Faith Justifies
How do you correct an injustice? I know of many injustices for which I simply have no answer that would give real, complete justice to the victims. We have our judicial system that sends others to prison or death as a punishment, but is justice completed? What about the victim? Is there justice?
Often, I don’t think about injustices at all. I must force myself to considerthem. It is natural for me and, in fact, easy for me to avoid pondering injusticesin my relatively safe, middle class neighborhood in suburban USA. I force myselfto read newsletters sent by Voice of the Martyrs, Compassion International, andothers. I get a grasp of the things that are so wrong and unjust in this world.How can I even change anything about the injustices that are happening?
God looks down on all that is unjust about this world. He took special note whenthe first injustice was carried out as Cain shed the innocent blood of his brotherAbel. He didn’t turn His back. He doesn’t choose to hide His eyesfrom all the horror that happened in Rwanda. He knows about the inhumane andsoul-murdering injustices committed against children in their own homes throughincest. He is not a God who turns His heart and mind away from all that is unjust.
Facing injustice head on, He offers a plan. He sees that we as a people are incapableof truly finding justice. He has the wisdom and knowledge to offer what we feeblylong for and make attempts to carry out but what always leaves us troubled. Heoffers justice in this: “since there is only one God, who will justifythe circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith” (Romans3:30). His is the only true justice offered in this world. The world can be justifiedby faith in Him and the Son He sent to rectify the injustices of the world.
During the Lenten season we focus on our own sins. We hope to stop sinning, atleast the ones that we have become more poignantly aware about. Yet the inabilityof our flesh to conquer sin becomes an inescapable reality. We cannot be justno matter how hard we try. As with the people Paul was writing to in Rome, therewere some that followed God through circumcism and others who followed God butchose not to be circumcised. The same justice is offered to both. Justice isgranted by God to all those who come to Him in faith.
When you sit with your sin a while during Lent, don’t get discouraged.Sit with the reality that all that sin is simply wiped away forever through God’ssimple gift of faith. God does all the work, and He offers you the gift of believingin the work He did. Psalm 32:1-2 says, “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.” Faith justifies and faith blesses. As you look at your sins, consider how that great gift of faith has justified you, and consider yourself blessed.
|
