Christ Is the Way to Social Justice

[Jared Livesey]

Christ Is the Way to Social Justice​

The ways humanity tries to bring about justice, peace, and unity do not and cannot work. History and current events are proof that competing against, controlling, or manipulating others always results in disunity, conflict, injustice, and inequality. Yet competition, force, and manipulation are how humanity has chosen to govern itself. Jesus offers us the sole alternative to humanity’s self-destructive ways: love.

The law of God is this: every last thing you wish others would do to you, do those exact same things to them. This law defines the behavior of perfect love, which is called “charity.” God’s law is the true moral and ethical standard of all humankind, being written into every conscience, and it is the definition of “good.” Behavior that falls short of this law is not good and produces both guilt and conflict with others.

The purpose of the law of God is to end conflict between people. Those who willingly keep His law may joyfully and peacefully live together as equals, both here and now, and forever in the eternal world. The commandments that Jesus gave us in the Sermon on the Mount are how we are to obey the law of God through our works and end our conflicts with others.

Love, the feeling which makes us want to do what the law of God commands, is given to us by God. Charity is Jesus’s nature, meaning He feels perfect love towards everyone. Charity is the nature of all those who inherit God’s kingdom with Jesus. Jesus’s commandments in the Sermon on the Mount are the actions which those who have charity do by nature.

“Sin” is intent or action which falls short of the law of God, such as giving in to lust and doing to others what we do not wish others would do to us. “Repent” means to change one’s mind, to reconsider, or to relent, all of which implies a willing change in one’s behavior.

Any who will believe Jesus’s words in the Sermon on the Mount as literally as small children believe their parents’ words, and repent of all their sins, and be baptized by one of His sent servants, shall be visited by God with fire and with the Holy Ghost and shall receive a remission of their sins.

The visitation of the Holy Ghost changes our feelings so that we understand Jesus’s love and want to only do good. Then we are to do what Jesus commands until the end of our lives. We trust in Jesus to guide and comfort us in our trials and afflictions as we learn who and what He is by the things we suffer in obedience to His teachings. Just as one does not learn a new skill without practice, nobody can understand nor master the discipline of perfect love without doing its works. Doing the works Jesus commanded until we fully understand Him and freely agree to become what He is and to receive His nature from Him permanently as a gift by His grace so that we love everyone perfectly just like He does is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

If you keep the commandments of Jesus Christ, you are His church[1], you are His disciple[2], you are His friend[3], and you are His family[4].

The Sermon on the Mount​

These are the commandments of Jesus Christ as given in Luke 6:20-49. The society built upon these principles is just, equitable, and fair.

20 ¶ And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.
23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.
25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
27 ¶ But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.
30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?
40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.
43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
46 ¶ And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

====
[1] Matthew 7:24-25, Matthew 16:18; Luke 6:47-48
[2] John 8:31-32 (see also, in this order: John 14:6, John 17:3, John 14:21, John 14:23)
[3] John 15:14
[4] Luke 8:19-21

 

[for_his_glory]

Hi Jared Livesey and welcome to CF

Great post as it's all about the love of God found in us. We are that light of Christ sent to a wicked world to bring hope to others that need God's salvation.

 

[Tessa]

Welcome Jared Livesey
Beautiful post. The Sermon on the Mount makes you look at yourself . It shows the love of God and how to be as like Him as is humanly possible. I should read this more often than I do. It is a light we should be shining and a mirror of the love of Christ.
Thank you for the reminder.

 

[Truthfrees]

Christ Is the Way to Social Justice​

The ways humanity tries to bring about justice, peace, and unity do not and cannot work. History and current events are proof that competing against, controlling, or manipulating others always results in disunity, conflict, injustice, and inequality. Yet competition, force, and manipulation are how humanity has chosen to govern itself. Jesus offers us the sole alternative to humanity’s self-destructive ways: love.

The law of God is this: every last thing you wish others would do to you, do those exact same things to them. This law defines the behavior of perfect love, which is called “charity.” God’s law is the true moral and ethical standard of all humankind, being written into every conscience, and it is the definition of “good.” Behavior that falls short of this law is not good and produces both guilt and conflict with others.

The purpose of the law of God is to end conflict between people. Those who willingly keep His law may joyfully and peacefully live together as equals, both here and now, and forever in the eternal world. The commandments that Jesus gave us in the Sermon on the Mount are how we are to obey the law of God through our works and end our conflicts with others.

Love, the feeling which makes us want to do what the law of God commands, is given to us by God. Charity is Jesus’s nature, meaning He feels perfect love towards everyone. Charity is the nature of all those who inherit God’s kingdom with Jesus. Jesus’s commandments in the Sermon on the Mount are the actions which those who have charity do by nature.

“Sin” is intent or action which falls short of the law of God, such as giving in to lust and doing to others what we do not wish others would do to us. “Repent” means to change one’s mind, to reconsider, or to relent, all of which implies a willing change in one’s behavior.

