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What Is Biblical Justice?

What Is Biblical Justice?

Have you ever longed for justice?

Perhaps a burglar broke out your car window and stole the newly installed radio from your car. Or maybe somebody cruelly harmed your loved one. Whatever happened, you hoped that the perp would be found so that he could “face the courts of justice.”

Of course, you often hear politicians talk about pursuing terrorists to “bring them to justice” for their murderous acts. And former prosecutors seeking public office often campaign on the number of criminals they “brought to justice” during their tenure. In each case, they view justice as a karma-like punishment—evildoers “get justice” through an act of legal retribution.

However, this common way of viewing “justice” is, well, not biblical. Yet it has become ingrained in our culture and, sadly, it has infected the way Christians view justice. While Jesus said to Pilate that His government was not like this world’s governments, many Christians mistakenly represent God’s methods as being no different than those of the world. (See John 18:36.)

What Is Justice?

 

Justice is doing what is right, which is determined by the laws of a given society or entity. For instance, it is quite just in our culture to punch someone in the face during a boxing match, but it’s quite unjust to do so in a game of baseball.

Biblical justice is determined by God’s laws, which are design laws—the protocols upon which reality is designed to function, much like the laws of physics, health, and love. Deviations from His laws are damaging and require Him to heal and restore, lest death ensue.

Humans, on the other hand, cannot make space, time, life, nor the laws upon which reality operates, so we make up arbitrary rules that we must then actively enforce by threats of punishment.

God’s Justice
Now, with this in mind, let’s set the record straight about God’s justice, which is an expression of His character of selfless love. God is love—His nature, His character, His being is love! And love operates by always seeking to heal and restore. Deviations with God’s design laws will always result in death if God does not intervene to heal and restore. Therefore, biblical justice is exactly opposite of that of the justice of the world. And for that, we can be thankful.

Take a close look at these passages:

  • “Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy” (Psalm 82:3).
  • “Wash yourselves clean. Stop all this evil that I see you doing. Yes, stop doing evil and learn to do right. See that justice is done—help those who are oppressed, give orphans their rights, and defend widows” (Isaiah 1:16, 17 GN)
  • “The LORD is waiting to be kind to you. He rises to have compassion on you. The LORD is a God of justice” (Isaiah 30:18).
  • “This is what the LORD says to the dynasty of David: ‘Give justice each morning to the people you judge! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors’ ” (Jeremiah 21:12 NLT).

What do you see? Is justice punishing the oppressors—or delivering the oppressed? In Psalm 82:3, it’s clear that justice is done to the afflicted and the needy. Justice is defending the poor and fatherless. In Isaiah 30:18, justice is linked to God’s kindness and compassion, which is the outflow of His good self, the source of life, and that healing intervention is always the right and just action for God to take.

Thus, biblical justice is delivering the oppressed—not punishing the oppressor.

What Went Wrong?
So where did the idea originate that justice is about punishing the oppressor—rather than about delivering the oppressed, as the Bible models it?

When Constantine converted centuries ago, Christianity became infected with Imperial Rome’s view of law. For them, God’s law is like Rome’s law, imposed by a powerful ruler over his subjects to control behavior and test obedience.

Christianity lost the truth that God’s law is the law upon which life is built: the law of love. God’s law is the design principle upon which life is constructed to operate. It works like the law of respiration—if you break this law by refusing to breathe, you will die.

Consider these two ideas of God’s law closely—the design protocol upon which life is built or an imposed set of arbitrary laws. Then consider what justice looks like: What is the just action when either type of law is broken?

If you saw a loved one, depressed and suicidal, jump off a building, and you had the opportunity to intervene, what would be the “just” or “right” action for you to take? Would you grab a gun and shoot them as they fall in order to inflict punishment for breaking the law of good health? O would you inflate a large air mattress to save them?

What if you walked into a room and saw a suicidal stranger who had just hanged himself, now dangling from a rope, thereby breaking the law of respiration—what would be the “just” or “right” action to take? Would it be “right” or “just” to pour gasoline on them and burn them to punish them for breaking the law of respiration? 

Or would it be “just” or “right” to cut the rope in order to save them?

According to the Bible, this is justice—to deliver or save the oppressed! Breaking God’s law automatically results in death, unless the Designer intervenes to heal and restore. Thus we find God, working through Christ, not to punish sinners, but to deliver those oppressed by sin!

