A Biblical Response To Social Justice
When you can’t think of a perfect opening line, you just start. So here’s me starting…
I believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. I believe the only truth found in this world is in the Bible. I believe God.
I believe in the truth of the Good News which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And I whole-heartedly believe He alone is sufficient.
Why does that matter? It matters because that truth is the lens through which I endeavor to live my life.
I placed my faith in Jesus Christ when I was 6 years old, and I was saved. My salvation was secure. But… I was not surrendered to Him until 9 years ago.
Through getting into the Word and getting to know the God I claimed to follow, God gave me a new heart which in turn transformed my actions which in turn transformed my life.
Praise Him! Thank You, Lord, for the saving blood of Jesus Christ and your mercy to save a wretch like me.
During this sanctification process, I have become diligent about testing ideas, thoughts (my own and others), opinions (my own and others), sermons, podcasts, basically everything against what God says.
“The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?”
Jeremiah 17:9
My heart broke last week as people I love were crying out in pain.
Unequivocally, partiality based on anything including race is sin.
Why do I believe that? Because God says so.
“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.”
James 2: 8-9
There has been so much talk about white Christians needing to speak out. That my silence is deafening.
For years I have said that I can talk with a scar, but I can’t talk with an open wound.
God has done a tremendous work in me to help me control my tongue and avoid being reactionary.
Last week felt hopeless.
Hopeless to help.
Hopeless for solutions.
The last thing I want to do is speak from my flesh or my feelings and dishonor God.
“God’s Word is greater than my feelings.”
God’s Word is greater than my feelings, and that’s where I’ve been…. Digging into His Word.
The truth of God’s Word transcends my circumstances and feelings.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
Hebrews 13:8
I’ve known this for a long time, but somehow I let the voices of the world distract my focus on Jesus.
For a long time, I questioned why I didn’t blog about grieving… or join the MADD group to advocate for stricter laws against driving under the influence. The only answer I had up until today was I never had peace in my spirit about it. I couldn’t really put words to it.
Today, God gave me the words to explain the pause in my spirit… God did not call me to give help specific to the circumstances of grief or advocate about driving under the influence.
He called me to love people and point them to Jesus.
Specifically my ministry is focused on mentoring women to know God through His Word.
The answer for grievers is Jesus.
The answer for people who drive under the influence is Jesus.
The answer for EVERYTHING is Jesus.
These are not trite words spoken frivolously.
I learned the truth of God’s power and mercy and grace through devastating loss.
These words come from the reality of a wife and mother who buried the husband she adored, her 5 1/2 year old daughter, and 19 day old son.
They come from forgiving the man who chose to get behind the wheel of a car and murdered my family.
They come from desperate loneliness for the two years following the wreck when people didn’t know what to say when I was in the kind of pain that felt so hopeless I cried out to God that I wouldn’t wake up the next day.
But ultimately, these words come from a sinful person who didn’t deserve forgiveness, but was forgiven by the precious blood of Jesus Christ when I placed my faith in Him.
And only through His power, love, holiness, goodness, and strength, can I want to and am able to get out of bed every day and shout from the rooftops that there is hope.
The hope of Christ is real.
My God is real.
His Word does not come back void.
There is no condemnation in Him.
His yoke is easy.
His ways are higher than my ways.
He is holy.
He alone is good.
He shows no partiality
He loves you.
He knitted you in the womb.
He knows the number of hairs on your head.
He created you in His image.
People will always fail you. God will not.
I know there has been many calls to action. That we must do something.
In fact, the Bible says,
“Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good deeds.’ But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
James 2: 18
Our good deeds bear witness to our faith.
“Good deeds can only be good when they are in alignment with God’s Word.”
We must also remember good deeds can only be good when they are in alignment with God’s Word.
Furthermore, good deeds apart from God’s Word are filth.
“We are all infected and impure with sin.
When we display our righteous deeds,
they are nothing but filthy rags.
Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,
and our sins sweep us away like the wind.”
Isaiah 64:6
There have been many books recommended and individuals suggested for me to follow.
This action gives me pause in my spirit.
I believe the Bible is the better place to spend time.
“God’s Word is alive and active. His Word is unchanging, regardless of what is going on in the culture. And He is sufficient.”
