God’s heart is deeply grieved by systems and actions that deprive the vulnerable of their rights. He issues a sobering warning to those who create or uphold unjust laws, especially when these laws oppress the poor, widows, and orphans. No one is beyond God’s reach, and all will one day give an account for how they treated others, particularly those who could not defend themselves. This truth should humble anyone in a position of influence or authority, reminding us that God’s justice is not only a future reality but a present call to act rightly. [10:33]
Isaiah 10:1-4 (ESV)
Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression, to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey! What will you do on the day of punishment, in the ruin that will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth? Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners or fall among the slain. For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.
Reflection: Is there a situation where you have overlooked or ignored injustice toward someone vulnerable? What would it look like to take one step today to advocate for their rights?
Justice is not a human invention or a shifting social ideal; it flows from the very character of God. He is the ultimate standard of what is right and fair, and His ways are perfect, upright, and just. Unlike flawed human leaders or even the “gods” of popular culture, God’s justice is unwavering and impartial. Every act of true justice in the world echoes His throne, which is established on righteousness and justice, and is always accompanied by love and faithfulness. [15:08]
Deuteronomy 32:4 (ESV)
The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.
Psalm 89:14 (ESV)
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
Reflection: In what ways do your ideas of fairness differ from God’s standard of justice? How can you align your sense of right and wrong more closely with God’s character this week?
God calls His people to administer justice without favoritism or corruption, refusing to be swayed by the crowd, by wealth, or by sympathy for the poor. True justice is blind to status, background, or public opinion, and instead seeks what is right for each person. God’s blessing is tied to a community’s commitment to impartial justice, and He warns against the human tendency to pervert justice for personal gain or out of partiality. [19:12]
Exodus 23:2-3 (ESV)
You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.
Leviticus 19:15 (ESV)
You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.
Deuteronomy 16:18-20 (ESV)
You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Reflection: Where are you tempted to show favoritism or be swayed by popular opinion instead of standing for what is right? What is one decision you can make today to practice impartial justice?
God’s justice means every wrong will be accounted for, but His mercy means He also provides a way for sinners to be justified. Through Jesus, God remains perfectly just—every sin is paid for—while also being the justifier, offering mercy to those who trust in Christ. As followers of Jesus, we are called to reflect both sides: to stand for justice and to extend grace, refusing to be pulled to extremes but living in the tension of truth and mercy. [25:20]
Romans 3:25-26 (ESV)
…whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Reflection: Is there someone you need to show both justice and mercy to today? How can you reflect God’s balance of truth and grace in your interactions with them?
Indifference is not an option for God’s people; we are called to repent of apathy—whether toward the marginalized or toward those faithfully serving justice—and to actively seek ways to stand up for the voiceless. Sometimes this means speaking up, sometimes it means simply seeing and acknowledging those whom others ignore, and sometimes it means supporting those who uphold justice in our communities. God calls us to be His hands and feet, reflecting both His justice and compassion in a world that desperately needs both. [33:28]
Micah 6:8 (ESV)
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?
Reflection: Who is someone in your life or community that you have been indifferent toward? What is one concrete action you can take this week to stand up for them or support those who serve justice?
Growing up in Casper, Wyoming, I was shaped by the daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, which instilled in me the twin ideals of liberty and justice—values that are deeply rooted in our nation’s history and, more importantly, in the heart of God. Justice, at its core, is about fairness and giving each person their due, a principle that finds its origin in the truth that every human being is made in the image of God. This foundational belief is not just a Christian idea but has shaped the very fabric of Western society, influencing our legal systems and our understanding of human rights.
Yet, in our current culture, the concept of justice has become muddled, with opposing sides both claiming to champion it, often from vastly different perspectives. This confusion is not new; even in the days of Isaiah, God warned leaders against making unjust laws that oppressed the poor and marginalized. God’s warning is clear: there will be a day of reckoning, and no one is beyond His reach. Justice is not just a social construct—it is a reflection of God’s very character. He is the standard by which all justice is measured. Unlike the flawed heroes of our stories, God is perfectly just, and His throne is established on righteousness and justice.
