 blog post, accessed September 3, 2018, at thegospelcoalition.org. 

[16] Carter, “How Millennials.” 

[17] Chuck Colson, “Crime And The Cure Of The Soul,” First Things (October 1993), accessed September 3, 2018 at firstthings.com. 

[18] See Eric Metaxas, “For Such A Time As This: Restoring Prisoners And Their Families,” a June 16, 2014 blog post, accessed September 3, 2018, at breakpoint.org.

[19] Corbett, Fikkert, When Helping, 59.

Justice And The Gospel

Bill was frustrated, angry, and ashamed, all at the same time. His daughter, Lauren, a freshman in college, brought home a new friend, Martinia. Martinia, much darker in skin than the man who was twenty-five years her senior had a very different history. Growing up in the inner city she, and especially her brothers, had known what it was like to feel hopeless, to have suspicion cast upon them simply because they dared to drive through a neighborhood full of people of lighter skin. It was these two very different life contexts—that of Bill’s and Martinia’s—that came together to create no little tension at the dinner table on a Friday night after the two young women had come to Lauren’s for the weekend. 

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).

·         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

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[1] Tony Evans, Oneness Embraced: Reconciliation, The Kingdom, And How We Are Stronger Together (Chicago: Moody, 2011), 269.

[2] Evans, Oneness, 23.

The Importance Of Biblical Justice, Part 2

In our previous blog post we began discussing the importance of biblical justice by discovering how it permeates the entire narrative of Scripture. In that post we set forth the first two points of the narrative:

·         Justice Is Part Of God’s Original And Current Vision For How Mankind Is To Live.

·         Part Of God’s Vision For Justice Among Humans Has To Do With Functioning As His Image Bearers.  

In this post we continue discussing the importance of biblical justice by setting forth the remaining points of the narrative, starting with the third.

3. After The Fall This Vision For Justice Became Restorative In Nature 

The New City Catechism provides helpful commentary on the effects of the entrance of sin into the world when it affirms in the answer to question 13 (“Can anyone keep the law of God perfectly?”): “Since the fall, no mere human has been able to keep the law of God perfectly, but consistently breaks it in thought, word, and deed.” In answer 14 we find the reason behind the just-mentioned inability: “…because of the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, all of creation is fallen; we are all born in sin and guilt, corrupt in our nature and unable to keep God’s law.” Consider the following biblical confirmation: 

·         “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5)

·         “‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’” (Rom. 3:11-12)

·         “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Eph. 2:1-3)

In other words, humans think, act, and relate to God and each other in ways that are not in keeping with God’s character, in ways that are unrighteous (Rom. 1:18). Since God created us to glorify him as his image bearers who create, work in, and give order to this world in righteous ways (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15) and since the renewed and restored world in the future will involve his God-glorifying renewed image bearers creating, working in, and bringing order in that renewed and restored creation in righteous ways (Rom. 8:30; Rev. 14:13; 21:3-7, 24-26), how we relate to God, to one another, to his creation, and in relation to self is central to our carrying out his will to his glory.

To take this a step further then, if we will glorify God in this life and the life to come, it means we must live righteously in relation to God and others, as our King wills for us to do. This is one of the reasons Jesus tells his followers: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness…” (Mt. 6:33).

This is why one of the key notes struck in the Bible is that mankind must move to restore righteousness and justice after the fall, since the assumption is that naturally there will be unrighteousness and injustice. Consider the following Bible passages: 

·         “For I myself, Yahweh, continually love justice, hating robbery for burnt offering; and I will give their work in truth, and I will cut an everlasting covenant with them” (Is. 61:8, my translation). This is found in a context of the LORD promising to save his people and bring salvation, liberty, and justice, where there has been bondage, suffering, and also false worship. So, what is contrasted here with justice God loves is false worship that involves a profession of faith and yet the mistreatment of others. God is promising that instead he will transform his people—making everlasting covenant with them—so that they work in truth.

·         “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound…. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.” (Is. 61:1, 10, 11) Here we see that in the future God’s servant will work to bring a transformation, a salvation, that will bring about righteousness—both in a display of God’s righteousness and God’s people reflecting God-like character toward him and one another.

·         “Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:7-10) We discover those who truly know Jesus and are children of God do righteousness—as Jesus is righteous. Those who don’t are of the devil. We also see here that practical righteousness involves loving brothers and sisters. See also the preceding context (esp. 2:29, in light of 2:3, 10, 15-17, 23).

