His work is perfect,
For all His ways are just;
A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
Righteous and upright is He.
(Deuteronomy 32:4, NASB)
How do we know what is just and right in any particular situation? What is justice after all?
We usually think of justice as a certain standard of fairness, of right and wrong. We say that God is just because He consistently adheres to that standard.
But God is the
creator and source of all. There is no separate standard of justice to which we
compare Him. There is no outside set of rules by which He must abide in order
to be “just”. He Himself is the standard of justice. Justice flows from His
character and is seen in all His actions. We say that He is just because we see
that He is always consistent with Himself. His actions are always consistent
with His perfect wisdom and perfect love.
So how can we
understand justice and live just lives?
We are just when we
are like Him. Our actions are just when we act like Him.
We often think of
justice and mercy as opposites…or at least as two competing values that must be
balanced. We see justice as absolute rightness, and mercy as a kindly
compromise with justice. But when we realize that justice and mercy are both
descriptions of God’s nature, we see them not as opposites to be balanced. They
are two facets of the same jewel. God is always completely merciful and always completely
just.
Thus when we are
called to seek justice in this unjust world, we are not called to a specific
social agenda. We are called to think and live and be like God. We are called
to be holy as He is holy, to live and speak the truth as He is the truth, to
love as He loves. We are called to be His children, His ambassadors, His servants,
His hands.
The Old Testament
beautifully pictures our just and loving God, reporting His words and actions
over many centuries. But He is most completely revealed in Jesus Christ. Christ
is the image of the invisible God
(Colossians 1:15) and the exact representation
of His being (Hebrews 1:3). What is more, Christ enables us not only to see
and know God, but to live in Him, and He in us. He gives us the Spirit of God
so that by simple faith, we can live just and loving lives in this present
world. Through His people, and above His people, God is creating the just world
that He has promised.
Father, Your goodness, justice, and mercy
are such a comfort to us!
We depend on them,
appreciate them, and
praise You for them.
So help us to be good, just, and merciful with
everyone we touch.
Hymn: Justice Hymn
