Jesus & Social Justice

joechristianwarrior · Aug 13, 2025

I know many Christians are hesitant to connect "following Jesus" with what's often called "social justice". But I believe there's compelling biblical support - even in passages like Micah 6:8 - that following Jesus compels us to pursue justice, including in societal forms.

What do you think - does Scripture call us to systemic justice, or is the focus primarily on individual devotion?

I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially after watching this video:

timewerx · Aug 13, 2025

Only the rich and powerful are heard and they obviously don't want social justice.

BCP1928 · Aug 14, 2025

joechristianwarrior said:
I know many Christians are hesitant to connect "following Jesus" with what's often called "social justice". But I believe there's compelling biblical support - even in passages like Micah 6:8 - that following Jesus compels us to pursue justice, including in societal forms.

What do you think - does Scripture call us to systemic justice, or is the focus primarily on individual devotion?

I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially after watching this video:

Too late. The Christian Right have hijacked the Gospel to bring social order, not social justice. It looks like Marx was right about Christianity after all.

Clare73 · Aug 14, 2025

BCP1928 said:
Too late. The Christian Right have hijacked the Gospel to bring social order, not social justice. It looks like Marx was right about Christianity after all.

There is no "social" justice. . .there is only justice; i.e., giving everyone what he has earned; i.e., what he is due.

BCP1928 · Aug 14, 2025

Clare73 said:
There is no "social" justice. . .there is only justice; i.e., giving everyone what he has earned; i.e., what he is due.

Who decides what is earned and what is due?

NBB · Aug 14, 2025

God is a God of justice, so obviously he would want social justice, but done with His standards and morals, what the world calls social justice is something else sometimes

Clare73 · Aug 15, 2025

BCP1928 said:
Who decides what is earned and what is due?

The going market for what you are selling.

timf · Aug 16, 2025

control the world = control of others = tyranny

"Evil cannot be conquered in the world, only resisted in oneself"

To act as an individual is to show charity. To compel others to is robbery.

public hermit · Aug 16, 2025

joechristianwarrior said:
I know many Christians are hesitant to connect "following Jesus" with what's often called "social justice". But I believe there's compelling biblical support - even in passages like Micah 6:8 - that following Jesus compels us to pursue justice, including in societal forms.

What do you think - does Scripture call us to systemic justice, or is the focus primarily on individual devotion?

I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially after watching this video:

Justice is achieved when life flourishes. The divine intention is for life to flourish (ultimately for created life to abide in eternal life). Justice just is flourishing life. So something is just if it works toward the divine intention for life and unjust if it works against the divine intention for life.

I think Christians should use whatever means they have to promote the divine intention for flourishing life for all life, individually and corporately, and do so in ways that honor the dignity and agency of intelligent creatures. Social justice is not an ideology for Christians but simply the result of obeying God's intention. For Christians in a functioning democracy/republic, the means are available to work toward justice, i.e., flourishing life.

Niels · Aug 16, 2025

Unfortunately, many self-proclaimed Christians give Jesus lip service while ignoring his message of justice, mercy, and love. Imagine how different the world might be if they took his teachings to heart.

DamianWarS · Sunday at 10:32 AM

joechristianwarrior said:
I know many Christians are hesitant to connect "following Jesus" with what's often called "social justice". But I believe there's compelling biblical support - even in passages like Micah 6:8 - that following Jesus compels us to pursue justice, including in societal forms.

What do you think - does Scripture call us to systemic justice, or is the focus primarily on individual devotion?

I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially after watching this video:

It depends on what level you want to embrace social justice. Broadly its about equality and fair treatment at all levels. It used to be more of discussion of class and race differences but today the conversation includes religious and sexual/gender identities.

Which comes to the justice part... Are we just talking about the equality under the law of the land or are we talking about euality under governance of the church?

I'm terms of the law of the land, of course, social justice is important and something we should advocate (provided the justice part is moral) The gospel doesn't discriminate as all have sinned but there is immoralities that we are expected to turn from that may conflict social justice expectations and seem discriminatory.