One of the reasons that helping and defending the cause of the poor and needy are so often mentioned along with righteousness and justice (e.g. Jer. 21:12; 22:15-16) is because the world is sinful, fallen, broken, and this brings great suffering and bondage. God has acted to restore righteousness and justice (e.g. Is. 61:1-2, 8)—to help those who are poor and needy, which spiritually is all of us—and so he calls his people to do the same. Created and recreated in his image, “because God is a God of justice, a God who loves justice and hates injustice, his people are to be a people of justice as well. Theirs are to be actions, relationships, and communities that reflect the character and values and goals of God.” [1]

God does not save people merely so they have a ticket to heaven, but also so that they can be restored to God-glorifiers in their relations to God, self, others, and the creation. God wants us to reflect his grace and glory in how we treat others. This demands righteousness and justice.

Tony Evans captures well and summarizes what I am affirming when he writes: “The kingdom agenda is the visible manifestation of the comprehensive rule of God over very area of life…. Through the establishment of the church along with His overarching rulership above it, God has created a reflection of his kingdom in heaven on earth.”[2] he then adds: “…theology must find a relevant demonstration in society, that the God of the Bible is not too highly removed that He is not also a God of everyday miry and mucky realities, and that His heart for the suffering and for the poor should be our own.”[3]

We must also see the fourth main truth of the justice-filled biblical narrative from the passages we just cited, as well as additional ones.

4. God’s Vision For Justice Is Restored Fully Only Through The Righteous One, Jesus Christ 

In Luke 4:18 we find out that Jesus is the servant who fulfills the words of Isaiah 61:1-11. He is the one who brings righteousness and justice to the world through saved and restored people. In 1 John 3:7-10 John makes the same point, namely that the righteous Savior restores his people so they practice righteousness (“and justice” is implied).

This is why, when Matthew in chapters 5-7 of his Gospel gives us a sample of the “gospel of the kingdom” Jesus proclaimed (4:23), he records that Jesus affirmed that when a person comes to him in grace, realizing he is poor in spirit and thus becomes part of the kingdom (Mt. 5:3), he will hunger and thirst after righteousness (5:6), will seek that righteousness and the kingdom as a priority (6:33), will even sacrifice his life for this Jesus-exalting righteousness (5:10-12), and the resulting good works will lead to God’s glory (5:16). Yet, apart from the restoration that comes through Jesus a person cannot live out the fruits of this righteousness (see John 15:1-16).

Paul also makes this abundantly clear in Ephesians 4:24, where Paul writes that the “new self,” the new person we are in Christ, is : “created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

This does not mean that a level of justice cannot be achieved in the world apart from faith in Jesus Christ. It can. Yet, the justice will never be full and it will always be short-sighted and lacking apart from him. This is much of the reason why today’s advocates of social justice, though some of the things for which they advocate are part of biblical justice, dismiss things that ought to be sought for full justice at the same time they seek some things that are unjust by God’s standards. What is more, no person, apart from Christ, will desire anywhere near the same priorities of God for justice.

The big take-away, then, from this point is that Christians cannot pit the gospel against justice. They must advocate the propagation and acceptance of the gospel at the same time they advocate for justice. Both go together. Advocating for involvement in the public square without the gospel is incomplete and, at the same time, advocating for the gospel without the resulting focus on the public square is also incomplete.

Yet, we must remember that we will never see full and perfect justice even among saved and transformed people this side of heaven, because we will not be free from sin in this world. This leads to the fifth and final main truth of the biblical narrative in regard to justice.

5. God’s Vision For Restored Justice Will Be Fully Realized Only At The Future Coming Of Jesus Christ And In The New Heaven And New Earth 

Because we will not be perfect in this world (James 3:2; 1 John 1:8; Heb. 12:23), perfect justice will not be realized this side of heaven, even though lives transformed by Christ should live much more justly toward others. This is why Peter (2 Pt. 3:13) writes: “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

The result is that we live with a tension. On the one hand, we should seek and do justice, realizing this is a way of glorifying God. And we should see justice grow. On the other hand, we will not live in perfect justice, nor will we ever experience perfect justice in this world. God at times will even use injustice to change and grow us (Rom. 5:1-5; 2 Cor. 4:17-18; James 1:2-3, 12).

