The Free Methodist Way - Love Driven Justice

“Biblical, Love-Driven Justice is the conjoining of evangelism and compassionate action. They are not mutually exclusive. As God moves toward us in compassion and mercy, we are transformed by His love and then find ourselves driven toward those on the margins of society.”
— Bishop Matt Whitehead

This weeks devotion includes excerpts of Bishop Matt Whitehead’s article on Love Driven Justice. You can read the entire article at the link found in the resources section below.

God’s call to go where people are hurting and marginalized is at the heart of Love-Driven Justice, the second value of The Free Methodist Way: “Love is the way we demonstrate God’s heart for justice by valuing the image of God in all men, women, and children, acting with compassion toward the oppressed, resisting oppression in all its forms, and stewarding Creation.”

Some suggest that evangelism is the work of the church and social action is an agenda of the world. This separatist belief has dismembered our mission by falsely convincing many of us that we are justifiably excused from much of what Christ came to do: bring His good news into the human condition through bold proclamation and compassionate action. Jesus did this and today sends His disciples out to do the same.

We must also be aware of a significant challenge as we think about our call to Love-Driven Justice: mistakenly believing that social justice is the gospel. Social justice focuses on “justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary. When we believe this to be the gospel, it becomes equally separatist and excuses us from evangelism, believing that social justice alone is the key to freedom for all. A holistic kingdom vision is rooted in right relationships with God, which flow into experiencing and promoting right relationships among people and in society.

Justice is a pervasive biblical theme that is often paired with righteousness. The Old Testament prophets cry out on behalf of a just and righteous God who demands justice and righteousness in His people. The Hebrew word for justice, mishpat, has in its root the concepts of fairness and equity for all, particularly the disadvantaged. So, when judges exercise justice, they don’t take bribes or treat the rich better than they treat the poor. The Hebrew word for righteousness, tzadeqah, means living in a right relationship, treating everyone with fairness, generosity, and equity. In his book “Generous Justice,” Tim Keller calls tzadeqah (righteousness) “primary justice.” It is “behavior, that if it was prevalent in the world, would render rectifying justice (mishpat) unnecessary, because everyone would be living in right relationship to everyone else.”

Christine Erickson, the director of the OneLess ministry for children at risk, notes, “In contrast to social justice, which focuses on a temporal view of addressing injustices in society, biblical justice starts with the eternal in mind. It starts by seeing people as God sees them — recognizing that we are all created in the image of God. And it is incumbent upon Christ-followers to pursue physical and spiritual freedom for the oppressed so others can also become what God created them to be. If we have experienced freedom, how can we not pursue freedom on behalf of others?”

Biblical, Love-Driven Justice is the conjoining of evangelism and compassionate action. They are not mutually exclusive. As God moves toward us in compassion and mercy, we are transformed by His love and then find ourselves driven toward those on the margins of society. Jesus got up-close-and-personal with the marginalized, and there He demonstrated His grace, love, and mercy. In His going, Jesus preached the good news to all. He surprised many with His inclusion of the outcast, equitable treatment of the lowest and least, welcoming strangers, and embracing the “unclean.” To love from a distance is not in keeping with the character of Jesus. Love-Driven Justice is centered in Christlikeness and His clear example in the Scriptures. For us, His disciples, the implication is clear: we should mirror Christ’s method and message in our world today.