Freedom in Justice
When we accept Imperial Rome’s version of God’s law as nothing more than a set of imposed laws, we actually distort the Divine character and teach that when the law gets broken, God must use His power to inflict punishment upon lawbreakers. God’s justice is no longer seen as delivering the oppressed, but as hunting down and destroying the oppressors. And this causes people to seek protection from God rather than healing from sin.

God is love – His nature, His law, is love. Don’t be fooled by the values of a sinful world. Return to a God of genuine justice, a God who loved the world so much He sent His only Son, not to condemn the world, but to deliver the oppressed through Him! (See John 3:16, 17.)

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Testimony 41

I have been blessed by your ministry. I have experienced personally, and deeply resonate with, the God of love and the beautiful picture of God’s character that you present. I have seen your seminar series on YouTube, read ‘The Journal of the Watcher’ book, used your mobile app, and also listen/study the bible study lesson with you each week. I concur with many of the thoughts and perspectives that you share. I understand your conclusions on natural laws vs imposed law and the legal/penal substitution (incorrect diagnosis). This makes perfect sense to me.

Bless you for all you do.

Melissa L.

 

Testimony 30

God lead me to your book “The God-Shaped Brain” while I was searching for another book about the brain and then to your interview about your book on HeartWise Ministries [where] I found out about [Come And Reason Ministries]. I’m now devouring the webcasts of your Bible studies. I have been so greatly blessed and I thank God so much for your courage to speak the Truth in love no matter what. Listening to you contrast the two opposing systems (laws) and digging deep to unearth the hidden treasures in the Bible makes me so incredibly happy and I feel very blessed to be part of your Bible Study Group although I live far away. I am just so excited that there is a group of people that is spreading the Truth about the character of God and it saddens me how few realize what our Father in Heaven is really like.

Kessy B., Australia

 

Testimony 33

I was invited over a friend’s house to see the “God and Your Brain” seminar today. I became [a christian] 36 years ago at the age of 19, but have struggled with the concept of God taking His ‘pound of flesh’ out on His Son to be appeased. Wow. Your seminar has been an incredible revelation and breath of reason and fresh air! I have your book, “The God Shaped Brain,” and it is SO eye opening. Finally, after 36 years enlightenment has come! Praise the Good Lord! What can I say, but that the Real Gospel is truly “Good News!” Thank you for your efforts in giving the Gospel a clear sound!

Paul C.,  Springfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 72

I am blown away by the truth that you present. God’s Design Law makes so much sense! You have validated my impression that, if God is love, He would not kill those who don’t want to know him. If God gives us choice, then how can He destroy us if our choice is not to follow him. Thank you for opening my eyes and heart to the pure love of God seen through Jesus. The love I now have for Jesus is deeper and free from condemnation. My heart has been opened to love others as Jesus loves me. May God continue to bless your God-given insight into His word and your ministry. The truth has set me free!

H. Miller, Centereach, NY

Testimony 60

Just watched watched lesson 10 in the 1st quarter 2021 bible study classs on Isaiah. I want to thank you for your intellectual spirituality; it’s not an oxymoron! From the point of view of a teacher I also enjoy seeing how much personal pleasure you clearly take in not just tasting, but feasting on God’s word – it reminds me of Jeremiah not being able to hold it in! It makes me smile that your cup is so full and overflowing that you make it to Tuesday’s lesson (on a good day). It just goes to show the richness of God’s Word.

God bless the Come and Reason Team from our church here in Great Britain.

Andrew H., Great Britain

 

Testimony 57

You have helped make sense of thirty two years of confusion. The material you freely provide reorganized so much of my life into such a beautiful pattern that has always been hinted at from within, but misguided with my training and what I was experiencing externally. My filipno parents, who were converted from Catholicism to SDA, were sincere and did their best to raise me the right way and I have deep respect for them. However, being immigrants and not understanding the language made for a difficult transition as I was growing up, which also applied to my spiritual growth as I learned the patterns of religion. I have been listening to as many bible study classes and reading blog posts as my time in a work truck will allow, searching for the practical applications of where spirituality and reality meet, and I thank you for helping me find that. You have helped me reach a point in which I can truly say that I love God, that I believe He loves me, and, like David, I delight in His law. God bless.

Emmanuel V., Calgary, AB Canada

Testimony 6

I got the book “Could It Be This Simple?” a few months ago and the reading was wonderful and I was fascinated. I lent the book to a friend at work. She is having a difficult time and the book is helping her to find Jesus and I found this very exciting. She has asked me questions and I can see her life changing.

