Justice and the Bible

In the Bible, God repeatedly calls us to work for justice.  Here is a short overview of the many Scripture passages where God’s demand that we work for justice is clear:

• God makes every human person in his image (Genesis 1:27) and tells us to treat all people with respect (1 Peter 2:17).

• Jesus tells us that he is present in every person in need (Matthew 25:34-40).

• Repeatedly, throughout the Old Testament, God demands that his people establish justice in their society (Amos 5:15), end the oppression of immigrants and those who are poor (Zechariah 7:8-10), provide for the poor and alien (Leviticus 23:22), and treat the immigrant like a citizen (Leviticus 19:33).

• He tells us to free the oppressed and provide for the needy (Isaiah 58:6-7).

• He calls us to defend the weak, the poor, and the oppressed (Psalm 82:3-4).

• He tells businesses to treat their customers fairly (Leviticus 19:35-36; 23:35-36) and to pay just wages to their workers (Deuteronomy 24:14-15; James 5:4).

• He tells governmental leaders to seek justice, defend the oppressed, and take up the cause of those who are at the bottom of society (Isaiah 1:17; Jeremiah 22:3).

• He directs those in political authority to act with justice and deliver the needy from those who oppress them (Psalm 72).

How can we follow the Lord’s commands to establish justice in our land if we do not work to transform the social and political structures of our society?

With so many Scripture passages directing us to take action for justice, how can any preacher suggest that salvation is just between you and God and we don’t need to be involved in transforming our society, our government, our businesses, and our culture?

Furthermore, if we live in a democracy, we are responsible for our government’s laws.  We cannot claim that God does not care if we allow laws that violate the principles of justice He has established – we are responsible to choose, guide, and influence our lawmakers, who are responsible to work for justice on our behalf.

God demands that we get involved.  He will hold us accountable for our response to His call to seek justice in our world.

May we respond to God’s intense desire for justice and join His work to make it so.