Today it seems like the Church focuses mostly on preaching the Gospel while ignoring justice issues. However, justice is key to changing the world. Here are 5 keys to do just this.
1. Understand justice is the foundation of God’s throne
Psalm 89:14
“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.”
Justice is His identity. It’s not separate from His love but incredibly His love flows from this. So God wants to bring this justice to the nations.
2. Understand the role of the Messiah
Isaiah 42:1
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.”
God sent Jesus to bring justice to the nations. This is an essential part of the Gospel but today we just focus on the Gospel as receiving Jesus to be in heaven one day. This is true and the heart of the Gospel but the Gospel is much bigger than this. God wants to bring transformation of society and use us to do bring this about, to bring justice to the nations.
The famous Baptist preacher, Tony Campolo, tells a story of how he and a number of his students, turned up at the yearly board meeting of a rich company that made big profits building on a large island while ignoring the poverty in the region. He and his students read verses from the Bible about justice and made suggestions about improving structure. The company took it on board and began building schools and other structures as well to support the community and not just took from it.
3. Trust Jesus to fulfil
Isaiah 42:4
“he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”
The Messiah, Jesus, will not be discouraged but will succeed. We often get discouraged like Elijah, who fled from Jezebel but Jesus WILL keep going until justice comes to the earth. So with his grace, we too need to keep going and not be discouraged.
4. Our part 1: intercede for justice until done
In Lk 18, Jesus told a parable of a widow who persisted until she received justice to teach us to cry out to our Father in heaven, the Great Judge, for justice until we see it. Jesus chooses a widow to succeed because a widow had no rights in her time. So Jesus is teaching us that weakness is not a barrier to receive justice. It’s just a question of praying with faith.
Jesus talks about crying out day and night to the Lord for justice and to bring justice to the nations. But are we doing this concerning the war in the Ukraine or to end trafficking?
5. Our part 2: to act justly and fight for justice
Micah 6:8
“And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
We cannot fight for justice if we don’t act justly in our lives first.
Psalm 15:4-5 shows us how:
“He…who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.”
The evangelical politician, William Wilberforce, famous for his huge part in the abolition of slavery, actually fought for justice in 80 areas of life in England and this transformed Victorian British society.
What now?
Let’s take up our identity as sons and daughters of the Messiah and fight to bring justice to the nations and see society and injustice transformed.
See also HOW YOUR CHURCH CAN BE A POWERHOUSE IN THE NATIONS
My book GRACE OUTPOURINGS: 21 DAYS REVIVAL DEVOTIONAL is designed especially to help stir us up to passionate prayer for justice and the power of the Spirit through stories and verses on revival. Do read for a great devotional experience.