May 29

Mar 29 - Today from Proverbs 29 we consider verse 4
"By justice a king gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down."

Justice. It rewards those who live honorable and moral lives and fairly punishes those who break moral civil law. Justice is morally pure. Justice seems such a rare quality in our world that when we do see it, we rejoice. Justice gives a country stability. The old saying goes, "Justice is blind." It does not depend upon the personal views or the mood of the magistrate. It does not depend on the social/economic status of the plaintiff. Justice will fairly determine the motive for, the execution of, the severity of and the fair penalty for an immoral act. Or, on the other hand, justice will determine the motive for, the execution of, the results of and the reward for an honorable act. Justice brings stability because it is no respecter of men and it is immutable (not subject to change). It kind of sounds like we're talking about God here, doesn't it? That's because all true justice is based upon His moral code of conduct. There is no 'relativism'. There are no 'situation ethics'. Justice is a scale, and its purpose is to bring balance to life. Sin and the immorality it perpetrates have brought tremendous inequity into this world. Justice serves to restore equity, to give every man who lives under her rule an equal opportunity in life. I like to think that our Pledge of Allegiance contains the vision statement for our nation; "One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." When we remove the phrase "under God", the rest of it falls apart. Without acknowledging God, we have no basis for authentic truth, needed for defining justice. Without authentic truth, decisions on issues of moral code become subject to the personal interpretations of the magistrates. Without an objective moral compass, man can be influenced by numerous means and can justify his own actions. Greed enters in - greed for power, greed for advancement, greed for money, greed for advancing a personal agenda - and without realizing it, the legislators and magistrates are subject to bribes. Justice all but disappears. No wonder we are prone to rejoice when we observe justice. It seems so rare these days.
When God describes His attributes, justice is right there in the mix. "I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight." (Jer. 9:24). But thank God justice is not alone. He couples it with love and mercy. God is not unfeeling and blind. God operates in this marvelous, unfathomable trait known as grace. His justice says, "The wages of sin is death." You sin, you die. Period. His mercy says, "But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23). His Grace says, "I will bear the penalty of sin in my own body. I will die that they might live." Through His grace, God remains just yet He can offer mercy. Can we ever tire of hearing it? Can we ever comprehend such love? There is no god like our God!
He calls us to be holy because He is holy. (1 Peter 1:15, 16) We are to practice justice with mercy. Jesus set the example. Our part in serving justice is to be on the side of living honorable and pure lives in such a manner that we seek to bring equity where there is inequity.
One day God will judge and will fully and eternally balance the scales. I don't know how, but I know He will. Through Christ I have received pardon and mercy, therefore I must be merciful. This is difficult at times. Once again He offers us His grace. He enables us if we will but open ourselves to Him.