Kingdom
Response to Structures II
OURS IS A JUST
CLAIM
Titus 3:5, 6; Luke 18:1-8
Leaders, policies, laws, symbols,
practices, and systems necessary for social order make up authority structures.
The structures mirror the general moral conditions in society and eventually
influence the moral conditions. Unrighteousness embedded in structures is
structural evil that concerns God, as is personal evil. Jesus came to redeem
both individuals and communities. The model prayer seeks freedom from all evil
(Matthew 6:13). Christ came to transform
the world for the better, improving people’s wellbeing and relationships with
each other, challenging corrupt and unjust structures, supporting the poor and
marginalized and healing the sick and troubled (Luke 4:18).
The light of God needs to shine through out
structures. Historically, slave trade
and apartheid are examples of structural evil that took long to eradicate.
William Wilberforce an evangelical sustained advocacy and argument for
abolition of slave trade among the authorities of his day and culminated in its
abolishment in the British Empire in 1833. So
for example, not everything legal is righteous. Not every legal or permissible
thing is expedient (1 Corinthians 6:12). Just as not everything widely
practiced or publicized through the media is right. Not everything promoted or
practiced by leaders, influential people and celebrities is godly. One still
need the guidance of one’s own personal values. Young people frequent the
cyberspace and need to hear this advice. The wise avoid imitating some stuff
from the social networks such as ‘crushing’ which includes posting obscene
pictures that are offensive to generally accepted standards of decency. The
term itself should serve as warning that it is for those wanting to crush. What
ever you post on internet is worse than a tattoo. You die with a tattoo but
what you post will out live you and portray an image of you to prospective
employers, people in general; your posterity will look at and determine
impressions about you. Stuff posted when young can haunt you for the rest of
life. Experts warn that even if deleted it is still there somewhere else or in
a recoverable state.
How then do we respond to and/or influence
authority in our communities and its structures. One way is by setting up
conditions for sweeping revival that transforms structures and people under
them. Believers can usher in revival by praying (2 Chronicles 7:14; Ephesians
3:20) and by personal obedience particularly in area of giving (Malachi 3:10).
After all, still the two natures, new and old, will coexist in communities. The
new will only sustainably dominate by multiplication of disciples and sustained
teaching of God’s word and walking in the values of his kingdom. That will
radically transform whole communities (Matthew 28:18-20).
As disciples of Christ, you can more
specifically influence structures by:
1)
Being faithful priests. Pray for people in
authority (1 Timothy 2:1 – 4). At the heart, cultivate in believers a sense of
identifying with their communities. True intercession is not just pleading on
behalf of but taking the place of the one for whom you are interceding.
Nehemiah is a good example. He interceded ‘we have sinned’. He included himself
in the failures of his own people. He
also showed patriotism by answering the king, “Why should my face not look sad
when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have
been destroyed by fire?” (Nehemiah 2:3; Also Paul Romans 9:3). The kind of deep identification with the people
you share community with goes beyond them being of your ethnicity or your
standard of righteousness. It overrides sectional, tribal, ethnic and other
loyalties. When some of the children of Israel
in captivity just sat and wept by the rivers of Babylon
when they remembered Zion
2)
Engaging and participating in the affairs of
the community in every sector as salt and light (Mathew 5:14-16). Dialogue, consultation and demonstration
of relevance through love and good works for the common good earns attention
and credibility (Ephesians 2:10; Luke 6:31). Participating in community life provides an opportunity to model righteousness, compassionate leadership
and godly followership. Believers influence societal structures when they walk the talk.
3)
Mobilizing and equipping believers to occupy y positions of authority in the community and model excellence. God still raises modern
day Esthers, Nehemiahs, Josephs, etc to serve and apply faith in the market
place.
4)
Being a prophetic voice. Being a conscience, a
voice for God and a voice for the voiceless. The Chapter 9 institutions in South Africa
5)
Being practical problem solvers. Believers can be involved in a variety of social actions that include evangelism, relief,
rehabilitation and development work. Believers have often been associated with relief work. Increasingly instead of mounting an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff churches are involved in finding ways to stop people from falling over the cliff in the first place. Initiatives in line with the shift of strategy include educating and equipping people with skills, generating employment and business opportunities and advocating for fair policies that equitably give access to the training and livelihood opportunities. Such social action is not only the job of the church institution but of its individual members scattered in society as led by the Holy Spirit and God’s word working in their hearts. Christians do not always agree on how to respond to oppressive systems that impose unrighteous laws and violate personal conscience and refuse to pay attention and take remedial action unless there is a stir of non-violent or forceful protests.
6)
Preaching Jesus - in line with the principle that
no personal or social problem fails to find an answer in him. He is the answer
for the world today. When he appears on the scene things cannot remain the
same. When he appears kindness and love of God our Savior appears (Titus 3:5,
6). Amazing grace as sung. ‘How precious
did that grace appear?’ He removed the weaknesses that would disqualify for he
does not require works of righteousness but enables works of righteousness. He
transforms from within and brings renewal by the Holy Spirit whom he has shed
abundantly in the last days. Jesus appeared with solutions societies need. He
came to replace sin with righteousness, sickness with health,
infirmity/deformity with wholeness, poverty with abundant provision, little
with multiplication, loss with
restoration, and broken relationships with reconciliation. He came to replace
anarchy with order, void/emptiness with meaning, stagnation and decline with
progress, confusion with direction, imprisonment with release, death with
resurrection life, reproach with vindication,
rejection with love and acceptance, abuse with redress and comfort,
prejudice with inclusion and equity, oppression with liberty, slavery with freedom, and bondage with
deliverance. For tyranny, he brought compassionate leadership/servant
leadership, to impunity -accountability, depression - joy, blindness - sight,
darkness - light, weariness – rest, and sorrow – great joy. Where there was
violation he restored dignity and replaced bareness with fruitfulness, lack
with fullness. Defeat with victory, loneliness with companionship, anxiety with
peace and confidence, despair with hope, dysfunction with productivity, fear
with faith, debt with repayment for every debt, and so that where there was
shame there be honor, dignity/respect (Luke 4:18; John 10:10; 1 John 3:8; Psalm
103:2-5).
7) Standing in the gap through prayer. Day and night bringing your just claim to God, the righteous judge. The widow in the Luke 18:1-8
parable sought justice with an adversary. She went to a judge whose heart was
so hard as to ignore the plight of widows. Nevertheless, she relentlessly
lodged her request for justice until she got it. As a believer, you are like
that widow. God’s favor is on your side (Exodus 22:22). You have an adversary
that robs what belongs to you through Christ. Know what constitutes a valid
grievance from God’s word. Your claim backed by the law of grace is just and
receives a hearing because Christ died for you.
You therefore also need to seek justice with similar determination to
the widow. Unlike the judge faced by the widow, your judge is also your father.
He is caring and loving. Your persistence in prayer helps him to deal with your
adversary, your own hardness of hard, slowness in learning, unpreparedness,
ignorance of his timing, etc. However, if you persist and all things are ready
he will grant you justice speedily. In
holy defiance, refuse to be silent until justice is done (Isaiah 40:25-31;
62:1). God is pleased with you because you have his son (Mathew 3:17; 17:5). He
has endorsed, esteemed, branded, and empowered you. You are strong. You can
make a difference. Hold on to faith and
prayer. Pray fervently for
righteousness and for his kingdom to come so all that Christ died for can be a
reality (Matthew 6:10).
Message by
Dr. Kurai Chitima.
Faith
Ministries – Johannesburg Faith Life Center
Ground
and First Floors Sunset Bay Building
204B Bram
Fischer drive,
Randburg, Johannesburg , South Africa