1 Corinthians 5:12-13
What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”

Paul's words here can be used to advocate social justice outside the church at the discretion of those outside, but with the caveat that all will eventually be judged. However once a part of the church there is a different standard that is going to conflict outside systems and may lead to differential treatment, promoting those who excel in the standard and demoting those who don't to the point of expulsion.

An example would be can an identifying/practicing Hindu, homosexual, idolater, transgendered, or etc... become a member of a church? Some may answer that differently (and I'm not trying to debate those points) but I think we can see where discrimination can happen. Certainly all can be saved but there is an expectation to die to our old life and become a new life. That "old life" is discriminated against but may occupy recognized groups of a broader social injustice outside the church.

So certainly everyone should have equal access to things like education, healthcare, and competent legal representation, etc... but not everyone is allow to join a church (or become a deacon/clergy/etc...) as the church may tell them their refusal to drop x behaviour disqualifies them.

stevevw · Monday at 12:19 AM

I think the word itself 'social justice comes with so much baggage that its a dangerous philosophy to stand on. It invites ideological culture wars. Its playing the same game as secular politics. It makes Christians and the church one more division among many who are fighting for what is right and how society should be ordered.

This is more about social constructionism than the gospel. It cultivates the idea that we can build within society a social justice utopia that everyone is fighting for. Rather than Gods Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

I think any social justice for Christians and the church community should be doing what they have always done which is to be there when all others are not. To preach the gospel which is a completely different to any temporal ideology and stick to that even if it is in conflict with the ideas in society about social justice.

It is simply by being living examples of Christ that will speak volumes as to injustice. Thats all. First live the Gospel before trying to remove the speck from societies eye. If this is done there will be no need to get into culture wars over social justice. People will see the example and this will expose the evil and turn them towards God.

That doesn't mean everyone will follow. What I think has to be understood is that underlying the culture wars over social justice is a spiritual battle between the world and Christ. So some will see the Christian worldview as hateful no matter what. Because its not about what is truth and right but how the world is ordered under God or without God.

So buying into the culture wars is a trap if you are not strong in the faith. People can be fooled by lookalike ideas that sound good but are designed to undermine Gods way and Christs truth in the gospel.

Thats why I think the church community should be seperate from how mainstream society sees the social justice issue. The church has always been there in the background mopping up the mess society creates. The Good Samaritans who get involved regardless of the politics.

com7fy8 · Tuesday at 7:15 AM

joechristianwarrior said:
does Scripture call us to systemic justice, or is the focus primarily on individual devotion?

Well, already we have God's social justice operating, including how >

"God resists the proud" > in James 4:6 and also in 1 Peter 5:5.

God's resistance is working at every level of human activity, including for whole nations.

And what works well is how we are humble. And we minister this to others. By being submissive to God in His peace, we now have all the good that God has for us at this moment. And by doing exactly whatsoever He has us doing, right now, we have His own all-loving results for whatever He now has us doing, plus future results, guaranteed.

For example > after Abraham obeyed God, in Genesis chapter 22 > here is what the LORD says to Abraham >

"'In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.'" (Genesis 22:18)

All nations are guaranteed blessed because of what Abraham did in secret. Because he obeyed God who is all-loving, his private action has gotten God's all-loving results.

And, like this, Jesus on the cross has been getting God's all-loving results, because Jesus was obeying our Heavenly Father, on the cross.

joechristianwarrior · Wednesday at 9:43 AM

com7fy8 said:
Well, already we have God's social justice operating, including how >

"God resists the proud" > in James 4:6 and also in 1 Peter 5:5.

God's resistance is working at every level of human activity, including for whole nations.

And what works well is how we are humble. And we minister this to others. By being submissive to God in His peace, we now have all the good that God has for us at this moment. And by doing exactly whatsoever He has us doing, right now, we have His own all-loving results for whatever He now has us doing, plus future results, guaranteed.

