One of the positive movements within the younger generation of Christianity is a renewed focus on social justice.  It is incredible to see how passionate many 20-30 somethings become when fighting for various people and causes around the world.  From helping the poor, to the sick, to fighting against racism, slavery, and sex-trafficking these individuals really believe they can make the world a better place.  Many of them cite the previous generations’ negligence in addressing the aforementioned issues and unfortunately they are right in many ways. As followers of Jesus Christ, this next generation of Christians is not content to sit on the sidelines and watch things get worse.  They believe that it is their responsibility as Christians to help deal with these problems whether in their local community or halfway around the world.

While there is no doubt that Christians should be on the front line in fighting against these issues, I am concerned about a growing trend amongst those involved in these endeavors.  In many cases, the fight for social justice has replaced a focus on the Gospel message (Christ’s death and resurrection as the payment for mankind’s sin).  These individuals cite a responsibility as Christians to engage in social activities but stop short of giving people the very thing they need the most, Jesus.  Social justice in and of itself has become the focus rather than social justice as an outworking of sharing the Gospel.  In some cases, the Gospel has even been redefined in such a way that social justice becomes the very content of the Gospel message!

Many will argue (and rightly so) that it’s hard to have someone tell you about Jesus when you’re hungry, barefoot, sick, enslaved, homeless, etc.  I agree.  Give them these basic physical needs.  But please give them Jesus too! Don’t simply meet physical needs and tell them you’re doing it because you love Jesus.  Tell them who he is, what he did for them, and why he wants them to follow him.  I wholeheartedly agree that a natural outworking of a Christian’s life should be involvement in these various issues.  But it cannot be divorced from or substituted from the message of the Gospel.

The unfortunate irony of social justice without the Gospel is that it is the cruelest form of injustice that could be shown to another human being.  To meet someone’s physical needs but not tell them about their need for a savior is as good as patting them on the back and encouraging them on their way to hell.  The majority of the people in this world are enslaved to the worst thing one can be enslaved to – sin.  This enslavement carries with it horrific consequences.  The reality is that the present suffering these individuals face pales in comparison to the eternal suffering they will face without Jesus.  Unless they are set free from the power of sin through a relationship with Christ, it becomes largely irrelevant whether or not their present physical condition improves.

The factors contributing to this attitude are too numerous to be discussed at this time.  However, I fear that one of the biggest reasons for this mentality is the number of young Christians who do not believe that Jesus is THE way to salvation.  The belief that somehow it will all get worked out in the end takes away the urgency and necessity of the Gospel message.  This is a separate issue for another time but the truth is it doesn’t all get worked out in the end, people aren’t saved without Jesus, and if Christians don’t spread the message of Jesus it won’t get spread

As I’ve said throughout, I strongly believe that Christians have a responsibility to deal with the issues addressed by the social justice movement.  But doing so should be an outworking of Christ’s work in our life.  It should be an avenue for sharing the Gospel not a replacement for it.