“When I tell the righteous person that he will surely live, but he trusts in his righteousness and acts unjustly, then none of his righteousness will be remembered, and he will die because of the injustice he has committed.” – Ezekiel 33:13
This warning from God is a good news / bad news situation for Christians. The good news is that while we’re never righteous in ourselves, for all who are truly in Christ, we’re made righteous by God’s grace. The better news is that for all who are truly in Christ, we will persevere in that state of righteousness to the end.
However, what does it mean to truly be in Christ, to have saving faith in Jesus? Clearly it requires much more than a single decision to walk an aisle or raise our hand, because the Apostle Paul commands every Christian to examine ourselves to see if we’re in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). Being in Christ is about far more than regular weekly church attendance (either in-person or online).
Are we truly following Jesus? Is our heart being increasingly shaped like His and caring about what He cares about? The Bible teaches that God is deeply concerned about widows, orphans, the poor, the immigrants living among us, fair business practices, and just legal systems. The heart of Jesus is bent toward saving the lost and caring for the hurting and vulnerable.
A Christian who casually dismisses concerns about injustice, who has little care for those in need, who can’t weep with those who weep when they look or sound different from them is probably not in Christ. A pattern of injustice or unconcern about injustice represents a life that is not likely in Christ. For those who are in Christ and come to recognize this unjust pattern in their life, it should be the source of deep concern, genuine repentance, and radical life change.