Justice has develop into a buzzword in our recent culture, especially the thought of “social justice.” While we previously defined justice with our system of laws and punishments, social justice began with general biblical ideals like taking good care of the poor and ending racist laws, initiated by charitable groups like churches. The government got involved over time, and with influences like Marx and other socialist philosophers, social justice evolved right into a wider range of ideas. In some ways, the biblical idea of justice has been brushed off for the brand new vision.
And yet, there isn’t a more grand or expansive view of justice than God’s, and his often contrasts with the world’s. In the top, God’s justice will prevail. Unfortunately, many today are limited by the world’s justice.
What Is the World’s View of Justice?
The world has no access to an everlasting, inclusive view of itself or others. Therefore, its justice focuses on temporary consequences, operating on a system of punishment and reward based on law. We call this punitive justice.
Limited in scope and understanding, this world only sees this temporary life, and due to this fact, it brings penalties for wrongdoing. The world might even use the biblical phrase “an eye for a watch” (Exodus 21:24) to support their justice, but even here, they misunderstand the meaning. Deuteronomy 32:35 also expresses God saying, “Vengeance is mine.” God takes personal ownership of ultimate recompense, or justice. Both these ideas existed in the identical Mosaic Law—on the extent of private recompense based on a social law, and a deeper justice only God can do.
Without the second and crucial understanding, the world is left with personal punishment alone, twisting the “eye for a watch” beyond what was intended. The world twists it to be harsh, retaliatory, and to encourage revenge. Punitive justice prioritizes the external actions or words and finds negative consequences the option to keep the peace and have less crime. Humans are greater than the external nevertheless, so the punitive justice system can only go up to now.
And it ultimately fails. Every time. Even when attempting to do something good through generosity and ending racism, we discover individuals defrauding others for money or position. The social programs rarely work and might even cause more injustice. Sin and corruption damage our own attempts at righteousness.
God’s justice relies on his goodness, his love, and the way he knows all things and makes the perfect decision for the situation. Without God’s revelation, the world only trusts in their very own understanding, a shifting and changing thing. Humanity can’t know enough, and our own corrupt hearts don’t make decisions for good or reconciliation but for our own agendas.
The Father gave the Mosaic Law of “eye for eye and tooth for tooth,” and intended it to be a blessing, but God also knew it could fail (Hebrews 8:7-8). The rules were righteous, from God, but the issue was the character of the people attempting to live by them. A corrupt humanity couldn’t fulfill a heavenly law, meant to provide a people living heaven on earth and provides glory to God.
Because there’s a greater justice, a deeper injustice to combat, and only God can do that.
What Is the Father’s Justice?
The world has punitive justice. Biblically, the text expresses God’s redemptive justice.
Because of the world’s idea of justice, sometimes we imagine God’s justice and love are opposites. To the contrary, they work together seamlessly.
God seeks to correct wrongdoing by redeeming us on the core of our being. He will punish wrongdoing, but his ultimate goal is to deal with the basis of injustice—sin, corruption, and death. God created humanity to start with to have intimate relationship with him and purposeful meaning from that divine fellowship. When sin entered the world, humanity broke that relationship, and the corruption happened in the guts, resulting in the injustice we see in motion.
No government or worldly system can change the character of humanity. This “vengeance” against the Devil belongs to God alone.
God’s redemptive justice can’t be satisfied with outward punishment. He desires to renew hearts and lives. God hasn’t given up on his original idea. He’s God. It’s the perfect idea. So he acts and works out of affection to bring his children back to our purpose, from intimacy with him. The Old Testament shows God’s heart in justice, as God commands in Isaiah 1:17, “learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” But without God changing our hearts, we are able to’t do that.
So God got here to alter hearts and punish the true problem. 1 John 3:8 tells us how the Son of God appeared “to destroy the works of the devil.” Jesus got here not to sentence the world (punitive) but to avoid wasting it (John 3:17). Jesus healed the sick, forgave sinners, and raised the dead, all examples of redemptive justice, reversing the damage of sin and death. Christ didn’t come to determine one other cold, administrative state. He worked and lived to satisfy his Father’s greater redemptive plan to avoid wasting and restore humanity by also defeating evil.