We must remember that the ability to pursue greater justice is already here in Jesus and yet full perfect justice is not yet here. It awaits the future coming of Christ. Any approach that has sought to force the issue and set up a utopia (such as with communism) has usually devolved into even greater injustice.

Conclusion

We have now seen through both an examination of passages that deal directly with righteousness and justice and through looking at the overall narrative of Scripture just what justice is. “Justice identifies the moral standard by which God measures human conduct…[his own character as reflected in his moral will]…. Biblical justice, therefore, is the equitable and impartial application of the rule of God’s moral law in society…the understanding and application of God’s moral law within the social realm,”[4] with the understanding that this justice is what is best for all.

We also have seen how important justice is. It is not something that the church can ignore. In fact, the sense that we have picked up on is that in a pursuit for justice we should live for a great cause, the cause of meeting the physical and spiritual needs of others all for God’s glory.

What we have left to do is to unpack several specific topics and find out how to pursue biblical justice in each.

We will do this in our remaining blog posts and sermons.

Joyfully Pursuing Justice With You,

Tom

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[1] Roy, “Embracing Social Justice:” 8.

[2] Tony Evans, Oneness Embraced, 42, 44.

[3] Ibid., 195.

[4] All but the bracketed clause and the last clause of this definition is taken from Tony Evans, Oneness Embraced: Reconciliation, The Kingdom, And How We Are Stronger Together (Chicago: Moody, 2011), 260.

The Importance of Biblical Justice

When I began studying justice in the Bible I assumed it was not that crucial of a topic. Yes, I knew it is there in the Bible, but I was convinced it’s a peripheral topic at best. Perhaps it’s only the kind of Christian who “kinda, sorta” follows the Bible and who wants to turn justice on its head while ignoring the gospel that has advocated it’s frequent and important place in Scripture. 

As we saw in the last blog post, this is not the case at all. Justice is a frequent topic. Yet, it is not just the frequency with which justice is explicitly mentioned. Once we grasp what justice is, we begin to see that it permeates the Scriptures, even in many places where the actual word is not mentioned. Another way to put it is that it’s woven into the narrative of the Bible.

The presence of justice in the narrative of the Bible is the focus of this blog post. It naturally follows my first two posts. In the first one I introduced that there is a problem with “social justice” because, on the one hand, some of its proponents’ lack clarity on what is meant by this phrase. As such it can almost come to mean anything. On the other hand, others have clarity, but mean by it something that has too much baggage to be helpful for the Christian who wants to be true to the Bible.

In the second post I defined “justice” by looking at what the Bible says about it. Our conclusion was this: “Justice identifies the moral standard by which God measures human conduct…[his own character as reflected in his moral will]…. Biblical justice, therefore, is the equitable and impartial application of the rule of God’s moral law in society…the understanding and application of God’s moral law within the social realm,”[1] with the understanding that this justice is what is best for all.

What I now will outline is how biblical justice is woven throughout the fabric of the Bible’s over-all narrative. [2]

1. Justice Is Part Of God’s Original And Current Vision For How Mankind Is To Live

We saw in our previous post that righteousness and justice are part of who God is and so they describe how he reigns over his creation and creatures. Psalm 89:14 words it this way: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.”

Since God made humans in his image (Gen. 1:26-28) he wants them to reflect his glory and resemble his character. This is part of what is meant when the psalmist wrote of God’s creation of humans (Ps. 8:5-6): “Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet….” As God’s vice-regents, the King of kings created humans to show forth the greatness of God and be like him. This is another way of saying that from the very beginning of the creation of people God wanted us to live righteously toward him and thus to live justly in our interactions with, decisions about, and our love toward one another.

Another way to state this is that God wanted man and woman to live in child-like faith in and dependence upon him as their King, realizing God’s ways are best. This is at the heart of the command God gave to them in Genesis 2:16-17, not only to eat from and enjoy all the trees God had given them in the Garden of Eden, but also to exempt one tree from that enjoyment. They were to avoid it as a test: Would they trust in him and his way as best simply because he commanded them?

