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"[Biblical justice is] mitigating the dehumanizing effects of the fall. Primarily the effects that are caused by a misuse of power."
- Dr. carl ellis
Biblical justice refers to a life of right relationship with God and with people (Hebrew tzadequah) and the equitable treatment of people ensuring equal punishment and care and advocacy (Hebrew-mishpat). Our political views should reflect the righteousness of God with a heart that portrays our earnest desire as followers of Christ to ensure equitable punishment, and care and advocacy in policy and sphere of influence, all as an act of biblical justice. Our biblical understanding of justice and its application in our lives should demonstrate a right relationship with God that informs our civic engagement, community engagement, and daily interactions.
“The community is to have the same rules for you and for the foreigner residing among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the foreigner shall be the same before the LORD.”
"For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt."
But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always.
When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.
Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent,” will be cursed by peoples and denounced by nations. But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come on them.
Evildoers do not understand what is right, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully.
But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed ; the offspring of the wicked will perish. The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.
Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you.
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
“For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed.Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right.
Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you
The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.
Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.
“Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: Instruction will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations. My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm."
Father God, we ask for more of You. Holy Spirit, thank you for indwelling Your children. Thank you, Jesus for redemption. Thank you that the brokenness of this world does not carry an eternal sting because of the work on the Cross. Spirit of God, please come to your people and give us wisdom and discernment. We have seen how we can be the ones who play a role in the brokenness of our politics and we ask God to replace any idol in our heart with only Yourself. Leave no room for any idols, Lord. Fill us up with the fruit of the Spirit. We lift up our local, state, and national leaders and pray that you move their hearts like rivers. Let not the will of man be done but, Lord, use us to change lives not because of politics, but because of the Gospel. Help us be people who lean on You for understanding and allow us to be a part of the story You are creating. Reveal to us our own spheres of influence and empower us, Holy Spirit, to leverage our privilege, platforms, and resources for good. Help us remember there’s work that can only be accomplished through you and prepare our hearts and tongues to give answers to questions about our faith and how it affects our politics. You are a God that uses it all so please, Lord, use every bit of us and our view of politics to point to the One who truly rules over all, You, Lord. Amen.
