The Gospel and Injustice

The world is filled with hurt, pain, and injustice. It doesn’t take much to look around and see the injustices that fill our cultures, our countries, and our everyday lives. So, if this is such a massive topic that we all see or experience daily, what does the gospel have to say about injustice?

Over the past week or two, I have been thinking on this a lot. From the protests in the US fighting against racism to the vulnerable in developing countries dealing with the affects of Coronavirus, my heart has been aching for justice in the world and hurting for those most deeply affected.

This topic is one that is close to my heart. Ever since I can remember, I have wanted to help the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable. It is why I studied social work at university and it is why I always thought I’d live in a mud hut in the middle of Africa as a missionary (God had very different plans!).

While this has always been a passion of mine, it was only in the last few years that I really began studying what the gospel had to say about injustice and fighting for the vulnerable. I knew as believers we were called to love mercy, to care for the poor, and to love our neighbors as ourselves, but I’ve grown to see a bit more clearly how the gospel speaks to this issue of injustice and have learned so much about God’s compassion, mercy, and justice.

How does the gospel speak to injustice?

Let’s start from the beginning. In creation, God created all things to bring Him glory. He specifically made people “in His own image.” (Genesis 1:27). This means He made us to reflect His glory and His likeness. It means that every person is made with dignity and value. God created us for unity in our relationship with Him, with others, and with all of His creation. This is a HUGE foundation for how we are meant to look at this topic of injustice. We are all made in the image of God.

In Genesis 3, this falls apart as sin enters the world. The results of human rebellion against their good and perfect God are absolutely disastrous. All aspects of life are affected in the fall: our relationship to God, our relationship to others, our view of ourselves, and our relationship to the world God created. The fall brings hurt, death, and destruction to all areas of life.

In regards to the issue of injustice, every type of relationship is broken by the fall: family, community, ethnic, social, and the list goes on and on. People now struggle with pride, thinking of themselves more highly than we ought, we neglect to look out for the needs of others, and sin wrecks havoc on all our relationships to God, one another, and all of creation.

The good news of the gospel is that it addresses ALL areas of destruction that sin created! It isn’t just merely a spiritual redemption, but Christ came to bring wholeness to all the problems sin has created.

Look at the story of the Exodus. God’s people are crying out to Him in their slavery and God hears their cries and redeems them from their physical, social, and spiritual oppression. After this, God brings them together as His people and calls them out to be a people that represent His mercy, justice, and character to the nations. Of course we know that because of sin, the people of Israel struggle to do this and to love God with all their hearts.

The Exodus is a beautiful picture pointing us to the ultimate redemption that God brings in Christ! Colossians 1:15-20 has helped me in understanding how Christ’s death and resurrection are meant to not only save our souls, but also to redeem all aspects that the fall has destroyed.

“He (Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.“

Here we see Christ as the creator, sustainer, and reconciler of ALL things through the cross. God’s solution for the entirety of His creation to be brought back to Him was Jesus. Through His death and resurrection, Christ is victorious over sin and death and all the consequences that come along with it. Christ’s sacrifice makes peace by His blood for all the brokenness in this world, whether physical, emotional, spiritual, cultural, or relational.

Now, as I said before, it doesn’t take long to look around and see that sin is still entangling us and the world we live in. There is still injustice and the consequences of sin all around. As followers of Christ, we can look forward to our future hope where the ultimate fulfillment of Christ’s redemption comes as He ushers in His new creation.

One day, God will make all things new. There will be no more injustices, hurting, or pain. We see the injustices of the world around us that are caused by the effects of sin, and we can long for the day when there will “be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” and Christ proclaims that He is “making everything new!” (Revelation 21:4-5) In the new creation, God will ultimately restore our relationship to Him, to others, and to all of His creation!

How should the gospel cause us to act towards injustice?

–As we wait for the new creation, we are called to be God’s representatives to the world- showing His heart and character as His people. We are not meant to just sit back and wait for Him to make all things new, we are called to act as His ambassadors to the world around us, demonstrating His goodness and the newness of life we have in His name to a hurting world.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
2 Corinthians 5:17-20

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9

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

We are called to be His representatives, responding to the redemption Christ brings in all aspects of our lives in a way that offers reconciliation to those around us. We are redeemed for a purpose: to proclaim Christ’s redemption in all aspects of life to the world around us. To tell of His character: His righteousness, justice, steadfast love, and faithfulness. To treat fellow image bearers with the same love that God extends to all of His creation. To grieve with those who grieve and mourn with those who mourn. To have compassion for the world around us as God does.