For example > after Abraham obeyed God, in Genesis chapter 22 > here is what the LORD says to Abraham >

"'In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.'" (Genesis 22:18)

All nations are guaranteed blessed because of what Abraham did in secret. Because he obeyed God who is all-loving, his private action has gotten God's all-loving results.

And, like this, Jesus on the cross has been getting God's all-loving results, because Jesus was obeying our Heavenly Father, on the cross.

I appreciate your response here, and agree with most of what you've shared here in principle. However, the reality is that you are still dealing with the topic from more of a spiritual/theological level, whereas I guess what I'm getting at here is something different. That is, not justice in the sense of rewards and punishments meted out when Jesus returns to judge the earth; but justice with regard to issues like poverty, inequality, racism and sexism here in this life, right here, right now. What, in your position, should the Christian position be toward such issues in *this* life?

joechristianwarrior · Wednesday at 9:45 AM

Niels said:
Unfortunately, many self-proclaimed Christians give Jesus lip service while ignoring his message of justice, mercy, and love. Imagine how different the world might be if they took his teachings to heart.

That's the thing, and the point I believe the video was trying to make. It's only when we distance ourselves from Jesus' teachings, and focus just on theological concepts like His divinity, that the notion of ignoring justice *in this life* even becomes plausible. If we are actually following the teachings of Jesus as He said them, seeking justice in this life is just a natural byproduct.

joechristianwarrior · Wednesday at 9:52 AM

timf said:
control the world = control of others = tyranny

"Evil cannot be conquered in the world, only resisted in oneself"

To act as an individual is to show charity. To compel others to is robbery.

I understand your perspective with regard to 'compel'. That said, we have been commanded to go into all the world and make disciples, teaching them what Jesus taught. And when I read my Bible, I see Jesus telling a rich young ruler to sell all he had, and give to the poor. (Luke 18:22) Would that be considered a form of "social justice"? And if so, what should such a direction mean for us in the world today?

Soyeong · Wednesday at 11:23 AM

joechristianwarrior said:
I know many Christians are hesitant to connect "following Jesus" with what's often called "social justice". But I believe there's compelling biblical support - even in passages like Micah 6:8 - that following Jesus compels us to pursue justice, including in societal forms.

What do you think - does Scripture call us to systemic justice, or is the focus primarily on individual devotion?

I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially after watching this video:

If everyone were taxed a flat amount, then those with lower incomes would be being treated unfairly because they are not paying an equal amount of their income, so they could argue in favor of everyone being taxed a flat percentage in the name justice and equally. On the other hand, if everyone were taxed a flat amount, then they would be being treated unfairly because they would be paying an unequal amount, so they could argue in favor of everyone being taxed a flat amount in the name of justice and equality. So generally speaking there will always be an angle where people are being treated unequally and the life and blood of politicians is to find this angle and convince those people that they are being treated unjustly and that only they can solve that injustice. If there were not a problem for politicians to solve, then it would be to their advantage for them to create one, so the primary motivation of politicians is not to solve problems but to get re-elected. There is much injustice and inequality that is caused by politicians try to impose a particular angle of equality onto a system, so if we desire social, then we should not put our trust to in the government to do it for us but should take personal responsibility to act justly.

joechristianwarrior · Wednesday at 11:30 AM

If everyone were taxed a flat amount, then those with lower incomes would be being treated unfairly because they are not paying an equal amount of their income, so they could argue in favor of everyone being taxed a flat percentage in the name justice and equally. On the other hand, if everyone were taxed a flat amount, then they would be being treated unfairly because they would be paying an unequal amount, so they could argue in favor of everyone being taxed a flat amount in the name of justice and equality. So generally speaking there will always be an angle where people are being treated unequally and the life and blood of politicians is to find this angle and convince those people that they are being treated unjustly and that only they can solve that injustice. If there were not a problem for politicians to solve, then it would be to their advantage for them to create one, so the primary motivation of politicians is not to solve problems but to get re-elected. There is much injustice and inequality that is caused by politicians try to impose a particular angle of equality onto a system, so if we desire social, then we should not put our trust to in the government.

