Hard Questions: Justice?
INTRODUCTION:
A common symbol on courthouses in the United States and inside some court rooms is “Lady Justice.” Lady Justice is a blindfolded woman carrying a sword and a set of scales. She symbolizes fair and equal administration of the law, without corruption, favor, greed, or prejudice. The Supreme Court of the United States has many figures of justice visible in the architecture of the building. Our history and heritage would say that justice is important to our nation.
Unfortunately, there seems to be some attitude that there are two groups of people, those who are for justice and those who are against justice. Actually there are varying worldviews competing to define justice and apply justice to the world in which we live. As we discussed in our study of the meaning of “worldview”, one’s worldview will determine their understanding and application of “justice” in society.
We can all agree there are disparities and injustice in our world, in our nation, in our state, and even in our city. Why do these things exist? The response to this question will depend on one’s worldview. A secular, materialistic, non-Christian worldview looks through the lens of oppression and groups. CRT and other sociological approaches are rising to prominence because of a growing secular worldview in our culture. A decreasing biblical worldview in culture, leaves humanity looking for answers to serious questions. A departure from a biblical worldview doesn’t remove the longings and questions of the human heart. However, it does lead mankind to false truths, impotent solutions, and further confusion and chaos.
Attempts to define justice apart from God’s law lead quickly to rationalistic moral theories and relativism – laws are then merely social beliefs that have triumphed and have no connection with true justice. For biblical faith, justice is something that is revealed by God that is intrinsic to his character and nature.1
For the Christian we understand, a biblical worldview looks through the lens of scripture and sees the primary cause of disparity and injustice as a heart issue.
The answer is the gospel. Jesus died on the cross to satisfy the justice of God. Justice and righteousness have been achieved by Christ on the cross. We are reconciled to God through the work of Christ on the cross. We have been given the ministry of reconciliation,
2 Corinthians 5:18–20 (NASB95)
Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Christians with a biblical worldview do not need adjectives to describe “justice.” We know and understand justice because we know God who is righteous and just. We seek to live in such a way to reflect the character of God. For the Christian, we pray as commanded,
“Your kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10
We must seek justice!! However, we must be sure that we seek justice based on the law of God and we should seek to pursue His righteousness.
Statement #1: We believe the Bible is reliable and trustworthy.
Statement #2: The Bible is the filter through which we understand, interpret, view, and interact with the world.
Statement #3: A person’s view of gender and sexuality are directly connected to one’s worldview.
Statement #4: A Biblical worldview will uphold God’s view of gender and sexuality as revealed in the Bible.
Statement #5: A Biblical worldview affirms that all people are created in the image of God (Genesis 9:6; Acts 17:26).
Statement #6: Since all people are created in the image of God, we should affirm and support human dignity, equality, and the sanctity of life (Genesis 9:6).
Statement #7: “The Bible makes it clear that racism is wrong and entirely contradictory to God’s command to love our neighbors, His unconditional love, and the teachings of Jesus.”
Statement #8 The Bible clearly proclaims and demonstrates that God is righteous and just.
Statement #9 The standard for righteousness and justice is God and His Word.
Statement #10 A Christian should always interpret and apply justice from a Biblical worldview.
Statement #11 A Biblical worldview bases justice on God’s standard.
Outline:
1. Biblical Justice
Isaiah 1:16–17 (NASB95)
Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.
Isaiah 42:1 (NASB95)
Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.
Amos 5:21–24 (NASB95)
I hate, I reject your festivals, nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; and I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Micah 6:8 (NASB95)
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Matthew 23:23 (NASB95)
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.
Revelation 19:1–2 (NASB95)
After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her."
The word justice appears 138 times in 135 verses in the NASB. The ESV uses the word justice 137 times in 133 verses.
Justice is rooted in God’s character (Isa. 5:16; Deut. 32:4), and justice is what God demands of followers (16:20). A central concept is that the justice of a community is measured by their treatment of the poor and oppressed (Isa. 1:16–17; 3:15). Although the message of justice is woven throughout the Bible, the prophets especially issued a strong call for the covenant community to recognize God as the God of justice and to repent of their injustice. Their primary message can be summarized in the words of Mic. 6:8: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”2
Hebrew words for justice:
The most common term in the Old Testament (used over 200 times) is the word “mishpat.” The central meaning of the word is “the rule of law.”
