JD: We hear so much about social justice all the time. Maybe you could take a moment to explain exactly what is meant by these concepts.
DJ: Well actually the whole concept of social justice has a very long and complicated history as it relates to philosophy and religion. But I think in the past decade or so a lot of other things have been brought into the whole category of social justice issues. Now it involves perceived in justices at the local and state level but then also within and between nations and they include incoming quality perceived in justice in the legal system, prejudice and inequality, it related to educational and work opportunities. But they also not only include gender issues between men and women but now gender identity issues that have now been elevated to social justice issues and the list just goes on and on. Many see themselves as social justice warriors. These are crusaders who are totally devoted to disrupting the status quo in whatever way they can.
JD: Well David I would think it would be true that Christians should be concerned about social issues.
DJ: Well definitely there is a need for believers to be salt and light in the world but what we need to understand is that we need to apply Biblical principles properly. The passage that is most frequently appealed to is Matthew 25 and that passage has a very specific interpretation and application but it’s miss used by folks advocating for this social justice all the time. For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drank. I was a stranger and you took me in. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me. And he says assuredly I say to you and as much as you did it to the least of these my brethren you did it to me. This is what is often misinterpreted because it often said this is how the church should function in society. But in context this is about what happens in connected with the coming Holocaust against the Jewish people under the Antichrist during Daniel’s 70th week when he will seek to destroy the entire nation.
So Matthew 25 involves judgment concerning how Gentiles will
appear for the Jewish people but in contrast the church is commissioned to be
light and salt in the world, to influence society, to share the gospel and be good
citizens, to care for those in our local fellowships those things are our
mandate. We are not mandated to fundamentally change society through social and
governmental systems.
JD: David James on the Biblical mandate for Christians today.
We report this information because it is setting the stage
for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled.
Remember the Biblical mandate for Christians is to win lost
people to Jesus Christ and then train them in Biblical principles for today and
the future, that’s II Timothy 4:1-5.
