The Problem Of Pursuing Equality

Last weekend, we spoke on human rights. Today we are going to talk about a somewhat related topic, i.e. equality. Equality is a human virtue. And many see it as the basis for human coexistence. One sentence in our national pledge states that our country is built on justice and equality. Now, this gives us the idea that justice can never be achieved without equality and vice versa.

Now, as much as all of us are inclined to equality, what I am going to help all of us understand today is that equality, in its most practical sense, can never be achieved.

Why?

Because we’re living in a world of sin. True equality is being corrupted our human sinful nature.

While God created Adam and Eve with equal glory, rights and dignity, such that equality was given them for the purpose of outdoing each other in kindness, sin however, has made us pursue equality for ourselves, rather than for others. The LGBTQs cry for equality. The minorities cry for equality. Women cry for equality. Recently, the United States reprimand China for not treating the Muslim minorities with equality. And China on the other hand accused the US of trying to dominate global affairs without equality and mutual respect.

Now, which is which?

Everyone seems to be crying foul in the name of pursuing equality. Yet, none can be right.

Why?

Because behind those facades, everyone is actually pursuing their own rights and agendas at the expense of others.

So before we ignorantly cry for “equality”, let’s understand the root problem of why there can never be true equality.

<Genesis 3:16>: To the woman God said,

“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

Now, there are two things that are mentioned here after the fall of men. First, pain is a reality in a sinful and fallen world. Now, the pain can be a physical one, or an emotional one. Pain can happen because of the degeneration of our body, or it can happen because of external reasons, say someone or some environment inflicted those pains on us. Whichever it is, pain is a reality in the presence of sin.

And second, where sin is present, inequality arises. And pain magnifies it. Man and woman who are supposed to outdo each other in kindness, now begin to want to lord over each other. The woman desires to have her husband, just as sin desires to have Cain, as in chapter 4. And the husband on the other hand wants to rule over woman. There is simply no more intrinsic kindness between them.

Now, this is not just a spousal issue. It signifies the relationship of the entire fallen mankind.

The 7 billion people on our earth today are bound by such corruption of the sinful heart, and they are retaliating against each other. Everyone is fighting for resources. Everyone in pursuit of survival is trying to outdo each other, and in the midst of that jeopardize the benefits of their neighbors.

Now, what I am trying to say now is that this is the reality of sin. No matter how much we try to beautify things in the name of equality or human rights, first it can never be attained, and second it can be misused. It can even be misused to start a war legitimately. So it is important as believers not to be embroiled in such a ploy created by the sinful world. I’m not saying we should ignore this virtue and start stabbing on each other’s back. But we must know what is the solution that God has given this world of inequality?

First and foremost, the solution must come from the gospel.
I mean face it. The world will end in sins and inequalities. No one will be able to resolve the problem. The anti-Christ, which presumably the world will trust in, will fail in his attempt to resolve all the world issues. Yet, the Lord says in <Mat 24:14>:

And the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. 

And then the elect will be saved. As it is, the gospel is the only solution to a world of inequalities. Why? Because to put an end to inequality, God has to removed sin. Only when sin has been thoroughly removed, there inequalities will end. Judgment will eventually come upon this earth, and people who refused to repent of their sins and turn to the Lord will pay the full penalty of their sins. And those who have suffered inequalities will receive justice. God will be the ultimate judge.

So my brethren, rather than being so passionate about advocating equalities, rather than taking to the streets to voice relentless protests of inequalities, I would say preach the gospel! Preach the salvation of God! Turn the hearts of men around, to yield them to the ultimately good and loving God. Saving people into the kingdom is much more important than pursuing relative equality, my brethren. Don’t be overtaken by social inequalities, and waste your life trying to pursue a kind of equality that can never exist in this world of sin. 

But does that mean we Christians care nothing about inequality?

Now, what I would say for Christians is that rather than advocating a kind of equality that is so subjective, why not live by the principle of God’s goodness? <Micah 6:8> says:

“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”. 

Now, let me say this. The Christian God loves justice and mercy, for HE is the source of all goodness and love. And that is why HE demands His followers to act justly and to love mercy. Do not deprive the weak of their justice. Do not deprive the poor of their rights. Do not deprive the underprivilege of their privileges. It is God’s will for you to help these people in fact, whether in schools, workplaces or wherever you are. Do good to people not for your own selfish motives. And show mercy to those who have done wrong. Give them second chance if you could. Now, that’s goodness in the sight of the Lord.

But let us be mindful. If we depart from what God has destined to be good, if we violate His laws, then there can never be justice and mercy. So if the homosexuals claim to have their rights, the abortionists claim to have their rights, the women rights advocates claim to have their rights, all I can say is that it will only make the world more confuse in terms of equalities. It will only start more wars. Why? Because we had violated God’s laws for man’s equalities.

So the key to true justice and mercy is to walk humbly before God. Now, how do you walk humbly before God, you may ask. Is it just an attitude? Is it just a demeanor? I would say: Accept the principles that God has laid down for man. We are mere men, we are not gods. We don’t have absolute sovereignty. And we are not the final arbiter for rights and goodness. God is. So let Him be God. And so Christians, while we act justly and love mercy, do not be afraid to stand your ground on biblical principles. And if you do that, my brethren, you will be someone with a good sense of true equality, and you’ll never fail to draw people to our glorious God.