Again, not that punishment doesn’t exist in God’s justice, and he’ll when mandatory. But his first attempt is for people to repent and avoid the negative consequences we naturally deserve. If punishment and consequences occur, he may even use those to bring good and redemption. God’s justice is all the time to bring something higher in the longer term, to bring us closer to a reconciled relationship with the Father through the Son.
The cross stands as the perfect act of divine justice and love in a single. Jesus bore the penalty for sin so God could restore the connection with humanity and provides those that would imagine a recent nature, being born again to live heavenly, transformed lives on earth.
Again, no worldly government or organization can enact this redemptive justice. This belongs to God. He’s doing it and can bring it to success in the long run days. Our part is to declare it and invite others into it by willing repentance.
What Are Biblical Examples of God’s Redemptive Justice?
The whole Bible tells the one story of God’s redemptive justice. But we are able to point to 2 specific examples here.
When Adam and Eve sinned within the Garden of Eden, God had every right to destroy them instantly for his or her disobedience. Instead of giving them immediate death, God sought them out and covered their shame with animal skins. He didn’t stop there, either. The Father promised redemption through a later child, redeeming Eve’s sin. While humanity received consequences, from the start, God planned to bring them back through Jesus, who would destroy the serpent (crushing his head, undoing the works of the Devil).
Later, King David was supposedly a “man after God’s own heart,” but he committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged to have her husband killed after she got pregnant. The prophet Nathan arrived to confront David about it, and based on the Law, David deserved death. But David repented, and God forgave him. Though David still suffered consequences (the death of the kid and later family drama), God still used his lineage to bring the Messiah. God’s justice each held David accountable and restored him to his purpose. David’s repentance was the important thing, here, finding forgiveness and recent life in God.
Of course, Jesus, we clearly see God’s heart isn’t to sentence but to avoid wasting and renew.
When Should We Exhibit the Father’s Justice?
For one other difference between the Father’s justice and the worldly version, the Bible provides an important truth for redemptive justice. We’ve all been created within the image of God. This gives every human intrinsic, equal value. From the unborn to the poor or the wealthy or the elderly, every one has the identical everlasting price to God.
Therefore, we seek biblical, redemptive justice in every relationship we’ve and in how we treat every one. God’s justice isn’t just for charitable events or the courts. Redemptive justice becomes a lifestyle for individuals who follow him. Through Jesus Christ, God is reconciling your complete creation back to himself by the Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). Jesus lived and offered redemption in every interaction he had with people. As his disciples and fellow children of God, Jesus calls us to live out his redemptive mission in every conversation and relationship, especially when it gets difficult.
Redemptive justice means we don’t dismiss injustice, nor can we dismiss wrongdoing. We must recognize and declare sin for what it’s and the destruction it could bring. But like God, we don’t stop there but act redemptively, speaking hope and offering mercy and restoration in every situation. This changes how and why we forgive and love those that flawed us and others.
Practicing God’s justice means selecting to value people the way in which God does, looking past their sin to the deeper need for grace and healing. This is how we speak the reality in love, to not be right or win an argument, but to achieve restoration with God. We offer forgiveness, even when it costs us.
We stand against oppression and in addition love the oppressor. Jesus had each Matthew the tax collector and Simon the Zealot as disciples, one working for the Roman oppressors and the violent social justice warrior, and he transformed them each in his love.
God doesn’t tell us to attend when it’s easy to supply redemption. On the contrary, when it’s most difficult (someone wounds or betrays us), these are moments when the Father’s justice becomes much more crucial and necessary. Jesus showed this when he forgave the soldiers who put the nails in his hands and feet while he held on the cross (Luke 23:24). He calls us to do the identical, living out redemptive justice and mercy because we’ve so abundantly received it from God.
Living this manner in every relationship, from work to family and friends, shows God’s justice to the world. Our each day redemptive justice transforms people and communities, pointing us all back to the love and righteousness of God.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Lord Henri Voton
