MODULE 9: LIVING JUSTLY

Outcome: The disciple commits to being a tangible part of the solution for an injustice in the world.

Our discussions about self-denial and generosity ultimately lead us here: how will we be a part of the solution to injustice in the world? This is where we really learn to be salt and light. It’s not always easy, but it is the way of Jesus.

What Does the Bible Say About Justice?

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8). Justice is not a side issue in Scripture; it runs from the Law and the Prophets through the ministry of Jesus and the life of the early church. God repeatedly identifies himself as the defender of the widow, the orphan, the immigrant and the poor, and he calls his people to share that concern.

Module 9 brings together everything the disciple has practised in self-denial, generosity and hospitality and asks a practical question: How will I be a tangible part of the solution to an injustice in the world? This is where disciples learn to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13–16). It is not always easy, but it is the way of Jesus, who announced that he came "to proclaim good news to the poor" and "to set the oppressed free" (Luke 4:18).

Justice and Mercy Together

Tim Keller’s Generous Justice sermon, which opens this module, shows that biblical justice is more than punishing wrongdoing. It includes generously sharing what God has put in our hands — resources, gifts, time and forgiveness — with those who need it. Justice rights wrongs and restores what is broken; mercy moves toward people in their need. Holding both together keeps us from cold activism on one side and sentimental charity on the other.

The journaling guides also introduce the "quartet of the vulnerable" described by philosopher Nicholas Wolterstorff: the widow, the orphan, the immigrant and the poor. These are the people most easily overlooked or harmed, and whose struggles often compound across generations.

The Four Meetings of Module 9

Meeting 1: Generous Justice — listen to Tim Keller’s sermon and begin the journaling guide on justice, mercy and the gospel.
Meeting 2: The Vulnerable — discuss the sermon and journal on who the vulnerable are, what it means to withhold good and what our reactions reveal about us.
Meeting 3: Your Justice Calling — work through What Is Your Justice Calling? and find where your passion and God’s call for justice meet.
Meeting 4: Justice Action Plan — choose one giant of injustice to engage, read Isaiah 61 and build a concrete plan.

The Five Giants of Injustice

The What Is Your Justice Calling? exercise names five "giants" that sit behind almost every form of injustice:

Spiritual emptiness — including loneliness, hopelessness and lack of meaning.
Oppression — including racism, trafficking and the abuse of power.
Lack of education — which limits opportunity for generations.
Disease — including addiction and lack of access to health care.
Poverty — material need and the systems that keep people trapped in it.

Most disciples find that one giant stirs them more than the others. That stirring, combined with their skills, relationships and experiences, often points to a specific calling.

Turning Compassion Into Action

Start close to home. Research needs in your own city before looking further away.
Partner, don’t reinvent. Join churches, ministries and organisations already doing good work.
Choose one clear next step. Volunteer, give monthly, mentor a student or advocate for a policy.
Stay humble and listen. Learn from the people you hope to serve.
Keep going. Justice is a long obedience, not a single event.

Tips for Disciplers

Justice conversations can become heavy or political. Keep the focus on Scripture, on people and on the disciple’s specific calling. Watch for guilt-driven motivation and gently steer toward compassion: we join Jesus in his work; the weight of the world is on him, not us. Celebrate small, concrete steps.

Key Scriptures on Justice

Micah 6:8 — act justly, love mercy, walk humbly.
Isaiah 58:6–10 — the fast God chooses: to loose the chains of injustice.
Isaiah 61:1–4 — good news for the poor and freedom for the captives.
Amos 5:24 — let justice roll on like a river.
James 1:27 — look after orphans and widows in their distress.

Frequently Asked Questions

Isn’t justice the government’s job?

Governments have an important role, but Scripture calls God’s people to personal and communal action. The church has often led the way in caring for the vulnerable.

What if I do not know where to start?

That is exactly what Meeting 3 is for. Work through the questions with your discipler; clarity often comes through conversation and prayer.

What comes next?

Having learned to live out their faith, the disciple is ready for the final step: Module 10: Making Disciples.

In this module: Meeting 1: Generous Justice · Meeting 2: The Vulnerable · Meeting 3: Your Justice Calling · Meeting 4: Justice Action Plan. All worksheets and videos: Module 9 resources. Previous module: Module 8: Hospitality. Next module: Module 10: Making Disciples. See all 11 modules.