“You’ve tasted God’s grace and mercy. You are his precious, treasured possession, his very own people. Now then, live by that story. Live out of that identity.”
-Wright, “The Mission of God’s People”, p. 127

-We are not only to tell of His greatness, but to follow Him in becoming like Him in these ways. Those who have been redeemed, are called to live out this redemption towards others! We must be willing to lay down ourselves to fight for the vulnerable, needy, and hurting just as Christ has done for us when we were in that state. We must gaze at God’s mercy and be compelled to then extend mercy towards others.

“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:16-18

“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?” Micah 6:8

-We, as the Church, must fight for injustice as Christ did. If you look at the life of Jesus, you see him not only proclaiming redemption, but also offering physical, emotional, and spiritual healing to many different people. And as we look at the early church one of its biggest concerns was to care for the poor and needy, the outcast and vulnerable. We must do likewise! (Have a look through any of the gospels for endless stories of Jesus’ healing the whole person, both physically and spiritually, also see Matthew 25:31-46, Galatians 2:1-10).

“There were no needy persons among them.” Acts 4:34

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
    and recovering of sight to the blind,
    to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19

“We are to embody Jesus Christ by doing what He did and what He continues to do through us: declare- using both words and deeds- that Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords who is bringing in a kingdom of righteousness, justice, and peace. And the church needs to do this where Jesus did it, among the blind, the lame, the sick and outcast, and the poor.”
-Corbett and Fikkert, “When Helping Hurts”, p.41

-We must look inward at the injustices in our own heart, confess them to God, ask Him to work to give us a heart like His, and allow Him to inform the way we live. Our everyday actions and words have an impact on others in either a positive or negative way. We must ask God to change our hearts and the way we live our lives so that they support justice, mercy, and grace to the world.

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Psalm 51:17

-We must trust Christ and depend on Him for change because He alone can reconcile relationships, systems, governments, and our own hearts. He alone can overcome darkness and bring light and reconciliation to all aspects of His creation. He alone saves us from all aspects of destruction that sin has brought into the world and our lives.

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

-We must pray! Pray for our own hearts, pray for the vulnerable, pray for wisdom in how to act and speak out against injustice in our homes, our cities, our nations, and around the globe.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:18

-We must take action together! Be aware of what’s happening in the world around you, both locally and globally. Have a look into the issues of injustice and how you can be a part of fighting for justice. Look into where your clothes are made, where your food comes from, and how laborers are treated in all areas of your shopping. Know what you’re supporting in how you shop. Advocate and raise awareness. Get to know refugees or people of other ethnicities and races around you. Talk to your family about this and get involved together. Give sacrificially of your money and time to love your neighbors both locally and globally. There are so many ways, both big and small to get involved in sharing the gospel in both word and deed and being the people God calls us to be as His Church!

In all of this, as the Church, let’s offer the entirety of the gospel for the whole person, for all aspects of life, and to the ends of the earth! And let’s do this united as God’s people proclaiming His excellencies together, no matter our background, culture, language, or ethnicity, all worshipping God with one voice for His glory! As we do this, it is a beautiful picture of the new creation where people from every tribe, tongue, and nation will worship together before our great God! (Revelation 7:9).

“It is not enough to deliver the gospel to the nations, we are called to advance the gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom into the nations, where most people live in poverty and endure the effects of corruption and injustice…Responding to poverty, corruption, and injustice is central to being a good citizen in God’s Kingdom and living out His righteousness.”
-Navpress, “Responding Biblically to Poverty, Corruption, and Injustice”

This is just a start to this big topic of injustice and how the gospel speaks to it. It is also just a big picture look at how, as believers, we should be taking action. Each issue of injustice is very different and every person’s situation is also very different. But what we do know is that God cares, hears the cries of His image bearers, and is actively working to redeem all of His creation, and we get the privilege of joining Him in this great work for His glory.

*Much of what I’ve learned on this topic over the past few years has been from reading some great books that I’d highly recommend (along with digging through scripture on this!). These books have also shaped much of my writing today. Go check them out!

“The Mission of God’s People: A Biblical Theology of the Church’s Mission” by Christopher J.H. Wright

“When Helping Hurts” by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert

“Responding Biblically to Poverty, Corruption, and Injustice” by Kalu, Lyons, and Ridgway