Where is Justice?

Has anyone else been asking, "Where is justice?" This word image came into my mind on the way to church this morning in response to that question.

Apart from Christ, there will never be perfect justice, for the hearts of men are impure and our knowledge and availability of evidence are always limited. The world is motivated by love of self, not sacrificial, selfless love, so justice is perverted.

• In God's kingdom, we receive mercy, which is defined as not receiving the punishment we deserve, because of God's great love and compassion.  But the perversion of mercy in man's kingdom is injustice, which is not giving a lawbreaker the punishment he/she deserves because of corruption and evil.

• In God's kingdom, we receive grace.  Grace is receiving what we do not deserve.  Forgiveness, redemption, fellowship with God, and eternal life are gifts freely given by God out of his rich love.  Man's perversion of grace is entitlement. Entitlements are things given to those who do not deserve it.  It is certainly good and right to provide for those who cannot provide for themselves through entitlements, but the funding for these entitlements does not come from a generous, loving heart, but rather through coerced funding via taxation.  Entitlements and the entitlement mindset can feed a self-absorbed heart into believing that they are entitled to whatever they want without ever earning it.  Such self love is a harmful burden to society.

• Grace, mercy, and perfect justice are possible in God's kingdom because of the selfless, sacrificial love of Christ.  He led a perfect life and deserved all our praise, not all our punishment.  Yet, because of his incomprehensible love for us, He bore all our sins to fully satisfy the righteous requirements of the perfectly holy God.  To God be the Glory.

• In God's kingdom, selfless love compels us to pursue righteousness and to sacrifice in love for others.  In man's kingdom, love for self drives people to use and abuse others for selfish gain.

• In God's kingdom, Jesus is Lord, and we become Christ's bride and children of God.  In man's kingdom, men and women become slaves to sin and to their insatiable carnal lusts of the flesh. 

True justice is available for all who believe and accept Christ's payment for them on the cross.  Accept Christ as Lord and Savior, and enter into the Kingdom of God where justice reigns and goodness and mercy and love never end.