The fact that God saw mankind and all the rest of his creation as “very good” (Gen. 1:31), means that all his creation was in order and functioning as originally created and intended—and so humans were experiencing true and full life by trusting in, worshiping, and loving God. It is also likely intended that this good state in which they were created was opposite of what we see happening after they decided not to trust in God and they sinned. After that they experienced shame toward one another (Gen. 3:7), were separated from and thus hid from God (Gen. 3:8), lacked thankfulness to God for his good gifts (3:8), did not see self or others accurately and so did not treat them in accordance with truth—refusing responsibility and shifting blame (3:12, 13), and failed to love and so were hostile toward and hurt one another (3:16; 4:8). Sin, then, led to humans failing to live under God’s rule (his kingdom or dominion) and also led to their failing to live righteously toward one another (that is justly).

It is clear though that even after the fall God wanted his image bearers and wants us today to live righteously and justly underneath his rule and toward one another (e.g. Gen. 9:6; Exodus 20:3-17; Dt. 10:12-3; Rom. 13:8-10).

2. Part Of God’s Vision For Justice Among Humans Has To Do With Functioning As His Image Bearers 

We see this truth implied in the first point and the scripture with it we just examined. But we need to think a little bit more about why this is significant.

It is significant, to begin with, because we need to see that all of what God reveals about how he wants us to live flows out of who he is, his character, and so is part of righteousness and justice. Justice, then, is not merely about equity. It involves, as we covered in the previous blog, relating to God as more important than all things and people; finding our hope, happiness, significance, and security in him; and loving others by honoring them, obeying them when applicable, loving and not hating them, treating them in holiness and purity, not stealing from them, not deceiving them, and not resenting what God has given to them (e.g. Ex. 20:3-17). In other words, biblical justice deals with much more and also takes us in different directions than what is often meant by “social justice.”

Let me give an example of the difference. Suppose that a certain group of people in our town or city has been mistreated in the past, and in ways that have led to deep hurt. With this background there is either a police action or a legal decision that appears to open the wound again and take it even deeper. Would it be just for them to: Riot and destroy the property of others? Steal the property of others in the midst of their protest? Hate and disparage other groups of people simply because they have been mistreated? Would it be just for authorities to look at this group and say, “Well, we have to let them do what they are going to do, even if they are breaking the law; after all, look how they have been treated in the past”? Would it be just for the government to take resources away from other people, redistributing them to this group because of the previous disparity and the current situation, and to do this in a manner that would encourage this group to avoid work?

Even though some people would be tempted to answer, “Yes,” to all or most of these questions, the answer, in light of biblical wisdom, is “No” to all of them. To answer, “Yes,” and to act accordingly would hurt this group more than help them. Certainly, if injustices are being done to this group, then, yes, those must be addressed. Yet, they are not to be addressed by means of encouraging other injustices. 

Bottom-line, when we realize that biblical justice has to do with all that God reveals about how we are to function as his image bearers, we come to see the disparity between most versions of social justice and biblical justice.

The second way in which this truth is significant is to see that within the biblical teaching about God creating us in his image, there are some implications that have direct bearing on ethical issues of our time in which justice is typically turned on its head.

The first ethical issue is the fight against material poverty. It has become very common in many parts of the world, especially in the United States, to fight poverty in ways that discourage the poor from working and from being part of the solution to their own situation. Before I go on I want to clarify that providing a safety net for the poor and, as the old saying goes, “giving them a fish,” when they lack basic needs is something to which Scripture calls us (e.g. James 2:14-26; 1 Jn. 3:16-18). However, the Bible also clarifies that part of being created in the image of God is that we are creators (implying also we are problem solvers who can order our world) and we are workers (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15; Ps. 8:5-6). In fact, this is part of our dignity as human beings (Ps. 8:5-6). This is why Scripture suggests that if a person is able to work and won’t, material provision is not to be given to them (2 Thes. 3:10) and that the poor are to be helped in such a way they also work (Dt. 24:19-22). Such not only opens up the way out of poverty for them, but also preserves their dignity as humans. To have earned success, rather than merely given provision is part of how people flourish. Bottom-line, it is not just (in the biblical sense) to discourage people from working.

The second ethical issue is that of sexual orientation and gender identity. We are not only told that God created mankind in his own image, but also “male and female he created them” (Gen. 1:27). One of the purposes of this binary creation was that they might marry and in that marriage procreate (Gen. 1:28; 2:24). This was important because, as Paul affirms in Ephesians 5:32, from the very beginning God designed mankind to function best in this manner as a picture of Christ (the bridegroom) and the church (his bride).

