Everyone is crying for “Justice, Justice.” And there seems to not be justice. Good-hearted people are doing this all the time. Right or left, progressive or orthodox, liberal or conservative, red state or blue, it seems that whatever happens in this country—no matter the decision—half of the country are comprised of good-hearted people who are crying for justice when there seems to be none.
There will be an election in November. Once it’s over, half of the country will be crying for justice. A couple of landmark Supreme Court decisions will be announced during this coming week, and even then, half of the country will be saying there is not even justice from the Supreme Court.
But there is justice, and justice has already been met.
Satan does not want you to know about this justice. He has been working hard to put us—literally—at each other’s throats. Even when we won’t study it for ourselves, Satan has been doing a great job of revisiting the 20th Century for us—arguably the bloodiest century of our world’s history. He has been telling us that religions caused all of the problems, but that would be because he’s the father of lies. Actually, he’s trying to get us to embrace the likes of Hitler, Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot and others who accounted for the genocide of millions of their own people. History teaches that it wasn’t religion that resulted in the bloodiest century, but rather nations who purged God from them. Satan wants more of that for us.
We’re too busy tearing down history to notice any lessons from it. And it gets worse from there. Satan is having a field day with us while we cry for justice. I think both sides can agree on this: Satan isn’t going to give us justice.
But there is justice, and justice has already been met.
We may think that justice must come with a price tag. Someone goes to prison, or reparations are paid, or someone feels some personal freedom “pain.” But we really don’t want justice if that’s the case. What we may want is revenge. That’s what is written in graffiti all over this country today. That is evident in the shattered lives of business owners in the inner city. That is what you see sometimes in the faces of frustrated families of innocent victims. That is what you hear in the voice of protesters and their leaders. They want revenge—calling it justice. And, Satan has a field day with that.
Maybe it’s me, but I don’t think anyone these days is asking for mercy. Even good-hearted people conclude that mercy only comes at the expense of justice—perhaps even in lieu of justice. But there is justice, and justice has already been met.
There’s a pretty cool story in the Bible about a father with two sons. One is pretty much a social activist and he goes to his father shouting “justice” and demands his portion of his trust fund and off he goes to change the world. The father gives him what he wants and perhaps a silent prayer for safe-keeping. The son departs. The other son just shakes his head as he goes on his way to his job.
The departed son uses his inheritance on an anti-God life-style, and is asked to share it equally with his friends. Eventually he is faced with the truth that all there is to this existential reality was expended when his money ran out. As a person, his DNA is all that currently comprises his identity. He has no other meaning or purpose. He realizes he has not changed the world, and in fact, the world looks much the same as it did before he left home. He therefore decides to return home and beg for his father’s mercy. Still, he expects his father’s justice.
His father’s prayers are answered when he returns home. A huge celebration is ordered up and there is much to be happy about in the household—except for the other brother who is amazed that mercy—not justice—is what transpires. Did the other brother really want revenge? What was his motivation for seeking justice?
He approaches his father about this entire matter and complains that his father has not treated him fairly. With respect to this brother who stayed home, what did his father “owe” him? Why did this brother feel as if he “deserved” something?
My Heavenly Father owes me nothing. I get what I deserve anyway. In fact, I deserve a spiritual and existential death much like the prodigal. But like the prodigal, I returned home years ago and my salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. To be clear, I have been wronged many times. Even the Church has hurt me. But I have no standing before my God to complain. We all long for justice and that things will be set aright. But God handles it differently:
- The God of the Bible looks into every (that would include my) human heart and makes an absolute moral judgment: “That is wrong.”
- And then God is moved in the depths of His being to do something about it: That is the cross.
- God, in Christ, takes on the full force of all the consequences of sin on the cross: He pays. Justice is met. You see, to God, justice matters. He is a holy God, and His holiness requires justice. Again, that justice is the cross. You wonder why Christians like us hold such high esteem for the cross? Read the next paragraph.
- God doesn’t exercise His mercy at the expense of His justice. God exercises His mercy through His justice. That would include my mercy—that I don’t deserve. But still, for accepting Christ’s sacrifice for me, justice has been met, and God freely extends His mercy for you and for me.
“The fact is that God exercises His mercy not at the expense of justice, but through it. That is the basis of all Christian hope regardless of how far from Him” the prodigal son was, the other brother was, or how far from Him you and I may actually be. Let me ask you briefly, do you need hope in these days? God’s hope is there for you. You have but to accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and this blessed hope is yours. Want to know more? Go to askanyquestion.info and let’s address your questions.
My motivation for creating culturewarcollege.com is that I’ve grown weary of seeing Satan winning in our collective American culture. Most recently, I’m tired of seeing no one else winning but him. There is a path to victory. Jesus says He is the way. To Him, justice matters. But, thank God, so does mercy. That is the blessed hope no one can take from me.
Let’s remember that as these landmark Supreme Court rulings come out this coming week. Let’s remember that in the months and weeks ahead as we enter the second half of the year 2020. And if you have a brother—or a fellow citizen you think is wrong or has wronged you, look to him and extend mercy when he might otherwise expect justice. You see, justice matters to God. But there is justice, and justice has already been met—on the cross of Jesus Christ.
With special thanks to:
Ramsden, Michael. (2017). Everyday questions. RZIM.
For more on the story of the prodigal son, see Luke 15:11 – 32, in The Holy Bible.
askanyquestion.info