JUSTICE (מִשְפָּט, mishpat; δικαιοσύνη, dikaiosynē). Divinely righteous action, whether taken by humanity or God, that promotes equality among humanity. Used in relation to uplifting the righteous and oppressed and debasing the unrighteous and oppressors.3
(mišpāṭ). Justice, ordinance, custom, manner. Represents what is doubtless the most important idea for correct understanding of government—whether of man by man or of the whole creation by God. Though rendered “judgment” in most of the four hundred or so appearances of mišpāṭ in the Hebrew Bible, this rendering is often defective for us moderns by reason of our novel way of distinctly separating legislative, executive, and judicial functions and functionaries in government. Hence šāpaṭ, the common verb (from which our word mišpaṭ is derived) meaning “to rule, govern,” referring to all functions of government is erroneously restricted to judicial processes only, whereas both the verb and noun include all these functions. Bibliography: McKenzie, Donald A., “The Judge of Israel,” 4 5 6
מִשְׁפָּט (mišpāṭ) justice, ordinance.
The primary sense of šāpaṭ is to exercise the processes of government. Since, however, the ancients did not always divide the functions of government, as most modern governments do, between legislative, executive, and judicial functions (and departments) the common translation, “to judge,” misleads us. For, the word, judge, as šāpaṭ is usually translated, in modern English, means to exercise only the judicial function of government.7
1879a צֶדֶק (ṣedeq) justice, rightness.8
This root basically connotes conformity to an ethical or moral standard.
דִּין (dîn) judge, contend, plead.9
צָדֵק (ṣādēq) be just, righteous.10
This root basically connotes conformity to an ethical or moral standard.
Greek words for justice:
ἐκδίκησις ekdíkēsis; gen. ekdikḗseōs, fem. noun from ekdikéō (1556), to execute justice. Execution of right, justice.11
κρίσις , εως judgment, judging; condemnation, punishment; justice; perhaps court (Mt 5:21f)12
δίκαιος, pert upright, just, fair13
δίκη díkē; gen. díkēs, a fem. noun. Originally díkē meant manner, tendency. Gradually it became the designation for the right of established custom or usage. The basic meaning of the word involves the assertion by human society of a certain standard expected by its people which, if not kept, can bring forth ensuing judgment. 14
δικαιόω dikaióō; just, righteous. To justify.15
Biblical justice is…
- Conformity to God’s moral standard.
- Communitive justice – living in right relationship with God and others, giving people their due as image bearers of God.
- Distributive justice – impartiality in rendering judgment, righting wrongs, meting out punishment for lawbreaking. Reserved for God, and God-ordained authorities including parents in the home, elders in the church, teachers in the school, and civil authorities in the state.16
Perhaps another way of understanding justice, is to define injustice. Injustice is failure to live up to God’s standard, it is sin.
Reading your Bible, you will find that the word justice is connected to righteousness. They are interchangeable or related themes. Often in scripture, you will see them in the same verse (Psalm 33:5; Job 37:23). Justice and righteousness are related terms because justice is an aspect of God’s righteous character, as are mercy and compassion.17
What, then, is the Christian view of social justice?
The Bible teaches that God is a God of justice. In fact, “all his ways are justice” (Deuteronomy 32:4). Furthermore, the Bible supports the notion of social justice in which concern and care are shown to the plight of the poor and afflicted (Deuteronomy 10:18; 24:17; 27:19). The Bible often refers to the fatherless, the widow and the sojourner – that is, people who were not able to fend for themselves or had no support system. The nation of Israel was commanded by God to care for society’s less fortunate, and their eventual failure to do so was partly the reason for their judgment and expulsion from the land.
In Jesus’ Olivet Discourse, He mentions caring for the “least of these” (Matthew 25:40), and in James’ epistle he expounds on the nature of “true religion” (James 1:27). So, if by “social justice” we mean that society has a moral obligation to care for those less fortunate, then that is correct. God knows that, due to the fall, there will be widows, fatherless and sojourners in society, and He made provisions in the old and new covenants to care for these outcasts of society. The model of such behavior is Jesus Himself, who reflected God’s sense of justice by bringing the gospel message to even the outcasts of society.
