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Social Justice — The Battle for Hearts and Minds

Social Justice — The Battle for Hearts and Minds

Anyone who has accepted Christ into their hearts is a new creation; the old ways of the world—of fear, of selfishness, of abuse, of exploitation, of domination, of perversion, of intimidation, of control, of cruelty, of every form of insult, discrimination, and unkindness—are removed and the motives, methods, and character of Christ are implanted within.

The gospel of Jesus Christ, when accepted into the heart, changes the selfish sinner into a loving, trustworthy friend. Worldly divisions of class, race, ethnicity, gender, and nationality hold no sway over the renewed heart. What matters is godliness, living out the principles of God, having the law of God written on the heart (Hebrews 8:10). The truly converted loves every human being as God loves us. They will always seek to bless, uplift, and protect.

No longer, then, do we judge anyone by human standards. Even if at one time we judged Christ according to human standards, we no longer do so. [We don’t use human laws, human courts, or human definitions. We don’t look on the outward appearance—the color of skin, the economic class, the nationality, the gender. We don’t seek justice through imposed law, enforced rules, mandated distributions, even if we once believed that was the way to justice.] Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come. [Those joined to Christ have transformed hearts, minds, and characters. New motives and principles direct the way they live. The worldly ways of force are left behind.] All this is done by God, who through Christ changed us from enemies into his friends and gave us the task of making others his friends also. Our message is that God was making the whole human race his friends through Christ. [As Martin Luther King Jr. said, only love can make an enemy into a friend. Only the love of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ, transforms the heart. And when your enemy becomes your friend, only then do you have real justice, real righteousness—people, relationships, are made right or set right. And only through God’s methods of healing hearts and minds can this happen.] God did not keep an account of their sins, and he has given us the message which tells how he makes them his friends. Here we are, then, speaking for Christ, as though God himself were making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf: let God change you from enemies into his friends! (2 Corinthians 5:16–20 GNB).

We at Come and Reason Ministries make the same plea: If you already haven’t done so, let God change you from an enemy into His friend! This change, this transformation, is an internal change of heart, motive, understanding, desire, and loyalty. It is dying to selfishness and arising to a new life of love for God and others. It is leaving behind the methods and practices of the world and living out the law of God, which is design law. We stop seeking righteousness—justice—through human laws and human courts and, instead, we live God’s law of love in how we treat others.

The converted do what is right, what is just, because it is right and just, not because there is a law that requires it. Love seeks not its own; love gives, uplifts, and heals.

At this time in human history, the eternal gospel—the everlasting good news about God, His character, methods, and law of love that transforms hearts and minds—is to go the world. It is a message of hope, a message of love, a message of truth, a message of godly justice, because when it is received into the heart, it turns enemies into friends. When love reigns in the heart, all exploitation and abuse cease. Love sacrifices for others; this is the only way for real justice to rule.

Satan’s Counterfeit Justice Expands

But as this end-time message of godly justice that heals and saves sinners and brings reconciliation so that enemies are turned into friends, Satan advances his counterfeit justice through more human law, more human government, more human force, power, intimidation, punishment—more of the kingdoms of the world and its power—more enforced equity.

This is what Satan always does—as God is advancing the gospel that liberates, heals, and restores, Satan advances a counterfeit to deceive, distract, enslave, and destroy. One historical source describes how Satan worked to disrupt God’s influence during the Reformation.

At the time when God is preparing to break the shackles of ignorance and superstition, then it is that Satan works with greatest power to enshroud men in darkness and to bind their fetters still more firmly (The Great Controversy, p. 178).

When Luther was spreading the truth about God, freeing minds from imperial church distortion and oppression, there were some unconverted individuals who did not embrace the principles of truth, love, and liberty but who nevertheless saw the rightness of Luther’s message. They recognized the injustices and abuses inflicted upon the people from a dominating and exploitive church. These unconverted, enthused by the message of Luther, considered themselves inspired to a righteous and just cause and rose up, thinking they were advancing Luther’s cause. But, not having been converted to the principles of God, they embraced Satan’s methods. They used riots, violence, and force.

But Satan was not idle. He now attempted what he has attempted in every other reformatory movement—to deceive and destroy the people by palming off upon them a counterfeit in place of the true work. As there were false Christs in the first century of the Christian church, so there arose false prophets in the sixteenth century.

A few men, deeply affected by the excitement in the religious world, imagined themselves to have received special revelations from Heaven, and claimed to have been divinely commissioned to carry forward to its completion the Reformation which, they declared, had been but feebly begun by Luther. In truth, they were undoing the very work which he had accomplished. They rejected the great principle which was the very foundation of the Reformation—that the word of God is the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice; and for that unerring guide they substituted the changeable, uncertain standard of their own feelings and impressions. By this act of setting aside the great detector of error and falsehood the way was opened for Satan to control minds as best pleased himself (The Great Controversy, p. 186).

How many social justice warriors today are just like these men, believing they are divinely commissioned to carry on the work of justice reform but who are deceived and utilizing the methods of God’s enemy?

When Luther heard what these supposed supporters were doing, the violent tactics that they were using, he was distraught and immediately set about to confront and stop them.

