“Thus says the Lord: ‘Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my righteousness be revealed.
And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant—these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.’” (Isaiah 56:1, 6-7)
At the present day, many people are clamoring for justice, but usually as they define it. They cry out for righteousness but again as they define it, which usually is not the way the Lord does. Many have decided to seek justice or to exact it by protesting in some form or other, peacefully as well as violently. As for righteousness, well, these days that is any body’s choice as god and evil are relative terms.
How should we, the people of God react? As believers in Christians we are warned that our anger should never cause us to sin. Anger that erupts in violence is sin. But what about peaceful protests? Should Christians be a part of the cause for racial justice or civil rights? Should we march in the streets to promote the justice the world seeks, or even to enforce the justice the Lord commands?
The gospel is not about protest marches, for, the fact is, the Lord’s ways are not the ways of the world. The calling of those who believe in Jesus and follow Him, is to do good and to change the evil in our world by preaching the gospel to all people in words and in deeds. The way to peace and equality is only through the Kingdom of God. The words of the prophet Isaiah remind us that the Kingdom of God is open to people of all nations and ethnicities. Yet, as the prophet adds, those who join themselves to the Lord must hold fast to His covenant. They must keep His commandments, love Him and serve Him. In terms of the New Covenant all must have faith in the righteousness of Christ alone. Only those in Christ enter the Kingdom of God because they have been made worthy by Him.
Human works and even religious deeds, no matter how noble or pious, do not qualify anyone to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Thus any religion, philosophy, political system or ideology which proclaims that humans can achieve unity and peace apart from God is false. The Christian’s calling is to preach the cross of Christ to the lost not to march in a protest. The Kingdom of God is the only way to achieve true and lasting justice and peace for all people. And the people protesting won’t know it unless we tell them that Jesus is the Lord and Savior of all mankind.