What is justice?
First, some quick context...
We possess a biblical worldview. This is to say that we see all life’s circumstances through the lens of scripture. Whether parenting, work, or relationships, we process all things with the context of what the bible says is true and is false. Because all worldview’s dictate how people interpret life, our biblical worldview dictates how we view justice. If you do not have a biblical worldview, please hang on for a moment longer. Our hope is that you will experience some of the same views of justice that fuel your fight to end racism and racial inequity. Our mission is not limited to people who share our worldview.
We possess a biblical worldview. This is to say that we see all life’s circumstances through the lens of scripture. Whether parenting, work, or relationships, we process all things with the context of what the bible says is true and is false. Because all worldview’s dictate how people interpret life, our biblical worldview dictates how we view justice. If you do not have a biblical worldview, please hang on for a moment longer. Our hope is that you will experience some of the same views of justice that fuel your fight to end racism and racial inequity. Our mission is not limited to people who share our worldview.
justice [juhs-tis]
when wrong things are made right.
when wrong things are made right.
The biblical reference for justice is dynamic. The bible describes justice in 2 ways, doing justice and being just. Both terms and their meaning are essential for pursuing biblical justice. Doing justice (mishpat) means providing equal punishment for wrongdoing. Being just (tzadeqah), sometimes translated to ‘being righteous’, means to care for other’s full needs, or to live in perfect unity. The bible makes justice a relational term. When considering the full view of biblical justice, making things right must be both punitive and restorative. We must pursue equal punishment for wrongdoers, and we must pursue the building up of relationships between people and with their creator.
The need for justice requires an injustice. Injustices are the ‘wrongs’ that must be made right. Within the context of a biblical worldview, we know that injustice is a sin, and therefore, the need for biblical justice is predicated on the act of a sin. A critical factor in our pursuit for justice is to ensure that the injustice we fight is in fact a sin. We know that prejudice, specifically prejudice based on ethnicity or skin color is a sin. This prejudice (racism, implicit or explicit), and the injustices it produces has no place in God’s Kingdom and must be fought with biblical justice.
From the beginning, we learn that God is as God of justice. Justice is rooted in His character and nature. God cannot allow wrong things to stay wrong, and through His justice restores people to Him and to each other. This is our mission.
The need for justice requires an injustice. Injustices are the ‘wrongs’ that must be made right. Within the context of a biblical worldview, we know that injustice is a sin, and therefore, the need for biblical justice is predicated on the act of a sin. A critical factor in our pursuit for justice is to ensure that the injustice we fight is in fact a sin. We know that prejudice, specifically prejudice based on ethnicity or skin color is a sin. This prejudice (racism, implicit or explicit), and the injustices it produces has no place in God’s Kingdom and must be fought with biblical justice.
From the beginning, we learn that God is as God of justice. Justice is rooted in His character and nature. God cannot allow wrong things to stay wrong, and through His justice restores people to Him and to each other. This is our mission.
For more detail on the 5 characteristics of biblical justice: tenets-of-justice.html