Judgment and Justice for All
In the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America we say, "One nation Under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." I have been saying that all of my life, and I believe that we should be striving to have liberty and justice for everyone in our country. In the reign of King David he administered judgment and justice for all of his people. (I Chronicles 18:14) This morning I was struck by the similarity and the differences between these two statements.
Liberty is freedom, but it is not license to do whatever we want to do. Some people want the liberty to do whatever they want to do as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else. That is inviting for a freedom loving people like Americans, but it is not a correct position. We should be free to do what is right, and we should be punished for doing what is wrong. That is judgment. When people abide by the laws of God or the laws of a country, there is freedom. When they act sinfully and disrespect laws, there is anarchy, and the rights of others are trampled. That is why we must have judgment, and it is best if it is according to God's laws.
Justice is righteousness. It is relating to people in the way God wants us to relate. This is true for the government of any organization or country. If we practice unrighteousness, there is no justice. Therefore, we have to practice the principles and commands of God's laws to enact true justice. God is always just, and if we follow His laws, we will be just. That is what David did as the king of God's people. It is what we should do today.
This is true even in America, because all truth is God's truth. Therefore, all righteousness is living according to God's truth. We have missed the judgment and justice we should have in the United States whenever we have refused to obey God's truth. To have real liberty and justice for all, we must return to God and submit to His will and His ways. Anything less will not achieve that goal.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Chronicles 20-22.
Liberty is freedom, but it is not license to do whatever we want to do. Some people want the liberty to do whatever they want to do as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else. That is inviting for a freedom loving people like Americans, but it is not a correct position. We should be free to do what is right, and we should be punished for doing what is wrong. That is judgment. When people abide by the laws of God or the laws of a country, there is freedom. When they act sinfully and disrespect laws, there is anarchy, and the rights of others are trampled. That is why we must have judgment, and it is best if it is according to God's laws.
Justice is righteousness. It is relating to people in the way God wants us to relate. This is true for the government of any organization or country. If we practice unrighteousness, there is no justice. Therefore, we have to practice the principles and commands of God's laws to enact true justice. God is always just, and if we follow His laws, we will be just. That is what David did as the king of God's people. It is what we should do today.
This is true even in America, because all truth is God's truth. Therefore, all righteousness is living according to God's truth. We have missed the judgment and justice we should have in the United States whenever we have refused to obey God's truth. To have real liberty and justice for all, we must return to God and submit to His will and His ways. Anything less will not achieve that goal.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Chronicles 20-22.