Final Justice: The Return of Christ, Part 1

The Evangelical Church and Social Justice: A Critical Reflection

Before we dive into the Word of God, I want to take a moment to speak to our congregation. As your pastor, my concern regarding the current racial issues and the pursuit of social justice has been growing for years. In fact, back in 2018, I warned that this issue—specifically the accusations of racism and the social justice movement—had the potential to harm the Evangelical Church more than anything I had ever witnessed. Unfortunately, this prediction has proven to be true.

Over the past few years, I have addressed this topic in multiple ways: through an in-depth sermon series on Ezekiel 18, blog articles on Grace to You, Q&A sessions (some of them quite extensive), and sermons covering church unity from Philippians, the riots, and our biblical responsibilities. After reviewing all the resources we have dedicated to this discussion—including blogs, short videos, and sermons—I believe it is now time to move forward. However, before we do, there is one final, crucial truth that must be shared.

If I were a prophet—though I am not—I would say that the Evangelical Church has gone after Baal, just as Israel did in the Old Testament. The prophets of old condemned Israel for being seduced by false gods, and sadly, the same can be said of today’s church. The church has embraced a false religion, one centered on social ideology rather than the gospel of Jesus Christ. The evidence of this is clear: the unity of the church has been shattered. Instead of standing as the kingdom of God, boldly confronting the world with truth, the church has begun to resemble a mere political and social organization.

The New Testament warns us against this very thing:

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)

The church has not only conformed to the world—it has been fully seduced by it. The world has pressed the church into its mold. Paul warns in Colossians 3:

“Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Likewise, John declares:

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world… for the world is passing away.”

Yet, the modern church has abandoned these truths. It has embraced a false god—an ideology crafted by those who reject Christ. The conversation today revolves around justice, but what kind of justice?

Justice for all is a noble and admirable goal. Perhaps it is one of the highest human ideals. However, in a fallen world, true justice is not only difficult to achieve—it is nearly impossible to define. How can we expect justice when many who claim to fight for it are willing to break laws in the process?

Perfect justice belongs to God alone. Humanity struggles to understand, respect, or implement His justice. We live in a time where good is called evil, and evil is called good; where darkness is labeled light, and light is deemed darkness. In such a world, true justice is difficult to find.

Many attempts to define justice lead only to further injustice, as they reflect the corruption of the human heart. A society may establish countless justice systems and legal institutions, yet still fail to bring about true, righteous justice. For over 200 years, biblical morality provided a foundation for stability in our nation. But that foundation is now crumbling.

Without divine revelation, defining justice becomes an impossible task. The Bible foresaw this reality. In Ecclesiastes 4:1, we read:

“Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression that were being done under the sun. And behold, I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of the oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them.”

The world is filled with oppression and suffering, yet human efforts to resolve these issues often fail to bring true justice. Ecclesiastes 5:8 further warns:

“If you see oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight.”

True justice can only be found in God. The church must return to Him—not be swept away by worldly ideologies that distort the truth.