4.2 | Kingdom justice

IV | JUSTICE

Justice is integral to the Kingdom and the mission of the Church. The Bible is filled with inferences to justice.

“Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.” // Isaiah 1:17

“Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.” // Amos 5:24

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” // Micah 6:8

When these verses speak of justice, they use the Hebrew word mishpat – מִשְׁפָּט – pronounced mish-pawt. This is a legal term like the English word judgment, as in a legal case. This brings us back to the Kingdom. True justice in a Kingdom is the king’s justice. When the Bible refers to justice, it refers to doing what is right and good in God’s eyes. This was modeled throughout the ancient world. In Acts 25, Paul appeals to have a trial decided by the emperor, the highest ruler of the Roman Empire. That was his right as a Roman citizen. Many believe that Paul tried his case before Nero and was found innocent by the emperor.

Kingdom justice is not defined by a group, culture, jury, or judge. It is defined by the ruler of the kingdom.

How can we seek Kingdom justice? We can behave in a just manner. To behave in a just manner is to act in a manner consistent with the rules of the Kingdom. God has defined justice for us, and his expectation is that we will live justly. Throughout scripture God shows us how we should live – specifically, through the life of Jesus. The better we get at living like him, the more we will partner with God in seeing justice happen in our world.

Romans 12 in the New Testament paints a picture of Kingdom justice. This chapter can help us answer the same questions we asked about critical justice.

It is always important as we consider the Kingdom worldview that we look to Scripture. I encourage you to read Romans 12 in full and see God’s design for justice. Now let’s break down the brief answers above.

What is my identity? A gift from God.

“Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.” // Romans 12:4-5

The Church is not a place; the Church is people. The Greek word for church, ekklesia, simply means a gathering. So not only are we made in God’s image, but he has made us special as a gift from him to other people. Each one of us is unique and special. Our identity is found in the unique gifts, abilities, personality, and experiences of each one of us. The groups we belong to may help shape us, but they don’t define us. We make our own choices and establish our values, and ultimately, God defines our identity.

What is the cause of injustice? Pride.

“Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.”// Romans 12:3

C.S. Lewis refers to pride in his book Mere Christianity: “The essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind” (Lewis 2015, 109).

What is pride? Pride is when we make life all about us. But it is not just arrogance. Pride can also take the form of insecurity. When I’m insecure, I’m also thinking only about myself. I may be thinking about how useless and awful I am, but I’m still thinking only about me. The greatest cause of injustice in the world, according to the Kingdom, is selfish people like you and me thinking only about ourselves.

Who has the power? God.

‘Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD.’ // Romans 12:19

Psalm 103:6 says that “the LORD gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly.” Matthew 12:18 quotes Isaiah 42 when referring to Jesus: “Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.”

Scripture teaches that if we have a Kingdom worldview, we admit that God has all the power. Not us. God will ultimately see that justice is done on earth and in eternity. Yes, we have earthly courts, laws, and governments. But these things will never bring about true justice. Only God can do that. We must do our best to live justly and hold people accountable to the rules that govern society. We must not, however, think that we are the final say on what justice is or should be.

How should I respond to evil? By doing good.

“Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” Don’t let evil conquer you but conquer evil by doing good.” // Romans 12:20-21

Romans 12 offers a stark reminder that a Kingdom worldview is inhuman and challenging to the core. The Kingdom response to evil is doing good to those who do evil towards us. Jesus makes this even clearer in Matthew 5:

“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow. You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” // Matthew 5:38-48

The perfection Jesus is talking about is perfect love. The Kingdom response to the evil we experience is the love of God expressed through our actions.

What is justice? Personal transformation.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” // Romans 12:2

Kingdom justice only happens when you and I allow God to work in our lives. Therefore, we must be wholehearted in our pursuit of a Kingdom worldview. In order for us to obtain a Kingdom worldview, our thinking, attitudes and actions must first be radically transformed. God has a plan for us, and he has a plan for the world. God’s plan is the ultimate expression of justice. He has created us to play a role in that plan: to be used by him to bring justice – his way of doing things – everywhere we go. We may be citizens of a Kingdom now, but we have been sent as emissaries to earth. We must represent the Kingdom through our lives, and that requires a just life, a life of transforming into a new person. Justice in the Kingdom begins and ends with the only thing that we can control, ourselves.