Justice
Genesis 9:6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man
shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
Psalm 101:8 Morning by morning will I put to death all the sinners in the land,
so that all evil-doers may be cut off from Jerusalem.
The path connecting Tiphareth and Geburah is represented by the Justice Tarot
card. The man sits on a throne with a balance in one hand and a sword in the
other; he is ready to judge fairly and execute judgment if necessary. Like the
High Priestess Tarot card, the man on the Justice Card sits between two pillars
with a veil between them.
The veil marks the entrance to the Holiest of Holies, which we can interpret as
the entrance into Heaven. The High Priestess Card portrays the Bride, the
Church, and the Secret Temple (the one that is not built with human hands). The
Justice Card represents someone given authority to weigh the facts and either
permit access to the Holiest of Holies or to dispense justice. The man can
easily be associated with Jesus; since the path connects Christ’s sacrifice at
Tiphareth and the judgment He will bring in Geburah. By examining this path, we
can learn of God’s justice, and the need for mankind to establish justice on
earth in and effort to restrain evil.
Romans 13:3-4 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt
thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have
praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou
do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he
is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
Exodus 23:21-22 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will
not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him. But if thou shalt indeed
obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine
enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.
Psalm 89:14-16 Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and
truth shall go before thy face. Blessed is the people that know the joyful
sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name
shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.
Proverbs 21:2-3 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD
pondereth the hearts. To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD
than sacrifice.
The notion that God is all-loving and all-forgiving is not a Biblical concept.
God is a god of justice, “For true and righteous are His judgments (Revelations
19:2).” He is full of mercy, yet in no way will He acquit the wicked. God knows
people’s hearts (Luke 16:15), and He will judge each of them according to their
deeds. There is a line between forgiveness and justice, and discernment between
these concepts is something every Christian should strive for.
Jesus did not come to erase God’s law, nor did He come to correct any mistakes
in God’s previous revelations to man. Jesus came to clarify man’s
misinterpretations or inappropriate applications of the scriptures. If there
seems to be an inconsistency or contradiction in the Bible, it is more than
likely that we are simply not seeing the big picture or grasping the entire
concept. God is a god of justice, He holds the wicked accountable for their
deeds, and some of the teachings in the Old Testament may seem harsh to people
when first reading them. While on earth, Jesus attempted to clarify God’s
teachings, which people were applying incorrectly or missing the main points
thereof.
Luke 11:42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner
of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done,
without leaving the others undone.”
Matthew 23:23, 26 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay
tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of
the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without
leaving the others undone…Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup
and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.”
The Pharisees were obeying many of the teachings in the Old Testament, but they
were ignoring the weightier matters of the scripture such as justice and mercy.
They were following the Torah as a set of rules, but the hearts of the people
were evil (Ecclesiastes 5:1). Jesus clarified the teachings of the Old Testament
with a focus on the internal feelings and desires of the people. He wanted
people to, “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and
with all your mind (Matthew 22:37)”, and to follow Him out of a pure heart;
instead of living wicked and sinful lives, yet making the required sin offerings
obligatory by the law.
The addition of the New Testament of the Bible seems to have divided
Judeo-Christian philosophies into two extremes. There are the Old Testament
teachings that speak of judgment, justice, wars, and punishment, and then there
are the New Testament teachings, which speak of love, faith, mercy, and
forgiveness. It almost seems as if the god of the Old Testament is a different
god than the god of the New Testament, but He isn’t. Jesus taught the people to
be more concerned about their actions/desires and to have compassion and empathy
for their fellow human beings, but He was not preaching a different god – He was
clarifying the application of God’s teachings.
The god of the Old Testament is the same god as the god of the New Testament.
There isn’t some old god of harsh punishment, and then some new god of love and
mercy. They are simply different aspects of the same god. If you truly want to
know and understand God, you must view and understand Him as both a god of
justice and a god of mercy. One of the teachings of Jesus that is often
misunderstood by Christians is the concept of loving your enemies.
Matthew 5:38-39, 5:43-44 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye
and a tooth for a tooth.’ “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But
whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also… "You have
heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' “But
I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who
hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you”
Romans 12:19-21 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to
wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.
Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a
drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." Do not be
overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Proverbs 24:17-20 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your
heart be glad when he stumbles; Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, And
He turn away His wrath from him. Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be
envious of the wicked; For There will be no prospect for the evil man; The lamp
of the wicked will be put out.