H. S., Australia

 

Testimony 25

I just want to say thank you so much for your conversations via YouTube. I regularly tune in to your lectures, “Let’s Talk” sessions, and many others. Through these I’ve found greater depth and meaning to God’s word. Thanks for all that you do and please continue. I’m currently working in the middle of Silicon Valley at Stanford University. I feel like God really has me in the right place right now and I’m sensing that your teachings might be part of it.

B. F., Silicon Valley, CA, USA

 

Testimony 2

I continue to enjoy your lessons every week. The more that I research your conclusions, the more I am convinced that the Holy Spirit has lead you to distill out the essence of human redemption. Thank you for your courageous stand for the truth.

S. G., TX, USA

 

Testimony 51

I Love This Ministry!!!!!!! I see first hand how this message is desperately needed, how erroneous beliefs about God and His Character negatively affect humanity at every level. I thank God for your ministry, as I was searching on my own and was discovering some of your same beliefs and was blown away when I found your ministry. I know you hear it all the time, but it is truly life changing. May God continue to reveal His Will to you and Bless you!

Eric S., Sanford, FL, USA

 

Testimony 52

Your unique way in spreading the truth is what we all need today. Most of us don’t recognize the contamination coming from all the lies and selfishness in the world. Because of our fear of death, we forgot how to live. Lies left and right. I was losing hope and faith, because of so many ideas that are always contradicting each other – so many questions answered by other, more complicated, questions – until I found your channel on YouTube.

You did not just give me answers, you also taught me how to answer new questions that arise in my mind. Now I see things differently. I see God’s mercy, grace, and Love everywhere, in spite of all the chaos that we all have done as humans. I don’t fear death anymore. Accepting the Truth and Love about God is truly a genuine Freedom from all the confusions, sufferings, selfishness, pain, and death.

I just wanted to say, thank you, sooooo much for revealing the real Remedy for our infected life. I have a new hope and now see the world in a different perspective!

Wheinny P., University Place, WA, USA

 

Testimony 26

Your teachings about our heavenly Father have changed my life. Thank you sooooooo very very much! I know He’s doing some serious healing in my heart and life and I look forward to each new day to learn something new about Him and to just hear you speak about Him. Thank you, forever.

Nancy S.

 

Testimony 46

Over the past couple of years God has been expanding my view of Himself and His character. Along my approximately 40-year journey, I have often had questions, but was hesitant to voice these and step outside the traditionally accepted thinking, for fear of admitting that I may in fact be eternally lost. In the recesses of my thinking has been the thought – if one blindly accepts (which is widely regarded as “real faith”) and does not question, is this really ‘truth?’ I often find it challenging to grapple with very theological ‘speak,’ but Dr. Jennings has a real gift of explaining spiritual concepts with clear practical examples. The weekly discussions are growing my Christian experience and slowly changing my view of how to live as a child of God in today’s complex world. Finally the whole Old Testament sanctuary teaching moved in my mind from fantasy to reality!

Beverly S., South Africa

 

Testimony 22

I have found your Bible study class lectures to be very inspiring and useful as I prepare to teach class every other week. I subscribe to the podcast and download your notes on the weeks I teach. The audio and notes are such a great help in preparing. My own understanding of God’s character has grown as I teach the class. Commendations on the thought-provoking and well-prepared material Come and Reason provides. Personally, I get excited by the tie you make between the spiritual and mental/physical domains.

A.A. Corrales, NM, USA

 

Testimony 71

When I was 9 years old, I remember setting at our devotional table with a hunger and thirst for God that wanted more, deeper, BETTER. I can remember literally crying and pounding on the table, “I know these teachers didn’t mean to give us error. They taught what THEY had been TAUGHT, but didn’t ANYBODY READ THE BOOK?!?!?” It mattered to me then. It mattered to me as a teenager. It matters now as I teach bible classes. It didn’t have to be so hard as I watched so many give up and lay God’s great plan and gift of salvation aside as being “impossible.” Then, a friend sent me a link to Come And Reason’s website. I grew excited. YES! FINALLY! Then another friend told me to stay away, saying her son had just broken up with a girl because she was involved with Come And Reason and that “Tim Jennings preaches a false gospel.” But, AFTER many years of developing an authentic and, dare I say FUN relationship with Jesus, through the Holy Spirit I see this message has been around a LONG time, since the apostle Paul, Ellen White, Graham Maxwell, Ray Foucher, and yourself (though I admit, you’ve made me back up, rewind and replay the clips, and get out my well-worn Bible on a few things.) I’m so thankful I have found LIGHT during these DARK days. I am not alone.

Vicki DiNitto