I’ve got a passion for justice, to see slaves set free, unborn babies given life, orphans placed in families. But there’s something I want to make clear. I’m not a humanitarian. I’m a Christian. A follower of Jesus Christ. That’s why I want to see justice done—because I want to see Jesus Christ proclaimed.
So what’s the difference between humanitarianism and Christian rescue work? The dictionary defines humanitarianism as:
Someone can be supporting a good cause, such as freeing slaves or caring for orphans, yet be completely opposed to God and His Word. That is not what we are to be. We are Christians. We work for justice, because the Bible tells us to, because we want to see Jesus Christ proclaimed. Too often, the work to free slaves, care for orphans, and help the poor has been led by humanitarians, when it should be led by us Christians. But we shouldn’t just support the causes that happen to be popular at the time. We Christians also have some very, ahem, unpopular beliefs. We believe everyone is a sinner. We believe Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven. We believe every word in the Bible is true. We believe human life is valuable because God created humans in His image. We believe abortion is wrong. We believe homosexuality is wrong. We’re willing to do what’s right, whether it’s popular or not. Sometimes it will be, sometimes it won’t. In the late 1700’s and early 1800’s, William Wilberforce was willing to stand up and say slavery was wrong, even when it seemed like the whole world was against him. Today, the majority of people will agree with you if you say slavery is wrong. But say abortion is wrong, or homosexuality is wrong, and you’re going to become very unpopular. Now, don’t get me wrong, we should work to free slaves. It should be us Christians leading the charge. But we must also be willing to stand for the causes that are unpopular, for Jesus Christ and for His glory. I may sound like I’m repeating myself, but I want to make sure you get this. Now, we can’t do this in our own strength. Jesus says, “…without Me, you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). So, dear friends, let us ask God for His grace to do justly, love mercy, walk humbly with our God, and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to this lost and dying world.
1 Comment
Debbie
3/16/2017 11:48:41 am
Well said, Savannah! :-)
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Hi! I'm Savannah Jane...I'm the author of several books for children and young adults with a passion to encourage young people to live for Jesus. The third born in an amazing family of seven children, I was homeschooled all the way through. This is where I share encouragement for Christian girls, updates about my books, writing tips, book and movie reviews, and assorted other tidbits. Archives
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Quote"When I try, I fail. When I trust, He succeeds."
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