As the topic of justice has become so pressing in our culture today, we as Christians must look at each situation through a biblical viewpoint. The meaning of justice is found all throughout the Bible and it is important that we get back to striving for justice in this way.

The Bible makes it clear that the Lord has a huge heart for justice. This is not something that is just a side part of Him, but is a central part of the character of God. The Lord calls us to love the people who are oppressed and to work towards helping them – because that is what God himself does. We talk a lot about how important justice is to us, but then we are paralyzed by the fear of the consequences that might come from actually pursuing biblical justice. Fear should not stop us from doing what the Lord desires.

The second most common word that is used for justice in the Old Testament is tzadeqah. Tzadeqah can be translated as “being just” but most of the time it is translated as “being righteous,” according to the The New International Dictionary of Theology. Tzadeqah is used in the Bible to refer to living each day in a way that brings justice and righteousness. Tzadeqah has more to do with the way we are called to live in relationships and how that brings forth justice and rightness to the people we interact with. We must strive for justice for people as the Lord has called, but I believe we must also, as the body of Christ, really figure out what justice is and not just go out and bash every decision that others make. I believe that relationships are key to a biblical pursuit of justice.

I love how Tim Keller put it in his article, “What is Biblical Justice?” He said “tzadeqah, may mean taking the time personally to meet the needs of the handicapped, the elderly or the hungry in our neighborhoods. Or it could mean the establishment of new nonprofits to serve the interests of these classes of persons. It could also mean a group of families from the more prosperous side of town adopting the public school in a poor community and making generous donations of money and pro bono work in order to improve the quality of education there.” Justice is not just making decisions that are going to make people happy. Biblical justice is working towards relationships that will bring justice and righteousness to people around you in your community.

Let’s work towards this, Grace family!