“Therefore you shall not oppress one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the LORD your God” (Lev. 25:17)

Oppressor and oppressed. These are words that have taken center stage in our modern world. What does God have to say about justice? It’s clear that he cares deeply about it. He placed many laws, provisions, and safeguards into the Mosaic Law to care for the outcast and the worthy poor. Thus we have a Year of Jubilee in Leviticus 25 that would keep prices stable, minimize debt, and watch out for the little guy.

The current expression of the kingdom of God is the local church, where Christ rules in the heart of his people and serves as our head. So justice, equity, and impartiality must obviously begin with the church. But should we not also try to promote fairness and justice in broader society?

Within evangelicalism, there seem to be two basic viewpoints. One side — perhaps we could use Tim Keller as an example — speaks of redeeming the culture. Living out our Christian principles and helping make life better for all people. People in this camp could point to the compassion and miracles of Christ, and great acts of mercy done throughout history in Jesus’ name. The danger here is to try to usher in a kind of postmillennial kingdom that only Christ can obtain. Or to expend our limited resources and form partnerships that will damage our witness and have only temporal value.

The other side, perhaps best represented by John MacArthur, point out that it is the human heart — not culture — that needs redeeming, and that nowhere does the NT speak of us being responsible to build or usher in the kingdom. MacArthur said back on August 13, 2020, “We do not advance God’s kingdom by trying to improve human society. Many good and worthy causes deserve the support of Christians, but in supporting those causes we neither build the earthly kingdom of Jesus Christ or bring it closer. Even the best of such things are but holding actions that help retard the corruption that will always and inevitably characterize human societies and human kingdoms – until the Lord returns to establish his own perfect kingdom.”

I agree wholeheartedly. But the danger here is that one could easily grow callous, blind, ignorant, and indolent toward human suffering and injustice – when we actually do have the power and responsibility to do something about it. Hence the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. The one who proved to be a neighbor was the one who showed him mercy.

O Lord, give us wisdom! Help us to avoid the error of focusing primarily on this world’s social and political problems. Meanwhile, guard us from apathy and idleness. It is more challenging than I imagined to live as a citizen of heaven in this present broken world, seeking to fulfill the creation mandate, but more importantly, staying focused on the Great Commission.

Yesterday I had a conversation with some of my college students about politics, protests, riots, and race relations. A potentially explosive topic, yet each student kept their composure, listened, shared their opinions, and extended charity toward others. It was a visible example of the gospel and I believe we were all edified by both what was said and how it was said.

During our time, I also made several remarks about where we are as a country, and why these issues are so confusing and divisive. Here are three points I think we always need to keep in mind:

1. We should grieve injustice and oppose it when appropriate. Our God is a God of justice, and he has written his law on our hearts. It is right for us to feel tension, even righteous anger, when we see some people favorably treated while others unfairly treated. As a general rule, the political left does a better job at pointing out these inequalities, though their solutions are often faulty and can perpetuate the problem. (Micah 6:8; Matt. 23:23-24).

2. We should be concerned over the rapid moral decline of our society. Blasphemy, lawlessness, a devaluing of life, and a disregard for sexual boundaries have spread like cancer in our society and are infecting every human institution — government, entertainment, business, education, media, and family. As a general rule, the political right does a better job pointing out this decay, though they can be guilty of idolizing the past and omitting the spiritual transformation necessary to bring true change. (Romans 1:16-32; 1 Pet. 4:3-4)

3. We should remember the church is a counter-cultural institution at its core. Society will always fall short of God’s standard. While we should pray, stay informed, and remain engaged in the culture, we must remember this world is not our home, and that Satan is the ruler of this world. It is never a waste of time to channel our tension and enthusiasm into spreading the gospel and serving the local church — the one institution Christ promised he would build, which is to be salt and light amidst a dark and decaying world. (Matt. 5:13-16; 16:18; Eph. 3:7-13).

I believe these three truths affirmed together, will help us navigate these trying times and maintain our Christian unity, keeping the gospel at the forefront of what we do.

I pulled a book off my shelf the other day that I read several years ago. It’s called Defending the Gospel: What to Say When People Challenge Your Faith, by Kel Richards. It’s published by Matthias Media, and is probably one of the best introductions to evangelism and Christian apologetics.

Thumbing through it the other day, chapter 8 caught my eye, where the author shares “Four Big Issues” that come up and often get in the way of the gospel being heard. They are: religion, church, suffering, and truth. Each of these can be a stumbling block to the Christian faith, but also a great opportunity for conversation and exploring the scriptures together.

