The RenewaNation Review 2021 Volume 13 Issue 2 | Page 22

What Is Justice ?

By Dr . Josh Mulvihill

We all desire justice . One of the most common phrases in the human language is : “ It ’ s not fair .” When someone gets away with something wrong , it bothers us . Unfortunately , justice is a confusing , foggy topic for many right now . As a result , we are prone to absorb society ’ s ideas about a subject without knowing it . It seems everywhere we turn , someone is talking about social justice , environmental justice , economic justice , educational justice , or transportation justice . This article will provide a biblical overview of justice , two questions to recognize counterfeit justice , and biblical applications to do justice .

WHAT IS JUSTICE ?
In the most basic sense , justice is receiving what we are owed . In the Bible , this is known as retribution , punishment for wrong-doing . Because humanity is fallen , we tend to act unlawfully . When someone commits a crime or does what is evil , justice demands that they be punished for their actions . God has given the home , church , and government the means to enforce justice . God has given parents the rod ( Prov . 13:24 ; 22:15 ; Heb . 12:7 ), pastors are to utilize church discipline ( Matt . 18:15-18 ; 1 Cor . 5:1-13 ; 2 Thess . 3:14 ), and the state is given the sword ( Rom . 13:4 ; Gen . 9:6 ). In the home , God has given this responsibility to parents to train a child in holiness ( Heb . 12:10 ). In society , God has given this role to government leaders to be a minister of God for the good of others by impartially upholding the rule of law and punishing those who violate the law ( Rom . 13:4 ). Justice is enacting appropriate payment for a crime .
In another sense , the Bible also talks about justice as communitive , living in right relationships with others .
God ’ s law tells us how we ought to treat other people . Justice occurs when we live out The Ten Commandments in our everyday relationships . We do justice when we recognize the dignity and value of all people and treat others with God-given respect .
Some people believe it is the civil government ’ s job to fix what is broken and address the needs of society through redistribution ( deciding who gets what ), but this is not God ’ s design . The government cannot change man ’ s heart or bring about justice through equal outcomes . Only Jesus Christ can transform our hearts . If God gave us what we truly deserved , we would all receive God ’ s wrath . Christ ’ s death paid the price for our sins by meeting God ’ s demand for justice on the cross . Those who place faith in Jesus receive grace rather than God ’ s wrath . When Jesus transforms our hearts internally , then God can work in us to transform society through restored relationships , obedience to God ’ s laws , and the application of God ’ s Word to all spheres of life .
God requires all people to “ do justice ” ( Mic . 6:8 ). God declared , “ All His ways are justice ” ( Duet . 32:4 ). The Bible reveals the standard for what is good and right . Acting justly is living in accordance with what is right . To do justice is to do what is right according to God ’ s law . Justice is the result of obeying and applying God ’ s law to life .
To understand biblical justice further , I will use Lady Justice as an illustration . Lady Justice reveals the biblical principles of justice that America was founded upon .
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