However, the Christian notion of social justice is different from the contemporary, secular notion of social justice. The biblical exhortations to care for the poor are more individual than societal. In other words, each Christian is encouraged to do what he can to help the “least of these.” The basis for such biblical commands is found in the second of the greatest commandments—love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39). Today’s politicized notion of social justice replaces the individual with the government, which, through taxation and other means, redistributes wealth. This policy doesn’t encourage giving out of love, but resentment from those who see their hard-earned wealth being taken away.
Another difference is that the Christian worldview of social justice doesn’t assume the wealthy are the beneficiaries of ill-gotten gain. Wealth is not evil in a Christian worldview, but there is a responsibility and an expectation to be a good steward of one’s wealth (because all wealth comes from God). Today’s social justice operates under the assumption that the wealthy exploit the poor. A third difference is that, under the Christian concept of stewardship, the Christian can give to the charities he/she wants to support. For example, if a Christian has a heart for the unborn, he can support pro-life agencies with his time, talent and treasure. Under the contemporary form of social justice, it is those in power within the government who decide who receives the redistributed wealth. We have no control over what the government does with our tax money, and, more often than not, that money goes to charities we might not deem worthy.
Basically, there is a tension between a God-centered approach to social justice and a man-centered approach to social justice. The man-centered approach sees the government in the role of savior, bringing in a utopia through government policies. The God-centered approach sees Christ as Savior, bringing heaven to earth when He returns. At His return, Christ will restore all things and execute perfect justice. Until then, Christians express God’s love and justice by showing kindness and mercy to those less fortunate.18
No Justice but God’s Justice
The Bible has much to say about justice. In the English Standard Version of the Bible, the word is used more than 130 times. It is never preceded by an adjective, except in Ezekiel 18:8, which speaks of “true justice.” It is occasionally paired with possessive pronouns. God Himself speaks of “my justice” twice in Scripture. Twice in prayers addressed to God, we read the expression “your justice.”
The point? There are not different flavors of justice. There is only true justice, defined by God Himself and always in accord with His character.
It is a fact that the Bible puts enormous stress on the charitable aspects of justice—goodwill toward all; compassion for the underprivileged; assistance for the fatherless and the widow; love for foreigners; and care for the poor, especially providing needy people with the necessities of life (Deuteronomy 10:18; Psalm 140:12; Ezekiel 22:29).
But biblical justice is not a one-sided affair, showing partiality to the poor or disenfranchised in an effort to even the scales of privilege. In fact, Scripture expressly condemns that mentality as unjust (Exodus 23:3; Leviticus 19:15).
Justice in Scripture is often paired with the words equity and righteousness. Equity means equal treatment for everyone under the law. Righteousness signifies that which is consistent with the demands of God’s law—including punishment for evildoers (Jeremiah 5:26-29); obedience to governing authorities (Romans 13:1-7); penalties that fit the crime and are applied without partiality (Leviticus 24:17-22); and a strong work ethic, enforced by the principle that able-bodied people who refuse to work shouldn’t benefit from public charity (1 Thessalonians 4:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:10).19
2. Social Justice: Trey Fuller (Bible Teacher at Whitesburg Christian Academy)
75% of Christian youth will leave the church by the time they are in college. Barna says “only 17 percent of Christians who consider their faith important and attend church regularly actually have a biblical worldview.”
Stats from Pew Research from 2009-2019
- % of U. S. adults who identified as Protestants decreased from 51% to 43%
- % of U. S. adults who identified as Catholics decreased from 23% to 20%
- % of U. S. adults who identified as nothing in particular increased from 12% to 17%
Stats from Pew Research about Generation Gap in American Religion
- Silent Generation (born 1928-1945) 84% identified as Christian
- Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) 76% identified as Christian
- Generation X (born 1965-1980) 67% identified as Christian
- Millennials (born 1981-1996) 49% identified as Christian
Impact 360 Institute says this about Gen Z
- Gen Z (born 1999-2015) 4% have a Biblical Worldview
- “Today’s teens are less Christian and more confused about moral and spiritual truth than ever.”
1 Peter 3:13-17
And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be in dread, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, but with gentleness and respect; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who disparage your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.
