What is Biblical Justice?
How God uses Mercy and Forgiveness in Pursuit of Justice, and Why We Should Too.
A Judge’s Ruling
The gavel strike on the judge’s bench echoed in the cavernous courtroom. The verdict still rang in the ears of the gallery and the lives of the defendant and plaintiff changed in that single sonorous smack. The overwhelming evidence presented before the judge piled up a case as solid as the foundations of our democracy, rooted firmly in law, justice and civic tradition.Yet, the judge overruled the guilt of the defendant. Declared their debts covered, their crimes pardoned, and the defendant a free citizen once more. The outrageous mercy of the judge could be felt and seen in the astonished faces of the prosecuting attorney. This is Biblical Justice.
“To the Third and Fourth”
Our God, in Exodus, gives us a description of himself, as he presents His glory to Moses for the first time.
“The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love. Who keeps steadfast love for thousands and forgives iniquities, and transgressions and sin. But who will by no means clear the guilty. He will visit the iniquities of the Father on the child and the grandchild and to the third and fourth generations.” (Exodus 34: 6–7)
Jesus as Jury
I am so thankful for this verse, but am challenged by the last part. When I press into what God is saying, however, I see a mirror of the blessing. God’s love is a choice. We can choose to abide in Him, receiving the gift of His love, grace and mercies, or we can live without him, and carry the weight of a guilty verdict on our own heads. Without Jesus, each one of us would be, ourselves, incarcerated, damned to face an eternity of guilt away from God.
Freedom is a Choice
Therefore, each one of us faces a choice. And our choices are our own. They are not those of our parents or our grandparents, but every generation must, for themselves, choose life instead of death. Choosing love. So, we choose to love God and people, as an outward expression of gratefulness for the new life we have in Christ.
“Therefore, if any is in Christ, the old is gone, behold the new has come.”
(2 Corinthians 5:17)“He made Him to be sin, who knew no sin, so that through Him, we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
We have been justified, and with our freedom, we should show that love for others.
Biblical Justice looks like forgiveness, new life, and love for others
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