Faith of Equity and Justice

When Jesus walked the earth as a man, He revealed the character of God and His desire to set humanity free. That is free of the destructive forces of self and evil. Where we can live in freedom and equity. In intimacy with God and one with His kingdom values. This equity and justice is a gift from God to all who choose to receive and believe. As you listen to Faith of Equity and Justice be blessed, empowered and transformed in Jesus name.

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Transcript

00:00 Intro music and voice over.

Welcome to jesus loves the world podcast. For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name! 

00:21 Speaker

When Jesus walked the earth as a man, He revealed the character of God. His desire to set humanity free. That is free of the destructive forces of self and evil. Where we can live in freedom and equity. In intimacy with God and one with His kingdom values. 

His kingdom values are equity and justice. His equity and justice is a gift from Him. To all who choose to receive and believe. 

In his letter to those who were in Rome who chose to believe in God, Paul puts it this way. 

Romans 10:6-13 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

The context of this scripture is in direct reference to the rejection of Jesus, rejection of God by the Ancient Israelites. In referencing part of Moses’ farewell speech to the Ancient Israelites, Paul makes it clear what is the faith of equity and justice. 

Before we go deeper into the faith of equity and justice let us read Deuteronomy 30:11-14 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.

The context of Moses speech to the Ancient Israelites was this. God through His prophet Moses declared that before the Ancient Israelites was eternal life or eternal death. In choosing to give their total allegiance to God and worship only Him, they choose life everlasting. However in choosing to reject God and give their allegiance to other gods, they would be choosing death everlasting. 

Back to Paul’s letter to those in Rome and the righteousness of faith. Righteousness in these verses means equity and justice, the righteousness of faith is the equity and justice of God and His kingdom.

The equity of God is expressed in His kingdom of true justice. Where each one is equal, regardless of ethnicity, age or socio-economic status. Equality is true freedom and is only available from the one who is equitable and just. The one who makes everything right once again. That is God Himself.

The eternal, self-exisiting one who created the heavens and the earth and all things good. Who is the Eternal Father, the Eternal Voice (who is the Son) and the Eternal Spirit. One spirit, one God who created.

Yet in a moment in human history, the Eternal Voice came down from heaven to earth. He stepped down into our darkness. The Eternal One experienced the full human condition and shone His glorious divine light. He died a human death. Yet fully divine, rose from the dead in an eternal glorified human body. His name is Jesus. 

Jesus is the Eternal Voice, God the Son, who in human form is the Christ. That is the anointed one, who is the saviour of all humanity. That is all humanity, for with God there is no partiality or inequality. Only God is equitable and just. 

Faith in this context is the belief and acceptance of God’s right to rule and reign. Where Jesus’ right to rule and reign is not only acknowledged but accepted. Giving total allegiance to Jesus, total allegiance to God, is faith of equity and justice.

In receiving Jesus, it is an action of both the heart and the mind. Giving total allegiance to God is giving total allegiance to Jesus. As it pleased God that the fullness of Himself dwell in Jesus’ human body. Giving total allegiance to God, is choosing to worship only Him. Choosing life everlasting.

In receiving Jesus we receive God’s free gift of Himself. His free gift of salvation, equity and justice.

However to live in the fullness of this reality in this world damaged by evil is a daily journey. A daily journey of surrender. 

One of the biggest barriers to living in the reality of God’s kingdom on earth is the heart mind condition of inequality. Inequality is fuelled by succumbing to the temptation of pride. The pride that says in one’s heart that ‘I am better than another’. 

Just like those of Babel who said in their hearts, ‘we will ascend to heaven and make a name for ourselves’. In doing so, they attempted to lower God from His rightful place of the highest authority. They also attempted to raise themselves up as God. 

As Paul states, Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down from above). 

Believing oneself is better than another drives the destructive desire for self-glorification and self-gratification. Both desires are destructive, negative forces that result in oppression and abuse. That is oppression and abuse of self and others.

Humanity’s values and God’s values are the complete opposite. Humanity’s kingdom is unequal and unjust. God’s kingdom is equitable and just. For only God is equitable, just and true. 