Because God is just, He calls His people to reflect His justice in the world. This means not following the crowd or showing favoritism, but judging fairly and impartially. Justice is not about siding with the powerful or the marginalized simply because of their status; it is about doing what is right, regardless of public opinion or personal bias. Our legal systems, at their best, are meant to mirror this impartiality, and as followers of Christ, we are called to uphold and support justice in every sphere.
But God is not only just—He is also the justifier. Through Jesus, God satisfies both justice and mercy, paying the price for our wrongs while offering us forgiveness. We are called to live in this tension, reflecting both the justice and compassion of Christ. This means repenting of our indifference, speaking up for the voiceless, supporting those who faithfully serve justice, and embodying the balance of truth and grace in our daily lives. In a world eager to divide, we are called to stand in the middle, holding together the fullness of God’s justice and mercy.
Justice is generally seen as the principle of fairness, giving each person what is their due. It's a basic right if you would and the interesting thing is if you trace back the basic right you'll chase it back to the fact that we were all made in God's image.
[00:03:49]
(19 seconds)
#JusticeRootedInDivineImage
For every single one of us are under the hand of the Creator to whom we must sooner or later give an account of our lives. And I believe that the Scriptures are clear. Not only will you give an account for the things that you did, or didn't do. Or, I'm sorry, the things that you shouldn't have done, right, that you did do. But I believe that I'm going to give an account for the good I could have done but chose not to do.
[00:10:50]
(25 seconds)
#AccountabilityToTheCreator
Justice flows from God's character... He doesn't just act just. He is just. We have a concept of just because of God. He is the ruler, meaning the measuring stick, by which we see and understand and know what justice is. It is his very character.
[00:14:27]
(20 seconds)
#GodIsTheMeasureOfJustice
We must administer justice impartially and that's part of the part of I believe is the wrestling is that we were trying to to kind of come with a new kind of justice where we kind of take the blindfold off of one eye and go I'm impartial but in order to be impartial I need to know your color I'm impartial but in order to be impartial I need to know your gender I need to know your sexual orientation I need to know your politics that is not justice at least not the justice you of God as his people should reflect it, as his people should reflect it.
[00:17:04]
(38 seconds)
#TrueImpartialityInJustice
Justice is not optional. It is a core requirement for you and I. And hopefully you understand, you're beginning to hear here, justice goes both directions.
[00:19:05]
(16 seconds)
#JusticeIsNonNegotiable
If you don't reflect both grace and truth, you don't reflect God. If you don't reflect both the fact that God is just and the justifier, you don't reflect God. It's both. And it's our call to, in truth and grace, live in the middle.
[00:25:14]
(19 seconds)
#BalanceGraceAndTruth
Repent of indifference. Repent of indifference. Repent of indifference. I am justice -driven, okay? Don't say it out loud that this doesn't apply to you. Take some time and ask the Holy Spirit, and I guarantee you, He will reveal to you, as He revealed to me, there are times that you've been indifferent.
[00:26:25]
(17 seconds)
#RepentanceFromIndifference
Support those who are trying to faithfully serve in enforcing justice. Judges, police officers, principals, parents, there are all these folks that are put into a role of authority, are doing God's work. Now, are they, do they make mistakes? Absolutely. Like he without, you know, sin cast the first stone. Okay. Are some of them corrupt? Absolutely. And should they be held account? Absolutely. Absolutely. But I can guarantee you this, they're not all corrupt.
[00:29:21]
(34 seconds)
#SupportGodlyAuthority
Reflect the justice and compassion of Christ, not just of good morals, not just of so I can you know be a peacemaker between two because I don't want everybody to fight but Christ values we were we are called reflect both those aspects for Christ did not compromise the law as a matter of fact it said he fulfilled every aspect of it nor did he turn away sinners who sought mercy it was a both and another either or.
[00:30:48]
(29 seconds)
#ReflectChristlikeJustice
What we need more is people who really do love justice and also believe in and promote the idea of there's somebody who's the justifier and bring those two together and lives in the tension in the middle and I'm praying that that happens the God does that in you and I.
[00:32:16]
(23 seconds)
#LoveJusticeLiveInTension
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