1 John 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

The Bible tells us that one of the reasons we long for justice (and should pursue) justice is because all people have been created in the image of God. Everyone. Every human being regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, age, height, or IQ. And when they are not treated as image bearers, it is a matter of injustice.

But what exactly does it mean that humanity was created in the image of God?

The Image of God reflects the biblical idea of humans as co-rulers with God, tasked with developing the world and its resources, taking it to new heights. Genesis 1:26-27 states: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness…’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” These verses are foundational for understanding humanity’s unique status in creation. Being formed “in God’s image” speaks to a special resemblance between humanity and God that sets people apart from every other created being.

When we listen to the voice and guidance of the Holy Spirit, he leads us to be a people of justice, compassion, mercy, and truth.

The Spirit guides us to the heart of Jesus Christ and encourages us to love and bless others. We invite you to spend at least one period each week listening for the Spirit’s voice.

Our lives can be so busy and frenetic that we can fail to stop and hear the Spirit calling us to discipleship. But we need quiet hearts to hear the Spirit and his call to repentance and renewal. The words of Scripture and the voice of the Spirit call us to repent of our pride, greed, lust, envy, self-indulgence, anger, violence, racism, sexism, and fear. If we listen to the Spirit, we’ll hear him calling us to rend our hearts, lament our sin, and return to God. We will also hear the Spirit calling us to be a people of justice, reconciliation, and mercy.

You may not feel like a missionary, but God has sent you out into the world to declare his gospel and show his love.

We need to view ourselves as being sent by God wherever life leads us. Throughout the week, we encourage you to journal about all the ways you have alerted others to the universal reign of God through Christ. This practice focuses on being missional.

Jesus invites us to live in a way that proclaims the gospel and that alerts others to God’s reign of reconciliation, justice, beauty, and wholeness. We don’t have our own mission, and we don’t do mission in our own strength. It is God’s mission. And he gives us power in the Holy Spirit to be “witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). 

“Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public.” – Cornel West