We’re it

Ephesians 2:10: For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

“…prepared in advance…” That is a powerful and inspiring concept. Not only were we created in Christ Jesus to do good works, but the works themselves were prepared in advance. God, above and beyond time itself, has us uniquely prepared, uniquely placed, and uniquely empowered as agents of change for such a time as this. What is God’s plan for injustice? We’re it.

There is a reason we wake up in the world we find ourselves in. No matter who you are, where you are, what resources and skills you possess — God has prepared good works that He intends you to do. Gary Haugen, in his book The Good News about Injustice explains it well:

“God is in the business of using the foolish and the weak to accomplish his divine will on earth, and that simply means that I am qualified to be on his team. We all are. And when it comes seeking justice for the hurting in our world, he doesn’t have a special roster. He intends to use you and me. He doesn’t have any other plan. In fact, it was precisely for such good works that we were created; they don’t save us or make us righteous before God, but they allow us to fulfill the Godly purpose for which God created us.

There are certainly different seasons of activity, different gifts and different needs, and different opportunities in the life of a follower of Christ, but if we ever look at the works that God asks us to do — proclaim the gospel, help the poor, defend the abused — and say, “Well, you know, that’s really not my thing,” then we have simply made the decision to impoverish our spiritual life. Christ in His holiness abhors injustice. As we grow into His character and image, we not only grow in our passion to seek justice, we are also led into those concrete good works for which we were created.”

Matthew 5:14 tells us that we are the light of the world — ARE, not should be or will be, but we ARE the light of the world — like it or not, for better or for worse, our lives are how we will show people Jesus. Verse 16 goes on to instruct us to let our light shine before others, that they may see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven.

We are the sixty-seventh book of the Bible. People read our lives, our actions and our words and believe they know what being a Christian means — there is no such thing as not witnessing.

And what are good works? “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

Filed Under: Biblical Reflection • Justice Issues Feed

Tags: Biblical Social Justice, Christian Social Justice, Compassion, Justice, Love, Mercy