Why a Christian Should Not Participate in Social Justice: Reason #5

Reason #5, Social Justice is Not the Work of the Church

We have come to this final lesson in the series – Social Justice: A Christian Perspective. In Lesson 1, a comprehensive definition of social justice was provided along with the biblical definition of justice; we noticed there is a big difference! Based on these defined terms, the subsequent lessons provided several reasons why Christians should not participate in the social justice movements of today. In Lesson 2, warnings were given to persuade Christians of the dangers of becoming entangled with the egalitarian affairs of this life. The promotion of discontentment with God’s provisions and bitterness were examined in Lesson 3. Lesson 4 consisted of a concise explanation of critical race theory and how it perverts biblical justice and racial reconciliation. In Lesson 5 a study of the victim’s mentality was explored within the context of Ezekiel and Jeremiah’s clarion call to repentance from this wicked mind set. In this final lesson, the heavy burden of proof is now laid on the lap of the social justice warrior.

Burdens of Proof

With absolute authority, the Lord preaches from the housetop, “Seek the kingdom of God,” and leave yours behind (Matt. 6:33). In contrast, social justice warriors would have us seek the ever-changing whims of men for the sake of equity in society. They fight for what culture decides is righteous and will hold others in contempt for their lack of ‘doing the work’ of social justice. If social justice is the work of the Church of Christ, the burden of proof is on its advocates to explain why Jesus didn’t do the very things they say is righteous. Although not exhaustive, below is a list of burdens to be proved:

• Social justice advocates need to explain why Peter didn’t give money to a poor beggar (Acts 3:6), but then Jesus performs a miracle in order to provide Peter with money to pay their temple tax (Matt 17:24-27).
• They need to explain why Peter healed the beggar and used that opportunity to simply share the gospel instead of protesting against economic and healthcare disparities that might have caused the beggar’s state (Acts 3).
• They have to explain why Jesus fed the five thousand who followed Him but then turned around and chastised them because they “Sought Him because of the food He provided,” (John 6:26).
• They have to explain why He commanded them, “Do not labor for the food that perishes but for the food that leads to eternal life,” (John 6:27).
• They need to explain why Jesus didn’t’ allow expensive alabaster to be sold and the money given to the poor and oppressed (Matt. 26:6-13). Or was this just a one-time exception from equity?
• They need to explain why Jesus rebuked Martha for taking action to serve while He praised Mary for “doing nothing” (Luke 10:38-42).
• They should explain why Jesus shared a lesson on how to love others using a story of a marginalized man serving someone else (Luke 10:25-37).
• They should explain why this parable was not about bringing the oppressive attackers to justice.
• Why didn’t Jesus visit His unjustly imprisoned friend, John the baptizer?
• They must explain why Jesus did not deliver John from being unjustly beheaded?
• Why didn’t Jesus take to the streets after John was executed?
• Why didn’t He lead a Prophet’s Lives Matters protest and attack Herod in his palace?
• They should explain why Jesus let his friend Lazarus suffer an illness and die?
• Why did He wait four days before going to comfort Lazarus’ family (John 11:5-6)?
• Why didn’t He protest against the gender pay gap nor for climate justice?
• Why wasn’t he an ally of homosexual justice like Robin DiAngelo and Ibram X. Kendi are today?
• Why did He not take his stand for reproductive justice like DiAngelo and Kendi do?
• Why didn’t he protest against white, Roman, heteronormative supremacy?
• Why didn’t he fight to defund the Roman police? After all, they killed Jesus by the use of marring scourges and tortuous crucifixion?
• After being crucified by the Romans, why in the world would Jesus command His followers to obey, pray for, and pay taxes to those same Roman authorities, (Romans 13; 1 Tim 2:1)?
• Why did the Lord allow His disciples and friends to be unjustly imprisoned, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, and killed?
• Why did Jesus stop helping the sick in His hometown, (Lk 4:23-24)?
• Why did Jesus have nowhere to lay his head; that is, why did He have no home to speak of (Matthew 8:20)?
• Why did Jesus call men-men, and women-women if he was all about gender justice?
• Why was Jesus not an advocate for the transgender movement (Deut. 22:5)?
• Why did Jesus create masculine and feminine pronouns and use only those to describe people?
• Why didn’t he advocate for same sex marriage laws and families?
• Why didn’t he establish a utopian society on the earth?
• Why did he tell us our preeminent identity is that of a Christian?
• Why didn’t he teach us about intersectionality?
• Why didn’t he teach that Christianity is an oppressive identity like Robin DiAngelo proposes?
• In the parable of the unequal talents (Matthew 25:14), why did he give one man five talents, another two, and the last man one? Where is the equity and fairness in this situation? Further, why did he punish the poor servant with the one talent but praised the others? Wasn’t the man with the one talent at a disadvantage and being oppressed by the system?
• In the parable of the sower, why does Jesus allow inequitable outcomes? Even though they all started at the same place, some disciples will yield a crop of thirty, some sixty and others one hundred fold. Why are the outcomes inequitable?
• They will need to answer why there will be degrees of rewards and punishments (1 Cor 3:8; Luke 12:47)?
• Why did Jesus preach that Christian values matter and not a person’s race or ethnicity (2 Peter 1)?
• Why will there be no partiality on the day of judgement if oppression exists?
• Why did His apostles corroborate all the above within their writings?

There are many other things social justice advocates will need to explain. To do so, they must wrestle the scriptures. The biblical reality is that Jesus wasn’t “woke” and you shouldn’t be either. There is no spiritual redemption in the social justice message. There is no atonement for sins; neither is there salvation in it. Be warned of this wicked sleight of hand which high jacks an emotionally laden term such as justice and ties it with adjectives for evil purposes; reproductive justice is simply the murder of a child. Within social justice ideology there is contempt for the truth; but wisdom is justified by her children (Matthew 11:19).

A Final Appeal

Despite the reproach of the social justice warriors, Jesus and His bride are loving and compassionate, but this does not obligate them to pursue the ungodly causes society deems to be morally upright. Justice and social justice are not the same. There are many reasons for Christians not to become involved in the social justice revolution. Becoming involved in affairs of this life, promoting discontentment and bitterness, perverting true justice, and the promotion of victimhood status are all good reasons NOT to get involved. Christians should take heart and contend for the faith. Be alert watchmen for those who promote the postmodern worldview of critical race theory to address acts of racism within the church. Mental smoke alarms should sound when we hear of fires being kindled by those who promote the books of Robin DiAngelo and Ibram X. Kendi to address kingdom issues. All praise to the Almighty and to the Lamb who redeemed us to God by His blood (Revelation 4-5). Let us hear Him (Matthew 17:5)!

This series is written by Michael (Mike) Hernandez and is endorsed by Five Minute Bible Study.  If you have any questions about the subject, you are welcome to contact Mike at michaelhernande@yahoo.com.