christian justice and the church-part one

Introduction to Social Justice and The Church

Since 2020, conversations around race, inclusion, and justice have intensified both within and outside the Church. Many churches have been compelled to examine their history, theology, and culture in light of ongoing racial tensions and cries for justice. The topic is both spiritually urgent and emotionally charged, and its implications touch not only theology but also the relational, structural, and mental well-being of congregations.

In response to this critical moment, this series of three articles will explore how the Church can engage these issues through a biblical lens. The first article will lay a foundation for Christian Justice, offering a theological framework for race and inclusion. The second will engage key principles from broader Social Justice movements that Christians might consider as they strive to live out biblical justice. The third will address ideologies that may seem compatible with justice but require careful discernment in light of Scripture.

These articles are not intended to offend, but they may challenge widely held assumptions—across the ideological spectrum. If that challenge feels uncomfortable, it may be a good opportunity to reflect on the lens through which we see Scripture, justice, and community. Unity will not come by avoiding hard conversations, but by engaging them with truth, humility, and love.

Lastly, my thoughts on Christian Justice have evolved since I contributed to Wildfire,[1] and like most ideas, they will continue to evolve. Over time, perspectives may shift, language may change, and understanding may deepen, but the Word of God remains unchanged: “Lord, your word is forever; it is firmly fixed in heaven. Your faithfulness is for all generations…” (Psalm 119:89-91, CSB). As disciples, our foundation must remain the unshakable Word of God, and our pursuit of justice must be rooted in His truth. This is a conviction I hold that I hope never changes, and I pray this is the conviction of every disciple in every church.  

Christian Justice: A Biblical View of Race and Inclusion

Many have said that in recent years, Christianity has missed a major opportunity to represent Christ and heal the wounds of racism and bigotry. At times, we’ve strained the gnat of theology while missing the bigger picture: treating others as Christ would have us do. When it comes to racism, I think it's crucial to begin with the perspective of those who have experienced it firsthand. That can be difficult—to step into someone else’s shoes and ask, What has your experience been like? Yet the Bible calls us to exactly that kind of posture:

“Learn to do what is good. Pursue justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause.” (Isaiah 1:17, CSB)

This series of articles is designed to help us understand and cultivate a biblical view of justice through what my wife and I call Christian Justice (CJ)—a term my wife and I adopted in our graduate-level work at Liberty University. I understand that “social justice” is a loaded phrase for many. The term has often been co-opted to promote agendas rooted more in ideology than righteousness—fueled by envy, a sense of entitlement, or a desire for equal outcomes that ignore the reality of God-given differences. So from here on I will refer to Christian Justice as the Biblical stance for understanding race and inclusion in the Church.

We’re not all born with the same talents, resources, or opportunities. God doesn’t distribute gifts equally—He distributes them intentionally (Romans 12:6–8, Matthew 25:14–30). Where secular social justice often pushes for identical outcomes and overlooks the heart, Christian Social Justice begins by transforming hearts and asking each of us to treat others as Christ would. Instead of focusing on ideology, CJ asks: How would Jesus have me love my brother or sister today?

In this article, I want to highlight three biblical statements every disciple should consider when it comes to race and multicultural unity within the church. These three statements sum up the heart of Christian Justice which aims to steer the church towards a Biblical foundation of justice and inclusion. Before we dive in, I want to introduce a powerful concept from the book Gracism by Dr. David Anderson. He writes:

“Gracism, unlike racism, doesn’t focus on race for negative purposes such as discrimination. Gracism focuses on race for the purpose of positive ministry and service. When the grace of God can be communicated through the beauty of race, then you have gracism.”

This is the beauty of what the church brings to the conversation: we don’t erase cultural or racial differences—we celebrate them as blessings. The church should be the very place where the conversation on race begins. Not as a fight or an argument between two oppositional sides, but as a family looking to find common Biblical ground on which to address this issue. The key to beginning that conversation lies in the concept of unity as addressed in scripture. Let’s reflect on the foundation that Scripture gives us for this kind of unity:

¹² For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ Indeed, the body is not one part but many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted. ¹⁹ And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body. ²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that are weaker are indispensable. ²³ And those parts of the body that we consider less honorable, we clothe these with greater honor, and our unrespectable parts are treated with greater respect, ²⁴ which our respectable parts do not need.

Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, ²⁵ so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. ²⁶ So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. ²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it (1 Corinthians 12:12–27).

 

Three Biblical Statements Every Christian Should Consider

1. I Will Lift You Up – Clothe with Special Honor

As members of Christ’s body, we are called to lift one another up—especially those in need of special honor. Anderson’s Gracism reminds us that true gracists look for ways to elevate the marginalized. This has challenged me personally. Do I invite those in financial need into my home for a meal or to special events? If my small group is financially well-off, do we consider how we can bless another family in our church community? More broadly, do we lift up those with special needs, mental health struggles, limited education, or backgrounds that are different from our own—with intentional, Spirit-led honor? Christian Justice doesn’t treat everyone the same. It goes out of its way to treat others according to their needs. Blanket statements and gestures can fall short. But when we truly see someone—when we understand what it means to honor them—we reflect the heart of Jesus.

