Wednesday, February 20, 2008

“Doing Justice”

The Bible exhorts followers of Jesus Christ to do justice That’s right, not to merely think about it or desire it or applaud it or wait for it to flower in full at the Second Coming…but right now in your various spheres of influence – to do justice.

But doing justice requires a couple of prerequisites. For instance, the effective doer must be thoroughly committed to fervent prayer and personal holiness. Also, there must be a devotion to the Lordship of Jesus Christ – everything must be done by His dictates and through His power. But, for the Christian who surrenders himself or herself to the gracious power of God in these things, look out! You’ve got a world changer!

Note also that such a Christian will not only be sacrificially involved in evangelism and personal discipleship but also in “doing justice” in his or her culture. Remember the combination of John Wesley’s itinerant preaching and his involvement in the abolition of slavery? How about D.L. Moody’s evangelistic crusades and his opening of homes for poor and needy girls? Or Charles Spurgeon’s comprehensive gospel ministry and building homes for widows and orphans? The list goes on.

Doing justice is not an extra duty for Christians, not an elective course.

It is an indispensable part of holy living.