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How Justice Works


Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom 

          I recently read an interesting article about justice. The author pointed out that if you modify the word justice, you have perverted the concept and are no longer talking about justice. "Social justice" is a special kind of justice that trumps all other justice. In the name of social justice, you can steal, riot, loot.... 
         The good news is that when you talk about the justice that God demands, you're not talking about some special kind of justice. I have to admit, I have a skewed sense of justice. I tend to think that those who agree with me are more just than those who don't.  I say it's because what I say agrees with Scripture (and it does tend to) and if I'm wrong, you're welcome to show me from Scripture how I'm wrong. The problem is that I don't like to leave justice entirely up to God. I want to go easier on some folks (like whatever people I'm talking to) and harder on others (about whom I'm talking, but not to whom I'm talking.) I am not equal in my words and my deeds.
           Some people like to think that if you're good deeds outweigh or outnumber your bad deeds, that you are just. If you are 51% innocent or just and 49% evil or guilty, you've made the grade. Oddly, that's not the way courts work. If you are declared guilty of any of the charges made against you, you are punished, even though you were exonerated of 99 other charges. The only way to escape that punishment or to be found just is if someone else confesses to the crime. That's what Jesus did. I am not just because I never do anything wrong. I am just because Jesus accepted the blame. Those who hold on to their crimes, who do not accept His offer to accept that blame have to face the eternal consequences.  

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