Do Justice
Teaching Notes
JUST US Part 1
"When Jesus returns there will be ultimate justice, but until then it’s just us." - Dr. Efrem Smith
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8
God’s will for our life is CLEAR, we tend COMPLICATE it so we don’t have to OBEY it.
DO JUSTICE
Two Major Problems in the Evangelical Church:
View #1: Justice is not my CALLING.
View: #2: SECULAR Justice is my CALLING.
See Tim Keller’s Article: A Biblical Critique Secular Justice & Critical Theory
https://quarterly.gospelinlife.com/a-biblical-critique-of-secular-justice-and-critical-theory/
Biblical Justice: As RESISTANCE & RESTORATION
Mishpat [Justice] – Carries the sense of true religion; it is the proper personal response to God that manifest itself in social concern, equity and the well-being of all God’s creation especially the poor, the powerless & the voiceless.
Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
Isaiah 1:16-17
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James 1:26-27
The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.
Proverbs 29:7
The righteous (saddiq) are willing to disadvantage themselves to advantage the community; the wicked are willing to disadvantage the community to advantage themselves.
- Bruce Waltki, Old Testament Scholar
- PERSONAL
- SOCIAL
- JUDICIAL
- FINACIAL
APPLICATION
- Resist a QUICK-FIX Mindset. Jeremiah 6:13-15
- Respond first with CONFESSION. Matthew 7:1-5
- Take a step this week to DO JUSTICE. Matthew 25:31-46