CJ invites us to partner with the Spirit to see and serve individuals who may be overlooked. It’s not about assuming oppression based on external traits; it’s about listening, noticing, and saying, “I will lift you up.” Inclusion results from this not because we don’t identify or recognize differences, but because we choose to include each other despite our differences.

Our differences are highlighted in scripture, we are not all given the same talents, gifts, resources, or opportunities in life. Yet, in Christ’s Kingdom, we are called to recognize those who are different and include them in all aspects of the church. I will lift you up means I will clothe you with special honor. It means if the world treats you with contempt because of your race or your challenges, we will embrace you and include you. The church sees the divisions of the world and destroys those superficial barriers, instead inviting each human to partake in Christ with equality. And to do so, we actually lift up and clothe each other with special honor.      

2. I Will Stand With You – Cling to Unity and Biblical Principle

Anderson writes, “The diversities of giftedness, gender, race, class, perspectives and preferences may collide and even compete at times. Grace within relationships then becomes the oil that keeps the body working together toward the goal of unity…”[2]

Growing up in Hell’s Kitchen, I learned the importance of standing with someone you trust. One afternoon, my best friend John and I found ourselves in a tense moment with a group of teens who wanted to fight. But we stood together, and they backed off. That kind of unity made a difference—and it still does.

In the church, we’re called to that same unity—not based on political ideologies, but on the gospel:

“Stand firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel...” (Philippians 1:27)

We must stand on biblical truths—and one of those truths is that racism and oppression are wrong. Period. That’s not a political issue; it’s a spiritual one. We must refuse to let the world’s labels, ideologies, or systems divide us. Not every view or theory needs to be adopted or debated in the church. But if we can’t stand with one another in suffering, injustice, or hardship—what kind of body are we?

I joined a peaceful protest with my daughter in 2020—not to endorse a cause, but to say, I see you. I’m with you. Imagine what the church could communicate to the world if we showed that kind of unity. Not unity based on agreement, but unity based on love.

3. I Will Consider You – I see you

After everything that happened in 2020, very few people asked me how I was doing. As a leader, I expected to carry others—but I was surprised by how few thought to check in. The church had become loud about national issues, but not always quiet enough to ask a brother, How are you?

True concern begins with empathy. It begins with seeing someone.

The Zulu greeting “Sawubona” means “I see you.” But it carries a deeper meaning: I see your humanity. I recognize your worth. Until we begin to see each other—not as categories, but as individuals—we won’t be able to show the concern Scripture calls for, “…so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other” (1 Corinthians 12:25).

Have we shown that concern to each other? Across racial, gender, and cultural lines? Have we asked, How can I understand your perspective? What does it look like to walk in your shoes for a moment?

As a husband, I’ve had to learn this in my own marriage. I don’t always “see” my wife. I rush, assume, or bulldoze without considering her needs. And yet Scripture says, be considerate as you live with your wife (1 Peter 3:7). That’s a blanket command because we’re all prone to selfishness. But what if we applied that kind of radical consideration to everyone in the church?

A Closing Thought

Christian Justice isn’t a call to political activism—it’s a call to Christlikeness. It’s about lifting each other up, standing together in truth, and showing genuine concern for one another. It doesn’t erase our differences; it dignifies them. It doesn’t enforce outcomes; it invites transformation. And it doesn’t promote division; it leads to unity.Imagine a church that sees people before judging them, that listens before speaking, that loves before labeling. Imagine what it would say to a broken, divided world if we lived like one body—honoring the unseen, standing with the hurting, and seeing the overlooked. That kind of community isn’t just desirable—it’s biblical. It's what Jesus prayed for in John 17, what Paul pleaded for in Philippians 1, and what the Spirit empowers us to become today.

We may have missed some opportunities in the past. But it’s not too late to step into the gap with humility and conviction. As we continue this series, I invite you to pause and consider: Where is God calling you to lift someone up? To stand with a brother or sister who feels alone? To truly see someone you’ve overlooked?

The next articles will build on this foundation, exploring some practical suggestions and possible boundaries in bringing this conversation to the church. The first step is simple: ask someone their story. Listen. Learn. And let grace—not guilt, not pressure, but grace—lead you. The world is loud right now. But the church has a quieter, more powerful voice if we choose to use it—the voice of grace, of compassion, of truth. Let’s be the people who say, I see you. I’ll stand with you. I will lift you up.

Alex Whitaker

Alex Whitaker spent nearly 25 years in full time ministry in Tacoma and Seattle, WA. He graduated from West Point Military Academy, and after finishing a career in the Army, he entered the ministry, where he led in many different ministries. He also holds a Master's in Leadership from Gonzaga University, and is currently pursuing a post-graduate counseling degree from Liberty University. He and his wife Danielle have five beautiful children, and currently reside in Charleston, SC. To contact Alex, you can email him at alexwhitakernw@gmail.com.

[1] Daren Overstreet, Wildfire: How progressive Theology is Impacting the Church (Illumination Publishers, 2022), pp. 125 – 132.

[2] David Anderson (2023) p. 92. Gracism: The Art of Inclusion. InterVarsity Press