With great caution and humility, yet with decision and firmness, he entered upon his work. “By the word,” said he, “must we overthrow and destroy what has been set up by violence. I will not make use of force against the superstitious and unbelieving. … No one must be constrained. Liberty is the very essence of faith” (The Great Controversy, p. 189).

Do we see the same deception happening to Christians today? Do we see Satan palming off to Christians the pursuit of social justice through the employment of his methods—force, coercion, intimidation, imposed laws, and inflicted punishments? How many Christians are willing to join, march, and protest with those who use and encourage violence, intimidation, coercion, and threat, seeking the power of the government to force their way upon others—even if the Christian marching doesn’t actually use violence themselves?

Satan is constantly seeking to deceive men and lead them to call sin righteousness, and righteousness sin. How successful has been his work! How often censure and reproach are cast upon God’s faithful servants because they will stand fearlessly in defense of the truth! Men who are but agents of Satan are praised and flattered, and even looked upon as martyrs, while those who should be respected and sustained for their fidelity to God, are left to stand alone, under suspicion and distrust (The Great Controversy, p. 192).

We are standing on the brink of the second coming of Christ. We must not be deceived. We cannot obtain godly justice through human law, human governments, and human enforcement—such methods are the way of the beast. We must not embrace them. The justice of God is advanced through the gospel, through bringing people to know Jesus, through the love of God that turns enemies into friends, through living out God’s principle in how we treat others.

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Testimony 61

I grew up in a prominent protestant church and had what I like to call religious anxiety. I’ve always had questions about God and Salvation that no one could seem to answer.  I didn’t know how to find resolution. During 2020, at the height of my anxiety, I fell to my knees and begged God to show me truth and light and to give me the hope that I’ve been longing for. Days later, I stumbled upon your online videos and it was like a veil was lifted and EVERYTHING made sense! For the first time in my almost 39 years of life, my religious/spiritual anxiety has lessened. I feel a sense of freedom and peace I’ve NEVER had before… and it’s all because my view of God has changed. Thank you!

Ashleighn C.

 

Testimony 28

I have been following your Bible study class for about a year now. I must say I am impressed with how your ministry has grown. I took it upon myself to listen to all your lesson podcasts from the past and they have both enriched me physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I have learnt a lot from this class. I have also noticed how the class has grown in spiritual strength. One of the things that benefited me is that now I am not afraid of God. I use to be, but now it has melted away. The second thing is that you helped me to have a real life relationship with God. Now He is my friend that was always there and I love having him with me all the time. Thirdly, because of this class, it inspired me to take over and lead a class. I have called it “Let Us Reason Together,” adapting your inquisitive style and creating a class of free thinkers.

T. Banda, Malawi, Africa

 

Testimony 23

I would just like to add my voice to the many people who, I believe, must have contacted you to express their appreciation for the “Healing the Mind” DVDs. I’ve been listening to your Bible study class discussions for many years and I’ve been personally blessed by your research and teaching about the character of God.

L. G., Oakland, MI, USA

 

Testimony 71

When I was 9 years old, I remember setting at our devotional table with a hunger and thirst for God that wanted more, deeper, BETTER. I can remember literally crying and pounding on the table, “I know these teachers didn’t mean to give us error. They taught what THEY had been TAUGHT, but didn’t ANYBODY READ THE BOOK?!?!?” It mattered to me then. It mattered to me as a teenager. It matters now as I teach bible classes. It didn’t have to be so hard as I watched so many give up and lay God’s great plan and gift of salvation aside as being “impossible.” Then, a friend sent me a link to Come And Reason’s website. I grew excited. YES! FINALLY! Then another friend told me to stay away, saying her son had just broken up with a girl because she was involved with Come And Reason and that “Tim Jennings preaches a false gospel.” But, AFTER many years of developing an authentic and, dare I say FUN relationship with Jesus, through the Holy Spirit I see this message has been around a LONG time, since the apostle Paul, Ellen White, Graham Maxwell, Ray Foucher, and yourself (though I admit, you’ve made me back up, rewind and replay the clips, and get out my well-worn Bible on a few things.) I’m so thankful I have found LIGHT during these DARK days. I am not alone.

Vicki DiNitto

Testimony 16

Your seminars are still inspiring and changing our lives and we continue to share the principles we have learned from you. Your ministry has changed our lives!

E.W.

 

Testimony 57

You have helped make sense of thirty two years of confusion. The material you freely provide reorganized so much of my life into such a beautiful pattern that has always been hinted at from within, but misguided with my training and what I was experiencing externally. My filipno parents, who were converted from Catholicism to SDA, were sincere and did their best to raise me the right way and I have deep respect for them. However, being immigrants and not understanding the language made for a difficult transition as I was growing up, which also applied to my spiritual growth as I learned the patterns of religion. I have been listening to as many bible study classes and reading blog posts as my time in a work truck will allow, searching for the practical applications of where spirituality and reality meet, and I thank you for helping me find that. You have helped me reach a point in which I can truly say that I love God, that I believe He loves me, and, like David, I delight in His law. God bless.