To go deeper in this truth please listen to last week’s podcast titled, Two Kingdoms of Opposite Values.

The inequality of humanity and the destructive force of pride has two aspects. As both Moses and Paul have said, the first is the belief that one is better than another. The other aspect of pride is that of shame. The shame that says in one’s heart that ‘I am less than another.’  

Considering oneself lesser than another drives the destructive force of negativity towards oneself. This false perception of self and others becomes a barrier to living in the reality of God’s kingdom on earth. 

Paul also states, “Do not say in your heart… ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).

To bring Christ up from the dead is not in Moses’ words to the Ancient Israelites. However Paul specifically states, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 

In referencing, who will bring Christ up from the dead, Paul is emphasising the significance of not only Jesus’ death but His resurrection. Jesus’ resurrection is the miraculous evidence of God’s selfless love and eternal power. For to deny Jesus’ resurrection is to deny Jesus’ divinity. To deny Jesus’ divinity is to deny God and His free gift of salvation. For only God can raise the dead to life everlasting. 

Paul reveals the heart and mind condition that keeps humanity in bondage. That is both pride and shame. Exposing the inequality and injustices of humanity’s world.

Paul is also challenging false beliefs that include working ones’ way to heaven. That is the false belief that salvation is something that can be earned or deserved. 

Earlier in this letter Romans 4:2-3 Paul reasons. For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Abraham believed God, which is to receive God’s right to rule and reign and worship only Him. As a result God gave to Abraham His righteousness. Abraham did nothing to deserve the gift of God Himself. 

The false belief of earning ones own salvation feeds the destructive, negative forces of pride and shame that are in humanity. In referencing Abraham believed God earlier in his letter and Moses’ farewell speech, Paul clearly states that salvation is not gained through self effort. Neither is salvation a ritual of specific words uttered or a religious formula of does and don’ts. Salvation is a free gift from God. The gift of God Himself. 

Salvation is activated at the moment when we say yes to Jesus, yes to God. It is activated with a heart mind condition of acceptance and surrender. The faith of equity and justice is not only the belief, but receiving God’s right to rule and reign. Giving total allegiance to Him. 

In receiving God, receiving Jesus, we receive the one who is equitable and just. We receive the faith of equity and justice.

The writer of Hebrews puts it this way. 

Let us read Hebrews 11:1-6 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him..

Faith is the heart and mind condition of surrender. Giving total allegiance to God. Worshipping only Him. 

The invisible God enables us to see the unseen. Through His love story the Bible we understand He created things that are invisible and visible. He created the heavens and the earth and all things good. Through His spoken word He called forth the unseen to be seen. Both the physical and spiritual world surrendered to the voice of God and were formed. 

God continually reveals Himself to humanity in ways we can understand. So that we can believe and receive. Throughout the history of humanity there are those, like Abraham, Moses and Paul who chose to believe and receive God’s right to rule and reign. They gave total allegiance to God and worshipped only Him. They are those who testify.

Abel was also one such person. By faith means that Abel received God and His right to rule and reign. Abel had a heart, mind condition of surrender to God. So God revealed the unseen condition of Abel’s heart in accepting his offering. Through this, Abel was able to know that in receiving God, He had received God’s righteousness. That His equity and justice.

Cain also made an offering to God. In God rejecting Cain’s offering, God revealed  the unseen heart and mind condition of Cain. That Cain had rejected God and as a result aligned himself with the evil one.

The writer of Hebrews also states that without faith, it is impossible to please God. For it is God’s desire that none should perish. So in rejecting God is to deny oneself their only pathway to salvation. As rejecting God is to align oneself with evil and go the way of Cain. Aligning oneself with inequality and injustice. 

Conversely in accepting God and His right to rule and reign is to receive God’s free gift of salvation. As receiving God is to align oneself with Him and only good. Becoming one with God in the faith of equity and justice. 

Let us conclude with the writer of Hebrews exhortation. Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

19:40 Outro music and voice over. 

For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name!