The legal system
Justice refers to what is a fitting punishment or reward. It is what is fair or equitable and morally good. Justice is what is meant to be delivered by the legal system.
In order to deliver what is appropriate it is necessary to detach from human interest, to be impartial and to avoid bias or personal interest. I commented on what it takes to be a good judge in my post titled “Judgement”. Of course the best one to judge all of us is God and that is something that will happen.
2 Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
The human approach
You will note that I did not refer to the humane approach. The human approach is not always humane. As normal human beings we take delight in seeing justice served either by the courts or some other process.
We find it satisfying when there is poetic justice. That’s when someone receives what is appropriate without involvement of the legal system. An example would be a thief who falls and breaks his leg whilst trying to escape in the dark or a kind and generous person receiving a lottery win.
All too often we seek revenge for what we see as injustice. Taking revenge is hateful behaviour and leads us on a destructive path. We may feel that it’s OK to humiliate those who have acted badly towards us. After all it’s just delivering justice and giving them a lesson. Approaching others with an “I’ll teach him or her” attitude shows that you believe you are correct. That’s a human failing that is common to us all. We all like to have the last say, to try and prove that we are right.
I thought that this would be a good place to include my image that I called “Putting the boot in”.
But being vengeful is not pleasant for anyone. If we become hateful we are moving more towards what we abhor. We are behaving in a non-Christian manner in that we are failing to forgive others for their sinful behaviour. Remember that we are all sinners and that we all have a role to play in getting others onto the straight and narrow path.
A humane approach
We all do things that are wrong and we all have good and bad within us. If we recognise that we can more easily view others with compassion. We see them as, like us, a flawed human being who has been affected by evil spirits. We see that their bad characteristics are not their true identity. They are just another human being who is suffering in a sinful world.
Ephesians 4:32 – Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Remember that taking revenge is damaging. The best approach is to be successful. That’s often evident on the football field. When an innocent party scores a goal because an offending player is too preoccupied with their anger. If you are not angry your success is more likely.
God’s approach
In the bible, particularly in the Old Testament, justice is a central theme. Whenever God’s people stray from the path that he wants them to follow they suffer greatly. It is clear that justice must be done and that God is not only just but also merciful.
The Old Testament identifies that Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. On the way to the promised land, when on Mount Sinai, God gave him the ten commandments. These rules written on stone tablets represented God’s covenant with the Israelites.
The New Testament describes how Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross. This led to a new covenant and that was written on our hearts rather than on stone tablets. As I have stated many times before, we all know the difference between what is right and what is wrong. That is the impact of the new covenant and it brought us a clearer understanding of God’s laws and expectations.
The suffering and death of Jesus was retribution for all our sins and this reflected the fact that justice must be done. It was God’s way of delivering the deserved justice without causing us harm. It was a demonstration of his love for us all.
God’s forgiveness
The subsequent resurrection of Jesus showed us that there is hope for an eternal life in heaven.
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Luke 23:34 – And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
The new covenant demonstrates God’s forgiving nature. We are dependent on his mercy and compassion at the time of final judgement. It is only by his grace that we will receive that eternal life.
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