A desire for justice

 

The entire Russian collusion investigation has been a roller coaster ride that led to a conclusion that one particular side didn’t agree with i.e. justice wasn’t served. The Jussie Smollett case has also been a rollercoaster ride that that led to a conclusion that one particular side didn’t agree with i.e. justice wasn’t served. While it is easy to apply the “left” and “right” political stance to both cases, one thing for sure is that both cases and the reaction to the results only reiterate the fallen state of ALL man and the yearning for justice that is a natural part of who we are.

The Issue

God cursed Adam in the garden due to his disobedience (Genesis 3:6). We are all now in a fallen state cursed with sin and even our “good” works are nothing but dirty rags (Isaiah 64:6) since they are done from a wicked and fallen heart that contains no good. (Quick fast forward: In John 15:5 even Jesus said that apart from Him we can produce nothing [good])

Romans 3:23 says that all man have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. We are ALL guilty of death based on breaking God’s moral law. In order for God to truly be loving, just and good, He must punish those that are wicked.

The Hypocrisy

Let’s break down the word “justice”…

Justice > just > moral > righteousness

No matter the person or their beliefs, we are ALL created in the image of God i.e. His spirit (Genesis 1:27) and our “conscious” is nothing more than His conviction of right vs. wrong that we have experienced since birth. “Right vs. wrong” is not learned, we are born with His conviction on our heart. Even before we heard God’s word (Bible), we know that we have done wrong since we are convicted in the heart based on breaking God’s moral law (Ten Commandments – Exodus 20:1-17)

With that in mind, we look to our justice system to fix the issues of society yet we miss one crucial thing; 100% of society’s issues come through man breaking God’s moral law. 1 Samuel 8:1-9 explains how Israel wanted a king against the “recommendation” of God (I used quotes since God doesn’t make recommendations; everything happens because He allows it for a reason and for His glory). Israel wanted to be like the rest of the world and wanted a king and almost each king fell into corruption and sin and took the Israelites with then. They had direct leadership from God freeing them from Egyptian captivity yet they wanted a ruler, in the flesh, that will govern and lead them. Nothing has changed to this day.

Now, we as a society look to the government as a source of justice and leadership even while neglecting that each person that sits on both sides of the isle and the behind the gavel do so with a fallen heart. If God is the source of all righteousness (justice) and man is living in a fallen (broken) state then how could we ever expect a fallen heart to ever yield a righteous verdict (justice)? Does a turnip yield lemon juice? It is impossible! Putting hope in man is a fleeting cause but there is true hope…

The Solution

In one case, one side felt that President Trump was guilty and in the other case there are many that felt Jussie Smollett was guilty. They saw what they felt as a crime taking place and their natural response was that justice must take place to right this wrong. This action is not “learned”, it is His spirit within us that tells us that evil must go punished.

It’s easy to get angry and upset with the evil of others go unpunished but what about our own wickedness? What about the crimes against God’s moral law that we have all broken? How does our God of righteousness view our crimes of wickedness? We can focus on the issues of now or we can truly address the issues of our eternity. We all stand guilty of breaking God’s moral law. There is not one that can say they are without sin and by that we are deserving of eternal death.

“But I think I am a good person. I feed the homeless and donate to non-profit organizations”…..If a murderer told the judge that and the judge let him go free, would that judge truly be just?

You shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall make no idols.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Keep the Sabbath day holy.
Honor your father and your mother.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet.

“Well I’m not a murderer”…1 John 3:15 tells us that whoever hates their brother is a murderer at heart.

“Well I’m faithful to my wife and I’m not an adulterer”…Matthew 5:28 tells us that if a man looks at a woman with lust then he has already committed adultery in the heart.

Are you seeing the pattern? Adams’ curse has given us a wicked heart. The commandments pointed to an issue of the heart yet God’s love pointed to the correction at the cross. We quote John 3:16 as a cliché yet we don’t truly grasp the love exhibited by the Father to send His only Son, fully God yet fully man, do be the perfect lamb that was slain for the salvation of the world. He came with purpose and intentionality. He was tempted in the same ways that we are yet resisted temptation because He knew what His sacrifice meant. Upon His arrest, we are the ones that beat Him with the whip (John 19:1), we are the ones that placed the thorned crown on His head (John 19:2), we are the ones that mocked Him (John 19:3) and ultimately we are the ones that nailed Him to the cross (John 19:18). While another performed the action, our hands are equally bloody since the sins of the world is what lead such a good and loving God to bear a brutal punishment that we never deserved.

His death on the cross and rising from the dead was the ultimate act of love to where the punishment that we do deserve, He took on our behalf and the grace that we didn’t deserve He gave us through His completed work on the cross. Only a humbled heart that truly sees their brokenness, turns from the ways of this world and cries out asking the Father for forgiveness is one that will be regenerated by the love of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38). To truly know justice is to know that we truly stand guilty of God’s righteous judgment. To truly know love then we know that Jesus Christ paid a price that we never could so instead of God’s wrath, we could live forever by His side. Don’t let another minute pass without seeking a true relationship with Jesus Christ. If you are in need of prayer, feel free to let me know.