God Seeks Justice – The Kingdom Curriculum XVII (2)

God Seeks Justice

For the Word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice…. Psalm 33:4, 5

Christians should be concerned about justice. Questions of just practices and procedures come up all the time: Is it just for CEOs of struggling companies to take large end-of-the-year bonuses? Is it just for police to pass over certain crimes in order to give their resources and energy to others? Are courtroom sentences justly and fairly administered? Is my child’s teacher just in punishing some children and not others? Are the leaders of our church just when they fail to discipline members who become involved in scandalous sins?

The Lord, we are told, loves righteousness and justice. What we can know of God is revealed to us in His Word, and He always acts consistently and faithfully according to what He has revealed to us about Himself and His will there. Thus, if we would love justice as the Lord does, we must devote ourselves to two parallel strategies in making our contribution to a just society: learning justice as God understands it, and practicing it as He seeks it.

First, we must study justice. We need to make sure we understand what God intends by this term, the provisions He has made to help ensure that societies can know justice and order themselves in a just way. We dare not leave questions of justice to lawyers and politicians. In these pragmatic days, that would be a formula for bondage, if not destruction (think: Book of Judges). People always act in self-interest first, only after that with regard to others–precisely the opposite of what God’s Word prescribes. We will never have a just society on those terms. Therefore, the followers of Christ must give all diligence to understand how the Law of God and the rest of Scripture lead us to understand this concept that God loves.

Second, we must commit to the practice and maintenance of justice whenever, in our particular spheres of influence, we have opportunity to make a contribution. This means that we must practice justice in all our relationships, roles, and responsibilities. We must require it of those with whom we have to do–in our homes, communities, workplaces, and churches. We must engage in conversations about justice so that we will be able to influence the thoughts and actions of others. And we must work to ensure that those in our community to whom the prosecution of justice falls are up to the task and reliable and faithful in carrying out their charge.

We must not neglect this important area; instead, the study of justice, and the practice of it within our own spheres, must be something we grow to love as much as our heavenly Father does.

Reading and meditating on the Law of God is every believer’s duty and privilege (Ps. 1). Order your copy of The Law of God, a compendium of the commandments and precepts of God’s Law, by going to www.MyParuchia.com, point your browser to “Publications,” then click on the drop-down option, “Waxed Tablet Publications.”

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore.

T.M. Moore is editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001,2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.