Living Out God's Justice: Navigating Relationships with the Fruits of the Holy Spirit

Jesus came to the world to model God’s justice by associating with society’s outcasts, preaching generosity, exemplifying humility, and offering his life as a sacrifice to reconcile sinful believers unto God. As a result, Jesus’ life inspired his followers to embrace hope and live by his example, presenting themselves as living sacrifices to cultivate God’s justice by healing the sick, feeding the poor, and proclaiming the arrival of God’s kingdom (Matthew 10). Therefore, I will argue that as present-day disciples of Jesus Christ, participation in God’s justice mission requires developing the fruits of the Holy Spirit to build healthy relationships and act on behalf of those who are poor, disadvantaged, or oppressed. While Christians cannot repay Jesus for his teachings or his sacrifice on the cross, believers can honor Jesus by paying it forward, as Paul suggests in Galatians 5:22-26, showing evidence of their faith by living according to the Spirit and cultivating relationships on the margins with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

God’s mission and why it includes justice

Christopher J. H. Wright states in his book The Mission of God that “missions is what the Bible is all about.” Wright explains that the canon of Scripture is a “missional phenomenon” that testifies to God’s self-giving movement toward his creation, particularly wayward human beings (Wright 2006, 21). Wright adds that “the very existence of the Bible is incontrovertible evidence of the God who refuses to forsake his rebellious creation, who refuses to give up, and who was and is determined to redeem and restore fallen creation to his original design” (Wright 2006, 49). God does this by “liberating humanity and the entire cosmos from the powers of sin and death” (Gorman 2015, 26). Since the fall of humankind, God has made it his goal to reveal himself to his creation as the Lord who cares deeply for their deliverance and restoration. As Al Tizon puts it, this is the good news of the gospel: “that the reign of God heralds the incarnated truth that God has set in irreversible motion the reconciliation of all things” (Tizon 2018, 79). This truth means that regardless of how far humans stray from God’s intentions, he does not forsake them. In contrast, God pursues them relentlessly, making it his mission to give people a pathway to undeserved justice and a covenantal relationship with him through faith in Jesus Christ.  

In the Little Book of Biblical Justice, Chris Marshall states: “Justice is not something God aspires to; it is the heart of who God is and what God does” (Marshall 2005, 21). This revelation that God’s mission centers on restoring his creation to justice has been apparent since the beginning. In Scripture, God shows a deep concern for justice by enforcing consequences for sin, as evident in Genesis 3, but also by rescuing the Israelites from slavery in Exodus, establishing laws to ensure fair practices in their new nation, and making promises of peace and prosperity in Matthew 5 to the meek, marginalized, and impoverished to emphasize his partiality based on character and faith.

Jesus’ Role in God’s Justice

Marshall also states that “Jesus incarnates God’s justice and that in him, justice moves from heaven to earth in a new and dramatic way” (Marshall 2005, 39). Jesus announced and embodied the kingdom of God perfectly, showing the world what biblical justice was all about – proclaiming the good news of God’s kingdom to the poor in Spirit and relieving the concerns of the poor in body and mind. While God did not send Jesus to condemn the world (John 3:17), the Messiah did not come to bring peace but as a sword to right the wrongs of humanity and establish humanity’s renewed relationship with God (Matthew 10:34-39). Jesus did this by identifying with and uplifting the causes of those the world left behind.

In Jesus and Justice, scholars at the Salvation Army’s International Justice Commission remind Christians that the King of Kings can relate to their daily struggles. Jesus’ first days “were marked by poverty” (Salvation Army 2011, 7). Having been born in a manger and raised in obscurity, God used Jesus to reiterate his partiality to the “least” in society. When Jesus began his public ministry, he read the Scroll of Isaiah, proclaiming that the Spirit of the Lord was upon him to usher in God’s reign, preach the good news to the poor, restore sight to the blind, and liberate the oppressed. Thus, Jesus’ upside-down ministry began. Jesus related to sinners and delivered them from captivity, fulfilling God’s law and posing a threat to religious and political powers, seeking to keep the scales of justice imbalanced.

