The call to do righteousness
At the end of last year, when I was searching for the annual theme of "Kingdom Resources for Christ" in 2018, a friend happened to be unjustly imprisoned, which made me pay attention to many injustices around me, including the cash bail system in the American judicial system and Police violence issues, etc.; also includes global refugee issues. I was surprised to find that as of the end of 2017, there were 65.6 million refugees of all kinds. Human trafficking, which creates modern slaves, has become increasingly rampant in recent years. In 2017, global profits from human trafficking were estimated to exceed US$150 billion, making it an illegal economy second only to arms trafficking and more profitable than drug trafficking. Looking around, global injustice appears in various forms: forced labor, cheap labor, child labor, child marriage, domestic violence, child abuse, wife abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, bride buying and selling, sex trafficking, uneven education, Unequal medical care, racial discrimination, racial profiling, apartheid, genocide, forced migration of refugees, political persecution, torture, war, sexism, religious discrimination, ableism, ageism, cyberbullying , school bullying, office bullying, even spiritual bullying in the church, etc.
Doesn’t this have anything to do with you and me?
When we ask for cheaper coffee and cheaper cotton T-shirts, we may be participating in the injustice of forced labor, cheap labor, and child labor; when we witness colleagues being bullied and sexually harassed in the office, we see innocent When victims of discrimination remain silent, by God's standards we have participated in an act of injustice.
But what exactly is justice? This year, President Wu Shuyi of Christ’s Abundance Fellowship shared the true meaning of righteousness in the Bible at our Taiwan Cultural Practice Camp workshop:
Doing righteousness, loving righteousness, pursuing righteousness, and living out righteousness are all synonymous with kingdom values; they do not just refer to some deliberately planned actions, decisions, and choices, but a way of life! Pursue things lived out every moment. God’s definition of righteousness, the righteousness that God reveals in the Bible, is more comprehensive than the definition we think!
The justice that God speaks of is not the public welfare that ordinary people do.
The definition of "righteousness" in the original text of the Bible has two levels: 1. "tzadeqah" (צַדִיק) - the main/basic/original/original righteousness, which refers to the original relationship between "human beings" and "human beings" when God created them. There should be a "harmonious relationship" between "things", "people and the world (creation)". This relationship and order is the Hebrew word “shalom” (peace, wholeness) that we often hear. Therefore, "tzadeqah" (basic justice) refers to the "way of life" in which people and society live out the fair and "harmonious relationships" they should have. 2. "mishpat" - correcting justice and responding to justice. It means that when the peace and integrity of basic justice are damaged or violated, we have the responsibility to correct and correct, and to restore peace and integrity between people, people and things, and people and creation. "Harmonious relationship"!
When "tzadeqah" and "mishpat" are used together, it means "social justice." Psalm 33:5 says, “He loves righteousness and judgment; the whole earth is filled with the lovingkindness of the Lord.” "Benevolence and righteousness" refers to the social order relationship that God created when it was created; "Fairness" refers to the need for correction when it is violated. The use of "tzadeqah" plus "mishpat" is found at least 36 times in the Old Testament of the Bible.
Jesus said: Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness (basic righteousness), and all these will be given to you. Doing justice is a command given to us by God. Doing justice brings back the "harmonious relationship" that individuals, society, and the kingdom of God should have!
It’s Christmas time again. When faced with many injustices, let us seek His justice together and ask God to open our eyes and ears to see what God sees and hear what God hears. Come, bravely pursue righteousness, love righteousness, and do righteousness. Wishing you a truly safe and wholesome Christmas.
At the moment when I started writing, my accounting colleague told me that we had difficulty even paying the postage for the last issue. I continue to complete this article with faith, and I believe that when you know about this dilemma, you will support me with prayers and donations so that this ministry can continue.
Lily Yang
Author profile Gao Lili is the founder and CEO of Kingdom of God Christian Association. He has served as a senior executive in large American companies for many years and is currently in full-time ministry. He often lectures and leads camps throughout North America and Asia, and is extremely responsible for training leadership and management models that are in line with God’s will.