Christ’s teaching regarding ‘love your enemies’ is a difficult one to
understand; especially, if you are basing your entire interpretation of the
teaching solely on the verses found in Matthew 5:43-44. The Bible does not
contradict itself; to understand an apparent contradiction to other verses, you
simply need to compare the teaching to other related verses in the Bible in
order to gain a better understanding of the broader concept.
During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was correcting people who were taking Old
Testament precepts out of context (such as ‘an eye for an eye’) and applying
them inappropriately to other matters in their lives. When Christ said to ‘love
your enemies’ He was not teaching a universal principle to be applied in every
situation, just as ‘but I tell you not to resist an evil person’ is not a
universal Christian principle, but was a limited teaching regarding civil
lawsuits – otherwise it would negate the teaching, ‘do not be overcome by evil,
but overcome evil with good.’
As we will cover in this section, the Bible clearly teaches that there is such a
thing as a justifiable or righteous hate. When Jesus said to ‘love your enemies’
He was not erasing previous teachings regarding hate, but He was clarifying how
to ‘treat’ others. The teaching was that Christians are not to seek their own
revenge. Vengeance belongs to God alone. Loving your enemies and doing good to
them was an act of faith on the part of the Christian; by doing so, the
Christian was placing his/her faith in God (that God is a god of justice) and
trusting that God will hold the evildoer accountable at the appropriate time.
Showing an act of love towards the enemy was a way of ensuring they will have
coals of fire heaped on their heads. This was not a new concept; Proverbs
24:17-20 teaches the same principle. Jesus was not creating a new concept for
the New Testament, but was clarifying a principle that existed in the Old
Testament that was not being applied correctly. The Old Testament and the New
Testament assist us in understanding God better; they are not describing two
completely different gods, but they help us better understand different
characteristics of the same god. God is a god of justice and mercy, of
punishment and forgiveness, and of love and of hate.
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools
despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 8:12-15 "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge and
discretion. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the
evil way and the perverse mouth I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am
understanding, I have strength. By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice.”
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, and the fear of the Lord is
to hate evil. Hating evil is not something a Christian should be afraid of, nor
should a Christian feel guilty about it. A normal person should be repulsed by
evil. As we will cover in this section, hating evil is clearly taught in the Old
Testament and is reaffirmed throughout the New Testament.
The concepts that a Christian needs to understand is discernment and balance.
The New Testament contains many verses teaching us to love our neighbors and
brethren, but it also teaches us to hate evil. As Christians we are not supposed
to walk around full of hate and anger, but at the same time we are not to reject
common sense or the concepts of justice and judgment in an effort to walk around
trying to love people whose actions clearly warrant a sense of revulsion,
disgust, or hatred. We are to seek wisdom and discretion, so that we can
accurately balance the concepts of hating evil, loving good, and establishing
justice.
Amos 5:14-15 Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; So the Lord God of host
will be with you, as you have spoken. Hate evil, love good, and establish
justice in the gate.
Psalm 37:27-28 Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore. For the
Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; they are preserved forever,
but the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.
Romans 12:9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
The principles of hating evil, loving good, and establishing justice are found
in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. If a Christian truly wishes to
be conformed to the image of God (Romans 8:29), then he/she should seek to
accurately handle these teachings (2 Timothy 2:15).
Psalm 11:5 The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves
violence His soul hates.
Psalm 97:10 You who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His
saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Revelations 2:2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you
cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are
apostles and are not, and have found them liars”
If you love the Lord (or fear/respect/honor Him) then you should hate evil. By
doing so, we meld the characteristics of God with our own. God tests the
righteous and the wicked. While we live on earth, we are given a choice between
good and evil and life and death (Deuteronomy 30:15) – it is up to us to make
the correct decisions.
The choice between good and evil is a basic test that we may face many times in
our lifetimes. When we are confronted by evil, God observes how we respond to
it, and how we treat our fellow man. God judges everyone according to their
deeds, and He is aware of our individual works and labors. As Christians we are
to use our judgment and discernment appropriately; we should seek a balance in
our feelings of love, hate, and the need to establish justice, and we are to
identify and not bear/tolerate evil.
Revelations 2:6 “But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans,
which I also hate.”
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and
love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You
cannot serve God and mammon.”
Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife
and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My
disciple.”
