Anyone who longs to see justice and harmony in society should be ecstatic about Jesus’ teaching on the kingdom of God. Jesus’ goal is a perfectly just society. When we seek social justice in Christ we know that we will bear fruit, whether or not we change an entire society. When we give our lives to provide a better living for humanity our “success” does not depend on outcome. Whatever the results, our efforts to produce change display the light of the kingdom of God for anyone around us to see. The pressure to make sure we achieve our desired results is off of us. God does his part and we do our part and we trust God for the outcome. Ultimately, God will establish complete social justice.
As we pursue social justice, what we seek and how we seek it shows others the goodness of God and gives them a glimpse and maybe a taste of the future New Earth. Thus, God uses our works to draw all who seek what is good and are willing to humble themselves before God in Christ. One day the perfect harmonious society will come to them. One day they will join us in the New Garden community of God and his followers.
Social justice is not something for Christians to take lightly. Do you know that whenever you pray the Lord’s prayer asking for God’s kingdom to come that you are praying for social justice?
We pursue social justice for the same reason we do anything to bless others. We love people and we want to help those in need in practical ways. God directs us to do this. Jesus assumes that his followers will give to the needy (Matt. 6:2-3). John bluntly challenges us: “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” (1 John 3:17, NIV). We help others who suffer under unfair circumstances because God wants to do good for them through us; he wants them to know that he is good. In this way we glorify – display – God and draw others to him.
And when we try to improve society we should never neglect to present the gospel of salvation in Christ. This is everyone’s biggest need and God commands us to spread the good news. Can we promote social justice without offering personal justice before God – justice that comes by faith? Moreover, those who experience internal justification with God are the ones more likely to give their lives for others. Is it not those who are regenerated by the gospel who will be motivated to turn around and help those who are in similarly difficult circumstances? “Mainline or liberal Christians, who traditionally pride themselves on their concern for social justice, tend to display less commitment to the poor, for example, than self-identified evangelical Christians.”[1]
[1] J. Todd Billings, Union with Christ: Reframing Theology and Ministry for the Church (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group, 2011), 96. Billings refers to studies on this topic in two footnotes.