What this second ethical issue means is that any decisions, actions, or messages that would either encourage gender confusion or that would encourage same-sex marriage (or even merely romantic actions) could never be just. Of course, this does not mean that it would be just to mistreat persons with gender confusion or to mistreat same-sex couples. It would not be just to pay a gay or lesbian less on a job simply because of their sexual practice. But biblical justice would never include making sure same sex couples can marry or that transgender people should have transgender surgery covered by health care.

The third way in which this truth is significant is to see the different relationships that image bearers of God have that must be considered in sorting out justice. The first chapters of Genesis show that there are four main relationships people have that should be taken into consideration when it comes to justice (i.e. treating them in line with God’s divine-character-revealing will): 

·         To begin, is their relationship with God. Mankind was created in fellowship with God (Gen. 2:16; 3:8). Sin brought separation from God (Gen. 2:17; 3:22-24; Rom. 5:10). Salvation involves being brought back into fellowship with God (Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 5:18; 2 Pt. 3:18).

·         Next, is their relationship with self. Though mankind was created to operate with full life, which would involve peace with self (Gen. 1:31; 2:7), sin brought about a state of brokenness and lack of peace at the very depth of our being (cf. Is. 61:1). This peace and wholeness are returned through salvation (Lk. 4:18; Gal. 5:22).

·         Additionally, there is the relationship with other people—relationships that were whole, healthy, and flourishing before the fall (Gen. 1:31), broken after the fall (Gen. 3:12, 16; 4:8), but which are redeemed after the fall (Eph. 2:11-22; 4:1-16, 17-5:2, 18-6:9).

·         Finally, there is the relationship with the creation, which flourished prior to the fall (Gen. 1:31), was cursed and broken after the fall (Gen. 3:17-19), and through the work of Christ will one day be fully renewed and restored (Col. 1:19; Rev. 21:3-7).

Any decisions or actions that would try to bring justice or help in a manner that would suggest reconciliation with God is not necessary (short-changing the relationship with God and self), that a person would not need to work (thus twisting the relationship with creation) or that others can be taken advantage of since a person has been mistreated all fall short of full biblical justice.

Of course, we have already seen that mankind sinned and all creation fell and so this leads to the third major truth in the biblical narrative, which we will take up in our next post.

Joyfully Seeking Justice With You,

Tom

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[1] All but the bracketed clause and the last clause of this definition is taken from Tony Evans, Oneness Embraced: Reconciliation, The Kingdom, And How We Are Stronger Together (Chicago: Moody, 2011), 260.

[2] For the main direction of this narrative I am dependent upon Steven C. Roy, “Embracing Social Justice: Reflections From The Storyline Of Scripture,” Trinity Journal, 30, 1 (Spring 2009): 3-48, especially the conclusion to the article (47-48).

Defining Justice

I love entrepreneurial spirits and also seeing what happens when such persons flourish in business. I don’t say this as one who has started a business, who has that spirit, or who has an expertise in a particular service or product. I say it as one who knows the benefit of entrepreneurs and their businesses to our society. So, unlike the person who has had one or more successful business start-ups, I merely love the general idea without being involved in the pursuit of specific outcomes daily. That would certainly have to change if I decided to start a business. I would need to zero in on a specific goal.

I am like many people, especially Christians, who are advocates of justice or social justice. They love the general idea that things should somehow be right, equitable, or fair. In other words, things should be just. However, they are not always clear on what that means. So, it is hard to hang out a specific target at which they can aim.

To offset this lack of clarity, what I want to do in this post is help us define justice with the outcome that we know what we are aiming at when we pursue it. To do this I want to set forth seven truths from the Bible that will walk us through what justice is.

As a reminder, we are taking this up since this is part of a series of blog posts titled “Pursuing Justice.” With each post it will become clearer why this title aptly describes where we are heading in this series.

Here are the seven truths.

1. Justice And Righteousness Are Closely Related.

This can be seen in a sample of the many places where they appear together. Consider: 

·         “For I have chosen [Abraham], that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” (Gen. 18:19)

·         “You shall not do unrighteousness in [decisions of justice].” (Lev. 19:15)

·         “Keep justice and do righteousness.” (Is. 56:1)

·         “Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the [justice] of their God; they ask of me righteous [and just decisions]; they delight to draw near to God.” (Is. 58:2)

·         “Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away.” (Is. 59:14)

·         “I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth.” (Jer. 9:24)

·         “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (Amos 5:24)

We need to file this truth away and state some others before its importance is seen. Let’s move on to the second truth.