Matthew10:34-38 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not
come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his
father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her
mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ “He
who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves
son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his
cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”
John 12:25 “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in
this world will keep it for eternal life.”
Jesus included a righteous aspect of hate within His teachings. When speaking to
one of the churches in the Book of Revelations, Christ commended the church on
their hate, and confirmed that He too hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans. Jesus
also taught the need for His would-be followers to hate their previous sinful
lifestyles as a prerequisite for being one of His disciples.
Christ was not teaching people to hate their family members without cause, but
was stressing the need to hate the person’s previous sinful lifestyle; and not
to forsake the path of salvation over feelings of love for earthly family
members (Micah 7:6-7). Everyone works out their own salvations and will be
judged according to their own deeds; if avoiding unrighteous family members is
necessary for a person’s salvation, then that is a sacrifice they might be
required to make. It is better to enter the kingdom with one eye than it is to
have both eyes and be cast into hell (Matthew 5:29).
Like some of Christ’s other teachings, the teaching to hate father and mother,
wife and child, and brother and sister was limited to the singular concept of a
person truly hating his/her life of sin, and recognizing the need to make a
change. Christ’s teachings cause conflict, adversity, and arguments within
households, and Christ warned his would–be followers not to give up their
salvations because of the love they feel for family members who might disagree
with them. Elsewhere, the Bible instructs husbands to love their wives
(Ephesians 5:25), and Jesus stated that He came so that not only will Christians
have life, but also that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:10). They
are also promised that all things will work together for their good, as long as
they follow God’s commandments (Romans 8:28).
Psalm 26:5 I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked.
Psalm 31:6 I hate those who regard vain idols, but I trust in the LORD.
Psalm 101:3-4 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those
who fall away; it shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will not know wickedness.
Psalm 119:101 I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep
Your word. I have not departed from Your judgments, For You Yourself have taught
me. How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.
Psalm 119:158 I behold the treacherous and loathe them, because they do not keep
Your word.
Psalm 119:163 I hate and abhor lying, but I love Your law.
Psalm 139:21 Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And do I not loathe those
who rise up against You? I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my
enemies.
King David was a man after God’s own heart, and God praised David for being one
of His most faithful servants (1 King 14:8). He hated and rejected the
evildoers, and he trusted in the Lord. He was faithful to God’s commandments and
gained understanding through God’s precepts. He hated God’s enemies with a
‘perfect hatred.’
Psalm 45:5-7 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies; whereby
the people fall under thee. Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter
of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate
wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness
more than Your companions.
Hebrews 1:8-9 But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom. You have loved
righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”
Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination
to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart
that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false
witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.
The verses from the Book of Hebrews (above) provide a testimony by God about
Jesus, which first appeared in the Book of Psalms. Psalm 45:5-7 speaks of Jesus
establishing justice by directing sharp arrows into the hearts of His enemies,
and goes on to say that He had earned God’s favor by His love of righteousness
and His hate of wickedness. Proverbs 6:16-19 describes six things that God
hates. God hates: Pride (Proverbs 16:4-5), Lying, Murder (shedding innocent
blood), an Evil Heart, Sinning (engaging in evil), Perjury, and Subverting the
brethren (false prophets/wolves in sheep’s clothing).
This list of things that God hates corresponds with verses regarding the types
of sins that will cause people to be damned. Lying, murder, and bearing false
witness are all included in 1 Timothy 1:8-11, and lying and murder are included
in Revelations 21:7-8, 22:15. Murder also appears in the list of sins (works of
the flesh) in Galatians 5:19-21, along with ‘hatred.’
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,
fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions,
jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy,
murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand,
just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will
not inherit the kingdom of God.
Murder and lying are clearly grave sins that Christians should avoid. Lying may
not seem as great of a sin as murder within today’s culture, but clearly God
hates liars and lumps them together with the murderers, sorcerers, adulterers,
and kidnappers.
Hatred is also included in the above list, because even though we are supposed
to hate evil, we are not to be consumed with hatred. “Hatred stirs up strife,
but love covers all sins (Proverbs 10:12).” Clearly Jesus hated wickedness
(Hebrews 1:8-9), and in many of His parables He spoke of bringing the evildoers
to justice. Yet, Jesus did not walk around consumed with hate. Hating evil and
loving good must be done with balance and discernment.
John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I
have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you
are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
1 John 2:9-11 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in
darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is
no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and
walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has
blinded his eyes.
