God’s Justice
The other day I read an article about how people in the church have taken up the mantle of justice and then found themselves on the outside of church tradition. Being someone who sees pursuing justice as the way to live out the gospel and someone who has not had a huge welcoming committee by the big C church as I do this, articles like this interest me. Truth be told, I don’t believe being a Jesus Follower marked by justice has much of anything to do with being a part of church tradition. However, there are things that mark God’s justice that are different than the world’s version of justice, or religion’s idea about justice.
Below is a list of what I believe (based on God’s Word) marks God’s justice. If you are a Jesus Follower I hope it challenges you to think about the role justice does, doesn’t or should play in your life. And if you aren’t someone who believes in Jesus and you find yourself here, I hope you see a different way than what is commonly being portrayed. The Jesus way; marked by action partnered with love and grace.
What God’s Justice Isn’t.
God’s justice isn’t making people pay for what they do wrong. Instead, God’s justice is him paying the price for the things we do wrong. He steps into our life and rights our wrongs, as we allow him to. All so we can go and step into the world around us and be a part of the solution to righting wrongs.
God’s justice isn’t treating people equal because of what they do or accomplish, but because of who they are; human beings.
God’s justice isn’t two party. It will not be won or lost in a ballot box, but in how we love the ones who aren’t like us. The hurting, exploited, lonely; those on the outside- or the other side.
God’s justice isn’t exclusionary, it has no hierarchy. To God every person’s life is seen, valued and worthy. This doesn’t mean humanity’s system hasn’t created hierarchy, it has, and there are consequences to human’s choices to promote the injustice of treating people differently based on race, social status and gender; to name a few. God’s justice asks us to step into these injustices and try to make them right.
The Pursuit of God’s Justice
To pursue God’s justice is to walk in extreme humility, laying down our rights, following the example of Jesus.
To pursue God’s justice is to give generously of our money, time, talents, and encouragement to anyone who is need or asks.
To pursue God’s justice is to mourn with those who mourn whether you understand their grief or not.
To pursue God’s justice is to take the burdens of injustice others carry and care about them as if they were your own. As Jesus did and does for you.
To pursue God’s justice is to enter into unrest with the purpose of making peace even if it means listening when you don’t agree or understand.
To pursue God’s justice is to be so hungry for rightness in your world you will pursue it at the risk and sacrifice of yourself.
To pursue God’s justice is to show mercy (forgiveness, undeserved) when it is in your power to punish or put someone in their place.
To pursue God’s justice is to be aware of the wrongs in your heart and live in constant confession and surrender.
To pursue God’s justice is to be misunderstood, ridiculed, mocked by the majority cultures - religious or worldly.
Pursuing God’s justice is done in great love, grace and humility. It is being slow to speak and quick to listen. It is putting others ahead of yourself and recognizing yourself as the greatest sinner in no place to pass judgement on anyone. For there is only one judge and lawgiver and He shows us great mercy and grace.
To pursue God’s justice is to show this great mercy and grace to others, to lead them to Jesus as he is the only answer.
Marked by Justice
Injustice among people who God created (all of us); those who know him, and those who don’t breaks his heart. When God has every right to list my sins (and yours) and he doesn’t, he offers us overwhelming forgiveness, mercy and grace. He then asks us to go and love this world and show them this love, forgiveness, mercy and grace. When instead of doing this we list the sins of those around us as justification for our own harsh tongues, lack of faith in Him and fervent pursuit of money, comfort, rights and pleasure, we are not operating out of his justice but our own selfish gain.
To be marked by justice is to be willing to give everything to show love, grace, mercy and forgiveness to those the world deems unworthy. Like Christ gave everything for you.
It is not our role to point out people’s sin, that is the Holy Spirit’s job. It is our role to show people Jesus and tell the story of what he has done in our life. It is our role to go into all the world to tell and show people the gospel. Jesus died to make them right with God and to right the messes they find themselves in whether by their choices or somebody else’s.
The only time we are allowed to confront people on their sin is those who say they are followers of Jesus. And even then there is a procedure and it will take the utmost humility.
To be a Jesus Follower is to be marked by God’s justice. It is radical. It is supernatural. It will take daily surrender and dependence on the very Spirit of God. But you can live in this justice if you choose to surrender daily to the power of God who raised Jesus from the dead who lives in you and if you daily take up your cross and follow Him.