The Greatest Justice Issue in Every Generation
Hostility and Threats against Christian Ministries and Churches can Lead to Gospel Poverty
Our social media timelines, podcasts and news channels are constantly filled with injustices. It can be difficult to know how to intervene or help with so many worthy causes vying for our voices, support and even our outrage. A common quip online since 2020 is even, “What are we all mad about today?” Edmund Burke is attributed with saying, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” So it’s important to act justly, but what should concern our attention in this generation, especially as Christians?
What about the evil of the abortion industry? Immigration? Corruption? Lawlessness? Racism? Caring for the poor? There are many issues of injustice to deal with in our culture and many more to deal with from a global perspective. But I submit to you that the greatest issue of injustice to stand against and act towards as Christians is gospel poverty.
Gospel Poverty?
What is gospel poverty? Well, some define gospel poverty as a rival for the prosperity gospel and Christians taking on a lifestyle of financial poverty. However, for the purpose of this article, I am defining gospel poverty as “a deprivation and lack of access or knowledge to the good news of Jesus Christ.”
You might ask how is gospel poverty a more important justice issue than abortion or financial poverty? Well, the Bible tells us as Christians that we are pilgrims and foreigners. We are made for another world. There is a future judgement and a future world. Heaven and hell is on the line for humanity. The writer of Hebrews says it like this:
Hebrews 9:27 NIV
Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.
Every justice issue on earth is important and matters to God, but the justice issue that matters for all eternity is the issue of gospel poverty. If we preach the gospel or good news of Jesus Christ and don’t care about justice issues on earth, we are misrepresenting our faith at best and close to abandoning it at worst. But we have completely abandoned our faith if we no longer prepare people for their death and for judgement day.
Even the late and famous atheist Christopher Hitchens was known for saying that if Christians really believe Jesus is the Messiah, they have a moral obligation to try and convert others to their faith. It would be cruel to believe that we have the way of eternal life and we hold it all to ourselves.
When Christians withhold the good news and don’t make the salvation of Jesus known through the Scriptures, we are participating in the greatest injustice against all mankind. You don’t believe me? Well, even in Psalm 2 which is one of the most quoted Psalms in the New Testament, the rulers of nations are judged primarily for how their rule and life honors (or dishonors) the reign of Jesus the Son of God.
In the New Testament, Paul says to Timothy that the church’s prayer life should prioritize praying for government leaders with a specific purpose in mind:
1 Timothy 2:1-6a NIV
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people--- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.
Paul says the reason we are to pray for leaders is especially important because they can create an environment that allows the good news to spread because God, “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” If we are supposed to pray for leaders for this outcome, do you think if we can speak, vote or advocate for the same outcome in our republic we should do the same?
Freedom of Speech
Freedom of speech and religion is of the utmost importance in our culture because it allows Christians to preach and teach the gospel through the Scriptures freely. The only way we can really deal with other injustice issues is to be able to live and persuade from the Scriptures. The eternal gospel proclaimed from the Bible also gives us truth to apply to every area of culture. If we can’t teach from the word of God, we are not left with a standard by which to call into question the evils of our day. Gospel poverty should be contended with by every generation of Christians to complete the great task of preaching the good news and making disciples of all nations.
A Local Lawsuit that Matters
In Everett, where my wife and I pastor and have raised our children a new local chapter of a national ministry known as Lifewise Academy started hosting a weekly Bible outreach in one of the public elementary schools. Many people are surprised that the US Constitution allows for Bible instruction during public school hours as long as the Bible teaching is optional, during an appropriate time (like lunch or other extra-curricular activities) and it doesn’t use public funds. So Lifewise is legally conducting Bible studies all across the USA, walking or bussing children to churches near public schools so they can learn about Jesus from the Bible.
Bible sales as I understand it are at an all time high right now or at least experiencing a surge. A lot of families, students and even young children have a longing to learn about God and the Bible. Lifewise has wonderfully filled a gap in the lives of many of our children and families across America, they are addressing gospel poverty.
Well, a few vocal Americans in our region are not happy about our Constitutional freedoms and rights to share from the Bible. A small group of angry parents and/or community people have been pressuring the school and the board and the school board has become unfriendly to Lifewise Academy. Children are not supposed to have their Bible’s outside of their bags at school. The school is putting unfair requirements on Lifewise that they don’t use on other clubs or activities. I’ve even seen video of an angry woman enraged that Lifewise taught a Bible lesson on… wait for it… something so dangerous…are you ready for it?.. OBEDIENCE! That’s right they are enraged about teaching children obedience (which I thought was every parent’s and teacher’s dream).
Lifewise Academy ended up having to sue the Everett School district to restore their freedoms and allow them to continue to run successfully and peacefully. You can read more about the story in the Everett Herald or even see an interview that reached Fox News.
Pray for Lifewise Academy Everett or reach out to see how you can help them. Pray for the national ministry and program as they seek to expand in many states. What an amazing opportunity we have in this generation to combat gospel poverty.
The Tide is Turning
In the Old Testament there is a story about a boy Samuel that God raises up to be a great leader in His kingdom. When he was a child God called him and it set the trajectory of his life purpose. But the Bible tells us that when Samuel was a boy the times were like this: “In those days the word of the Lord was rare (1 Samuel 3:1 NIV).” This statement that the word of the Lord was rare comes in a tone of sadness. The rarity of God’s Word is something to grieve in our culture, but what hope we should have as the tide is turning and God could raise up a Lifewise ministry to reach young Samuels in this cultural moment in our public schools.