Reflection Paper

JUSTICE

(JUHS-TIS)

Often people think of justice in the Bible only in the first sense as God's wrath on evil. This aspect of justice indeed is present, such as the judgment mentioned in John 3:19. Often more vivid words like “wrath” are used to describe punitive justice (Romans 1:18).

Holman Bible Dictionary

We have all disobeyed God’s law, we are all sinners, and because of that our sentence is death. Our disobedient, selfish, and sinful nature has left behind a stain that cannot be cleansed; a stain that will surely see us perish. This is not only a physical death but more importantly a spiritual death. Because of the sin that exists in us we cannot be permitted into God’s presence. This is justice. A balancing of the scales, a righting of wrongs. Our society has based the majority of its criminal justice system on the foundations of Biblical justice. God places extreme importance upon justice throughout the scriptures. Micah 6:8 calls us to justice, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (ESV) It is a requirement from God that His people should continuously strive to do justly. In all of our actions we should be determined to be just and fair.

Justice is the driving force that God used to allow His people to become a community. It was through justice that the Lord allowed his people to prosper. Old Testament laws existed that allowed individuals who had lost their land and possessions, in a similar way as modern day foreclosure, to have the possibility of reclaiming those possessions after a certain amount of time had passed. Justice can also be seen when Paul discusses the righteousness of God and how the gentiles could now accept salvation the same as the Jews.(Eph. 2:12-13)

Practical Application

As Christians we should make every attempt to view the situations around us the eyes of God. When we witness unjust actions it...