:: By Gordon Boughton
Ministry Sentence: To see that while our ultimate need is peace with God through Christ, social justice is a Christian imperative and not an optional extra.
Intro: Do you have to teach a child to say No. At what age do they say “that’s not fair!” By the time we are teenagers we have a pretty good idea of what is fair for us. But what about fairness for others?
What is social justice and is it a Christian imperative or is it an optional extra? What other Xn imperatives are there? What is an imperative? Something you must do. Regular Xn worship and fellowship, regular personal prayer and Bible study, personal ethical morality. These imperatives don’t make us Christian but they are imperatives we cannot ignore. As Christians we have no choice but to do them because it is clearly God’s will for us.
What is social justice? It is equity for all individuals and groups in society with regard to the courts, economy, access to resources, opportunity, etc It includes the fair punishment of evildoers, the vindication of the innocent and the compensation of the victims. It includes the protection of the vulnerable and the helpless. It includes the provision for those who can’t provide for themselves.
Do we as Christians have to do social justice? Our conscience and the Bible say yes. Social justice is not the heart of the gospel, but is pretty close to it – pretty close to the heart of God. Is it not an optional extra, it is a Christian imperative. It is an area of our lives in which we need to be pleasing to God.
Desperate situation in the world today
The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer see screen
We spend out time borrowing money we can’t afford, to buy things we don’t need, to impress people we don’t like.
The refugee highway
HIV/AIDS crisis in many part of the world
Persecution of minorities
Lack of basic amenities, clean waters, health, education
Children at risk
Some Bible Passages
We can’t read far too into the Bible before issues of social justice appear. The murder of Abel by Cain, the excessive vengeance of Lamech on someone who insulted him, the unabated violence before the great flood. We can only look at a few passages today, but the theme of social justice runs through the whole Bible. Israel as the covenant people of God were meant to love God with al their heart, their neighbour as themselves and look after the poor, the widows the sojourners, and the fatherless. There was a justice system administered by the priests in their towns throughout Israel. Part of the tithe was to help the poor. Neglect of pure worship and personal morality seemed to go hand in hand with idolatry and social injustice. Even when the outward ritual was correct, there was often inner rebelliousness during the ritual and blatant disobedience in civil life. In calling Israel back to Yahweh the Covenant God of Israel, the prophets condemned various aspects of social injustice
In Micah 6, God’s grievance was summed up in the negative of verse 8. They weren’t doing justice; in fact they were robbing the poor, cheating, lying and doing it all with violence. They hypocritically expected their outward ritual of religious sacrifices to be acceptable to God. Even the forbidden sacrifice of the first born could not atone for their sin Micah reminds them.
The only way forward was to repent, turn back to Yahweh do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with their God I have already briefly explained justice. Mercy is moderating the situation in which people are helpless. Walking humbly is the biblical way of saying personal relationship with God – like Enoch Abraham Job and others. It involves the three strands of piety: faith, repentance and obedience. In the NT, of course the faith is directed to Christ, repentance is still required, and the walk is stepped out in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Gal 6:1-10 This passage urges a Christian concern for others especially Christians. The concern is holistic. Concern for the spiritual welfare as well as the physical. The call for humility echoes Micah. The sacrifice needed to help others is to be seen as an investment, not so much a material one but a spiritual one.
Do good to all – especially Christians. We are in the same household, servants of the same Master, adopted children of the same heavenly king. We are not to neglect outsiders, but there is a priority. This priority is the outward expression of a genuine faith in Christ.
Big note here. The doing good to others is never a substitute for genuine faith, but it is always an outcome. If you sincerely believe in Jesus Christ, then it will show in your sacrificial love to others. If it doesn’t show, then your supposed faith is inadequate in some way. If you rely on good works without asking Christ into your life, it is a false reliance and you deceive yourself. If you are more eager to help others than to spend time alone with God and his Word, then your spiritual growth is hampered. If spend time alone with God and his Word, but do very little to help others you are a hypocrite. Repent and do both.
Matt 25:31-46 People have wrongly thought that this passage guarantees salvation to those who visit the sick etc but are not clearly Christian. This doesn’t mean the noble pagan, the good Hindu, the kind Muslim – even the generous atheist will get to heaven.
The only way to heaven is Christ and genuine faith in Him. The test of that genuine faith is the care of disadvantaged Christians = The least of these my brethren.
Now the thief on the cross had no opportunity to do good works, but Jesus admitted him to paradise upon his polite faith request to Jesus. Jesus was speaking to an audience of God’s people who outwardly were in danger of not recognising Jesus as the Messiah nor his disciples as the appointed apostles. By their rejection of Jesus, and the apostles’ message after Pentecost, their whole lives would be wasted and on judgement day would only face doom.
Notice that the saved were not conscious that they were ministering to Jesus – they were habitually hospitable they showed grace to everyone in need, follower of Christ or not. They certainly helped the most humble of the Jesus people as part of their daily service. My guess is that they were sacrificial to those outside the group as well. Hospitable to all even when it might be risky. Later, we read of Christians taking in the abandoned babies, giving the dead poor left on the streets a decent burial.
Some Basic Priorities
Peace with God through Christ. Assurance of the same. Peace with others through Christ – initiating reconciliation The ultimate need of others is Christ – always keep that in mind Immediate needs of others should be addressed in Christ’s name. We should encourage holistic concern for one another. Opportunities to address spiritual needs will arise.Here in Malabar? Work Ventures, Chesalon, Resale Shop, anything else? Can we reignite the vision?
My own pilgrimage: Giving my model boat to a dying friend
Visiting Miss Glanville in Wollongong hospital
Teachers Federation Rep at Arthur Philip High School
Moving to get chaplains in Sabah’s gaols
Encouraging medical and social excursions into the Sugut Jungle area of Sabah
Love in the Name of Christ
Some Changes you can initiate today
Change of heart?Prayer?
Support?
Vocation?
Local Action needed today? Anglicare, Chesalon, World Vision, Salvation Army, St Vincent De Paul, Compassion, Local Charities?
Where does our concern spring from? The Love of Christ via the spirit Rom 5:5. Must pray for it as we do it.
Social Justice not an option extra but a Christian imperative!