Social Justice Definition According to Oxford Languages Dictionary
- “Justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society”
Social Justice Definition According to Article of Human Rights Careers
- “Justice is the concept of fairness”
- “Justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society.”20
- Social justice is a political and philosophical theory which asserts that there are dimensions to the concept of justice beyond those embodied in the principles of civil or criminal law, economic supply and demand, or traditional moral frameworks. Social justice tends to focus more on just relations between groups within society as opposed to the justice of individual conduct or justice for individuals.21
- Social justice is the relation of balance between individuals and society measured by comparing distribution of wealth differences, from personal liberties to fair privilege opportunities.22
Proverbs 14:31
Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
Proverbs 19:17
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.
Proverbs 31:8-9
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Micah 6:8
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.
Proverbs 13:4
The soul of the lazy one craves and gets nothing, But the soul of the diligent is made prosperous.
Proverbs 12:24
Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.
Proverbs 14:23
All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
Proverbs 20:4
Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing.
2 Thessalonians 3:10
For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”
Matthew 25: 24-29
Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. "Master," he said, "I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you." His master replied, "You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags." For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
Conclusion: What do we do?
Justice is important to God. It’s so important that what’s right, what’s wrong, and how to live justly are consistent themes throughout the Bible.
- Recognize there are competing worldviews!
- Pursue God’s reign and rule in your lives.
- Rest in the person and work of Christ.
- Remember, the gospel of Jesus Christ is the true answer for all disparity and injustice.
- Pursue righteousness and justice as it is revealed in God’s Word.
Matthew 22:35–40 (NASB95)
One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
“To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God is no easy task, but it’s a worthy calling. As we apply God’s heart of justice, we’ll see ourselves and others changed as the kingdom of heaven comes to earth.”23
Additional scripture:
Proverbs 21:15 (NASB95)
The exercise of justice is joy for the righteous, But is terror to the workers of iniquity.
Isaiah 61:8 (NASB95)
For I, the Lord, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering; And I will faithfully give them their recompense And make an everlasting covenant with them.
Psalm 106:3 (NASB95)
How blessed are those who keep justice, Who practice righteousness at all times!
Proverbs 21:3 (NASB95)
To do righteousness and justice Is desired by the Lord more than sacrifice.
Isaiah 30:18 (NASB95)
Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.
Amos 5:24 (NASB95)
But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Zechariah 7:9 (NASB95)
Thus has the Lord of hosts said, "Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother;"
Isaiah 1:17 (NASB95)
Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.
Exodus 23:2 (NASB95)
You shall not follow the masses in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a multitude in order to pervert justice;
Deuteronomy 16:20 (NASB95)
Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, that you may live and possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
Isaiah 56:1 (NASB95)
Thus says the Lord, “Preserve justice and do righteousness, For My salvation is about to come And My righteousness to be revealed."
Luke 18:7–8 (NASB95)
Now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? "I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
Isaiah 42:1–4 (NASB95)
Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.
1 Boot, Joseph; The Mission of God, Freedom International Press, 2014; p. 198
2 Tooley, M. (2000). Just, Justice. In D. N. Freedman, A. C. Myers, & A. B. Beck (Eds.), Eerdmans dictionary of the Bible (p. 757). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.
3 Garrett, J. K. (2016). Justice. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
4 VT Vetus Testamentum (Supplements, Supp VT)
5 THAT E. Jenni u. C. Westermann, Theologisches Handbuch zum Alten Testament
6 Culver, R. D. (1999). 2443 שָׁפַט. R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., pp. 948–949). Chicago: Moody Press.
7 Culver, R. D. (1999). 2443 שָׁפַט. R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 947). Chicago: Moody Press.
8 Ibid, p. 752
9 Ibid, p. 188
10 Ibid, p. 172
11 Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.
12 Newman, B. M., Jr. (1993). A Concise Greek-English dictionary of the New Testament. (p. 104). Stuttgart, Germany: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft; United Bible Societies.
13 Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 246). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
14 Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.
15 Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.
16 Allen, Scott David; Why Social Justice is not Biblical Justice, Credo House Publishers, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2020.
17 Boot, Joseph; The Mission of God, page 199.
18 https://www.gotquestions.org/social-justice.html
19 https://www.gty.org/library/blog/B180907/the-injustice-of-social-justice
20 https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/social_justice
21 https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/social-justice.asp
22 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justice
23 https://newspring.cc/articles/what-the-bible-says-about-justice