Emmanuel V., Calgary, AB Canada

Testimony 34

I was introduced to Come and Reason Ministries by accident, via a passing comment made in a bible study class we were visiting. I checked this website out and my life was changed. The understanding of the truth of God’s character, and how we apply it, is so right. The tricky part is consistently applying which “lens” to look through. As I began to understand, I started sharing the basics of this understanding with a discussion group I was leading and, suddenly, a lot of things started to make sense that never used to. At the same time, I enjoyed an amazing opportunity. I was able to conduct a full bible study at WORK! What an amazing experience! It is such a joy to share the truth about God and to share how it all fits in the war between God and Satan. So many people benefit when we have a correct understanding about how God works and who He really is! Thank you for this transformational understanding. Keep up the good work! God Bless you!

Tony P., CA, USA

 

Testimony 65

I have been tuning into your weekly study classes for a while now and wanted express my appreciation for the teachings that ha been a huge blessing in opening up the true message of the word. Viewing scripture under an imposed law theory always, without fail, raised more questions, concerns, and conflicting scripture interpretations that were discouraging at the very least. Looking at scripture through the design law lens has brought more truth to light for me personally and an understanding of our Heavenly Father that places Him “above all others,” where I am now more than thrilled to witness and serve Him.  I “stumbled” across this ministry a year or so ago and would only watch a few minutes at a time. But the more I listened and the longer I paid attention, the more my spiritual eyes were opened to the ever present truths of scripture. The comprehension of the great controversy and it’s origin by the lies perpetrated and perpetuated throughout the Bible on the attack of God’s character and government is truly priceless. Keep up the Good Work! Your servanthood is desperately needed in such a time as this!

Jeff D., Reading, MA, USA

 

Testimony 5

We listen to your bible studies lessons in our class in Montana. You actually were the main reason I decided to get a laptop, so I can go to your site and listen, read, learn, and print the class notes. I am so grateful to learn the correct view of God and his character. Now, to just have others have an interest in knowing, so I can share it with them. Good thoughts your way.

R. N., MT, USA

 

Testimony 21

I am absolutly on fire with the message at Come and Reason! I can’t get enough! I’ve read your book, blog, and articles. I’ve listened to your Bible study podcasts, your radio show, and your series – all excellent! It wasn’t until the past couple of years that I have I like I’m becoming “healthy,” with more to share with others than just beasts and commandments! I used to be a Bible worker and preached when the pastors were gone until I had had enough. I didnt realize at the time what the problem was, but i know now… the message wasn’t properly focused. Now my flame is rekindled. All of your little examples are so perfect in explaining something “complicated” and making it easily understood! Now I’m trying to shape it into a life changing evangelistic series! Thank you!

M.T., USA

 

Testimony 38

Since November 2015, when I started studying Gods word from this God Is Love point of view, my life has been transformed. My troubled marriage of 15 years has been healed and my husband and I are truly happy for the first time in 15 years. Now When I read the word of God I understand it so much better and I can’t help but see Gods love radiating through the pages to humanity. Gods word is living and active and I am blessed beyond measure to be having this amazing experience. God has given me a beautiful understanding of Jn 3:16 that amazes me more and more each day. Thank you again for your ministry.

Helen D., London, England

 

Testimony 19

I truly believe that to know who God really is the first step to understand ourselves in a balanced and kind way, so the healing can take place. Your approach really makes sense – Thank you for your ministry!

A.M., Pittsburg, PA, USA

Testimony 69

After reading your book, ‘Could It Be This Simple,’ someone was explaining Christianity in a way that made sense to me for the first time in my life. One morning, I simply prayed “I’m sorry and I love you.” As soon as I silently said that, I could literally feel God’s presence and light flood down on me from above and fill me up with love and joy. I sat there crying my eyes out, because I was so overpowered with this feeling of love and joy. It was just so incredible. I hope that more people can read this book and get a blessing from it. It’s really amazing.

Rachael H.

Testimony 54

I had a lot of pressure, as a pastor’s kid, to conform and be “good.” I was good at being “good.” I thought my life was going along well until it all started falling apart and I could not figure out why! In my search for “why is this happening to me, God?” I came across your book, “Could it be this Simple,” and God started revealing to me the many distortions I held about His character, His principles, and how He has designed His universe to operate. I remember thinking, “Wow, I have had this all backwards.” I was happy and angry all at the same time. Happy to have the light of truth break through the darkness, revealing a wonderful, beautiful way of understanding God and His plan for His children, and angry, because I felt deceived and cheated by the church, my family, and myself!

My heart thrills when I listen to your bible study lessons. Literally I have gone from death to life. It is a journey I look forward to every day, as God reveals areas this distortion affects. Praise GOD! I will ever be grateful to God for this ministry and your cooperation with the Spirit!

Karen S., Portal, AZ, USA

 

Testimony 11

I would love to have a copy of “Healing the Mind” DVDs to have in my therapy office. I enjoy having clients check out materials to enhance their therapy experience. I have sat under Dr. Jennings’ teaching at an American Association of Christian Counselors convention and respect his work greatly.

K.B., LA, USA