1 John 3:11-16 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that
we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered
his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his
brother’s righteous. Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. We know
that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who
does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a
murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this
we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay
down our lives for the brethren.
Leviticus 19:17-18 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall
surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take
vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you
shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”
Luke 17:3 “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke
him; and if he repents, forgive him.”
Christians are commanded not to hate their fellow disciples (1 John 4:20).
Loving the brethren is the mark of a Christian, and Christians should not hate
one another. By hating each other, they prove through their actions that they
are not Christians, because Jesus specifically commanded us to love our
brethren. Dealing with others with who we share a common religion with us has
not changed since the Old Testament, and the Leviticus verse above sums up the
teaching – we are not to hate our brethren, but if one of our brethren is
committing a sin (that is causing us to hate him) then we are to rebuke him in
order to correct his bad behavior (which would actually be an act of love).
1 King 3:9-12 “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge
Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge
this great people of Yours?” The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked
this thing. Then God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing, and have
not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have
asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to
discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words…”
God granted King Solomon’s appeal for wisdom – so that he might discern between
good and evil and administer justice – because Solomon’s unselfish request was
pleasing to God. God wants His people to choose good over evil and to establish
justice on earth. God does not want evil to run rampant upon the earth, “For I,
the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery…(Isaiah 61:8).” As much as it is within
our power, we should, “Remove violence and plundering, execute justice and
righteousness, and stop dispossessing My people: says the Lord God…(Ezekiel
45:9).”
Genesis 6:5-6 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the
earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He
was grieved in His heart.
Isaiah 59:15-16 So truth fails, and he who departs from evil makes himself a
prey. Then the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice. He
saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor;
Amos 5:13 Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time, for it is an evil
time.
Proverbs 21:13-15 Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry
himself and not be heard. It is a joy for the just to do justice, but
destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.
Habakkuk 1:2-4 O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out
to You, “Violence!” and You will not save. Why do You show me iniquity, and
cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; there is
strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never
goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment
proceeds…
A lack of justice on the earth displeases God, and allowing evil to run rampant
within society is what led to the flood in Noah’s time (Genesis 6:7). If we
allow evil to flourish within society – or in the world for that matter –
eventually it will reach a point where there will be no justice, the prudent
will keep silent, and those who depart from evil will fall victim to it. If we
shut our ears to the cries of the helpless, then no one will come to save us
when we cry for help.
It should be, “a joy for the just to do justice”, and evildoers should not be
allowed to act with impunity. Christians are to lead quiet and peaceable lives
(1 Thessalonians 4:11) in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, but we
are also supposed to shine as lights in the world (Philippians 2:15). We should
set an example of truth, justice, and peace (Zechariah 8:16) through our
behavior (1 Timothy 4:12, Titus 2:6-8, 1 Peter 2:12), and support our earthly
rulers as they punish the evildoers and praise those who do good (1 Peter 2:14).
Christians are to, “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness,
but rather expose them (Ephesians 5:11).” We need to, “stand against the wiles
of the devil”, that we might, “be able to withstand in the evil day, and having
done all, to stand (Ephesians 6:11-12).” The world has many evildoers in it, and
if Christians are unwilling to take a stand against them, then who is going to?
Isaiah 56:1 Thus says the Lord: “Keep justice, and do righteousness...”
Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; defend the
fatherless, Plead for the widow.
Psalm 82:3-4 Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and
needy. Deliver the poor and needy; free them from the hand of the wicked.
Jeremiah 21:12 ‘O house of David! Thus say the Lord: “Execute judgment in the
morning; and deliver him who is plundered out of the hand of the oppressor, lest
My fury go forth like fire and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the
evil of your doings.
Zechariah 7:9-10 “Thus says the Lord of Hosts: “Execute true justice, Show mercy
and compassion everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the
fatherless, the alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart
against his brother.”
Zechariah 8:16-17 “These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth
to his neighbor; Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace; Let
none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor and do not love a
false oath. For all these are things that I hate, ‘Says the Lord.”
Executing justice in the land and standing up for those in need are lessons that
were clearly taught in the Old Testament. Coming to the aid of the oppressed was
echoed in the New Testament in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke
10:30-37). Christians are allowed to defend themselves, their families, and
their brethren (Luke 22:36, Romans 12:18, Proverbs 6:5, John 10:10), but they
are not allowed to seek their own revenge (Romans 12:19). If a Christian has
been wronged, he/she should have faith in God’s promises, and trust that God is
a god of justice and will render His righteous judgment against the wicked at
the appointed time (Romans 9:21-23).