Concerning human suffering, I wanted to share an extended quote, which I find especially pertinent during covid. We’ve been praying for revival for years, and only the Lord knows, but it could be he will use this large-scale plague to bring a great wave of people to saving faith in Jesus Christ. Surely never in our lifetime have so many people been brokenhearted, reminded of their own mortality, and perhaps more receptive to the good news.

Here’s the quote:

“A very wise pastor once said to me that a number of times over the years he’s had people turn up at his church because their life had hit the skids (they’d been diagnosed with cancer, one of the kids had turned to drugs, the marriage had broken up, the career and income had fallen in a heap, etc.). Basically, they’d turned up for help, and to try to make sense of life. But, he added, he’s never had anyone come to church saying, ‘Everything is going wonderfully well in my life and I wanted to find Someone to thank”.

“The grim truth is that when people are coping with life and all is going swimmingly, they are likely to feel that they don’t need God. That is, at least in part, what Jesus means about rich men getting into heaven being like getting an elephant through a letterbox (or was it a camel through the eye of a needle?). Health and wealth convince most people that they don’t need God. Grief can cause them to ask questions.

“This is certainly not something to say to people who are suffering, but it is something to bear in mind while trying to help them. What is happening may be God at work in their lives. We work for the God who is working for them.

Hence, we should listen – patiently and sympathetically. We should provide as much practical help and assistance as we can. And if they get to a point when they do want to listen to answers, perhaps the first thing to explain is that God understands about suffering because God has suffered” (pp. 112-13).

Oh that God would humble hearts, bring people to their senses, and use their grief as a catalyst to seek him. That would be good grief.

Depending on your political views, today is either a dark day or a bright moment in American history. Joe Biden was sworn into office as 46th President of the United States.

For me personally, I’m saddened at how the Trump administration ended. I think he did many good things both foreign and domestic, having some of the most sensible policies of any recent president. He defended the sanctity of life. He protected first amendment freedom. He supported school choice. He was a strong ally to Israel. He opposed Chinese espionage and Islamic terror. He lowered taxes and reduced regulations that fueled a roaring economy. He helped expedite a COVID vaccine.

But Trump’s successes were muted by an abrasive personality, difficulty building consensus, and sometimes downright bizarre behavior. Many claim he only used others to his own advantage. But I’m not convinced. I was impressed by many of his cabinet member choices and judicial appointments, and believe he was truly doing what he thought best for the country, and keeping the campaign promises he made to the American people. You are free to disagree with me. Only God knows his motives. But I think that his leadership was more complicated and his presidency more nuanced than either the left or the right usually admit.

Trump was constantly under attack, and any rattlesnake will eventually strike when provoked. No wonder he was on edge. This is no excuse, but it felt as though he never had a single moment to breath the entire four years of his presidency. The media and leftist politicians were ruthless, always putting him on the defensive and seeming to paint things in the worst possible light. But too often Trump took the bait, as in the first 2020 Presidential debate. He allowed personality to get in the way, and failed to let ideas win the day on their own merit.

At any rate, a new President has been sworn into office, and once again, the great American experiment has led to a peaceful transfer of power. Peaceful, yet tense. This one was different, with the presence of a small army of 25,000 soldiers guarding our nation’s capital. Is this the “new normal” for America? Or will tension ease now that Biden is in office?

My guess is that the mainstream media will sing Biden’s praises, and there will be a newfound perception of hope, peace, and optimism. Liberals are relishing this moment. Meanwhile, opposing views will be increasingly treated as divisive, intolerant, and hateful. Conservatives will struggle to find their voice, and cancel culture will kick into high gear.

The Biden administration, if he follows in the footsteps of Obama, will make it more difficult for Christians to live out their biblical convictions in the public square. Brace yourself for more Christian bakers and photographers to be demonized, and for Christian schools and non-profits to be pressured to compromise. But Jesus never said it would be easy.

Today we witness the end of one fallen administration and the beginning of a new one. Neither Trump nor Biden are the Messiah — not anywhere close. Like Trump, Biden will do what he thinks is best for the country. Like Trump, Biden will make mistakes along the way. like Trump, Biden deserves our respect. And like Trump, Biden needs our prayers.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Here’s a picture I took at his memorial in Washington DC a couple years ago.

If this past year has taught us anything about race relations, it’s that great progress has been made, but that there’s still room for improvement. May each of us treat one another with the dignity and respect we would want from others.

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12).