In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus’ first words are, “The time has come, the kingdom of God is near, repent and believe the Gospel (the NIV translates this, “Good News”).

Paul, in Romans 1:16, says he is not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…For in the Gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last.”

If we put these two concepts together we find the following:

- People are lost; they need saving.

- Salvation, from our part, requires repentance – a recognition that sin separates one from God.

- We are called to believe what God says about Himself, about us, and about His Son.

- Salvation is activated by the power of God who declares us righteous in His sight, indwells us by His Spirit, and begins to transform us.

- As we respond to Him as our King, we come into His Kingdom, which includes following Him and living under His authority.

(Paul describes the Gospel in much greater detail in the first three chapters of Romans.)

What is it like to live in God’s Kingdom? It is to more and more die to sin and live to righteousness. Paul urges us to live a life “worthy of the Lord” pleasing Him in every way (Col 1:10). In other words, we project more and more His character in our living, in the power of the Holy Spirit who indwells us.

The complete presentation of the Gospel will include this matter or reflecting God’s character. If one does not evidence concern for social justice, I would say that they have not understood the ramifications of the Gospel.

The same for the desire to see barriers between members of different races to come down. This is not to say that working for social justice and racial reconciliation is what saves us and makes us Christians.

I am saying that one of the evidences that we have been saved and are experiencing the life of God with in us is that we are concerned about the establishment of a just society.

Here is an illustration that has been helpful to me.

In my backyard I have both a lemon tree and an orange tree. What distinguishes each of them is the fruit they bear. It is because the lemon tree is a lemon tree, I know that it will bear lemons. These lemons do not make it a lemon tree; they are growing there because it is a lemon tree.

So, we are not Christians because we do righteous deeds. We are Christians because God saves us through the sacrifice of His Son.

However, if indeed we have experienced His life, one expects to see evidences of the character of God in us, two aspects of which – I would suggest - are social justice and racial reconciliation.