Biblical Justice

God is not a compartmentalized part of our lives. As the old song said, “If Jesus isn’t Lord of all, he isn’t Lord at all.” Obviously, this includes our relationships, and it can involve society as a whole. How might a Christian worldview play out in terms of us living together in society and the world?

All humans have inherent dignity and value.

History is full of examples where a group in power oppresses or marginalizes other groups. Occasionally, it can go as far as genocide, such as with Nazi Germany or the crisis in Rwanda in the early 1990s. American slavery and racism is an example of dehumanization of the “other.” The history of any people is bound to be full of instances of prejudice against whatever the new group in town is. In American history, we can point to most any time and find a group that is resented – from the Irish to the Italian to the Polish to the Chinese to the Mexican.

Clearly, the Christian perspective is that everyone’s life is equally valuable no matter who they are. This is a biblical value, as Zechariah 7:10 says: “Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor.” Jesus similarly targeted these “lost sheep” in Israel (Luke 4:18), those that others didn’t notice at best and oppressed at worst. Evangelical Christians would extend this valuing of human life to the unborn to the earliest days from conception on.

Society is flawed and in need of redemption.

Because we humans have a default propensity to sin, it is no surprise that the systems of society that we create together inevitably are marred by sinfulness. When kings and queens rule, their sinfulness will inevitably find its way into their rule. When a nation is run by a prime minister or a president, a Parliament or a Congress, sin will inevitably find its way into the laws of the land.

As Dr. Blehm indicates, because people make up society, society will also inevitably need redemption time and time again. Christians disagree on whether it is possible or appropriate to try to redeem society. Some have what we might call a “lifeboat” mentality – the world is sinking, and the best a few of us can do is get in the lifeboat of Christ until he returns to rescue us. Others want to take over the world – elect Christian officials and pass Christian laws. Others take a middle road of being salt and light in the world while seeking change for the better when possible.

Scripture emphasizes the redemption of those on the margins.

We have already mentioned several Scriptures that indicate attention to those on the margins of society is a biblical value. It was a hallmark of Jesus’ earthly ministry and a pervasive theme of the Old Testament in every layer – the Law, the Prophets, and the poets.

In Old Testament times, it was much easier to play out these values in society than in New Testament times. The Law told Israel to do so, and the prophets and poets reminded kings and others when they failed to do so. Amos is an example of God calling a farmer to warn Israel that it had become oppressive to the poor and needy (e.g., Amos 2:6-7).

The situation was different in the New Testament. Christians were on the edges of Roman society themselves, so it is no surprise that Jesus treats the world of Caesar as a foreign world (Mark 12:17). It is no surprise that Paul says to let God judge the world and for the church to focus on its own internal righteousness (1 Cor. 5:12-13).

Today, different Christians see the principles playing out differently. Dr. Blehm suggests that we need to focus on getting our own spiritual house in order with the expectation that it will have a ripple effect in society. Without denying our need for personal change, others think Christians should be more active in trying to change society. Interestingly, different Christians focus on different areas to try to change.