Everyone, it seems, is passionately declaring this or that as just or unjust. It can be confusing. We must be wise and discerning and not easily deceived in our fight for justice. – Clint Decker
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” wrote Martin Luther King, Jr in his letter from a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama. Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years imprisoned for speaking against South African apartheid, stated in a speech, “As long as poverty, injustice, and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.” And long before King and Mandela, the eloquent Fredrick Douglas said on the 24th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, “Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob, and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.” (Image by Unseen Histories on Unsplash)
When the overwhelming powers of evil are against us, it is part of human nature to rise up and oppose those forces. This is the fight for justice, and throughout human history there have been many noble people who inspired others to stand for what is right.
But today, the fight for justice, or what many call social justice, has a fogginess that has descended upon its battlefield. There are new words and phrases, and new definitions for old words that make our modern call for justice puzzling and divisive. So let us go back to the basics. What exactly is justice?
Speaking about God, the Bible says, “He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.” (Deuteronomy 10:18) Then God Himself declared, “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (Amos 5:24)
The whole concept of justice comes from God. It is part of who He is. He is holy, eternal, sovereign, and many other things, which are called His attributes. And among those, God is also just. In simple terms it means God is “right” in all He does and thinks. God is right in His judgements, decisions and spoken Word. The places where we see the justice of God is in His relationship with people, and in His expectations of how people should treat one another.
The measuring stick or standard of God’s justice is God Himself. It is what He deems is morally right or wrong, good or evil, just or unjust. The terms “justice” or “social justice” are used much today, especially in higher education, the church, and politics. Everyone, it seems, is passionately declaring this or that as just or unjust. It can be confusing. We must be wise and discerning and not easily deceived…even if someone uses Bible verses to make their case.
Let us ask three questions whenever we hear voices stir up the masses by alleging some form of injustice like racism, dehumanization, inequality, Christian nationalism or something else. Consider these three principles of godly justice.
1. Is the accusation of injustice truthful? Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Seeking the truth is paramount in the call for justice. We must resist immediate judgements based on what the crowds say. Take time to sort through the facts, and be willing to accept the truth, wherever it may lead.
2. Is the accusation of injustice impartial? The Scripture says, “For God shows no partiality.” (Romans 2:11) The pursuit of justice is the pursuit of truth, and that pursuit must be impartial. The call for justice must never favor one race over another, or one economic class over another. Justice must see the truth but be blind to favoritism.
3. Does the accusation of injustice consider the heart? “For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) As we pursue the facts and examine if there be any partiality, we must also consider the motives of the heart. Too often we accuse people of injustice without regard to their intent. Instead, we judge.
A prayer for you – Lord God, in the era of social justice where accusations abound, help us to pursue godly justice. Let us search for the truth, be impartial and not judge the hearts of our neighbors. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
The only people Jesus ever accused of being hypocrites, were the religious leaders of His own nation. – Clint Decker
A Florida teenager once made national news after he was arrested for an impersonation stunt. Matthew, an 18-year-old, wormed his way into being a Physician’s Assistant at a local hospital. He had an I.D. badge, the right clothes and was even trusted by a doctor to do CPR on a patient. (Image by freepik)
Matthew was a fake, a pretender or an actor. In a word he was a hypocrite. It is a term often used in religious settings. Perhaps you have heard someone say, “Hey, that church downtown, they preach one thing and do another,” or maybe “I visited the church on main street once. I know many of them, and they’re a bunch of hypocrites,” or perhaps “Religious people are just fakes living by a double standard, that’s why I don’t go to church anywhere.”
Sometimes we can unknowingly associate hypocrites with God when we see sinful things in the lives of professing Christians. Know that it is with great force that God condemns them. Jesus once said, “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” (Matthew 7:5) Another time Jesus directly stated, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.” (Matt. 23:25) Jesus also forcefully commented, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me…’” (Mark 7:6)
In ancient times, actors and actresses in Greek plays wore masks to portray their characters. They were affectionately known as hypocrites. It was not a demeaning word like it is today but was just a simple term that described their professional craft. According to one source, “Hypocrite refers to a performer acting under a mask,” a “two-faced person,” or “someone who says one thing, but does another.”