Matthew 25:44-46 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see
you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not
minister to you?’ “Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you,
inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to
Me.’ “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into
eternal life.”
Right now, as you are reading this, someone is being raped. Another person will
be raped within the next two minutes, and another, two minutes after that. Every
40 seconds someone will be assaulted with a deadly weapon. A home is burglarized
every 18 seconds, and one act of domestic violence occurs each minute. A child
is abused and/or neglected every 35 seconds, and someone is murdered every 31
minutes. The proceeding statistics were taken from the Department of Justice’s
2009 Crime Clock (1), and only reflect the crimes taking place in the United
States.
Elsewhere in the world, each year, “an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 men, women,
and children are trafficked across international borders…70 percent are female
and 50 percent are children. The majority of these victims are forced into the
commercial sex trade (2).” Terrorism, ethnic cleansing, genocide, and other
crimes against humanity are also widespread and ongoing throughout the world.
People are starving on the streets, being forced into prostitution, dying
unnecessarily of treatable diseases, and/or are being dispossessed of their
homes by tyrants or natural disasters. All of these things are taking place
right now, in the world we live in. Are you doing anything about it?
When the Bible tells us to “defend the poor and fatherless” it is telling us to
stand up for those who are unable to stand up for themselves. The fact that
someone is not poor or if someone does have a father, should not be a
disqualifying factor. Common sense would dictate that at the time, the fathers,
and the people with wealth, were standing up for themselves and their children.
Christians should defend themselves and their families, but should also seek to
help those who are in need – those who do not have a defender or lack the
ability to defend themselves.
If a Christian wants to take a more active role in the fight against evil
(criminals, terrorists, genocides, tyrants, etc…) he/she can serve in the
military or within the criminal justice system, and be one of, “God’s minister(s)
to you for good” and serve as, “an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices
evil (Romans 13:4).” Not all of the jobs in the military involve firing weapons
at bad guys; there are also people who build bridges/buildings, work in public
affairs offices to aid foreign citizens, serve as doctors/nurses/dentists, and
even as chaplains. In the criminal justice system there are prosecuting
attorneys, case workers, guards, and law enforcement officers. Law enforcement
officers exist at the local, state, and federal levels, and there are different
duties in each of the sections – such as finding missing children, fighting
against drugs or human trafficking, tracking down murderers, or teaching
communities how they can better secure their homes or neighborhoods against
crime.
You do not need to change careers or work fulltime at fighting evil and
establishing justice. There are many ways that you can support your fellow man,
and make the world a better/safer place by volunteering in your local
communities (3). There are volunteer opportunities that support battered women
and/or abused children, and opportunities at rape crisis centers and suicide
hotlines (4). There are also opportunities within the field of Emergency
Management – such as the Community Emergency Response Team (5), whose members
come to the aid of their neighbors following natural disasters.
There are many nonprofit organizations you can support financially that champion
causes, such as, rescuing child prostitutes from the streets (6), providing dogs
to assist the handicap (7), preventing child abuse/molestation (8), or
supporting the parents of murdered children (9). Christians can lobby, protest,
or propagate causes and issues of concern to them, and can fight evil and make
the world a better place by letting their voices be heard on blogs, social
networking sites, personal websites, community newsletters, and so on.
1 Peter 3:11-13 “Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and
pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open
to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
Revelations 20:12-15 and I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing
before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is
the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in
the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in
it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were
judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were
thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if
anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the
lake of fire.
The lesson of this path is to understand justice; both as it relates to God and
as in regards to our earthly duties of establishing it within our societies.
Faith without works is dead (James 2:20). When we finally do face judgment, we
will be judged according to our deeds (the things that we have actually done),
and not by our understanding of concepts. God is a god of justice, but He also
expects us to do our parts.
Web References
(1) http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw2009/pdf/crime_clock_hr.pdf
(2) http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/ncvrw/2005/pg5l.html, 2005
(3) http://www.volunteermatch.org
(4) http://volopps.rainn.org
(5) http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert
(6) http://www.childrenofthenight.org
(7) http://www.dogsforthedeaf.org
(8) http://www.childhelp.org
(9) http://www.pomc.com