Obligatory Justice – The Kingdom Curriculum XVII (3)

Obligatory Justice

“You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night until the morning.” Leviticus 19:13

In Biblical terms, justice is a jewel of five facets, mounted on a ring of purest gold, which is the character of God. God upholds justice so that it comes to expression at five different levels in a just society. Each of these levels must be in place and functioning for a people to reflect the will and pleasure of God in their dealings. Of course, none of these aspects of justice, nor all of them together, will provide salvation for the people of a society. However, by practicing Biblical justice a society ensures for itself more of the favor and blessing of God upon its temporal affairs, and a more fertile environment in which the Gospel can flourish and bear fruit.

The first facet of the Biblical jewel of justice is what we might call obligatory justice. Obligatory justice defines the responsibilities of parties in relationship to one another. A husband is obliged to love, honor, cherish, defend, and provide for his wife. He treats her unjustly when he does not. A teacher is obliged to prepare carefully, teach considerately, assess fairly, and report in a timely manner. Failure to do so is a breach of obligations and a transgression against justice. People who sign contracts–to build or buy something, for example–are obligated to keep the terms of those contracts. Employers must pay employees when they say they will; employees must invest a fair day’s work for their wages; neighbors must look out for and not take advantage of one another in any way.

It is not hard to see how the practice of obligatory justice can be greatly facilitated and enhanced when our hearts are motivated by love. The Gospel of Jesus Christ provides the new heart we need in order to live out the requirements of love in all our relationships, roles, and responsibilities (Ezek. 36:26, 27). Each of us is obligated to love the people with whom we have to do (Rom. 13:8). The more our relationships–of every kind–are directed by love for God and neighbor, the easier it will be for us to discharge the obligatory justice such relationships require. The Law of God is a sure guide in establishing the trajectories and paths along which we may express the beauty of this facet of the jewel of justice.

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.