Christians need to initiate a social grace movement. Jesus declared, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me and he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord!” These words have inspired a multitude of social justice movements – abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage, right to life movements.
Jesus’ words are informed by the prophetic tradition of the ancient Hebrew prophets who cried out in favor of justice and righteousness. They understood that human justice must be founded upon the righteousness of God. The goal of this biblical justice tradition is a new human heart – a heart that expresses love for God and love for fellow humans.
The Christian informed social justice movement has been co-opted by a secular social justice movement whose leaders are angry, violent, and even tyrannical. The problem is that many Christians are being caught up in that same anger and malice.
The cross of Jesus Christ is the ultimate act of social justice in that on the cross God in Christ took upon himself the weight of human sin including suffering divine wrath and abandonment. Human history is so violent, so systemically corrupt, that no law can heal. On the cross, the divine-human Christ, suffered the penalty of the law.
The cross of Christ is also the ultimate act of social grace. Among the last words of Christ were “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing.” This is the ultimate intercession of the divine-human Christ, words he continues to utter while sitting at the right hand of the Father as our advocate and intercessor.
The cross of Christ is the ultimate act of social grace because in making atonement for humanity Jesus broke down the walls that separate humanity from God, and from each other, reconciled humanity to God and each other, and established peace between God and humanity, and among humanity’s warring tribes. This is the ultimate social justice – it’s called justification!
The resurrection of the divine-human Christ signifies new creation – a new way of being human in this present age and a new heavens and new earth in the age to come.
Divine grace is more than forgiveness. Divine grace is transforming power. The law can proscribe acceptable behaviors and penalties for offense. But the law cannot transform the human heart. Divine grace can do just that. Divine grace moves us to confess our sins, to forgive each other’s sins, and be reconciled. Divine grace empowers us to look beyond the ugliness of the past and envision a new creation in which righteousness prevails.
Paul exhorted, “Think about the things of heaven . . . now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior. . . make allowance for each other’s fault’s, and forgive anyone who offends you. . . above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony” (cf. Colossians 3:1-14 NLT).
A social grace movement goes beyond social justice. Social justice seeks to remedy human corruption through law and economics. Social grace understands righteous laws and just economic policies are necessary for the flourishing of humanity. But social grace also understands that man does not live by bread alone. Social justice cannot correct or erase human history. Just as Jesus went forward in the power of the Spirit, a social grace movement empowered by love and joy moves us to future of peace. It was a movement of social grace that caused the Good Samaritan to care for the fallen traveler. The law could not do that. It was a movement of social grace that provoked Paul to ask Philemon to receive the runaway slave, Onesimus, as a brother. The law could not do that.
Social grace transcends social justice because justice seeks fair and just treatment for all. This means that we must share a loaf of bread. But a social grace movement believes that he who is the Bread of Life can multiply loaves so that there is abundance. A social grace movement understands that grace and mercy are extended even to those who are undeserving. Social justice seeks to make all humans politically equal. Social grace seeks to transform all humans – male and female, slave and free, rich and poor, oppressed and oppressor – so that we all reflect the righteousness of God.
Finally, a social justice movement can only advocate for the living. Those who died in slavery are slaves forever. Those who died impoverished are buried in a pauper’s grave. A social grace movement, informed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, means that the systemic powers of sin and death are defeated. All those who have died subject to the injustice and corruption of human history, in Christ will be raised to new life in a new creation.
