Pastor Steve Ellison

 
There is a vigorous discussion these days regarding social justice and its place in Christ’s Church.  The Creator desires His creatures to deal justly with each other. The Creator has commanded justice.  Amos 5:23 commands, “But let justice roll down like waters, And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (NASU)  Jeremiah 22:3 elaborates, “Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.” (NASU)  Micah 6:7 states in beautiful simplicity, “And what does the Lord require of you, But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?” (NASU) God desires and commands justice among His creation but nowhere does He confuse justice with the gospel.

Genesis 6:1 describes the condition of mankind very straightforwardly, “The wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (NASU) Romans 3:10-18 declares that mankind is not capable of righteousness or justice, “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God;  all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.  Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips;  whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness;  their feet are swift to shed blood,  destruction and misery are in their paths,  and the path of peace they have not known.  There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (NASU)

Neither the oppressed nor the oppressor are redeemed through social justice. Every person, rich, poor, black, white, patriarch, or widow needs mercy and grace from the Sovereign Lord of the Universe to be redeemed.  Justice can only happen through the supernatural action of God. Justice will only come when God works in and through His children. Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant, is the only way that justice can and will happen.  

God has acted unilaterally and unconditionally to supernaturally cause the one who trusts in Him to be “born again”. Jeremiah 31, Ezekiel 36-37, Isaiah 59, and Hebrews 10,12,13 detail this New Covenant which is foremost a mighty work of God in the heart of the believer. Being born again and living under the New Covenant is the only solution to a lack of justice from one human to another human. In the New Covenant, God repeatedly said, “I will”.  The point is: it is a work of God not man. Under the New Covenant, we have no excuses; we simply need to agree with the work of God in us. God says He will be our God and we will be His people. That my friends, is great news. Instead of commandments written on stone tablets, God writes His Law on the hearts of believers.  The New Covenant Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and thus knows God in a new and better way.  The author of Scripture, the indwelling Holy Spirit, illuminates the Bible so the believer can properly understand and apply it. The indwelling Holy Spirit enables the believer to bring his children up in the faith.

The indwelling Holy Spirit empowers the believer to obey the commands of God.  This is the only solution to the lack of justice in the world.  Without the work of God, humans do not even desire justice.  All sides in this struggle (black, white, rich, poor, gay, straight, etc.) clamor for justice, but apart from God, they do not even know what justice is.  Neither do they truly desire justice.  Apart from God, we all desire preferential treatment.