I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
-Romans 1:16
I’m one of those Christians who runs the risk of having a passion for justice overwhelm his passion for Christ’s salvation message.
That’s a problem.
I affirm Christ, who he was and is. I own that I am a Christian, saved from my sin. But there’s the sobering truth that I often keep that truth to myself.
Now, legal aid is an exciting field in which to work. It sees the potential of legal services as a means of delivering someone consumed by difficulties that trap them in fear, indignity and hopelessness. It’s not always this significant; maybe it’s just answering a few questions or helping someone avoid a careless mistake. But legal aid can bring a sense of liberation to a client, even if ephemeral.
Of course, sharing the Gospel is vital work too. We have a commission to do so. It looses the Holy Spirit to move in the world and work through us. It brings about eternal outcomes that transcend temporal ones. As we’re mired in our sin, it introduces us to a final, definitive answer, one that provides true and lasting liberation through a relationship with Christ.
I’m extremely blessed to work in a job at a legal ministry that affirms both the call to Christ and to justice. Justice and the Gospel go hand in hand, after all. But justice separate from Christ’s message of salvation seems a pale picture of what it could be.
A pastor friend recently shared that Satan is willing to see any number of strongholds fall, but hates to see people transformed by the Gospel. Injustices or evils may be “righted”–segregation legally ended, a dictatorial regime passes away, a murderer incarcerated–and Satan begrudgingly lets these come to pass. But seeing new believers in Christ emerge, those who shuck the status quo and usher in God’s Kingdom of peace, love and hope as they’re freed from their sin? He’ll fight this with everything he can.
My equivocation about the Gospel has to stop. I have to stop disowning Christ when I meet with a client, friend or stranger. In saving me, He’s changed me too much, blessed me too much, eased my burdens to much, for me to keep Him to myself.