The only people Jesus ever accused of being hypocrites, were the religious leaders of His own nation. They studied, were highly trained, considered experts in the Scriptures and bore the responsibility of teaching them to the people. Yet, as a group, they were considered hypocrites in the eyes of Jesus. How? Because they knew better, by teaching at times what they knew was a lie and what they did not practice.
This angered Jesus because of the harmful influence that had. He scolded them saying, “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.” (Matt. 23:13) Through the influence of their words and life, it was like they were slamming heaven’s door right in front of people’s noses. Jesus did not mince words. He was furious with religious hypocrites. He once told a story about a master that clarified where two-faced religious actors will spend eternity, “[The master] will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt. 24:51)
Outside of Jesus’, not too many of us can point fingers on this issue. There is a Bible verse I have prayed for myself many times, “O Lord God of hosts; let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me…” (Psalm 69:6) It is only by the grace of God that I am, who I am. The greatest fear of my life is that I will somehow misrepresent God in my teaching or fail Him in my choices, and cause others to reject Him. May God have mercy on me and you, if that shall ever be said of us. Today, by the grace of God, stop being a pretender and start being real.
A prayer for you – Lord God, may the work of your Holy Spirit convict men and women of any hypocrisy in their life. And if there is any, enable them by your power to repent and find mercy at the cross. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
The British Empire brought the evil of African slavery to America, but when the Founders separated from the Crown, they began dismantling the institution. – Clint Decker
John Adams was the 2nd President of the United States and signer of the Declaration of Independence. In a letter to Thomas Jefferson, he reflected on the founding of America, “The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity.” Noah Webster shared similar views. He was a Revolutionary War soldier and also known as the “Schoolmaster to America.” He wrote, “The moral principles and precepts found in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws.” (Image from standingforfreedom.com)
When one studies the speeches, diaries, and letters of the Founding Fathers of the United States and does the same for important documents like the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights and others, he will see the principles of Christianity and the Scriptures embedded in them. The Founders were intentional with this, because they wanted to have a just and moral foundation for which their new nation would be built on. They knew just laws could provide a restraint on the evil actions of people and promote virtuous conduct.
This began on July 4, 1776. Prior to the date of independence, America’s 13 colonies were bound to the laws of Great Britain and were under the authority of King George. After Independence they were bound to their own laws, which were built on Christian principles. Between 1776 and 1804, according to Wall Builders, “nearly half of the states passed laws to abolish slavery”. Wall Builders also reports that “from 1790 to 1810 the number of free blacks in America increased from 59,466 to 108,395.”
The British Empire brought the evil of slavery to America, but when the Founders separated from the Crown, they began dismantling the institution. Why? Because it was inconsistent with the laws of God. However, only half of the states were for abolishing slavery, while the other half (southern ones), persisted in continuing the evil trade. This illustrates a point, that just because the Founders sought just laws did not mean it automatically created a just and moral people. The law can restrain evil in people, but it cannot eliminate it. This is why among some places in America slavery was held onto tightly, and why some in the government committed atrocities against the Native Americans. And today, this is why millions of women have aborted their babies, and why Jewish students are threatened and abused on some college campuses.
Laws, systems, structures, institutions…they can only go so far, and our Founders knew that. They knew we needed to encounter God personally. This is why from time to time there would be a call for days of prayer and fasting. On May 15, 1776, just weeks before America’s independence came, General George Washington stated, “The Continental Congress having ordered Friday the 17th instant to be observed as a Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer, humbly to supplicate the mercy of Almighty God, that it would please Him to pardon all our manifold sins and transgressions, and to prosper the arms of the United Colonies…”
Our nation needed God in 1776, and we desperately need Him now. Our hearts must be changed to rid our cities of the wickedness displayed in them. And the heart is where the root of our problems lay. Jesus said, “…out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.” (Mark, 7:21-22) So many of the vile periods in our history and today, come from these sins. Because of this we deserve the judgement of God. But due to His mercy, He sent His only Son to be our hope. If we as a people, humble ourselves and call upon the Savior of all mankind by faith, then hearts of stone can receive new life.
A prayer for you – Lord God we confess our sins individually and as a nation. We all have sinned and are only deserving of your judgement. Come Lord, humble us this hour I pray. Bring a great and mighty move of your Spirit upon our country that millions would turn to you as Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