In Jesus, Jubilee, and the Politics of God’s Reign, Collins Winn contends that “the good news Jesus proclaimed was disturbing to everyone with a vested interest in a world bound to death.” He states, “In the preaching and practice of this lowly peasant [Jesus] is the revolution of God, which means the overthrow of the opposing powers and principalities, therefore arousing resistance” (Collins Winn 2023, 111). Jesus’ entire life and ministry focused on justice. He traveled from city to city, healing the afflicted, preaching about God’s life-giving principles, and transforming hearts. Thereby bridging the gap between cultures and creating a singular kingdom under God. Jesus challenged the social order by pointing out the spiritual leaders’ hypocrisies, rebuking oppression, and fostering a new spiritual community based on grace, reconciliation, and love, regardless of background or status.

“In his words and deeds, Jesus does not just bear witness to one or two aspects of the kingdom; he also preaches and demonstrates the kingdom of God in its totality. By doing so, Jesus brings glad tidings for the created order. He testifies to nothing less than the restoration of the shalom of God, to which all will have access, especially the poor, the captive, the sick, and the oppressed (Luke 4:18)” (Tizon 2018, 80). In turn, Jesus urges his disciples to do the same. Disciples are to partner with God to rebalance the scales of justice in society by showing up and spreading light in the world, especially among the marginalized.

Living out God’s justice in relationships

In The Cross and the Lynching Tree, James Cone writes, “God’s reconciling love on the cross empowers human beings to love one another – bearing witness with ‘their whole being in the struggle against evil, whatever the cost” (Cone 2011, 71). While salvation encourages Christians to turn from their sins and transform their image to look more like Christ, Jesus’ ministry inspires believers to get involved in causes that negatively affect God’s creation and people. Citing the Cape Town Commitment, Tizon states that God commands his followers to convey to all nations the “truth of God’s revelation and the gospel of his saving grace through Jesus Christ, calling all people to repentance, faith, baptism, and obedient discipleship.” In addition, God commands them to “reflect his character through compassionate care for the needy and demonstrate the kingdom’s values and power in striving for justice and peace and caring for God’s creation” (Tizon 2018, 139). God’s people are responsible for revealing God’s love to the world by participating in God’s mission to facilitate justice. From unfair leadership practices on the job or biased policies in the world to people needing encouragement locally, there are many opportunities and ways for God’s people to partner in God’s justice mission.

Quoting James Cone in Black Theology & Black Power, “No Christian can evade this responsibility. Having come before God as nothing and being received by him into his kingdom through grace, the Christian should know that they have been made righteous (justified) so that they can join God in the fight for justice” (Cone 1997, 53). Practically, living out God’s justice involves responding to the Holy Spirit’s promptings in relationship to others. Chris Marshall argues, “If justice is a personal attribute of God, and if human beings as God’s image-bearers are to emulate God’s justice in how they live with one another in their community, justice is all about relationships.” He adds that, “justice means doing all necessary to create and sustain healthy, constant, and life-giving relationships between persons, and is measured by the extent to which people honor their obligation to live in relationships that uphold the equal dignity and rights of the other” (Marshall 2005, 29). 

According to Romans 12:9-21, practicing biblical justice in relationships looks like exercising the humility and selflessness of Jesus Christ. By engaging in acts of compassion, advocating for the marginalized, and prioritizing love and understanding, Christians can participate in God’s mission to bring justice to the world by restoring creation through their relationships wherever they go. Whether it is an encouraging word, a listening ear, an act of service, or a shoulder to cry on, God’s people can enact God’s justice by embodying God’s love, building trust, addressing people’s needs, and offering their time and talents in sacrifice and service to restore humanity to wholeness. Chris Marshall states that the key to biblical is in the word restoration. “God seeks to restore the world to how it ought to be” (Marshall 2005, 39). This restoration work includes relationships, which can only be achieved through the Holy Spirit.