2. Righteousness Is That Which Conforms To God’s Character.

We see this in the following biblical texts: 

·         “The Lord was pleased, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify his law and make it glorious” (Is. 42:21). Elsewhere in Isaiah the phrase “for the sake of” is used with the LORD’s name (37:35; 43:25; 48:9, 11; 66:5), that is for his reputation or glory, to speak of the purpose for which he does things. Most likely “righteousness” here, then, speaks of that which conforms to God’s glory, his reputation, or character.

·         “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account” (Mt. 5:10-11, emphasis added). Here we discover that being persecuted “for righteousness’ sake” is parallel to being persecuted on account of Jesus. Righteousness, then is very closely connected to Jesus, the Son of God, which is a similar truth to what we saw in Isaiah. Righteousness is that which conforms to the divine reputation or character.

·         “It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be [righteous] and the [one who declares righteous] the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Rom. 3:26) Here we see a key purpose of the cross of Jesus Christ—it was to declare the righteousness of God, which in the Old Testament often means he judges sinners who do not repent, and he saves sinners who do (cf. Pss. 98:2; 132:9, 16; Is. 24:14-16a; 46:13; Zech. 9:9). In other words, God operates according to his character, his attributes, as an all holy God who hates sin and yet loves sinners.

The conclusion we come to, then, is that if a person is righteous or acts righteously, then they conform to what God is like (1 John 3:7-10), i.e. we will be like our Savior (1 John 2:6).

Now on to number three.

3. Justice Is Righteousness In The Public Square. 

In other words, it is righteousness (conforming to the character of God) in treatment toward and decisions about people. It is righteousness or God-likeness in the public square, which is why righteousness and justice are closely linked so often. This is uncovered in the following texts: 

·         “You shall not do unrighteousness in justice-related decisions. You shall not lift up the face of the poor and you shall not honor the face of the great. In righteousness you shall make just decisions about your people.” (Lev. 19:15, my translation)

·         “Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. 15Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.” (Isaiah 59:14-15)

·         “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God.” (Luke 11:42) Here we see the close connection of justice and love (the latter of which is the summation of the Law or will of God, Mt. 22:37-40). We also know that our love of others is an imitation of God’s love for us (cf. Mt. 5:43-48; Eph. 5:1-2). Justice, then, consists of actions toward others that are God-like.

The first three truths have set the stage for the fourth.

4. Righteousness And Justice Are Part Of Who God Is. 

God always acts in accordance with his nature (i.e. he is righteous) and he always acts righteously toward others (i.e. he is just). As such, God is the origin of and standard for righteousness and justice. We see this in the following texts: 

·         “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. 18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. (Deuteronomy 10:17-18) Though not using the word “justice,” this describes God as just.

·         “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.” (Psalm 89:14)

·         “For I myself, Yahweh, continually love justice….” (Is. 61:8, my translation)

·         “Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jer. 9:23-24)

·         Peter, speaking of God the Father, writes: “…who judges impartially according to each one's deeds…” (1 Pt. 1:17)  Though this does not use the word “justice,” it describes part of what justice is and attributes this to God.

The fifth truth closely follows.

5. Justice is God-likeness Applied To Relationships And the Public square. 

This is seen with clarity in Deut. 10:17-19: “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. 18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. 19 Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” Here we see that God is impartial and this is part of justice; God especially seeks justice for those who are the weakest and most vulnerable; and God calls his people to do the same in regard to justice. Hence, the doing of justice is the doing of righteousness, i.e. following God’s lead.

Justice, then, is part of being created in the image of God and thus called to resemble him and reflect his glory. This helps us to give detail to what justice will be like. It also sets the table for the sixth truth.

6. Justice Is Applying God’s Will To Relationships And the Public Square. 

This is true since God’s will reflects his character and justice is treating others righteously (i.e. in line with God’s character).

We also see this truth stated explicitly. Consider the following two examples:

·         Isaiah 51:4, in a context of speaking of God’s future salvation and a good news that will go out (cf. 40:9; 52:7), 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.”

·         Jeremiah 5:4: “Then I said, “These are only the poor; they have no sense; for they do not know the way of the Lord, the justice of their God.”