God’s Word is alive and active. His Word is unchanging, regardless of what is going on in the culture. And He is sufficient.
I believe God when He tells me He has left me with peace, even if I don’t always feel peace in my spirit.
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
John 14:27
When my feelings are not in alignment with God’s Word, it’s my responsibility to get them in alignment with what God says.
I also believe God when He says,
“For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace and reconciling both of them to God in one body through the cross, by which He extinguished their hostility.”
Ephesians 2:14-16
There is no reconciliation or unity apart from Christ. Through Christ we are unified.
There is no hope, except for Christ.
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the HOPE that is in you.” 1 Peter 3:15
Christians, we are called to be in the world but not of it. We must adhere to biblical truth regardless of what others are saying.
After spending time away from the noise of the world, and digging into the Word with desperate prayers asking for wisdom and clarity, God, in His infinite mercy, has provided just that.
He reminded me once again that my hope is not in this world. He has reminded me that my mission has not changed. He has strengthened me to boldly proclaim, the Gospel is sufficient.
Unapologetically and with God’s love, that is what I will continue to do.
Christians, we are called to please an audience of One. We can never waiver regardless the cost.
To not share the good news of Jesus Christ is to not love our neighbor.
Christians, if you find yourself confused and burdened, I urge you to get off social media and turn off the news.
Get in your “closet” and seek the Lord.
Seek to find His will, not your own.
Seek to find His peace, not the world’s.
Seek to find His absolute, unchanging truth.
For Those Who Are Not Christians
To anyone who is not a believer, I am so glad you’re here. I’ve talked about the need for Jesus, and you may not know what that means.
I love you and want to share the Good News with you.
The most important thing to understand about the plan of salvation is that it is God’s plan, not humanity’s plan.
Humanity’s plan of salvation would be observing religious rituals or obeying certain commands or achieving certain levels of spiritual enlightenment. But none of these things are part of God’s plan of salvation.
God’s plan of salvation – The Why
In God’s plan of salvation, first we must understand why we need to be saved. Simply put, we need to be saved because we have sinned. The Bible declares that everyone has sinned (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8). Sin is rebellion against God. We all choose to actively do things that are wrong. Sin harms others, damages us, and, most importantly, dishonors God. The Bible also teaches that, because God is holy and just, He cannot allow sin to go unpunished. The punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23) and eternal separation from God (Revelation 20:11–15). Without God’s plan of salvation, eternal death is the destiny of every human being.
God’s plan of salvation – The What
In God’s plan of salvation, God Himself is the only one who can provide for our salvation. We are utterly unable to save ourselves because of our sin and its consequences. God became a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ (John 1:1, 14). Jesus lived a sinless life (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 1 John 3:5) and offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice on our behalf (1 Corinthians 15:3; Colossians 1:22; Hebrews 10:10). Since Jesus is God, His death was of infinite and eternal value. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross fully paid for the sins of the entire world (1 John 2:2). His resurrection from the dead demonstrated that His sacrifice was indeed sufficient and that salvation is now available.
God’s plan of salvation – The How
In Acts 16:31, a man asked the apostle Paul how to be saved. Paul’s response was, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” The way to follow God’s plan of salvation is to believe. That is the only requirement (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8–9). God has provided for our salvation through Jesus Christ. All we must do is receive it, by faith, fully trusting in Jesus alone as Savior (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). That is God’s plan of salvation.
God’s plan of salvation – Will you receive it?
If you are ready to follow God’s plan of salvation, place your faith in Jesus as your Savior. Change your mind from embracing sin and rejecting God to rejecting sin and embracing God through Jesus Christ. Fully trust in the sacrifice of Jesus as the perfect and complete payment for your sins. If you do this, God’s Word promises that you will be saved, your sins will be forgiven, and you will spend eternity in heaven. There is no more important decision. Place your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior today!
(Plan of Salvation from gotquestions.org)
Abby Rike has a heart for helping Christian women grow in their faith. She believes there is no better way to strengthen your faith than to get in the Word of God. Her passion is to equip women to read the Bible for themselves and experience the transformation that comes from experiencing God. She has created a Bible study method that meets you where you are in your faith journey and helps you get where you want to go.