The topic of justice is a tough one and with no easy answers. It is one of those subjects that can cause great conflict and turmoil in soul and body. The desire for justice is in our nature because God has placed that desire in our hearts, and it does not go away when we are born again. The more we know about good and evil, the the issues of justice become more obvious. We can see more clearly when things are out of alignment with truth and justice. However, the scripture tells us to refrain from judging a situation prematurely.
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God. 1Corinthians 4:5
If injustice goes unchecked for long periods of time, it causes great turmoil and even rebellion in our hearts. People can lose their sanity trying to make sense out of tough situations in the world. Unless eternity is kept at the forefront of unjust situations, there will be a great strife in relationship to God and with one another.
This does not mean that evil can go unbridled forever; God has institutions such as church and civil governments to deal with the issue of evil appropriate to their sphere of responsibility. The church government has the responsibility to oversee the spiritual health of the body by holding its members accountable to their sinful lifestyle. The civil government is responsible for holding people accountable to the laws of the land and ensure that they are not violated to protect the safety and security of all the people. Therefore, the sphere of judgment is relegated to those who are in appropriate positions to judge the situation and have the authority to understand all sides of the issue before they render a judgment.
The intent of addressing evil with church government or civil government is not in establishing perfect justice; it is only deterrence of evil and establishing order. The truth is that a person can be a church member or a law-abiding citizen but still commit sins that are against God’s holy word and His commandments. No one is capable to bring about perfect justice on this earth because man is sinful and not omnipotent. God has reserved true justice only for His son because He is the only one deserving and capable of rendering perfect justice!
Lord, give us insight into the injustices we see in the world and help us to know how we can be part of the solution for reconciliation.