Since justice is treating others in line with God’s character as revealed in his will, justice means that we will treat others in a manner that we: 

·         Encourage them to prioritize God as above all people and things, worship him rightly, and not belittle him (Ex. 20:3-7).

·         Do not set them or their desires above God, his desires, or contrary to his will (20:3-7).

·         Encourage them to find their rest and hope in God, not us or others, and we do the same toward them (Ex. 20:8-11).

·         Encourage them to preserve the honor and perform the duties belonging to others who are in authority over them, including parents (Ex. 20:12). This means that whatever unjust things have happened to them, we do not encourage them to be lawbreakers or to disrespect authorities.

·         Encourage them not to hurt, hate, or be hostile toward others, but instead to be patient and peaceful, pursuing even enemies in love (Ex. 20:13). This means that whatever has happened to them we do not conclude that the end justifies the means and so they are allowed to retaliate.

·         Encourage them to avoid sexual immorality and to live purely and faithfully, whether in marriage or single life (Ex. 20:14). As such, to suggest to someone that cohabitation, adultery, same-sex romantic relationships, or same-sex marriage are fine and/or just—if one of these is what they want—would be false and destructive.

·         Encourage them to work, if at all possible, to earn their living, as well as not to take without permission what does not belong to them (Ex. 20:15). This means that any welfare programs that discourage work or any economic systems such as socialism or communism are not truly just by definition. Additionally, if we employ them, we will pay them what is owed to them.

·         Encourage them to tell the truth and to treat others in accordance with truth (Ex. 20:16). This means that we will treat them impartially if rendering a decision toward them—not favoring them in a way that gives them preference or that puts them at a disadvantage, will not judge them in ways that do not match reality (such as merely by the color of their skin), and we will tell them the truth and treat them in ways that match the truth. See also Dt. 10:17-18; 1 Pt. 1:17.

·         Encourage them to be content with what God has done in their lives and with what he has given to them, not envying others, or resenting what God has given the other persons or to them, and this even while they may need to stand against injustice (Ex. 20:17).

As can be readily seen, biblical justice is quite different than what many people today think is justice, especially many who are seeking for social justice.

7. Justice is What is Best For All.

Our final truth follows from the reality that justice is that which conforms to God’s will and the following of God’s will is always what is best for all involved. Consider these biblical passages: 

·         “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?” (Dt. 10:12-13)

·         “Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life; he who despises his ways will die.” (Prov. 19:16)

·         “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3)

Conclusion: A Definition And The Importance Of Justice

Now that we have looked at the biblical material for what “justice” is, we can offer this definition: “Justice identifies the moral standard by which God measures human conduct…[his own character as reflected in his moral will]…. Biblical justice, therefore, is the equitable and impartial application of the rule of God’s moral law in society…the understanding and application of God’s moral law within the social realm,”[1] with the understanding that this justice is what is best for all.

Now that we know what justice is, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that justice is a major and important biblical theme. This is seen by the following:

·         The frequency of the related words. “Righteousness” and “righteous” are found 809 times (273 and 536 respectively) in the English Standard Version. The word “justice” is found 138 times and two words in the Old Testament that are almost always the same word behind justice and are related, “judgment” and “judgments” are found another 187 times.

·         “Righteousness” and “justice” are found in key ethical texts in the Bible. Consider Amos 5:24: “ “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. There is also Micah 6:8: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Also, in Romans 1:18 we find out why God’s wrath is poured out on mankind: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all…unrighteousness….”

·         “Righteousness” and “justice” play a key role in the overall narrative of the Bible, which includes why God created us, what his purpose is for us, and what redeemed life should look like. When we grasp this, we come to see that living out righteousness in our relationships and in the public square (justice) has a great ability to glorify God. This is why Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:6 that people who are part of the kingdom and genuinely happy hunger and thirst after righteousness, even to the point of a willingness to suffer because of it (Mt. 5:10), for they know this results in the glorification of the Father (Mt. 5:16).

In our next blog post we will look at how righteousness and justice play a major role in the biblical narrative and how this has great potential not only for increasing our biblical understanding, but also motivating us to live on mission.

Joyfully Pursuing Justice With You,

Tom

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[1] All but the bracketed clause and the last clause of this definition is taken from Tony Evans, Oneness Embraced: Reconciliation, The Kingdom, And How We Are Stronger Together (Chicago: Moody, 2011), 260.