The fruits of the Holy Spirit and their role in evoking Biblical Justice

The Holy Spirit’s role is essential to living practically as a Christian in word and deed. If Christians are to participate in God’s mission of nurturing biblical justice among all people, they will need the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome their human limitations. “Christians confess that God has acted from the beginning of creation to the end of the age through the personal work of the Holy Spirit, who came on the judges of Israel, inspired the prophets, empowered Jesus for ministry, and filled the disciples powerfully with his divine presence” (Barbeau 2015, 230). Gregg Allison notes, “Without the Spirit’s gifts, guidance, and power, a Christian’s mission is mere human effort, and without the fruit of the Spirit, their unattractive lives cannot reflect the beauty of the gospel” (Allison 2020, 310). Human strength alone is not enough to love God and others well and lead by God’s example. In the world’s fallen state, humans are prone to sin and prejudice that can inhibit them from demonstrating God’s character in their relationships. Katongole details this in his idea that humans often “allow the blood of tribalism to flow deeper than the waters of baptism” (Katongole 2009, 18).

Still, by developing the traits of the Holy Spirit, God equips Christians to advocate for justice by filling them with spiritual fruits they can extend to others. Exemplifying qualities like love, patience, and kindness are essential for building healthy relationships that attract people to God’s kingdom. Rather than relying on their strength, the fruit of the Holy Spirit holds believers accountable for identifying with those Jesus loved, modeling his characteristics, and caring for the concerns of others over themselves.

As Barbeau puts it in the Spirit of God, “The Christian life is therefore a life lived in union with Christ by the Spirit of Christ. To be united to God means being called out of isolation and selfishness and into communion with believers. (Barbeau 2015, 232). To effectively facilitate God’s justice, Christians must be willing to let the Holy Spirit do its healing work in their minds, bodies, relationships, and behaviors. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, they will remain in their bubbles of individualism, unable to participate in God’s mission of reconciling the world to justice. Subsequently, they will also be unable to develop the fruit necessary to grow deeper in their spiritual relationships with God, which ultimately does an injustice to themselves.

Conclusion

God loved the world so much that he gave his only son to die on the cross for the sins of humanity and rise again so that whoever believed in him would have eternal life (John 3:16). In response to this incredible gift of salvation, Christians owe it to God to honor him by continuing his mission to foster biblical justice on earth. This essential work requires Christians to grow spiritual fruit, deepen their intimacy with God, and nurture healthy relationships with one another to challenge systems of inequity and promote God’s reconciliation through unity and genuine love.

Believers can only achieve biblical justice with the help of the Holy Spirit, who gives Christians the authority to participate in God’s justice. By reflecting on God’s redemptive work in their lives, fostering empathy, and relying on the Holy Spirit for guidance, God’s followers can meaningfully participate in God’s restorative justice mission by spreading the good news of salvation and bringing hope to those in need, beginning in their daily lives and relationships.

Bibliography

Allison, Gregg, and Köstenberger, Andreas J. The Holy Spirit, B&H Publishing Group, 2020.

Barbeau, Jeffrey W. and Felker Jones, Beth. Spirit of God: Christian Renewal in the Community of Faith, InterVarsity Press, 2015.

Collins Winn, Christian T. Jesus, Jubilee, and the Politics of God’s Reign, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2023.

Cone, James H. The Cross and the Lynching Tree, Orbis Books, 2011.

Cone, James H. Black Theology & Black Power, Orbis Books, 1997.

Gorman, Michael J. Becoming the Gospel: Paul, Participation, and Mission, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2015.

International Justice Commission. Jesus and Justice: Living Right While Righting Wrongs, Salvation Army, 2011.

Katongole, Emmanuel, and Wilson-Hartgrove, Jonathan. Mirror to the Church: Resurrecting Faith after Genocide in Rwanda, Zondervan, 2009.

Marshall, Chris. Little Book of Biblical Justice: A Fresh Approach to the Bible’s Teachings on Justice, Skyhorse Publishing Company, Incorporated, 2005.

Tizon, Al. Whole and Reconciled: Gospel, Church, and Mission in a Fractured World, Baker Academic, 2018. 

Wright, Christopher J. H. The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative, InterVarsity Press, 2006.