Soyeong said:
which is why there is much injustice and inequality done in the name of justice and

Soyeong said:
If everyone were taxed a flat amount, then those with lower incomes would be being treated unfairly because they are not paying an equal amount of their income, so they could argue in favor of everyone being taxed a flat percentage in the name justice and equally. On the other hand, if everyone were taxed a flat amount, then they would be being treated unfairly because they would be paying an unequal amount, so they could argue in favor of everyone being taxed a flat amount in the name of justice and equality. So generally speaking there will always be an angle where people are being treated unequally and the life and blood of politicians is to find this angle and convince those people that they are being treated unjustly and that only they can solve that injustice. If there were not a problem for politicians to solve, then it would be to their advantage for them to create one, so the primary motivation of politicians is not to solve problems but to get re-elected. There is much injustice and inequality that is caused by politicians try to impose a particular angle of equality onto a system, so if we desire social, then we should not put our trust to in the government.

which is why there is much injustice and inequality done in the name of justice and

Understood. And for the most part, I agree with you. However, I notice you were quick to mention "politicians", and their attempts to resolve the problem; whereas the video was clear that political answers are NOT the solution. And so that brings us back to the original question and point, which has to do with PERSONAL concerns for justice. Like, if poverty or inequality or lack of love for foreigners are things Jesus was concerned about, what should Christians be doing about it PERSONALLY - not in terms of lobbying the government to do (or not do) something for them?

Lukaris · Wednesday at 2:38 PM

There is a writing from 4th century bishop St. Basil on Social Justice. I have not read it but I probably should. St. Basil was significant in helping to make the Holy Spirit better known as One of the Trinity as revealed from the Bible.

Some info on St. Basil and Social Justice.

On Social Justice: St. Basil the Great

St Basil s homilies on the subject of wealth and povert…

www.goodreads.com

His writing on the Holy Spirit is recognized as worthwhile by Protestants as well as Orthodox & Catholics.

How the Spirit Can Heal the Church (Again)

Only the Holy Spirit can make us beautiful.

www.thegospelcoalition.org

com7fy8 · Thursday at 10:44 AM

joechristianwarrior said:
but justice with regard to issues like poverty, inequality, racism and sexism here in this life, right here, right now. What, in your position, should the Christian position be toward such issues in *this* life?

Do what I can do.

I mean in personal relating with people in need.

People need contact with someone who loves them and shares with them personally.

And you need to see if and how a needy person is going to be "sustainable". I can not babysit someone for the rest of the person's life.

About politically and with programs changing things . . . I have enough to do, already, with personal helping.

But if others can get into politics and careers and programs and help people, this is fine with me. I will support them however I can.

But I see how family culture can help people and keep them sustainable, while political things and programs can go down the tubes, at some point.

And if you just feed people, you might save children's lives, but who might use them after you "save" them? You need family culture. Terrorists can harvest rescued children to be child soldiers. Gangs and Hamas might get some control of what you provide for needy people. Extortion racketeers can sign up homeless people for social security and collect it while keeping the "helped" people on drugs and/or held up in shelters by not giving them services that return them to society.

Jesus is the only way who really works > "without Me you can do nothing" (in John 15:5). However, I would say there is Christian ministry which is organized and which provides material and social help. May be the more successful ones make sure they spend time with ones they reach, to help them to become saved and grow in Jesus and discover how to make things work out in their lives in this evil world.

But there are ones "helped" who exploit the services, for example a guy out of jail then picking up a church woman with money and shacking. Then you have helped to produce a victim, by enabling someone not for real who then has church culture resources and credibility to use people.

So . . . you do not "want" to get some mass-produced operation going. But also we do not want to be controlling and watching people in every detail >

"nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3)

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