Any who will believe Jesus’s words in the Sermon on the Mount as literally as small children believe their parents’ words, and repent of all their sins, and be baptized by one of His sent servants, shall be visited by God with fire and with the Holy Ghost and shall receive a remission of their sins.

The visitation of the Holy Ghost changes our feelings so that we understand Jesus’s love and want to only do good. Then we are to do what Jesus commands until the end of our lives. We trust in Jesus to guide and comfort us in our trials and afflictions as we learn who and what He is by the things we suffer in obedience to His teachings. Just as one does not learn a new skill without practice, nobody can understand nor master the discipline of perfect love without doing its works. Doing the works Jesus commanded until we fully understand Him and freely agree to become what He is and to receive His nature from Him permanently as a gift by His grace so that we love everyone perfectly just like He does is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

If you keep the commandments of Jesus Christ, you are His church[1], you are His disciple[2], you are His friend[3], and you are His family[4].

The Sermon on the Mount​

These are the commandments of Jesus Christ as given in Luke 6:20-49. The society built upon these principles is just, equitable, and fair.

20 ¶ And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.
23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.
25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
27 ¶ But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.
30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?
40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.
43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
46 ¶ And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

====
[1] Matthew 7:24-25, Matthew 16:18; Luke 6:47-48
[2] John 8:31-32 (see also, in this order: John 14:6, John 17:3, John 14:21, John 14:23)
[3] John 15:14
[4] Luke 8:19-21

wonderful post - well written - awesome scriptures - great synopsis

the only thing i would add is the bible contains civil law - criminal law - social law - food law - agricultural law - business law - spiritual laws - attitude laws - morality laws - etc - etc

there are so many words of wisdom in the bible that pretty much every kind of issue is addressed somewhere in scripture

the sermon on the mount was to people under a oppressive roman government -

in essence Jesus was saying to NOT revolt against the government - and within that context treat others in the ways listed in the beatitudes - so it was at very least a mix of social law and attitude law

 

[Who Me]

The purpose of the law of God is to end conflict between people.

I disagree. The purpose of Gods law was to bring peole to God, it is only if we are in a right relationship with God that we can 'truely' love and serve others.

 

[for_his_glory]

I disagree. The purpose of Gods law was to bring peole to God, it is only if we are in a right relationship with God that we can 'truely' love and serve others.

Not sure what you disagree with in the OP as God's laws are to bring people back to Him, plus how we are to treat one another.

 

[Jared Livesey]

Also remember that God Most High and Jesus Christ are people - when we have no conflict with them, then we are reconciled with, or to, them. So long as we are in conflict with them, we are not reconciled with, or to, them - by definition. We lay down our conflicts with them when we do those specific deeds always which Jesus commanded, which is the Sermon on the Mount, which is the kingdom of God, the gospel He taught, the cross that was preached, and the will of His Father.

"He who has My commandments and is keeping them is the one that is loving Me, and he that is loving me now will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will show Myself to him." - John 14:21

 

[for_his_glory]

Also remember that God Most High and Jesus Christ are people

Not sure why you say God and Jesus are people? Did you mean the people who are the reflection of God and Jesus?

 

[Jared Livesey]

I say God and Jesus are people because they are - and the purpose of the law of God is to end conflict between people. This includes ending the conflict between men and God, that God and men may be reconciled, and be one, as Jesus prayed in John 17.

He that has My commandments and keeps them is the one that loves Me, and he that loves Me will My Father love, and I will love him and will show Myself to him. - John 14:21

The one who does not love Me does not keep My words, and the word that you hear is not Mine, but is from the Father who sent Me. - John 14:24

Now, this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. - John 17:3

Without Jesus showing Himself to us, we do not know Him; and He shows Himself to those who keep His commandments - that is, those who really do what He said to do in the Sermon on the Mount. Those who do not really do what He said to do in the Sermon on the Mount are those who do not love Him, and they have no promise that they will ever know Him.

If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word and My Father will love him and We will come to him and build a house with him. - John 14:23

Jesus will bring His Father to those who obey the Sermon on the Mount, and thus the obedient, knowing both Jesus and His Father, obtain eternal life.

Luke 6:46-49
Now, why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?
Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and does them I will show you whom he is like.
He is like a man that is building a house who dug deeply and laid the foundation upon a rock: a flood then comes, and the stream burst upon that house, and was not able to shake it because it had been well-built.
However, the one who has heard and does not do is like a man who builds a house without a foundation on the earth, upon which the stream burst and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.

Jesus will show Himself to those who do what He says to do in the Sermon, and Jesus will also bring His Father to them, and Jesus and His Father will with the believer build the house of his soul - while the disobedient servant who does not do what Jesus said to do, and therefore does not love Jesus, will not stand against the flood when it comes, but shall fall, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such.