Don't put a wedge between personal holiness and prophetic advocacy
Sunday, March 18, 2012 at 11:32PM For the last few days I have been increasingly overwhelmed by a sense of sadness at the suffering of humanity. I have, at times in the past, despaired at how huge the task is of working for equality among persons. How it must grieve God's heart that some, like me, have too much while others do not have enough to survive. I cannot bear the thought that here in my own country half of the population live below the poverty line (US$2 per day if I am not mistaken).
I am currently a guest speaker at the Alberton Methodist Church (I preached at 3 services today and will do one more tomorrow evening at 7pm and another on Tuesday evening at 7pm). I have spoken a great deal about justice and mercy today. We, Christians - in fact all humans, must do what we can to work for justice and equity in the world. This is costly and difficult work. I believe that it will require personal sacrifice, great discipline, and above all else Godly love.
The quote below, from my friend Joel Edwards (Head of Micah Challenge International and Chairman of EXPOSED) sums it up just perfectly.
Our world will never know the depth of God’s passion for them until the church recovers the radical and comprehensive nature of righteousness. For the Bible knows no distinction between God’s holiness, justice and righteousness. The same righteousness which flows from the mercy seat in the tabernacle also justifies us by faith and overflows in good government which protects the poor. Justice is the river which flows from the heart of God responding to our sin and sinfulness in all its private and public manifestations. A theology which puts a wedge between personal holiness and prophetic advocacy uses the bible to build a dam in that river.
Please pray with me that we will find the wisdom, courage and love to live in a way honors God's loving desire for all persons in the world. Pray that we may live out the Gospel of God's loving justice in our daily lives!
Reader Comments (1)
Amazing post and very interesting stuff you got here! I definitely learned a lot from reading through some of your earlier posts as well and decided to drop a comment on this one!